Kristen Minner

Wife, Mom of boys, teacher, coach, crafter! Rocking this life the best way I know how!

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@meinumberonefan @katrinakalamat1 It's so great to see the community that we all foster- from our kids, staff, and parents! Those connections are so vital in providing an environment for kids to feel safe in their learning!

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@dcgoebb91 @katrinakalamat1 What an awesome idea! I love this! It gives them ownership of the project, but they're also motivated to engage in it because they chose it! That's a win win!

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont.. In coaching someone new to the process I would say to engage, listen, and be confident to share your ideas. Being open to the ideas of others is also a critical component of the process.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont- We learn so much from one another and I love how they said “it is how much of that you draw out and use”- use being the key word here. The application piece of that knowledge is what I often find lacking. PLC time is great for allowing this to happen.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 I access information from other educators all the time. Daily discussions, observations, and set meeting times are examples of the different ways that I access information. I have them model, explain, and teach me so that I can in turn bring this back into my classroom.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont... Students then have to explain their word and support why they think it is that specific syllable type. During text writing I will have students create an illustration to match what they have read- or sometimes we create an alternative ending.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 This is more difficult in my position, however I am able to do this daily. The students I work with need phonics instruction and we focus primarily on the 6 syllable types. I ask students to think of a word that they know is a specific syllable type and then they write that word.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont... We set up time to talk about student growth and goals. Our team looks at curriculum and plans out ways to truly engage students so the information is retained.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 Collectively my team is good a looking at data and determining where to implement more purposeful support. We are good at collaborating and sharing ideas, and hearing what the other has to say. I love it when the decisions are a perfect mix of each of our ideas.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont.. We look for ways to provide our struggling students with support, support, and more support when we are able. To be more effective I think looking at data more frequently to ensure that our students are making adequate progress would be helpful.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 One strength of our school is that we look at what is best for kids. We attempt to support, guide, and enrich our students in purposeful ways to ensure we are providing the most comprehensive education to our students. We all want our students to achieve.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont... Then I can tailor each lesson to what the students truly need- and support the students who haven’t quite mastered the skill that others in the group have. Sometimes this is through different level word work or text.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 My groups are pretty homogeneous. Differentiation in my intervention group isn’t always necessary because the students I service essentially all have the same needs. Getting to know my learners is still important though. I do this through a lot of observation and assessment.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 cont... I would really like to begin using more self-assessment in my classroom and opportunities for innovation- but this could be a big challenge with struggling readers and a minimal amount of time.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 In my classroom I see a lot of voice, time for reflection, and critical thinking (when working with text). In my plc, I see a lot of self-assessment, and critical thinking. I am lacking choice, opportunities for innovation, problem solvers, and connected learning in my classroom.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@MsLauraBianchi @VdelC @WCusd200 💖💖💖

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@meinumberonefan @katrinakalamat1 I love these ideas! Debates would be great when working on your opinion writing (if you have students select one side of an argument) as maybe a wrap up.

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@PepperC10 @katrinakalamat1 Absolutely! Having them take ownership of an instructional routine where they can be the teacher can work at any level imo- it all depends on how it's modeled from the start and then they can run with it!

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@katrinakalamat1 The what if that spoke to me is "What if people were always our first focus, as opposed to stuff." I can only imagine how much more focused, connected, kinder, and overall just happier educators we'd be if our focus could simply be on what's best for our students and one another!

[Kristen Minner @TeachReaders1]

@dcgoebb91 @katrinakalamat1 It's great when students take ownership of their learning. It really does deepen their understanding if they have a choice. It's great that your students feel confident enough to share their thinking when it may be different from yours!