Day 2: Developing Mini Lessons

[Notes from a session with Kristi Mraz]

Using back channeling allows for you to connect, virtually, with a whole group.
www.todaysmeet.com

Mini Lessons for Close Reading in Reading Workshop
"Close reading is a scalpel, not an ax."

Notice and Note helps with

Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading 
by Kylene Beers et al. 
Link: http://amzn.com/032504693X

When kids need to slow down to use sign posts, that is a good time to do close reading.

(Taken from http://www.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E04693/NoticeNote_flyer.pdf)

Another Sign Post: Notice when a section was particularly "good". Stop and figure out what makes it good?
There are times when an author is really trying to tell you something. Listen! (Or, if you've lost track)

This can help readers become tuned-in and realize that the book is active. This could be a way to get kids to start interacting with texts in a way that will set them up for close reading.


Mini Lessons
She teaches her kids the steps of a mini lesson along with the students' job during each step.

Connection
-Your job is to listen
Teach
-Your job is to think if this is something you can do
Active Involvement
-You will be talking about this new thing and I will be listening to you talk to your partner
Link
-We will all talk together so that you are ready to go

A mini lesson is a scaffolded-release.

Charts:
She wants her charts to have a lot of kid input. Kid input, kid phrasing, and kid handwriting as much as possible!
-Gather a group of kids to create a heading for the chart.
-Ex: When pulling a group during writing workshop, have them create the heading (and teach into the process).

Lesson: Readers can have different jobs.

Creating a repertoire chart. (It's a menu chart, not a process chart.)
Process = directions to build a lego toy
Repertoire = looking at a menu to choose your lunch

She brings to her teaching a cooking show. Most of her stuff is already made, she just shows the
sizzle.

Investigator
*reread slow!
*ask: what exactly is happening
(She'll hand the paper to a kid to add the picture. The first 2 minutes of workshop a kid will add the picture.)

A mini lesson is an invitation, not an assignment.

Conferring
She posts a schedule for conferring and small groups. At the end of the day on Friday, she plans her conferring and small groups for the next week.
Sometimes she does a daily plan instead: (This includes her student teacher's schedule)

https://twitter.com/MrazKristine/status/435225155481403392/photo/1

https://twitter.com/MrazKristine/status/339468264314908672/photo/1

Tip: Using Notability as a note taking app will allow you to do running records digitally (and record audio too!)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/notability/id360593530?mt=8








Great way to check-in: At the end of workshop, have kids place a post-it note in the correct spot on the menu chart. This will help you notice which strategy kids are using, and will help you notice what needs to be retaught.

You could also combine charts to show the relationship:

Ex: If you stop and notice something surprising, then you could wear a different hat, such as an that of an investigator to reread.