Ohio Voices-
Spring 2016
The OCTELA Newsletter, member of The NCTE Information Exchange, is a publication of the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA), founded in 1957 as the English Association of Ohio (EAO). OCTELA is the only statewide affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) representing teachers of English Language Arts, prekindergarten through college.
table of contents-
Time for Books
11
12
Contact OCTELA
Students Make a Mark on the World
Heidi Weber shares support while answering your teaching-related questions.
Text
Looking for a teaching position? Tips and advice for the current-day job market are outlined.
10
Executive Board Spotlight
Member Spotlight
5
13
Shutting Down the ORC?
Advice from the Green Room
4
Learn about OCTELA member Claudia Gates, professor at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Cameron Carter reviews the 2016 Dublin Literacy Conference.
Carol Brown Dodson reports on the state of the Ohio Resource Center.
8
OCTELA Memberhip Information
Virginia McCormac thinks ahead to our next conference and explores the importance of multicultural literature in the classroom.
Presidential Welcome
Kristine Michael, TESOL Liaision, offers a look into her daily life.
9
Professional Synergies
14
Jen Baker offers book reviews--for students, for work, and for pleasure.
Join or renew your membership, connect with us online, and submit articles to Ohio Voices.
OCTELA Executive Board
Carol Ann Hart Registrar/WROTE/ SLATE Karla Hayslett Executive Director Stacy Ludwig ODE Liaison Sue Malaska Bonnie Chambers Sara Marker Early Childhood Liaison Ruth McClain Advisor Virginia McCormac President Kristine Michael TESOL Liaison Debra Nickles University/ CAEO Pattie Niese Secretary/BCTBA Sarah Ressler Wright Exhibitor co-Liaison Colleen Ruggieri NCTE/ODE Liaision Amanda Schear Diversity Liaison Jessica Sharp Membership Liaison Debbie Thomas Bonnie Chambers Patrick Thomas OJELA Karen Tollafield LGBTQQ Liaision Chris Wagner Social Networking Noah Waspe Middle School Liaison Heidi Weber Elementary co-Liaison Molly Wendel Elementary co-Liaison Sam Whitaker Legislative Liaison Brandi Young OELMA Liaison Joshua Younge Vice President
Jen Baker Secretary Michelle Best President-Elect Margaret Blevins Treasurer Nicole Brickman Exhibitor co-Liaison Karen Carney Conference Planner Stephenie Erikkson Past-President Andrew Ford Webmaster Marge Ford Associate Webmaster
Presidential Welcome As children file into our classrooms, many of us notice that we have a rich learning environment of many cultures. These cultures can be varied and vast and each child brings different experiences to share. Multicultural literature has the potential to promote a classroom discussion that evokes knowledge; it helps people have a deeper connection to one another and the varying cultures of the community. There are many benefits to using multicultural literature in our curriculum which helps to teach a variety of new and different concepts. It takes careful planning to include multicultural literature in our curriculum, since it involves investigating the backgrounds of the students in our classes. Putting in the necessary effort, however, gives students the opportunity to share traditions, foods, clothing, photographs, and special stories about life in their cultures. Teaching some of the (many) different languages through word pronunciation and definitions helps bridge the gap of one world to another and introduces knowledge of a foreign language. With this idea as a driving force, multicultural literature brings many worlds together. According to the research of Boles and DeLeon, “the main goals of multicultural literature are to increase sense of self-worth in students, achievement of educational equity, cultural pluralism, a sense of empowerment, the ability to work in harmony with other students, and teaching from a multicultural perspective.” Multicultural literature can help change the culture of the classroom, it help create an environment of acceptance, and it can help us begin to remove feelings of stereotype and prejudice. It provides a way for students to feel a self worth and to connect to their culture in more passionate ways. Multicultural literature allows students to view conflicts in society while providing the opportunity to discuss solutions. Using our classroom cultures to choose literature enhances learning for every student. Teaching through cultures gives students a new perspective of their classmates. Please keep this in mind when planning lessons and thinking critically about what is best for our students. OCTELA's 2017 conference, focusing on diversity, will be a wonderful opportunity for you to research multicultural literature while networking with colleagues. It is my sincere hope that you enjoy this edition of Ohio Voices. Virginia McCormac OCTELA President Boles, M. (2006). The Effects of Multicultural Literature in the Classroom. Digital Commons @ EMU, Paper 62. Retrieved April 16, 2013, from http://commons.emich.edu DeLeon, L. (2002). Multicultural Literature: Reading to Develop Self-Worth. Multicultural Education, 10(2), 49-51.
