This sounds great. I start my 7th grade class with 10-15 minutes of silent reading to settle the students after an already long day (mine is their last class of the day). Of course some don’t read, but at least they are quiet and can breathe (they only have a few minutes between each period).
My question is: is there a possibility that students will only read to find the clues they are asked to find? Or they could read at home, and then reread and annotate in class, and those who didn’t do the reading at home will at least do it in class?
Thank you for your insights! I am a new middle & high school teacher (but old person from the pre laptop era), and finding your substack helpful.
Hi Eve-Alice. As you seem to have intuited, I'm only using this for the grade-level text we are studying in class (eg, not their independent reading book), and then, yes, I am only having them mark up on the "purpose" we're reading for, and we're only intensively annotating short portions of the novel we're studying (sometimes just a few paragraphs a chapter--I'm choose-y about this because it is time-consuming).
All of this doesn't mean that I'm not asking text-dependent questions along the way to build meaning, which is, in part, what I'm writing about and recording video models on this week. I like a two-column packet approach where I put (heavily spaced) text on the left and questions on the right. Sometimes the "question" is to "squiggle the 3 lines that show ____ trait" or "Underline the author's main claim about raptors in paragraph 2, then re-write it in your own words in the space below in 5 words or less." Stuff you need to make sure kids "got" that you also don't want to take a ton of time.
And exactly as you said, if students aren't reading at home or don't fully understand their first pass, the careful reading and subsequent discussion of the most important passages are acting both to invest them in the text and make sure they have enough comprehension to pick up and operate independently.
Thank YOU for your long answer. This is very helpful.
At this point I do not have time to prepare packets as you suggest )3 classes to prepare, including one out of my expertise), but I can still use your method, and book annotating.
Would be interested in watching your videos, if they are available.
You led a PD on the three pillars of annotations a couple of years ago. I threw out my process-based annotation system and shifted to purpose-driven annotations. I now see students’ comprehension or misconceptions in the reading process… Rather than in their mastery check at the end of class. I’ve become so much more nimble.
Luke, thank you for this. I write all over my books. I'm curious what you metaphorically put in the margins of your teaching days? (notes, questions, special Luke marks, whatever)
This sounds great. I start my 7th grade class with 10-15 minutes of silent reading to settle the students after an already long day (mine is their last class of the day). Of course some don’t read, but at least they are quiet and can breathe (they only have a few minutes between each period).
My question is: is there a possibility that students will only read to find the clues they are asked to find? Or they could read at home, and then reread and annotate in class, and those who didn’t do the reading at home will at least do it in class?
Thank you for your insights! I am a new middle & high school teacher (but old person from the pre laptop era), and finding your substack helpful.
Hi Eve-Alice. As you seem to have intuited, I'm only using this for the grade-level text we are studying in class (eg, not their independent reading book), and then, yes, I am only having them mark up on the "purpose" we're reading for, and we're only intensively annotating short portions of the novel we're studying (sometimes just a few paragraphs a chapter--I'm choose-y about this because it is time-consuming).
All of this doesn't mean that I'm not asking text-dependent questions along the way to build meaning, which is, in part, what I'm writing about and recording video models on this week. I like a two-column packet approach where I put (heavily spaced) text on the left and questions on the right. Sometimes the "question" is to "squiggle the 3 lines that show ____ trait" or "Underline the author's main claim about raptors in paragraph 2, then re-write it in your own words in the space below in 5 words or less." Stuff you need to make sure kids "got" that you also don't want to take a ton of time.
And exactly as you said, if students aren't reading at home or don't fully understand their first pass, the careful reading and subsequent discussion of the most important passages are acting both to invest them in the text and make sure they have enough comprehension to pick up and operate independently.
Thanks for the thoughtful question!
Thank YOU for your long answer. This is very helpful.
At this point I do not have time to prepare packets as you suggest )3 classes to prepare, including one out of my expertise), but I can still use your method, and book annotating.
Would be interested in watching your videos, if they are available.
I love "Creating Cultures of Thinking" and I love that you're still a "paper guy." Your class sounds both purposeful and joyful!
You led a PD on the three pillars of annotations a couple of years ago. I threw out my process-based annotation system and shifted to purpose-driven annotations. I now see students’ comprehension or misconceptions in the reading process… Rather than in their mastery check at the end of class. I’ve become so much more nimble.
This is great, Luke! Would you be willing to share this on The Teaching Show?
Thanks for the kind words, Justin. I would love that 👍🏻
Luke, thank you for this. I write all over my books. I'm curious what you metaphorically put in the margins of your teaching days? (notes, questions, special Luke marks, whatever)