JEN MUNNERLYN

October, 2009

LIT COACH NOTES

Teaching well is like kindling a flame...creating learners who are so excited about learning that
they seem to grow right before the teacher's eyes. --Kathy Patterson

Writer’s Workshop News:

We are well on our way to successful
implementation of the Units of Study
in grades 3-5. By Oct. 15 all grades
and classes will have finished and
celebrated the first unit: Launching
the Writing Workshop.
All in all, I think the experience has
been positive for both teachers and
students alike. To track our work, I’ve
been writing a weekly blog post at
www.literacybytes.com called “How’s
It Going?” These posts have been a
great way for ME to reflect on what
NEW Staff at ACS
we’ve done, what I’ve learned, and
how to improve upon it in the future
and in our differentiation of these
units for next year.
At the beginning of this year, I
mentioned that I’ve given Fred a
proposal for sending several teachers
to the Teachers College Writing
Institute this summer. I will be giving
out a questionnaire to gauge interest in
that opportunity, on October 14th.

NANDITA- GRADE 3 BETSY- GRADE 1 SHACHON- GRADE 3

Last year at this time
Nandita was in Abu Dhabi
enjoying teachingcontinued on page 2
grade 4.
Her Favorite Vacation Spot
is Pattaya, Thailand.
Something which has
surprised Nandita about the
UAE is the amazing parent
involvement in all school
activities. Motto or Favorite
Quote: “Do unto other as
you would like others to do
unto you.”
Last year at this time
Betsy was in Bahrain
teaching grade 1.
Her Favorite Vacation
Spot is NORWAY!
Something which has
surprised Betsy about the
UAE nothing really...
Last year at this time Shachon
was teaching 160 forth grade
ELL/ESL students English...they
were teaching her about
being patient. Her Favorite
Vacation Spot is anywhere she
can experience rich culture, good
food and a clean hotel room.
Something which has surprised
Shachon about ACS is the vivid
colors painted on Pam’s wall.
(Publication office) The room
seems so happy! Motto or
Favorite Quote: “A word fitly
spoken is like apples of gold in a
setting of silver.”
 tool: the Reading Important Dates in October
Continuum.
Meetings!
As we are working through
the daily lessons, the 1.
Regie Routman Session
monthly unit plans, and the #4- Thrusday, October 1
year-long plan, teachers 2.G3-5 WW Celebration
are asked to modify Wednesday, October 14
(change, add, delete, and
improve) the lessons so
3.
Regie Routman Session
#5- Thursday, October 15
these “tweaked” lessons
Reading can be discussed by the 4.
KG2-G3 Reading Team
Sunday, October 18
larger K-3 vertical reading
Workshop team before being changed 5.
G1-3 DRA Results
Wednesday, October 21
News and posted on Atlas.

•••
6. G3-5 Writing Team
The units are also Date TBD
“We like it!”, that is supporting our early-
how I would describe the release day professional TA TRAINING:
reaction of teachers to the development work with the Thinking about how
best to
daily lessons I’ve provided Regie Routman kit: support you and your
for teaching Units of Study Transforming Your instructional assista
nts this
in Reading. Teaching Through Reading year, I plan to begin
offering TA
to Understand. Many of the Training once a mont
h.
These lessons are coming “best practice” Initially the topics co
vered will
from the resource: The recommendations from be in line with the wo
rk we are
Complete Four by Pam Regie are already part of doing in Writing (G.
3-5) and
Allyn. Each grade level has these units. :-) Reading (KG2-2). I wi
ll be
a set of lessons which we’ve preparing a list of po
ssible
GRADES 4-5 WILL BEGIN HAVING topics to cover and as
been able to directly king for
THESE CONVERSATIONS your input. Ideally, I
correlate to our current would
THROUGH THEIR READING TEAM occasionally have tea
benchmarks and our REPS: CHRIS AND STAN AFTER chers
participate in the tra
developmental reporting CARRIE EKEY’S VISIT IN FEBRUARY. ining
sessions to help make
the
techniques and strat
discussions about word egies
WORD STUDY come alive. More on
study as a whole group, this soon...
WORKSHOP:
and especially when
I went to Doha for the Real
Carrie Ekey comes in LEVELED LIBRARY

Spelling Workshop over Oh how this
simple project has
become
February. For now, please a wild beast!
the weekend of October
see my blog for a brief The leveled library is currently open for
1st. It was EYE-OPENING to
your use. However- we are STILL

write up about this
say the least. The leveling books
and organizing the
experience. shelves.The
grades KG-3 teachers
will
information from that
be given status
updates
about the
workshop will be shared as Post: “Real Spelling” library (and how they can help make it
we move into deeper a more useful teaching tool) at our
Workshop Reading Team Meetings.