Virginia McCormac OCTELA President
Visit the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics for an upcoming companion article that outlines the impact of "Shutting Down ORC" on the math classroom.
Photo credit: Ohio Resource Center-
Shutting Down- the ORC?
Another Loss to Ohio Teachers! Carol Brown Dodson ORC Outreach and ELA Specialist OCTELA President, 1990-1991
“Ohio shutting down clearinghouse for teachers to find online lessons.” If you saw the headline in the Columbus Dispatch on March 15, you might have wondered what clearinghouse for online lessons the Dispatch was talking about. In fact, even if you are a frequent user of resources from the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) (or even a former employee like me), you might have read the article to see what Mary Mogan Edwards was talking about. Even then, you might not have recognized ORC, but near the end of the article, Edwards mentioned ilearnOhio. Is that ORC? In fact, the ORC funding support through the Ohio Departments of Education and Higher Education is gone. This loss includes ORC and ilearnOhio resources. Without the funding, OSU must shut down the website (http://www.ohiorc.org) before the beginning of the 2016-17 school year. The ORC staff has already been reduced to a mere handful of employees, and most of the content specialists are no longer there. Are you one of the 475,000 visitors to the website in the last school year, or a teacher in any of the 87 percent of Ohio schools estimated to be using the resources from the site? Does your school or district rely on the free resources for developing curriculum, for teaching state standards, or for providing intervention for students who were not proficient on one or more of the many state tests? If so, your loss will be huge. Whenever lack of government funding causes the loss of valuable resources for schools, districts, and individual teachers, teachers are often left to struggle alone with replacing the resources that are integral to their lessons and that have made their lesson preparation a little easier--and a lot more interesting--than it once was. Following are some of the major losses to English language arts teachers: *2,369 reviewed lessons, assessments, professional resources, content resources, and general education resources (All are aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards for ELA and have records that include specific standards alignments, grade levels, and professional commentaries.) *ORC-On, collections of lessons and resources by grade level on topics related to an event or a season; e.g., National Poetry Month, Summer Reading, National Writing Day *Resources for Early Childhood that include the Kindergarten Readiness Standards, valuable information about inclusion, a bookshelf for preschoolers, examples of inquiry-based projects, and hundreds of other resources *Adolescent literacy professional development resources that include classroom videos of Ohio teachers accompanied by lesson and unit plans and reading strategies illustrated in classroom videos *Forty-six issues of In Perspective, a journal devoted to adolescent literacy. Each issue is focused on a topic or theme of particular interest to reading and English language arts teachers of adolescents and includes the following features: -Articles written specifically for the adolescent literacy project by nationally known published experts in the field -Articles by Ohio ELA educators -Links to additional resources -Annotated suggestions for professional reading -Classroom vignettes And this article doesn’t even touch on the many ways that ORC contributes to mathematics, science, and social studies education. It’s sad (an understatement!) to think of losing all this. The Ohio Resource Center is an invaluable resource to Ohio teachers. It should be saved. Can ORC Be Saved? The organization is continuing to work with state education agencies and is exploring ideas with ODE to determine whether any funding will be available to continue the resource repository. How Can I Help? There is no specific plan at this time to organize a grassroots movement to save ORC. But do use your connections with administrators, community members, and other professional organizations to make all of them aware of the loss. If you have the opportunity to speak with an Ohio legislator or State Board member, you can let the person know what is going on with the valuable resources you have been using to reach all your students. An appendix following this article includes additional information regarding the impact of the loss of ORC funding and a brief legislative history of ORC.
