High Expectations & Providing Intervention

Response to intervention (RTI) are a method of identifying at-risk students and providing academic intervention. Response to intervention is used in many schools to provide early screening of students with learning difficulties, corrective or remedial interventions to children who are having difficulty learning. RTI provides student academic data to help screen for problems and prevent academic failure through early identification of students that are at risk. RTI provides continuous progress monitoring and targets students that are failing or at risk of failing.  
  The most important thing I have learned for a student who is falling behind is to "intervene" before it gets too late! Then provide the student with specific steps to address the issue. For example a common issue with 2nd graders are struggling readers.  Use effective instruction.  Effective instruction stimulates language awareness.

"If students are unfamiliar with the features of written text, such as subtitles, paragraph structures, connecting words and phrases, embedded clauses, idiomatic usages, and figures of speech, these can be taught. If students' written sentences are short, incomplete, or stilted, they can learn sentence expansion and construction. Each of these challenges, moreover, can be met in age-appropriate ways, in inter-woven curricular strands that progress along a developmental sequence" (Greene 1996).

Other things like teach more comprehenstion. Take the time out to read together as a whole class.  Use written responses to reading to help see what students are comprehending the stories.  

To motivate my students daily I will:

• Show enthusiasm for my subject and for teaching.
• Communicate high expectations to my students.
• Avoid sarcasm and put-downs.
• Listen carefully in order to understand my students’ concerns.
• When students have been absent I let them know they were missed.
• Connect students’ current knowledge and skills to new learning.
• Treat all students equally and fairly.
• Make positive comments when responding to student work.
• Communicate clear learning outcomes for students.
• Use well-designed, open-ended questions to promote critical thinking skills.
• Use visuals (overhead transparencies, models, videos) with lectures to stimulate interest.
• Use brainstorming at the beginning of a lesson to get students involved.
• Encourage students to apply what they have learned to situations outside the class.
• Wait 5 seconds after I ask a question before I call on a student.

References:

"When Older Students Can't Read" Motts, Louisa 2002. Retrieved from:http://www.ldonline.org/article/8025/

Interviews

I interviewed two 2^nd grade teachers from two different schools.  It really depends on the school you are teaching at that determines how much detail and planning goes into your planning.  I was curious about how the teachers break down each SOL and how many you teach per week.  So I discovered you average about 3-4 per week.  It was also interesting how some schools the principals have to approve the lessons and other schools its your director of the department.  Then some schools don’t even look at your lesson plans.  You’re on your own and if you need a coach, they have one for you.  Everything seems to depend on politics and where you are placed.

Interview Questions

1.     How long does it typically take you to write a lesson plan?

Garcia:  She uses two days.  Mondays and Tuesdays.  Mondays to look up the SOL’s and see which one she will focus on.  Usually 3-5 SOLs per each subject.  She mentioned that a school that isn’t bilingual like her will do about 3-5 SOL’s per subject.

Wilson:  She reuses from the pervious years but typically will spend about 45min or so.  She used to do them weekly but now does the lessons every 6 days.

2.      Are some lessons already done for you ahead of time?

Garcia: If the teacher was there before you and left it.  Another option is you can download from internet. They use websites where you pay for lessons and in other states.  You can gather ideas from all over.  It helps when you want to focus on the backbone. Miss Garcia typically does one unit  which is about  22 SOLs  divides it up—within 4 weeks.  So you are teaching about 3-4 SOLs per week.

Wilson:  Usually for Math they just use what is in the manuals.  Reading & whole groups are done ahead of time.  They just started a science program and most of the stuff was already done.

3.     What kind of timeline to you set for yourself when it comes to lesson planning?  (Example- a week in advanced? Etc.)

Garcia sets it up by week.  She would pick up what she plans on teaching on a Monday and break it down into parts on Tuesdays.  Wednesdays she would type it up and then turns it into her director on Thursday.  Fridays is when its approved.  I asked her what happened if its not approved.  If that is the case then she will tell you what to change and why, and then you change it over the weekend.  The supervisor or lead teacher in usually in charge of approvals.   The Vice President is who is really running the school.  If you go to a “normal” school normal school.  Nobody looks at lesson plans and on your own.  They will just send a coach to make sure you’re doing okay.  You will plan instruction.

Wilson:  She does it every 6 days. Typically day one of the 6 day cycle which is something her school just started implementing. 

4.     Does the principal or anyone higher up have to pre-approve the lesson plan?

The principal views them but she never gives feedback.  First year is when you usually are formally observed and that’s when you would get feedback after you teach the lesson.

Wilson: They now have new teacher evaluations online but they write the lesson plans and then send them to their principal.

5.     What types of differentiation strategies do you like to use?  Do you use the same strategies for each lesson?

Miss Garcia likes to use levels of learning.  The same thing I have used for my lesson plans. She mentioned how you will always need an extension of learning  to keep the “highs” busy..  Then she will spend more time with the mediums and lows. You always want to plan 4 different levels and keep the above average children entertained.

Wilson uses guided reading with 4 stations.  Math- they all do the lesson together and the math video and then break into groups.  Aides will pull them out.  Writing will be more 1 on 1.

6.      What type of formative assessments do you use?  Do you tend to use the same assessments for each lesson?

Miss Garcia uses pre-Testing and post-testing.  Pre-testing gives her information on what they know and post testing will tell her what they learned.  She only does this per unit, not per lesson. For exsample Math she will teach about 12 units per school year.  So that’s about 12 formative assessments times two.

For the lessons-she breaks them down by SOLs..  So if there are 8 SOL’s she can usually teach them in about 4 weeks--Typically 2 per week.

Post will tell her if she covered the SOL and content and exit tickets. She will also post a question of the day to make sure they are ready for the post.  It picks their brain to make sure they know it.

Wilson: She does pre-test for math and writing.  They use on demand prompts. Then the same prompt at the end of the lesson.  She will use questioning, observation and take notes.  She uses a running records on at least one kid per group and also take notes on the books that they read.

7.     On average how many formative assessments do you use for each lesson?

1 per lesson.  3 per unit.   And Discussion and questioning,  Pair Share and think with a partner.

8.     On average how many different teaching strategies do you use?

Miss Garcia said it would depend on the level of kids you have.  Some will get it quick or some will need that need breakdown and visuals.  It is according to their needs. You have to change the lesson accordingly to their needs.

Mrs. Wilson uses a ton because they get bored. It depends on the topic or unit.  Teaching that doesn’t work—math stuff she breaks into groups.  That works best when she has aides to help out.  Graphic organizers and tree maps.  Peer assessments for writing.  New program they started is about sharing with other people.  They give each other ideas and work off them.  Its hard sometimes to let go control of the classroom and let the students to it.