K NOW W HEN TO F OLD THEM : A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO WRITING
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S TEPHANIE H. S TOEBE M.ED R EADING S PECIALIST R OUND R OCK H
IGH S CHOOL I teach six reading classes each semester, primarily
for students who have not passed the TAKS in ELA or Reading. Every
one of my 93 students in the 2009- 2010 school year was designated
as a student at risk for academic failure. I have certified since
2ooo and I have been a certified teacher in Texas, California,
Arizona, and Georgia.
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P ERSONAL H ISTORY I graduated from the University on Nevada
with a BA (German major, French Minor). My last year in college, I
was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Czechoslovakia to study the
original German works of Marie von Ebner Eschenbach. I was a Korean
translator in the Army for 4 years. I moved into criminal justice,
working as the director of educational services for 11 counties in
Texas. Deciding that I could make a bigger difference in teen lives
as a teacher, I earned my M.Ed at Angelo State University.
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RRHS S P ROFILE Student Ethnic Distribution: African American
10.7% Hispanic 26.2% White 57.6% Native American 0.4% Asian/Pacific
Islander 5.2 Student Enrollment by Program: Bilingual/ESL 4.4%
Career and Technical 77.5% Gifted and Talented 6.3% Special
Education l6.4% Other data: Economically disadvantaged students
24.3% Percentage of at-risk students 36.7% Percentage of Limited
English Proficient (LEP) students 4.6% Percentage of students with
disciplinary placements 4.9% RRHS is the oldest school in Round
Rock ISD. It started as a private school in 1867; it became a
public school, Round Rock Institute, in 1888.
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I RUN MY CLASSROOM IN STATIONS. THERE IS A 20 MINUTE WHOLE
GROUP ACTIVITY, A 20 MINUTE SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY, 20 MINUTES OF
INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE, AND 20 MINUTES OF INDEPENDENT READING. I
HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 18 KIDS IN A CLASS. Here are three of my kids who
all passed their TAKS and begged for another year of reading!
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M Y WRITING PHILOSOPHY FOR THE CLASSROOM My personal philosophy
about facilitating writing in the classroom is that there must be
an immediate response to the reading at hand. Writing is the
vehicle for this response. I am less concerned about spelling and
grammar than I am getting the ideas and the voice of the students
on paper. The foldable pre-writing organizer is a hands on method
to order thoughts and ideas for writing a response to text. One day
in class with this method looks like: A warm up activity to assess
background knowledge and to hook students into the text. Modeling
of making foldable with clear instructions displayed on the LCD
projector. Silent reading of text. Writing organizer filled out
with an elbow partner. Sharing of ideas and teacher evaluation of
material for formative assessment purposes. Even teachers rap!
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C ONNECTIONS TO RESEARCH S TUDENTS MUST BE ENGAGED DURING
WORKSHOPS. Learning Theory: Talking is an integral part of learning
to write. Students must be engaged during workshops. The growth and
development of beginning teachers can be enhanced by creating an
environment where they are free to experiment, make mistakes, and
engage in reflective dialogue. Ralph Fletcher in Writing Workshop:
The Essential Guide. Seminal Leaders: Perhaps crucial is the only
word that applies unquestionably, because it is in adolescence that
we begin to take responsibility for who we are. Lucy McCormick
Calkins in The Art of Teaching Writing. Contemporary Research:
Activity that give teachers alternatives to photocopied worksheets
Activity that can be used as formative assessment Boys need
hands-on activities. They get bored and distracted if you ask them
to sit down, read, and then write a paragraph. Ralph Fletcher in
Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices.
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K NOW W HEN T O F OLD T HEM ! Today in class we are going to
make an organizer to help you guide your comprehension of the text
Rockers, Rappers and the Freedom of Speech. This organizer will
also serve as a way to organize your thoughts for a written
response. Before we begin, take a look at the poster board at the
front of the class. When you came in this morning, I asked you to
write a comment about rap or to make a star next to an image that
you might associate with rap. What conclusions can we draw about
our combined knowledge of rap music?
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H OW TO DO A FOLDABLE GUIDE Folding your paper: Pinch the paper
along the short axis to determine the middle. Fold the paper along
the short axis so that the both sides meet in the middle (where you
pinched). Your paper should look like shutter doors. Fold your
paper in half so the bottom meets the top. Open and press: Open
your paper back to the shutter doors. Press it out flat. Cut: Cut
along the 2 short folds. Label your paper: On the left, write In
the text down the side of the paper. On the right, write In the
mind down the side of the paper. In the upper left quadrant, write
Right There and in the lower left quadrant, write Think and Search
In the upper right quadrant, write Between the Lines In the lower
right quadrant, write My Conclusion.
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O RGANIZE Y OUR R EADING Pay attention to sentences or phrases
that you can put your finger on. These are distinct facts about the
story. Write examples in Right There. Pay attention to items that
the author says that are presented over 2 or more sentences. Write
examples in Think and Search. Think, then pair, then share with
your elbow partner. Think about what the author wants you to
realize. You will have to use your own words to sum up his ideas.
Write the authors message in Between the Lines What do you think
about what is happening in this story? Write your conclusion in My
Conclusions. Think, then pair, then share with your elbow partner.
Read the excerptThink about the excerpt
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Using your organizer and the images that you see on the poster,
respond to the article Rockers, Rappers and the Freedom of Speech.
I care more about your ideas and impressions that spelling. Please
make personal connections and add in your own experiences! O
RGANIZE Y OUR W RITING
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A FTER T HE L ESSON Get up and share your paragraph to a person
across from you in the room. Ask for volunteers to present in
Authors Chair. Open paper so that it looks like shutter doors Push
it out flat. What do you think about this lesson? Was it easy to
prepare the organizer? Did you understand how to read and take
notes? Did this help you read with a more complete understanding of
the selection? Display student work.