A valuable component of the state’s P-20 educational infrastructure, ORC provides: *Instructional and assessment support for K-12 teachers, curriculum supervisors, and other educators *Resources to support prospective teachers and teacher education programs *Resources and professional development for early childhood professionals Loss of funding will cause a shutdown of ORC websites and end of all web services to Ohio teachers, even though: *Usage data indicates that there were 475,000 visits to ORC websites during the 2014-15 school year *An estimated 87% of Ohio schools/school districts use the sites Loss of funding means a loss of access to digital content for schools and universities using the websites, including: *Over 950 course reviews and standards-alignment data *More than 12,000 open education resources in core disciplines *Over 550 open education resources for college remediation in mathematics *More than 1,000 professional development modules and resources for teachers Loss of funding means the loss of a cost-effective curriculum and instruction resource repository for Ohio schools: *At $675,000 per fiscal year, the Distance Learning Clearinghouse (ORC) is cost effective, costing just over $6 per teacher (based on estimated 110,000 Ohio teachers) *State-supported repository improves districts’ efficiency and effectiveness in selecting digital content for blended, flipped, and other forms of digital learning *Content repository promotes greater equity among districts by providing access to high-quality digital content to all schools regardless of local resources and wealth
Another Loss to Ohio Teachers! Appendix: Impact- of Loss of ORC Funding
Another Loss to Ohio Teachers! Brief Legislative- History- of the ORC
Brief History of the Funding of the Ohio Resource Center The Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading (social studies was added several years later) was established in Ohio’s budget bill, which became effective on July 1, 1999. Original Authorizing Legislation The legislative language creating the Center was provided in Amended Substitute House Bill 282. The legislative language stated: The foregoing appropriation item 235-588, Ohio Resource Center for Math, Science, and Reading shall be used to support a resource center for mathematics, science, and reading to be located at a state-assisted university for the purpose of identifying best education practices in primary and secondary schools and establishing methods for communicating them to colleges of education and school districts. Prior to December 31, 1999, the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents shall conduct a search for the best location for the establishment of the Ohio Resource Center for Mathematics, Science, and Reading. The location selected shall be on the campus of one of the state universities names in section 3345.11 of the Revised Code. The university selected shall be chosen on a competitive basis from among those universities that apply to the Board of Regents. A consortium of institutions, headed by the State University Education Deans (SUED), was selected by the Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish the center. The Ohio State University was selected as the site where the center would be located. In 2011, under Amended Substitute House Bill 153, core funding for ORC was shifted to a new line item in the Ohio Department of Education’s budget. As part of the distance learning clearinghouse, ORC received $675,000 through the Ohio Department of Education Foundation Funding. The legislative language stated: Of the foregoing appropriation item 200550, Foundation Funding, up to $675,000 in each fiscal year shall be used to support the work of the College of Education and Human Ecology at the Ohio State University in reviewing and assessing the alignment of courses offered through the distance learning clearinghouse established in sections 3333.81 to 3333.88 of the Revised Code with the academic content standards adopted under division (A) of section 3301.079 of the Revised Code. This language, authorizing funding for ORC, was not continued in Amended Substitute House Bill 64, thus defunding the work of the center effective July1, 2016.
Navigating- the Job Market for Teachers
Dr. Patrick Thomas Pattie Niese Heidi Weber It came to us as a vision, as so many great ideas do, while at the NCTE conference...hotel bar. We recognize that OCTELA has a longstanding reputation for providing state-of-the-art professional development resources for teachers, but how do we introduce new teachers to the range of resources, the power of our teacher network, and support teachers in a time of immense curricular change? How can we build our statewide affiliate and network of teachers to be a more inclusive community with greater impact on teachers’ professional lives? Our answer: recruit new members even before they even begin teaching! While so many presentations at OCTELA’s annual conference provide resources for teachers in the classroom, we wanted to design a way to reach those attending the OCTELA conference who had yet to find a classroom of their own. Thus, we purposefully proposed a panel presentation to the 2016 conference, “Synergy,” that had nothing to do with classroom teaching. Instead, our hour-long session would help pre-service teachers - using our own professional synergies - to navigate the job market. Below are some key messages, aimed at those pre-service teachers, from our presentation. You can find more resources from our presentation here: https://goo.gl/oCX8zh Writing Your Way In ELA teachers, we often assume, are already excellent writers. That’s usually the case, except we all struggle when it comes to new rhetorical situations (like writing to an employer) or genres we’ve never written before (like cover letters). Rather than assuming that pre-service teachers can write job application materials, we try to provide some specific advice. After all, getting a job as a teacher quite literally requires that you write your way into a job. Prior to any job offer, contract signing, or classroom setup, you need to perfect your job application materials. These materials can include: school/district application forms, a resume, a tailored cover letter for each application, copies/evidence of licensure, college transcripts, copies of background checks, 3-5 letters of recommendation, and sample lessons/units. Two documents are crucial: the application letter and the resume. These