Clarifying Questions

This week we focused on asking clarifying questions and giving feedback. I introduced giving feedback through a writing lesson using play dough. Students created a pencil holder. Then, they chatted with the students around them about how they could make it better. Students gave and received feedback. We saw that every one's creation was different but use able and the importance of giving feedback. If you do not give great feedback then you are not challenging your peer to do their best creating.

Clarifying questions was taught and practiced this week. Students used the prompts: "I think..." "I know..." "I wonder..." To better help themselves and their CF understand their goal.

I feel like we are in the full swing of things and the kids long to have a CF conference. Now, if their teacher, allows for adequate time for meaningful conversations to happen is when the learning really takes place.

Teacher Notes

"Mrs.Thomas! We forgot to meet with our critical friend! I have to meet with them before I can start Daily 5!" This was a quote of one of my tier 2 students. On Thursday I forgot to have the kids meet with their CF before DAILY 5. They became so in tune to setting goals together and dialogue that THEY COULD NOT begin with out this component. This tells me that the CF piece of Daily 5 has a value and a purpose for my students.

Continuing...

This week I heard awesome conversations between students. Students were using our CAFE bulletin board to set Daily 5 goals for themselves. One student even said, "Mrs.Thomas I work hard when I know my CF will ask me what I was doing." Another student said, "Mrs.Thomas, I am going to practice stopping and reading again." Students practiced writing their goals before meeting with a critical friend and then sharing them verbally. The last day of the week we practiced thinking the goal in our head and then sharing. Students also evaluated themselves on the CF process.

Furthermore, students brought up their CF during their Goal-Setting Conferences. Parents were so excited to hear about the interaction their child was having with other students. Also, the first graders had such an easy time participating in the goal-setting because they had been practicing setting goals with their Critical Friend.

The Themes of the Right Answer...

A Pause in the Action

I have not been consistently implementing my action. I have found that time is limited and transitioning is hard. Instead of having 2 meetings a day I am going to transition to 1 meeting a week. Students will meet with their Critical Friend on Fridays to discuss their work of the week and create a goal for the following week. Instead of having students create a hope for the day and reflect they are going to do the action backwards.

Friday: Students will share Word Work, books from their book bin, and a reflection of Listen to Reading. They will work together to complete a rubric. Then they will write a goal for the following week.

Monday: Students will review their goal with their CF.

The Hard Lessons

I tried to stick with my Adam Sandler movie clips and find one of the Grown-ups. In the movie the grown ups the kids are at a cabin and make phones out of paper cups.

We made paper cup telephones in first grade today. The reason we made paper cup telephones was 2 part: 1) Practice taking turns listening and speaking; 2) Work with your CF to build paper cup telephones. After the phones were built we brainstormed rules for what kinds of communication should happen through a phone. Students then shared their Read to Self goal with their CF via paper cup phone.

I have had students working with their CF whenever partner work has become available this week. The kids are so excited to see their buddy and I noticed a bond being formed. The first part to having a positive CF experience is establishing a relationship built on trust.

At the end of each lesson I was going to have students complete a rubric stating how the experience went. The rubrics are so hard for students right now and so I decided I am going to wait until next week when we are in the full swing of things to start that process.

One of my biggest observations is that all of these peer activities are very challenging for one of my students who is labeled OHD. She melts down every time she has to work with her CF. This student is one who I am taking anecdotal notes about daily as part of triangulation.

How does the implementation of peer conferencing effect student meta-cognition skills?

After much thought, grueling research, and analyzing, question, re-analyzing, and re-questioning my research and NEED I am excited about the question: How does the implementation of peer conferencing effect student meta-cognition skills?

I am addressing this question in my research and classroom based on the fact that I feel like my students engage in so many meaningful activities throughout Daily 5 and are given little opportunity to share them.

The new book written by the sisters implements a teacher conferencing plan focusing on the acronym CAFE. C=comprehension A=Accuracy F=Fluency E=Extending Vocabulary. Using research around the idea of a Critical Friend, Descriptive Feedback, Peer Motivation, Daily 5 and CAFE I am going to implement Critical Friend Peer Conferencing.

Throughout 2 weeks we will implement phases of Daily 5 embedded with lessons of building peer collaboration and partner work. Teaching students how to interact with a peer is going to be the key to the success of the action.

With implementing this action I hope students are increasingly aware of their strengths and areas to grow and FEEL SUCCESSFUL at where they are at.

I hope they feel like Nemo everyday.