No One Knows Your Classroom Better Than You!
Posted by PLB Blogger · 1 Comment
We read and learn about various strategies, research and ideas in newsletters, journals, or professional development courses. Sometimes we find things that we love and sometimes we find ideas that make us think “That will never work in MY classroom!” Often, we may be right. After all, no one knows our classrooms better than us. We know the biggest obstacles, challenges and strengths.
At the same time, we are provided with many opportunities. We can reflect and identify ways in which we might modify or customize a strategy for our classrooms. We can discuss with other teachers in our schools, and in similar settings to find out if they did something similar. And keeping all of our classroom’s special characteristics in mind, we can find a way to implement new strategies. Professional development is not just about seeking out the latest and greatest in education and using ideas that are easy to implement. It also requires us to customize what we learn and apply into our particular situation.
What is something you learned about and implemented in your classroom?
I have been studying The Daily 5/CAFE methods to foster literacy independence with my first grade Title One Reading students. The Daily 5/CAFE method of delivering reading instruction was a school wide initiative in my school and one that I welcomed with open arms. I am a believer in the notion that our readers need to take ownership of their learning, and the Daily 5 gave me a system to help manage the classroom. My struggling readers need to internalize their self-monitoring behaviors and increase their reading stamina with the help of their literacy teachers. The CAFE/Daily 5 methods are one way to help elementary literacy teachers to achieve those goals with all of their students. The CAFE Menu is a system which teaches students a variety of reading behaviors and strategies that they need to practice daily in order to become better readers. These strategies are also aligned to the Common Core Standards. I was involved in a book study through the Northeast Iowa Reading Council in cooperation with the Iowa Reading Association last year, which was a collaborative learning experience. I’ve also been receiving weekly tips from the creators of the CAFE/Daily 5 books and website, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, also well known as “The Sisters”. I am not a classroom teacher, but I have implemented many of the same concepts as the classroom teachers in my school using methods and classroom organization tips from the Daily 5/CAFE books and website. Using similar language across classrooms helps students relate to the strategies we are teaching and the expectations that we have for all of our students.