documents must be impeccable – concise, but informative; exceptionally well-written; beautifully formatted for easy readability; and scrupulously correct (no typos or glitches of any kind). The application letter, or cover letter, is tailored to each position for which you apply, but can use some “boilerplate” language in the body paragraphs. When possible, employ the language of the job ad/position description to tailor your letters. For easy transmittal across a variety of online application submission systems, use a “block” format, with all parts of the letter justified to the left. Think of your letter and your resume as working together to create an an argument for your candidacy. Your letter makes the claims for your abilities and experience, while the resume provide richly detailed evidence about the kinds of experiences you’ve had and the results of those experiences - or, what impact you’ve had during student teaching, various practicums, volunteer or leadership positions, and educational experience. Be sure to include near the top of the resume your specific licensures/certifications and endorsements, the dates you received them (or anticipate receiving them), and accompanying certificate numbers. While the job application process can feel like a job in itself, it’s helpful to organize your search using a spreadsheet or database in which you can keep track of each position to which you apply. Consider creating a spreadsheet for yourself in which you track: -The position title (as identified in the job ad) -School name and/or district -Grade level(s) identified in the job ad -Preferred qualifications listed in the ad (specific teaching assignment, coaching duties) -Contact information for applications -Materials requested -Application due date -Date of your submission -Follow-up actions (phone calls or emails you send after submitting application) -School/district response (requests for interviews/ rejections/cancelled search/etc.) Tracking this information in a single spreadsheet helps you organize and re-organize your search as needed based on application due dates, the responses you receive to your applications, your preferred positions. Most of all, it helps you have some control over what can be a chaotic process. The Interview! You’re happy. You’re excited. Be honest... you are PETRIFIED! Here are a few ideas to help you feel confident and comfortable during your interview. First, expect the unexpected. Arrive early: if the person before you cancelled, you will make a good impression if you are already there and prepared. You may have a panel of people or you may interview with one person. Most interviews ask you scripted questions, but some will go off the script depending on the personality of the interviewer. You may be asked to teach a short lesson, so have something prepared. When I did this, I showed several brainstorming strategies and narrowed it down to a topic and key ideas. Prepare something that doesn’t use a lot of technology but have a way to use it if it’s available. Showing that you are able to incorporate technology is important, but so is showing that you can manage when technology fails (...but that never happens, right??). Bring a portfolio with you. You will want to tailor it for the specific job you are interviewing for, but here are some things I would include: resume (multiple copies), transcripts, teaching license, letters of recommendation, certificate of attendance from any conferences--including OCTELA!-- or professional development experiences, awards, student samples, sample lesson plans, and your FBI background check. This list is not comprehensive, but is a start. Check with the building (district) for any specific items they want to see. Do NOT wait to be asked to see your portfolio. As you answer questions, use the portfolio as a prop. Not only will it show examples that will make what you say stronger, but it gives you something to do with your hands and helps to quell nerves. Finally, don’t forget to send a thank you letter right away. Be sure to make it specific to the interview you had and include anything you forgot to mention during the interview. Following these steps will not guarantee a job offer, but it will allow you to relax. You’re a Resident Educator… Now What?! Congratulations on getting the job! While your first year in any teaching position can be overwhelming and scary, keep the following in mind: Work with your mentor! He or she can be your lifeline. Your mentor will teach you what you need to know to survive in your setting--that is, procedures for your specific district and building...the things you DON’T learn in college, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. There are thousands of details that you are going to learn as you go. While some things seem like “common sense,” asking a quick question can often save you from frustration later. Ask your mentor to share his or her lessons with you; it will help your mentor feel valued when you are invested in the relationship and treat them with professional respect...which includes respecting their teaching ideas. Documentation and feedback requirements can be frustrating. Be sure to read your “fine print.” Attention to detail up front will save grief later. Get your organizational system in place right away because due dates approach quickly! There will be a great deal of writing; make a plan to start early and stay ahead. Adopt a ‘growth mindset’ and get comfortable with a camera because you will be recording yourself teaching. Let go of what you think you “did wrong” and focus on what went well or an aspect you can improve in future lessons. We all have lessons that are disasters. So what? Use it and move on! Be reflective because seeking alternatives is just part of being open-minded and a part of practicing a growth mindset. Finally, don’t be offended by constructive criticism. Good Luck! We hope these tips and the resources we provide can help new teachers be successful in their job search and feel confident in development professional synergies of their own in their first year of teaching. Given the response we received at this year’s conference, we hope to offer additional (extended) workshops for pre-service teachers about job market issues. Most of all, we’ve discovered a significant area of professional development for which OCTELA can provide one-of-a-kind mentoring for new teachers, hopefully extending the reach of our organization to create new OCTELA members for life!
