A chat that offers middle school teachers a chance to have a collaborative discussion about a different topic each week. Our topics change from week to week, ranging from Common Core State Standards to Character Education. During the chat, participants exchanges ideas and resources. The chat group ranges in size each week from 10 to 50+ participants. Discussion can be general talking about instructional style or process to specific. Recently members of the chat group help each other create lessons.
Hello #masterychat and #mschat.
Melissa, 7th Grade Science from Upstate NY, Excited to be here, not excited about the foot of snow heading here tonight!
Hello #Mschat. I’m Anthony Golding from Houlka, Mississippi.
Most recent professional book: The Schools Our Children Deserve by Alfie Kohn
Not professional: The Book Theif
Good evening! Bridget here, 6th grade ELA, GA. Just re-read Shift This for a book study, trying to find time to read Wild Card. Doing more article & blog reading of late #mschat
A1 It all begins with developing deep, personal relationship with your students. You have to know them so that you can have books around that they will enjoy. Then you have to give them a lot of time to read for pleasure #mschat
A1: I think we have to show them we are readers too. Also, have Ss do book shares so they can hear about the excitement that others have about reading #mschat
A1 It is always about finding the perfect match. I fell out of love with reading after college, but have rediscovered it with @neiltyson and @burgessdave#mschat
A1. It could be as simple as letting students know there are millions of books out there - one on basically every topic. You have a student seems only interested in sports; there are books for you. Let them begin with something of interest to them and spark that flame. #Mschat
A1: I think we have to show them we are readers too. Also, have Ss do book shares so they can hear about the excitement that others have about reading #mschat
a1: explain that there is a book for everyone - some love novels, some are into non-fiction. I started with choose your own adventure books and suggest those to new readers #mschat
A1: Choice of carefully-selected high-interest & life-changing text, but then not teaching the text to death. Balance instruction w/ the magic of getting lost in a good book. #mschat
a1: When I taught purely math I still stocked a classroom library - ppl asked if they were all math books (no) and why I did it (because books!) #mschat
A1: by not making them lose the joy through tasks that we’d never do for pleasure reading....endless quizzes, questions, annotation requirements. I’d stop reading too! #mschat
It's easy to fall out of love with reading if you are being forced to read things that don't interest you. That's why I believe teachers need to give students choice and build in lots of time for indep reading #mschat
In reply to
@MrsAsztalos, @neiltyson, @burgessdave
yup, I got burned out on reading stuff I really didn't care about. I used to read a book a week when I was younger. I still don't read fiction books #mschat
A2 Since I teach science, when we do reading it is more about content. I try to limit the amount, and give context where needed. I encourage them to mark it up and interact with the text. #mschat
A2 We can encourage students to read more by giving them time to read more -for pleasure. We can have book talks, and recommend books. I love reading aloud just for 10 minutes a day, students beg me to keep reading #mschat
A2: I’m finding graphic novelizations to be a great way to help kids who “hate” reading actually enjoy reading, tackle otherwise complex stories, & get introduced to series they may love. #mschat
A2: Have conversations with Ss about books. Pick up the book off their desk and ask about it. Help them find a book they might be interested in reading. #mschat
A2: finding more ways to entice and encourage. Lack of time stymies efforts. Would love to have more minutes for individualized reading. I’m here tonight seeking ideas #theydontreadenough#neverenoughtime#mschat
A2: We can read one day a week in non reading classes like advisory. Sometimes we read a book as a class, like right now we are reading Refugee by Alan Gratz, and sometimes we silently read our own book. #mschat
A2: I think part of it has to come from modeling it. We want students to see how essential and exciting reading can be, if they never hear or see us reading how will they know it is worth their time more than the latest Call of Duty sometimes? #mschat@ERobbPrincipal
A2: I’ve also put text in @Classkick so the students and I can interact w/ the text & each other. I can guide them to annotate in ways that make sense, show them where to pause to ask meaningful questions, etc. #mschat
I hate when parents/teachers don't allow a student to read a book for one reason or another - like when they say that book is too easy or too hard. Ugh #mschat
A2: I think part of it has to come from modeling it. We want students to see how essential and exciting reading can be, if they never hear or see us reading how will they know it is worth their time more than the latest Call of Duty sometimes? #mschat@ERobbPrincipal
A3: I do book talks on Tuesdays and Fridays. Just a quick :30 to give title, author and few brief points. Also, ask about books they have in hand. #mschat
A3: I try to relate a lot of what I teach in history to books/movies/videogames/other things, but one of my hopes is that Ss will create their own connections. Love when they connect learning to what they are currently reading! #mschat
A3. Have them turn their book into a graphic novel. Then, see if other students can determine the plot, setting, tone from artwork and writing. #mschat
A4 The inner determination, grit, and drive that propels an individual to accomplish goal(s), regardless of barriers they have have to endure on the way to success #mschat
I still go to garage sales and buy all the books I can just to find titles my students will read! #mschat most like the colorful covers but some will go for the old beat up books
Long Walk to Water. The fact that the basic story is REAL floors my students. Or I Am Malala—even though it’s about a girl (sigh), it starts with a shooting & is full of terrorism & danger. Life changing. #mschat
A4 As a science T this is a struggle. I try to show strategies that can be used, and have started doing #sketchnotes to help them organize their thinking #mschat
A4: Have Ss do think alouds. I have modeled in the past how adult book clubs work and chat. It helps a ton and Ss are surprised adults do book clubs. Lol! #mschat
A4: I’m transitioning them from me-led novel study groups to student-led groups. Teaching them how proficient readers picture what’s happening, make connections, ask meaningful questions, even “read” pictures like in graphic novels. #mschat
A4: Reading to understand comes with having passion for the topic; it is a skill to light the fire of passion. With passion comes curiosity, with curiosity comes drive to read/learn #mschat
We use pencil and paper! #mschat Started with giving students a format and students fill in blanks moved to students get blank paper and organize how they see it!
