Appetite for Instruction

Whether we are reading text messages, emails, news articles, lesson plans, educational periodicals or a book to help us escape the daily grind, reading is a part of our everyday lives. However, for students who struggle, reading is often seen as more of a punishment than pleasure. Two reading teachers at Hunter’s Creek Middle School are working to combat that mindset.

Caitlin Chacon and Kellee Moye have filled their classrooms with hundreds of books to help students find “the goodness in reading.” Both teachers help students realize that if they choose a book that matches their interests, they are more likely to find joy. They also believe it’s important for students to practice independent reading because it provides an opportunity for students to select what they read, which aids in building a positive connotation about reading.

To help garner interest, Caitlin likes to conduct a Book Pass. Students hold the book, look at the cover and if it appeals to them (yes, they will judge a book by its cover), they can read the book synopsis. Then they pass it and look at the next one in rotation. For those that piqued their interest, students will add it to their list of books they want to read.

In addition to the book pass, Kellee likes to use Book Clubs. She has amassed sets of books, so students can choose from one of them and then each club member develops discussion questions to help spark academic conversation within their group. Students use Post-it Notes to annotate the book.

Books, Books and More Books

CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Stop hating on graphic novels 

While Caitlin and Kellee feel there’s a common misconception that graphic novels don’t seem like traditional complex texts, they can be. Plus, they contain complex themes, they teach inferencing skills and they visually assist the English Language Learners with the content. It’s often this genre that helps the reluctant reader develop a love of reading.

Vocabulary Instruction

Many students possess reading fluency, but lack comprehension skills. These teachers use good, old fashioned flash cards to expands students’ vocabulary. Learning affixes helps students see the big picture. Plus, students love using Quizlet and Gimkit gamification programs to test their word-part knowledge and engage in friendly competition with their peers.

Teaching Writing – RATE

The bulk of writing instruction occurs in student’s English Language Arts classes, but these reading teachers reinforce the skills learned in those classes by having students answer assessments with solid paragraphs using the RATE system: Restate, Answer (in your own words), Text Evidence, Explain. Using RATE, students’ reading comprehension and writing skills improve.

Flexible Seating 

This research-based classroom seating approach can increase collaboration, reduce extended sitting and help students focus. It is most commonly found in primary grades, but after reading Ethan Marcus Stands Up, Kellee’s students convinced her that they would benefit from flexible seating too. Now her classroom options include bouncy balls, standing desks, floor seats and regular chairs as options, and she’s seen first-hand how it’s helped them.  

 

Other suggestions to help build efficacy include attending the National Council of Teachers of English conference and the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE wo...

Listen to the podcast to hear Marcy and Principal Kelly Steinke discussing trust and school culture. We brought them together to help explain the way they each used their position and skillset to help transform their school.

NOTE: This week’s episode is a continuation from last week’s discussion with Marcy Simmerson, a fifth-grade teacher at Killarney Elementary. If you missed it, click here to listen and see the blog post.

Listen to the podcast (click play button above) to hear Marcy and Principal Kelly Steinke discussing trust and school culture. We brought them together in this episode to help explain the way they each used their position and skillset to help transform their school. 

Killarney grew from a  D to an A school grade, despite being Title 1, having the largest homeless student population in OCPS and a 53 percent mobility rate.

How’d they do it?

Kelly says the lessons learned from their book studies:  Teach Like a Champion, The End of Molasses Classes, and #KidsDeserveIt, were the foundation for their school transformation. It wasn’t an overnight process; it took time to practice and cultivate changes.

Part of transforming their school culture came from the Ron Clark Academy idea of creating a House System so that everyone in the school has a place to belong. For this movement to be successful, Kelly knew she needed all stakeholders to “buy in.” She felt taking a few baby steps toward the end goal, rather than going all in at the beginning, helped get her faculty on board, which, in turn, increased student engagement, and led to classroom and school transformations.

Killarney has four houses (Tezeti, Kupa, Isazi, Bepall) based on their core values and a daily creed that helps drive them, in the respective order: Goal oriented, Outstanding citizens, Lifelong learners, Determined to succeed. We are GOLD.

The competition aspect of the House system helps students keep their focus on maintaining good character, and the overall “whole home mentality” has positively impacted the school community.

While it may seem like it’s all fun and games, Killarney’s success, didn’t happen overnight. It took hours of teamwork to plan creative lessons that align with the rigor of the standards and that are on target with the Scope and Sequence. It’s Kelly’s trust in her professional learning communities that affords her teachers the ability to think outside the box.

One such creative lesson ended with students taste-testing edible bugs. To get to this point, students conducted a close read to answer FSA aligned reading comprehension questions about the passages. For each correct answer groups received “sticks of dynamite” to blast away “rocks” that covered the flavored bugs. Now, they’re celebrating their success.

Watch to see the students and Kelly’s reaction:

 

ABOUT THE GUESTS –

Marcy Simmerson has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida and returned to Orlando to teach in the district that helped raise her. She began teaching at Killarney ES six years ago. 