Photo credit: Flickr
Professional Synergies-
Kylene Beers enlightens educators on the difference between “talk to check for understanding” and “talk to create understanding.” Photo credit: Cameron Carter
Students- Make a Mark on the World
How will your students “Make a Mark” on the World? The energy and enthusiasm at the 2016 Dublin Literacy Conference was remarkable! The conference was packed with educators from across the country. Along with the many guests who attended, Kylene Beers and Robert Probst were two of the day's keynote speakers. Ms. Beers and Mr. Probst are co-authors of Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading and Reading Nonfiction, Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies. As one could imagine, they provided an array of motivation and expertise regarding literacy. The conference opened with a presentation by the first graders of Wyandot Elementary School in Dublin. They performed the song “Make a Mark” based off the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. Throughout the light-hearted performance, a slide show projected videos of students answering the question “How will you make a mark on the world?” With responses that incited roars of laughter, and responses that brought tears to the eye, the conference was officially underway with educators eager to learn more! Moving Beyond the Text with Fiction and Nonfiction Kylene Beers and Robert Probst led a very interactive and stimulating discussion on strategies to use with students when reading both fiction and nonfiction texts. Ms. Beers recommended teachers model the following three questions when teaching nonfiction to students: 1. “What surprised me while reading?” 2. “What did the author think I already knew?” 3. “What changed, challenged, or confirmed what I knew?” Mr. Probst explained to the audience that most of us have heard nonfiction means true facts. Rather, he proposed “nonfiction enters our world and purports to tell us something about it.” Mr. Probst expressed we need to teach our students that nonfiction tells us information. The last session with Kylene Beers and Robert Probst focused on creating talk with fiction and nonfiction texts. Kylene Beers stated, “We need to create talk for understanding, which will lead to exploration!” Talk to check understanding is teacher-directed and uses monologic questions. This would include questions that check to make sure students remember what they learned in a reading. Talk to create understanding, however, is student-directed and uses dialogic questions. These questions might allow students to work together to solve or discuss a problem or question. Both Beers and Probst shared valuable information and opportunities for thought and action. It is clear that they believe what they say and want our students to love reading. FREE RESOURCES can be found on Kylene Beers’ Facebook page, Twitter, Slideshare.net, or her personal website www.kylenebeers.com Visit Dublin City Schools for information regarding the 2017 Dublin Literacy Conference.
2016 Dublin Literacy Conference
Cameron Carter
“Nonfiction is named by what it is not, rather than what it is.” –Robert Probst
What is your favorite part of teaching? I enjoy encouraging teacher candidates to combine creativity and lesson planning to create dynamic literacy experiences for intermediate students! Do you have a least favorite part? If so, please describe. Teaching can be very stressful. My students are often frustrated with the work that they must complete to become a teacher. I integrate wellness principles into the course to help them cope with this issue. What has been your biggest success as an educator? Your biggest struggle? My biggest success is learning how to connect in a positive manner with teacher candidates at the university. My biggest struggle is learning how to keep teachers informed of the policy changes that typically occur during the licensure process. Why are you a member of OCTELA? Please describe some of the benefits you see in being a member of the organization. I am happy to expose members to new literacy trends and literacy research. It is an honor to become a part of the organization because the opportunity will strengthen the way I present lessons to learners in the classroom. What did you enjoy most about this year’s conference? Please explain. In addition to meeting new people, it was a pleasure to learn how to support English Language Learners and use drama to teach history in the classroom. I also enjoyed listening to Sharon Draper’s speech. She is an awesome writer! Describe your favorite teaching resource AND/OR share a tip for other teachers. Take the time to work hard and relax! What are you currently reading? I am currently reading The Miracle of Apple Cider Vinegar by Dr. Penny Stanway. Member Spotlight is compiled by Jessica Sharp Photo Credits: Claudia Gates
Take the time to work hard and relax!
