Mirror, Mirror: End of the Year Reflections

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Permalink Reply by Elisa Waingort on June 16, 2010 at 6:06am

Hi,
This year I had a very challenging student in my class. I think a lot of people had already given up on him. I learned so much from working with him that I feel grateful to have been his teacher even though he taught me so much more than I could have ever imagined. I now have a different perspective about how to work with children who may have similar behavior issues. At the height of my frustration I remembered the power of kidwatching (Yetta Goodman): stepping back, assessing a situation, analyzing it, and taking action. I will miss this child next year.

Permalink Reply by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on June 16, 2010 at 9:32pm

Elisa--
THOSE students are good reminders of why we teach!

I've heard of Y.Goodman. If I remember correctly, isn't she Australian? Do you have more info/links/articles to share from her research?

Thanks for sharing!

Permalink Reply by Elisa Waingort on June 17, 2010 at 5:45am

Hi Michelle,
Yetta Goodman is American. She has written a lot about kidwatching and miscue analysis. If you google miscue analysis or kidwatching you're likely to get a few hits. I don't have titles of her books handy at the moment but if you would like me to post these, let me know and I will make up a list.

Permalink Reply by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on June 20, 2010 at 8:03pm

Ah, yes! I googled her name and found this website:
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~kgoodman/
I'm SURE I visited that site through grad studies at some point. That's why the name sounded familier!

Here's a link to her "Kidwatching" book from Amazon.

Thanks, Elisa!

Permalink Reply by Marcy Prager on June 16, 2010 at 4:25pm

For second grade, I used the Stephanie Harvey toolkit for the first time! My students became reflective, comprehension specialists! The kit includes six books how to further students' thinking as they read to better their reading comprehension. My students really know how to read and comprehend information, much better than ever before! The students are making connections out loud and independently as I now read to them and they read on their own. It doesn't get any better than this!!!!!!

Permalink Reply by Michelle TeGrootenhuis on June 16, 2010 at 9:38pm

Marcy,
I've heard so many good things about the "Comprehension Toolkit"! For those of you who wish to know, it's published by Heineman and you can see some samples online if you go to their website (www.heineman.com) and type in "Comprehension Toolkit" in the search box.

Had you done strategy instruction before, or was this your first experience with those core comprehension strategies?

Permalink Reply by Marcy Prager on June 17, 2010 at 5:03am

I have used Debby Miller strategies, and strategies I have known for years. This is definitely the MOST comprehensive program, and the books suggested by Stephanie Harvey can be replaced by books you already use in science and social studies to integrate your curriculum, which is my specialty. I want to use this toolkit and consult with school systems how to integrate established curriculums. I want to model what I know with the slideshows I have prepared with my own first and second grade students. I will be retiring at the end of next year, so if you know of any opportunities where I can teach teachers, let me know!