Go With the Flow

 To be a teacher means that you have to go with the flow. You can have the most amazing plans ready, but inevitably something comes along and makes you change course. 

While doing all my work getting Restart ready for our novel study I started charting out the rest of my semester. Even doing a full chapter a day, we wouldn't have finished the book before Christmas break and I am not one to leave students hanging on a book over 2 weeks of vacation. All those plans will be put to use at some point, just not right now.

So here we are. 

We are now going to read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. We have already read the first chapter and the students are hooked. The good part about this book is that there are other books in the Brian series so my few students who have read the book before and are choosing not to read it are going to read Brian's Winter. 

While planning out this novel study I practiced with a group giving students assignments on what they were to focus on while we read. It didn't turn out as planned so I tried a little differently during the next class. I still wasn't satisfied. My next class was the class that finally got what I needed. Now the students are going to focus on vocabulary and characterization for the book while we discuss the plot, literary devices, and signposts together as a class. 

I think this will work better for my students now. They will be working on finding new words, difficult words, interesting words, confusing words, etc. I want them building their vocabulary so I'm not giving them specific words to look for. I want them to have ownership of their learning. 

I will be keeping notes over all the other parts of the book so that they can have access to it. They will help me build the notes, but I will be the one compiling them. They will be responsible for their own vocabulary and characterization notes. 

I'm also going to be telling them about their One Pager assignment that will be completed after we finish the book. This way they know what to be on the lookout for while we read. I love One Pagers. I love how it allows students to be creative and as artistic as they want to be. 

When was a time you had to go with the flow during your teaching?

Novel Study: Restart by Gordon Korman

 My plan was to read The Westing Game with my students this year like I do every year, but I found out that about 10 of them have already read the book. It's not fun to read a murder mystery when you have already figured out the mystery.

So I'm going to read Restart with my students instead. It's not a murder mystery, but I'm really excited to dive into this book with my students. This nine-weeks we are focusing on Literary Elements so I think this is the perfect book for that objective. 

The skills that we will be working on:

• Plot
• Setting
• Characterization
• Conflict
• Point of View
• Literary Devices
• Paraphrasing
• Research
• Notice and Note Signposts
• Theme
• Compare and Contrast
• Fact and Opinion
• Author's Purpose

I love the fact that this book is told from multiple perspectives because we can get really good compare/contrast of situations and characters through this format. Within the first few chapters we get to see a scene told from the perspective of 5 different characters and can discuss the whats and whys of that situation. 

Also, with multiple characters being the narrator, we get to see a lot of characterization from different perspectives. 

So that it's not overwhelming for my students (5th grade) I have assigned them roles for each chapter. They will be in charge of one or two things for two chapters and then they will get a new role for two chapters. Everyone will get to focus on something while we read which keeps them accountable and helps them to think deeply about their role and we will discuss what everyone has been focused on at the end of each chapter. They will do each role for two chapters before switching to a new role so that they get enough practice finding each thing. 

Example: 

Johnny and Elise will be looking for minor character characterization for two chapters. They will write down examples of characterization about all characters except Chase Ambrose for chapter one and all characters except Shoshanna Weber for chapter two. Chapters three and four they will be focused on literary devices. They will keep track of all literary devices and what their possible meanings are. Chapters five and six they will work on Contrasts/Contradictions and Words of the Wiser. 

To begin we will do a little research and writing on amnesia and bullying. They will need this background information and this mindset before getting into the book so they can understand what is happening to Chase throughout the story. 

Throughout we will be reading picture books to get practice with the signposts and to get more stories about amnesia and bullying. I'll probably pull in some articles and poems if I can find them. 

During RTI I will pull the students that I think need some more practice on literary elements since that is our main focus. 

I can't wait to get started on Monday!