Hang in there!

Small group discussions today went pretty well--students are learning that EVERY one has a responsibility to share and contribute to help their classmates understand and make meaning of text. This will be a feature of the class throughout the year and kids will feel more comfortable as they practice.

I also shared with students a new close reading strategy. Students have had guidance for two of these strategies now and next week they'll be on their own to read closely and annotate. One of the strands in the new Common Core Curriculum is informational reading--on Wednesdays we practice reading informational text. And this week our writing focus will also be informational writing! Homework tonight is the lengthiest yet--finish close reading of AOW #2, answer the questions, and write a reflection.