Kelly Steinke is in her 22nd year as an educator in OCPS. This is her sixth year as principal at Killarney ES. She served as a classroom teacher, Curriculum Resource Teacher, Instructional Coach at the elementary level, as well as an assistant principal at Piedmont Lakes Middle school and Evans High School. She believes good leaders model the behavior they expect from others. 

Brown paper, plastic tablecloths, flying bats, headlamps and bugs made for an authentic classroom experience.

When we visited Marcey Simmerson’s fifth grade classroom at Killarney Elementary, we saw a teacher who loves what she gets to do every day: motivate, challenge and celebrate young minds.

As part of a cross curricular lesson, Simmerson transformed her classroom into a cave. Students conducted a close read to learn about their  surroundings.

Listen to this podcast to learn more about her morning song, confirmations and building a community, as well as how she blends the Whole Brain Teaching, Conscious Discipline, Ron Clark Academy and Kagan strategies to best meet the needs of her students. 

Beginning day one, she teaches one expectation per day, for the first 11 days, along with the accompanying hand sign. Students spend the first month practicing the expectation and hand sign to learn what it looks like to be part of Room 208.

The 11 expectations:

* Show appreciation

* Show respect

* Show kindness

* Show courtesy

* Show humility

* Be a community

* Show integrity

* Be honest

* Be confident

* Accept feedback

* Slap fear in the face

Watch the morning song

 

Mix, pair, share

 

Check out Episode 2 (coming next week): Yum, let’s eat bugs – see the students and Principal Kelly Steinke taste test edible bugs.

 

ABOUT THE GUEST – Marcy Simmerson has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Florida and returned to Orlando to teach in the district that helped raise her. She began teaching at Killarney ES, a Title 1 school, six years ago. A few books that helped Simmerson develop her teaching style are Teach like a champion, The essential 55, and #KidsDeserveIt.

As part of a cross curricular lesson, Simmerson transformed her classroom into a cave. See how it all relates.

The Innovation Office and Media Relations are excited to launch this new podcast. 

Have we piqued your interest? Want to know who we are and where we’re going with it?

Click the play button above to hear the introduction of what’s to come.

Meet your hosts:

Sara Au runs the OCPS social media platforms and liaisons with our local news media. She previously ran the Partners in Education program (2010-2016), helping schools create meaningful relationships with businesses in their community. A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Sara brings a wealth of journalism experience to the district with decade at CNN in Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York. She’s written three parenting books that have been published in a variety of languages, as well as articles for CNNMoney.com, Psychology Today, Huffington Post and Runner’s World magazine. While at CNN-LA, Sara contributed to the Emmy-winning coverage of the Northridge earthquake. From 2008-2011, she produced and hosted The Real Parenting Show with Dr. Pete & Sara podcast that was named “New & Notable” by iTunes. In 2015, she received the Adele Graham Award for her leadership and commitment to volunteerism in schools across Florida.  Sara has a passion for storytelling, especially about amazing accomplishments by OCPS students and teachers.

Renée Burke is a media promotions manager for OCPS. She taught at William R. Boone HS (1995-2017), and was JEA’s 2015 H.L. Hall Yearbook Adviser of the Year, the 2012 OCPS Teacher of the Year, 2011 FSPA Journalism Teacher of the Year, 2011 Gold Key recipient from CSPA, 2010 and 2000 Boone High School Teacher of the Year, and 2008 Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Distinguished Adviser of the Year. She advised the Legend yearbook and Hi-Lights newspaper for 20 and 21 years, respectively. Both publications earned CSPA Crown and NSPA Pacemaker awards. Renée has presented at countless national conventions and summer journalism camps helping others perfect their craft.

 

 

Prince LeBoo is the Senior Administrator in the Innovation Office. He started his teaching career in Atlanta, GA. Prince worked for the DeKalb County School System for 16 years. During those years, he served as a regular third grade teacher, technology instructor, EIP teacher, and also served as an assistant principal. He transitioned into Human Resources and served as Recruitment Specialist and HR Manager. In 2016, Prince moved to Orlando and accepted the HR Senior Manager position for OCPS. He has a passion for teaching children and a passion for helping others. Prince is enjoying his education journey and looks forward to what the future may bring.

 

 

 

John Wright is the Area Superintendent of the district’s new Innovation Office. John is a former Language Arts teacher, grades 6-9, girls basketball coach, dean, assistant principal and principal. He opened Timber Creek High School in 2000 and served as the principal until 2012, at which time he became Executive Area Director for the East Learning Community (2012–14) and then the Area Superintendent for the North Learning Community (2014-17),  Area Superintendent for the East Learning Community 2017-18).  

John was Teacher of the Year at Meadowbrook MS, and selected as the district’s principal of the year by the district’s associations for media specialists and by the guidance/support services team.  He was the Florida Association of Student Councils’  Florida Principal of the Year and the Florida State Thespian Board of Directors Administrator of the Year.  John has presented at many national conferences on topics such as Positive Behavior Support/Restorative Justice, Service Learning and on Creating School Culture and Climate.

 

Get a sample of what’s to come in our new podcast.