Thank you bloggers! | Mentoring in the Middle

Thank you bloggers!

    Some time ago, I read about interactive journals that Jen uses in her classroom - see her most recent blog post about interactive math journals here at Runde's Room.  I thought it was a great idea, but I wasn't sure when or where I would use them.
 
   And then, lo and behold, I was working with a group of kids who were a bit unhappy about needing to work again on some comprehension skills with me.  This is a group of kids that I'm now meeting with three times a week for an additional half an hour.  They're just frustrated that they're not "getting it."  And the truth is - they're SO close!

    While we were talking about how we were going to tackle this learning curve, I remembered interactive journals.  I can't honestly say that they're the miracle cure, but my goodness, I've never seen kids so excited to tackle some of the concepts in their journals!

You can't see really well that the the students created a foldable with examples on the inside.  And then, moving from there, we created a way to identify what facts and details questions might look like.  So we drew hands and worked from there.
   Sometimes it only takes a little "something" to make an idea click.  I'm pretty happy that the kids are investing a new level of energy into mastering these concepts!

Have a great Tuesday!
Marion


2 comments

  1. Thank-you, Marion! LOVE the hand - we use that idea for summarizing, too. I hope your students keep that excitement for the journals - my students get so excited when we use a foldable in any subject - and they are getting so much better at reflecting on their thinking!

    Jen

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  2. The credit goes to you, Jen, for posting the idea. I can't really say why it makes a difference, but it does for the kids. And I want to use it to have them reflect on the skills they're learning -where they think they're growing and what they think they still need to work on.

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