Many of the students used the topics and themes from these books for their 8th grade research projects. I'm excited to see @MsHubbard124 kids present their research and next steps tomorrow #mschat
A5: Ask the Ss what they would like to read. I've even bought books for Ss. Ask them why they don't like to read. Hear their side of the story. No pun intended there. 😉 #mschat
A5 When students are reluctant readers I like to help them choose books that they will really enjoy reading. This sometimes takes a long time because they don't even know what they like to read. #mschat
A5: Grouping them carefully is important. They need to feel safe w/ their group, because they will mess up as they read. That needs to be ok. But they need proficient reader models too. It’s like a delicate algebraic formula getting groups right. #mschat
a5: start with why - are they a struggling reader? do they have a reading disability? do they struggle reading orally? build the relationships and learn the whys! #mschat
A5) Reluctant readers are often like picky eaters, they just haven't found what they like yet! Keep trying. Give them tastes of this and that, meet them where they are, not where you think they should be. #mschat
A5: Grouping them carefully is important. They need to feel safe w/ their group, because they will mess up as they read. That needs to be ok. But they need proficient reader models too. It’s like a delicate algebraic formula getting groups right. #mschat
I’ve used this! I found a collection of journalistic photos w/ all captions removed. We “read” them using this process. It was great. I’d forgotten about that. Thanks for the reminder! #mschat
A5: I visit LA classroom's each month and book talk a wide variety of novels. I also incorporate book trailers. By exposing Ss to different genres, authors, and topics, reluctant readers just might find a book that's calling their name. #mschat
A5: also introduce new book studies in ways that build curiosity so they’re ITCHING to actually get reading. Here’s how we introduced dystopian (secret missions in the dark) & fantasy (epic quest). #mschat
A5: hi there! Joining in late tonight. I love using book trailers to get Ss curious about books. Here are good ones for new books: https://t.co/l1wVML9CSo#mschat
There’s a site that lets students create soundtracks for books to mirror the mood. I can’t remember what it’s called at the moment, but it’s a cool idea. #mschat
A5) kids like recommendations - create a way for kids to suggest books for each other, almost like ratings on Netflix...this is a generation of kids whose parents won't go on vacation before reading reviews :) #mschat
A5) when you do find a kernel of what a kid likes - say an author or a book in a series - go back for me. No such thing as too much of the same when it comes to reading fluency and building a love of literature! #mschat
A6: I have read Wrinkle Wallace...a Michigan author. Also, The Legend of the Dogman by Frank Holes Jr., also a Michigan author. I've read Speak to 8th graders and 13 reasons why to 8th graders too. #mschat
Join #MEMSPAchat AND #mschat next week on 8pm as they join forces with @MrDomagalski
and @blocht574
The chats are collaborating together in a combined chat about "Building Leaders & Collaboration Capacity"
TWO AWESOME CHATS IN ONE!!!
Great chat tonight #mschat and #masterychat. So much awesomeness happening. If you want to keep it going head on over to #waledchat.
Happy Friday Everyone!!!
I never read picture books! I see so many people do though. I need to take a leap of faith and utilize them too. Any suggestions on ones to use for certain topics? #mschat
In reply to
@yvetterp2, @blocht574, @RobynHartzellpd
