I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Shannon for the last few years. We share a common love of books and we are both self-proclaimed pen snobs — meaning we are both “pen-picky” and enjoy trying to convince one another that our favorite pen type is the best. Shannon is a continual learner — with an ongoing stream of inquiry. She’s a joy to co-plan with because she exudes happiness as she noodles ideas, thinks through wonderings, and creates ways to support her students — and her learning community — in collaborative, heart-felt ways.

A DISCLAIMER OF SORTS

A few shared agreements:

As I co-plan with teachers, I’m not going to spend much time, if any, editing the videos. This means it might be clunky at times. You might get a barking dog, tech glitches, or family interruptions. I hope you’ll be able to relate. Thank you, in advance, for assuming best intentions and for your understanding. In addition, not everything we do together is recorded.
The ideas shared in these videos are NOT “the way” or “the right way” -- they are just one way to approach the work. I hope you’ll spend some time actively studying the co-planning conversation. As you listen, take stock of the ASSETS that emerge from the conversation. Think about:
- What’s the WHY behind our work?
- What moves are we trying to make in service of students?
- Name the implications for your work going forward. What might you adopt or adapt to fit your setting, interests, and/or needs?
Focus on process versus end product. The work will continue to unfold even if it’s not captured on video segments. If you check back into our shared documents, you’ll notice changes because our work is dynamic, not static, and will evolve across time.

HERE’S WHAT WE ARE UP TO

Shannon’s students have settled into a learning from home routine and are launching into their 8th week. Each week brings about new celebrations and new challenges.
Shannon wants her students to end the year with a mini-poetry unit, celebrating reading and writing!

THINGS WE ARE THINKING ABOUT NOW

How do the enduring practices we use in the classroom translate -- or not -- to remote/digital learning from home?
What’s the WHY behind this mini-poetry unit?
What’s going to get kiddos jazzed up about reading and writing poetry?
What end demonstrations or learning celebrations can we co-create with students to honor their work?

VIDEO

If you are interested in watching a coach and teacher co-plan — working as THINKING PARTNERS in response to the unique times we are currently experiencing — check out this video.

SOME REFLECTIONS

What poem types will be new/unfamiliar to students? What poem types will feel like “old friends”?
Will students write poetry on paper or on the computer? They have options so I’m wondering what they will choose?
Will students illustrate some of the poems they write?
Is there a way to help students collect all of the poems they are reading and writing [a binder or folder] to keep them organized at home? If so, maybe they could be used to inspire reading/re-reading poetry over the summer.

IDEAS TO CHEW ON

As most educators would agree, working from a distance is not the same as in-person experiences. In my work as a consultant, it’s not unusual for me to work across the miles with teachers. In fact, most of my consulting contracts include some form of this type of professional learning, particularly as we prepare for our work together in the classroom. Planning and working across the miles is how we often get a jump-start to our work together. The difference, of course, is the work we are typically planning is NOT from a distance. So, that is where we are trying to make a shift.

I’m in good company when I say we are all kind of tired of this by now. However, with so many unknowns about what school will — or should — look like in the fall, we are using this spring as a dress rehearsal of sorts. We are asking:

What’s working? What’s clunky?
Who are we reaching and supporting in ways that are making a difference?
Who are we concerned about? What don’t we know that we should know?
How will we stay connected and minimize the “distance” that separates us?
How will we create compelling, sophisticated learning experiences that take into account our foundational beliefs and practices in ways that nature and inspire students?

Two pieces I’ve recently written that might be of interest are:

Until next time — keep at it! You’ve got a whole crew of educators cheering you on because we know the spirit and camaraderie surrounds us all! Reach out if you’d like to chat about ways I might be of service and support your efforts!

Building relationships takes time. Since time across the school day and year typically feels limited, maximizing the time we do have is important. We can start by intentionally using the time we do have to build relationships among and between students and teachers across our learning community. One way to do that is through get-to-know-you games. One that I’ve played oodles of times with classrooms across grades 2-12 is called the Who Are You? game.

TRY THIS

Give students a copy of the Who Are You? Game Template [students].
Explain to students that they will list fun facts, ideas, interesting tidbits about themselves on the lines provided. Explain that line #1 is where they will list their birthday and line #10 is where they will list their name. Note: If age appropriate, you can turn these two lines into a teaching moment by showing students different ways to write their birthdays [August 2, 2009 or 8-2-2009 OR show students how to write first, middle and last names vs. initials.
Remind students that they can write single words or phrases for their responses.
Give students 5-10 minutes to jot down their answers. Roam around the room to provide support if needed.
Nudge: Ahead of time,, fill out one about yourself too.
Once everyone is finished filling out their template, collect all papers and shuffle.

HERE’S HOW TO PLAY

Ask all students to stand up.
Explain that you are going to begin reading some attributes from one person’s paper. If students hear something that is true of themselves [even if they didn’t write it on their paper], they remain standing. If not, they sit down. Once they are seated during this round, they remain seated. Then, move on to another statement on the same person’s paper. If students hear something that is true of themselves [even if they didn’t write it on their paper], they remain standing. If not, they sit down. Once they are seated during this round, they remain seated. Repeat until only one person remains standing.
The goal: Look at all of the things that we have in common while learning specifics things about each person.
Play the game for a few rounds and then stop to debrief with students. You could ask:
- What are some things we have in common?
- What unique things did we learn about specific classmates?
Consider playing a few rounds of the game each day [time permitting] and across several days. Make sure everyone gets a chance to be the last person standing.

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SOME TIPS:

Once you’ve finished the game and if time permits, create some flexible small groups and give students an opportunity to share a few ideas from his/her list, going more in-depth where applicable. For example, if a student shares that he loves hiking, he could share a hiking story or experience with his small group. For more ideas on small, flexible groups, check out What Are You Grouping For?, Grades 3-8: How to Guide Small Groups Based on Readers—Not the Book.
If you are an Administrator or Instructional Coach—this works for building relationships with and among colleagues, too. This is great for PLC’s, Team Meetings, Staff Meetings, PD/Workshops, etc. Check out Who Are You? Game Template [adults].

Co-planning a Mini-Unit to Wrap Up the Year with JOY!