Jen Leonard

Grade 5 teacher

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A8 I'd still make a sponge because I plan on absorbing lots of knowledge this year, especially working with a new co-teacher. Now I'll add a bowl so all the students and teachers can squeeze out their new sponges to create a new collaborative knowledge. #gpspiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A8 I prefer annotating because I feel it focuses the students' efforts on reading instead of writing. I like the idea of having students select/display their best annotations each week to hold them accountable/make the work feel important. #gpsnewapproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A7 "What question would you ask the author?" is an open ended question that allows all levels of readers to participate. Some have literal questions about understanding the text, while others have inferential questions or questions about the author's craft. #gpsnewapproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A7 Each S&T crumples a paper pic of a brain to represent the frustration that comes from making mistakes. Smooth out the paper; trace the lines made from crumpling. All those lines represent synapses firing/growth of your brain when you make errors. Even before you correct them!

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A6 I'll include Let Go of What You Don't Know. Focusing and building on what Ss think they understand from a text is an effective strategy to deepen a broader understanding. Determining a focus is crucial because you can't teach/learn everything at once. #gpsnewapproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A6 Closing the classroom door, gathering the students close, and telling an animated story in a whisper is great for capturing attention! #gpspiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A5 I want to take my knowledge of students' interests/hobbies one step further by giving them an opportunity to be experts. A class or grade level edcamp run by students would be fun! #gpspiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A5 Small groups need to be short and focused to be effective. A carefully targeted 10-15 minute session is a more powerful tool than a longer session/conference that tries to do too much. Figure 6.2 makes the time management aspect seem doable! #gpsnewapproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A4 I want to refine active involvement in minilessons. It's important for kids to practice quickly and immediately so they know that you trust their abilities. Message: You can do this! The planning guide and pacing chart are crucial to effective planning. #gpsnewapproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

Q4 I want to try "planting" things outside the classroom, like an educational scavenger hunt. I often use this at the beginning of the year to encourage kids to get to know each other/our classroom but would like to use it in ELA and math activites.#gpspiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

@MolinaroGHS @TraceyCalo Great point!

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A3: I am comfortable using demonstration (read aloud) and guided practice (small groups) to teach monitoring for sense. I think it's also important to build or tap in to students' schema (brainstorming, discussions, book talks) before even choosing a text. #gpsnewapproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

@kearley74 So true! It's interesting that teachers always encourage students to take risks, yet usually have a hard time not being "perfect" themselves.

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A3: I strive to position my classroom as a respectful place where everyone (S,T) has the opportunity to learn from one other. I value S input, i.e. student created anchor charts. A community where everyone is celebrated for their individuality (built on rapport)! #gpsPiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A2 I would encourage a balance of both approaches. Whole class (teaching books) and reading workshop (teaching readers) are both important ways to nurture readers. Each reader needs some element of choice to capture their interest and keep them motivated. #gpsNewApproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A2 Rapport is so important. The key to student engagement is to "...spend less time trying to get students interested in what you are presenting and more time making connections between what you are presenting and what they are already interested in."(20) #gpsPiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A1 As an elementary teacher, my instruction is based on meeting the needs of each individual student so I am more often teaching the reader than the reading. It's more about teaching reading skills than teaching a specific text. #gpsNewApproachchat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

A1 I'd make a sponge to represent all the new things I absorb from students and colleagues each year. #gpspiratechat

[Jen Leonard @JenLeo22]

@TraceyCalo Excited to join #gpsPiratechat and #gpsNewApproachchat booktalks!