Keep it Short, Smarty!

I might have a popular unpopular opinion. For the STAAR 2.0 Short Constructed Response, I think two things are needed for all 2 points- an answer and text evidence. That's it. No elaborate explanation. Just a one-two punch for a 2 point response. 

This is GREAT news! We all know that students have a tendency to pull a Michael Scott when asked to elaborate. Take the time to watch the clip. It's so good, and you deserve the giggle. 

In the past, we've used the hand and to organize short answer questions. Considering the expectation for this new questions type, I'm going to say give it the foam finger. Sometimes my humor is questionable. Use your own discretion to determine what's best for your classroom. 

• Answer the question (Your answer is the explanation described in the scoring guide.)
• How do you know? (text evidence)

Last week we talked about the conversation loop, asking for an answer and justification always. I also see so much power in planning with the Talk Read Talk Write format. I was talking with a teacher this week about how conversation strengthened student writing. She had the change to have students think-pair-share in her first class but ran out of time in the second. The impact of the opportunity to talk before writing was undeniable. 

There are short constructed response questions for writing that are worth one point. The examples are all having students write a revised sentence. A great resources that allows students to practice this skill is Revision Meets the Road. Referencing the grammar foldable and comma pockets can also help students successfully combine and clarify sentences. 

See- I told you! Our curly classrooms are already implementing best practices that prepare students for the expectations of the new assessment types! 

Again, you're call on using the line "give it the foam finger". You know I'd go for it!

A Party Minus the Slumber

your pillow party planner, Suzanne

Back in the fall, I invited my ELAR teachers to an after school pajama party.  They could change into PJs, there was pizza, and we had about 45 minutes of serious synthesis.  What's not to love?!

Last year, I told myself that I wanted our campus to create a local scoring guide.  We get the scored essays back, so it takes the guess work out of it!  

About a week before, I placed an invitation and an article in teacher's boxes.  They were asked to read the article...this article- it's fantastic...and come with an ah-ha! or wondering to share.  We started with a brief discussion of the article.  

After that, I presented a copy of the rubric and we quickly discussed some characteristics of each score point.  (I might not always include this discussion, but I included non-STAAR ELAR teachers from our vertical team.  It was time well spent for us.)  I used a student friendly rubric that sticks with closely with the wording of the STAAR rubric.

From there, we split into groups.  I wrote slumber party-themed words on the corner of each rubric.  This gave me a random grouping and fit with the theme.  (You can do this with picture, a mix of words and pictures, or stickers.)  It's "random", but you can always exercise a little strategy when passing them out.  

*BEFORE THE PARTY*, I printed our PDF of released essays.  Our campus is not huge, so I had about 75 4th grade expository essays.  I chose 3 or 4 essays that were very characteristic of the score they received or that did something that I wanted to talk about. I also only worked with 2s, 4s, 6s, and 8s-- true 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s.  This eliminates some of the "high 3"/"low 3" discussion.  So walking into the party, I had a groups of essays for each score point ready.

Groups were given a stack of essays at the same score point.  I wanted them to become experts in that score point and defining characteristics that gave it away.  You could give them a mixed group of essays and it would work well too.  

At the bottom of each essay, teachers wrote a brief synopsis explaining how this essay fit within that score point and citing specific examples.  I was running short on time because I was not willing to face the firing squad for going over my time in an after school meeting, so this piece took a hit.  To be done well, I would give teachers about 20 minutes to read and write.  

We came back as a group and shared the defining characteristics of their given score point.  This conversation was brief, but I then had teachers meet in heterogeneous groups to share their take-aways from the essays they studied.  

I saw extreme benefit in this process!  I intend to do it annually with our new batches of essays.  This year felt rushed, so I want to find a time next year where we can delve deeper into the rubric and essays.  Any suggestions are welcome!

You are a campus leader (if you are reading this, yes you are...don't argue with me!), I would love to see you use and improve the ideas I shared here.  We have got to be more disciplined in reflection in order to inform our decisions and instruction.  

Something fun for the new year, let's use the hashtag #curlyclassroom to share what we're doing in our classrooms and campuses! After all, that's the whole purpose of this blog.  To share good stuff because instruction (especially reading and writing instruction) is hard!  Together we can make it a little easier!

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@curlyclassroom) and Instagram (@thecurlyclassroom) so we can see all the awesome things you're doing!!

A Grammar Foldable By Any Other Name

by Lori

Surely, friends, you and I are alike in that we did not get in this business to repeat ourselves over and over again! The longer I use interactive notebooks, the better I get at doing it, and the more I realize that the notebook allows me to teach concepts REALLY WELL and ONLY ONE TIME! Then, there is no longer an issue of re-teaching the same concept. Instead, I am directing individual kids or small groups back to their notebooks to teach themselves or each other. So liberating...

Get this book! 

In this year's notebook with my 7th graders, I'm most satisfied with my blend of our Curly Classroom Grammar Foldable with Gretchen Bernabei's Grammar Keepers. In fact, I like it so much that I'm changing the name. The Grammar Foldable is now THE GRAMMAR KEEPER! Ta-da!

Here's what it looks like.

When I taught SIMPLE SENTENCES, I stayed true to the old Grammar Foldable style. However, I kicked it up a notch and added the notes from LESSONS 69 AND 70 in Grammar Keepers. In the new Grammar Keeper, students learn the structure of a simple sentence and they learn the Psst! Test (to test a complete thought) and the Verb Test (to determine whether or not there's a verb).

Inside of the SIMPLE SENTENCE flap.
Lesson 69 and 70 from Grammar Keepers.

Inside of the COMPOUND SENTENCE flap.
Lesson 71 and 72 from Grammar Keepers.

Moving on to COMPOUND SENTENCES, I taught the outside flaps just like the old Grammar Foldable shows, but I added the notes on the inside flaps from LESSONS 71 AND 72 in Grammar Keepers--joining sentences legally and illegally.

With those 2 flaps and those 4 Grammar Keepers lessons, my students had all of the components necessary to begin wringing out their own sentences. Magic. As a bonus, my kids also have their Sentence Wringer in two places...their Star Chart in the front of their notebook and in their Grammar Keeper. 

To finish the foldable with COMPLEX SENTENCES, I taught the parts of the sentence and used LESSON 75 on AAAWWWUBIFICATION to teach the mechanics of a complex sentence. 

Teaching is fun when you blend strategies in ways that work in your room. Teaching is really fun when those strategies allow kids to direct themselves. I built this foldable with my kids during the first weeks of school, and there is not a single week that has gone by that we have not referenced it. 

Give the GRAMMAR KEEPER a try, and let us know what you think! 

P.S. If you've never seen Gretchen and you don't know the Sentence Wringer and you don't own this book, I'm sure it seemed like I was speaking another language. Get the book. Hold it close to your heart when you plan, and promise you'll think of me.