#TCRWP: Lucy Calkins

My second class of the morning was with the one and only, Lucy Calkins.  Let's just say that I didn't get much writing done, because I just listened to everything she was saying right in front of me.  The big idea I took away from being with her for a week was that in order to become even better, you have to take those not-so-comfortable areas of your teaching and work to make them great.  Figure skaters who become Olympic champions don't go into the rink every day and just continue to work on figure eights.  They have to identify those areas of weakness and concentrate on growing there.

The same goes for teachers who want to become great.  We're intimidated by those weak areas.  It makes us uncomfortable.  We tuck it away and hide it in our pockets or big notebooks and don't want to open them up.  It takes courage to admit that we aren't good at everything.  It also takes time and effort to get better.  But strengthening those teaching muscles that don't seem to get used a lot, are pretty weak, can lead to the most powerful teaching moments with your students.  Conferring and small groups are my weak areas.  Lucy says that "conferences are the place where you teach responsively and creatively.  If your conferences just lead you to reiterate today's or previous minilessons, then you are using them to check that kids are complying."

Before we arrived to TC, Lucy emailed to find out what we were looking for in her class.  She wanted us to identify those weak areas, be honest with ourselves, and tell her where she could help us.  To be totally honest with yourself and be receptive to help and feedback, you have to just put your ego aside and take it.  Everyone has room to grow.  I told her that conferring and small group was mine.  That must have been a consensus across the board because that is what we focused on the majority of the week.

Day 1:
Managing:
Flow of the Day Chart should be visible
Gathering students w/materials ready
Partnerships established A/B
Urgent when coming to meeting
Seating pre-arranged

Minilesson- 10 minutes
Time to write
Lots of volume

Send Off-
"So, get started right here..."
"Those of you who ___, get started..."

Don't confer yet.  You will want to voice over at this time.  You can also do some of your own writing at this time.  Let them get started or come into a struggle, but everyone should be starting something.    One thing I noticed was if there was a student struggling to get started and just "thinking", try having them write down their thinking.  That way, they are getting something on the paper.  It could become something very valuable for their draft.

Plan:  2-3 Small Groups---Get them going first
2-3  Conferences

MWT:  Possibly use a conference (name it) to showcase.

TS:  Next Step and Closure

Conferring:
Warm Up--This can be an "I was noticing..." or "I have been watching how..." Let them know that you notice them.
Withhold compliments during research.
"So what are you working on as a writer?  Can you show me where you tried that?"
Ex.- So tell me more about this ending. 
How did you rehearse?

Compliment--Gift a gift
Teach- "Can I give you a tip?"  Ask for permission to give them a tip.  They will be more open to what you are offering.  They are letting you into their writing life, because they are in charge of their writing life.
Ex. Whenever I am writing, I remember...
If you were to try it, how would it go?  Demo maybe

Day 3:
We watched a video of a small group and lens was to look for ways she adjusted the scaffolding with each child.

What is the one thing that all the students will engage in?
Don't interact with them until they have begun.

Day 4:
Writing Minilessons-
When writing minilessons:
TP:  Name the reason, and tell how you will teach.

Teach:  Demo
What?
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
"Help me..."

Day 5:
Let the written lessons remain.  Create toolkits.   Closely read the conferring and small group sessions.