Claudia Gates- Minnesota State- University Moorhead
Buckeye Valley Local Schools: Go, Barons!
Kristine Michael TESOL Liaison
Kristine Michael is OCTELA’s TESOL Liaison. She holds a BA in Psychology and a BS in Elementary Education from Miami University and an MEd from The Ohio State University. Kristine is the Director of Academic Achievement for Buckeye Valley Local Schools. What is your favorite part of teaching? I love the relationships you form with students and families over the course of the year. I also love helping a reluctant reader or writer have that light bulb moment where he finally enjoys something. What has been your biggest success as an educator? I think my biggest success has been the depth of professional knowledge I have had the opportunity to share with other educators over the years. Why are you a member of OCTELA? What benefits do you see in being a member of the organization? I think it’s important to be a member for so many reasons: the collegiality, the annual conference, and OJELA. The conference--a bargain!--allows me to connect and learn from colleagues all over the state while recharging my professional battery. What did you enjoy most about this year’s conference? I loved seeing two of my favorite authors, Rainbow Rowell and Sharon Draper! Both were so inspiring! I also enjoyed getting to see some of my colleagues present wonderful sessions and enjoyed how I was able to pick a strand of interest and go to multiple sessions within that particular area of interest. What is your favorite teaching resource? I am a HUGE Lucy Calkins/Teachers College Reading & Writing Project fan. I devour everything Calkins/TCRWP has published. If I could only pick one resource, I believe everyone should read The Art of Teaching Reading by Lucy Calkins. I wish I had learned this methodology much earlier in my career as the professional resources published by TCRWP have provided numerous ‘ah-ha’ moments in the teaching of reading and writing. What have you read recently? I always have a huge next-read stack, but I am currently reading Mindy McGinnis’s A Madness So Discreet and The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else by Patrick Lencioni. On my commute, I’m listening to Cinder by Marissa Meyer. OCTELA Executive Board Spotlight is compiled by Stephenie Erikkson. Photo credits: Kristine Michael and Buckeye Valley Local Schools
OCTELA Executive Board Spotlight
Looking for more recommendations? Want to suggest a book for review? Contact Jen at bibliophile1019@gmail.com
How They Croaked - Georgia Bragg
Me Before You Jojo Moyes
In the Best Interest of Students Kelly Gallagher
Student Recommendation This is one of those books I have to replace for my classroom library every year because it disappears. Filled with disgusting details about the deaths of everyone ranging from King Tut to Pocahontas to Einstein, and quirky black-and-white illustrations, this book will delight any student, regardless of age. Bragg tells the stories of nineteen famous people from history, focusing on some aspect of how they died or what happened to them after they died. One of my favorites to read aloud is the story of Henry VIII, whose coffin was improperly closed when he laid in state, leading to a toxic mess. Bragg compliments these grisly stories with interesting facts about the person discussed or the time period in which the person lived. She discusses the lives of kings and queens, scientists, and artists, making this an excellent non-fiction, interdisciplinary text. Bragg has a witty style that kids will enjoy, and a knack for picking out the details in a historical story that will capture the imagination of even the most reluctant reader. One of my middle school students last year summed up her style best: “I felt like she was talking to me at lunch and trying to gross me out!” You can’t get a higher compliment from a twelve year old! Also check out Bragg’s other nonfiction work, How They Choked: Failures, Flops, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous (2014). Professional Recommendation I have every one of Gallagher’s books. I often ask "What Would Kelly Do?" and pull out my battered copies of Deeper Reading and Write Like This for inspiration. However, I find myself a bit disappointed with In the Best Interest of Students. I felt it was more an analysis of the CCSS than the compilation of easy-to-implement teaching strategies I expect from him. However, Gallagher includes several brilliant insights that will revolutionize my teaching. For example, his belief that the CCSS reading standards can be broken down into the categories “What does the book say?”, “What does the book do?”, and “What does the book mean?” is much less daunting than the 10 individual standards listed in the CCSS. As I sit down to plan my next unit, I plan on keeping this in mind. I liked the structure of the book: one chapter on what the CCSS got right in a set of standards, followed by a chapter on what the CCSS missed. I also found the chapter on teaching speaking and listening skills exceptionally helpful. But unlike Gallagher’s other books, I don’t feel like I can open the book to any page, pick an activity, and apply it to whatever I’m doing in my classroom tomorrow. This book was far more analytical, which wasn’t bad, just not what I was looking for in the middle of a school year. I’d recommend this be at the top of your summer reading pile when you have time to digest the ideas and consider what they mean for your teaching practice. Pleasure Recommendation Louisa’s father, mother, ailing grandfather, sister, and young nephew all live in the same house, and money is tight. When the cafe where she works closes, her father’s job becomes uncertain, and her sister want to go back to school, Louisa can’t afford to be picky. She finds herself working for a wealthy family in town as caregiver for the thirty-something Will, a vibrant, athletic, on-the-go banker before he was paralyzed from the neck down in an accident. Will is moody, dark, and taciturn, taking his anger about his situation out on anyone near him. Soon Louisa hears the reason behind her strangely specific, six-month contract, and she sets out to do everything she can to make Will see that being paralyzed isn’t the end of his world. In the process, he helps her face the reality of her past and seek out her own, equally frightening and uncertain, future. I’ll be honest: I knew how the book would end as soon as Louisa met Will. However, how Moyes gets to the end is far from formulaic, and I found myself surprised on several occasions. The characters were wonderfully developed, and the anguish they both feel, and how that anguish determines their interaction, is honest. This book is a must for anyone who experiences or cares for someone who experiences chronic medical issues and the pain, both physical and emotional, they bring. Book covers courtesy of Goodreads.
Jen Baker- OCTELA Secretary-
Time for Books-- Reviews for All
From the Green Room-- Advice on Teaching and Learning in the ELA World Heidi Weber OCTELA co-Elementary-Liaison-
Alternative Environments Flexible seating, softer lighting, lively decor, home-like or lounge feel--All attractive elements of an alternative classroom environment. Students and teachers alike can benefit from a classroom that is relaxing. Recently I was asked about my ‘alternative environment’ classroom. Where did you come up with the idea to decorate your classroom like that? It sort of happened over time...When I took over the gifted intervention specialist position, I was told by my principal and our assistant superintendent, the head of gifted services, that they would love a "lounge feel" in my classroom. I was sent to observe an alternative setting and soon started collecting pieces. Each year I pick up a few more items or change things out. Why did you choose green? Green has always been my favorite color and it is a very calming, being a combination of cool (blue) and warm (yellow). There's a great deal of research on color and how it affects memory and mood. Did you have any inspiration behind the layout or overall design? I wanted different areas where students would be able to collaborate, so that is why I have areas where they can sit and face each other. Then I needed areas for specific teaching functions (like my horseshoe table; that is where I can gather with students and discuss texts as well as model reading strategies). The futon under the chalkboard lets me sit and speak directly to students gathered at the benches and have content projected behind me. That way my back is not to students when I am delivering direct instruction. The areas with the bean bags and "loft" are areas where kids can get "under" and stretch out (Kids like crawling under things!). The balance ball chairs around the horseshoe table were a recent acquisition...when we sit in text groups for extended periods of time, the kids need movement to focus. Other layout features have to do with storage of materials for student access and ease of use. Where do you get your furniture? To be honest, I’ve purchased most of it myself. I got the cafe table and chairs at Kroger for 70% off. I found inflatable couches and chairs online. Many pieces are from IKEA. Some have been donated. I used Donor’s Choose to fund the balance ball chairs. While many of my pieces are not intended for such use, my students take extremely good care of them because they know if they don’t I will move the furniture out and bring desks back. Do your students like it more or less than a traditional classroom? They love it more! Sometimes it is hard to get them to clean up and leave. I see 78 students every day in this room for no more than an hour at a time. This means that many bodies have to take extra special care of each piece. However, my room often becomes a sanctuary for them. They seem to focus better and love the flexibility. So how can you get started with the re-invention of your learning space? Unless you are ready for a complete transformation, start small. Great alternatives are high tables for standing or lawn chairs for stretching out. The difference a lamp can make in transforming the mood cannot be understated. If you explore fabrics, be sure to reinforce that heads stay off...and keep Febreze handy! Need inspiration? A Google or Pinterest search should help. Don’t be afraid to be bold and have fun!
Burning question? Looking for advice from the GREEN ROOM? Send your question to Heidi at weberhe@lovelandschools.org
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