On September 12, 2012, I discovered several professionally edited videos of me teaching (a few years old) on the Hilton CSD YouTube channel. I am grateful to the Hilton community for the opportunity to learn with them and for the chance to share these clips.
At the time these clips were taped, the Hilton Central School District was deeply engaged in study of the UNITS OF STUDY written by Lucy Calkins and colleagues and published by Heinemann. If you are familiar with this resource, you will recognize the common lesson language as well as some of the lesson topics addressed.
If you are interested in discussing the possibility of me working with your school or teaching a workshop at your conference, please just click the CONTACT button above and drop me a line.
If you are interested in discussing the possibility of me working with your school or teaching a workshop at your conference, please just click the CONTACT button above and drop me a line.
I will continue to post clips throughout the month as I watch them myself! Click on a pink title to view a video.
Mini Lessons
Grade K - Stretching Out Words Part I - In this lesson, Amy models stretching out words in a 3 page narrative about finding eggs. This lesson focuses on sounding out words. The words tell about the picture, and the picture tells about the words. (about 6 minutes)
Collaborative Planning for Grade 1 - This is a snip from the teacher meeting and planning conversation before the next clip in line, Stories Can Come from Big Feelings.
Grade 1 - Stories Can Come from Big Feelings - This lesson begins with a little song about sounding out words and progresses to a focus on how writers can go back to each page of a book to add additional sentences about feelings. (about 11 minutes)
Grade 1- Little Stories Hide in Big Stories Part I - Using play dough, Amy models breaking one story from her list-like memory, focusing on only that one part. This lesson includes a child modeling breaking out her own small story as well as a turn-to-your-partner time. (about 6 minutes)
Collaborative Planning before a K/1 Lesson - Preparing to go into a class, this clip features the brief planning time with primary teachers and Amy before the in-class mini lesson. (about 2 minutes)
Grade 6 - Collecting Snapshots for Memoirs - This lesson focuses on one strategy to collect many ideas for writing in a notebook. Amy uses her own notebook, sharing a list of "photos with words" from her own sixth grade year. (7 minute mini lesson followed by a bit of talk as students are writing, and a writing conference, about 11 minutes total)
Conferences
Grade K - Stretching Out Words Part II - In this conference, Amy meets with Blaine around his lost tooth book, helping him to sound out and read the different words on each page. (about 6 minutes)
Share Sessions
Grade K - Stretching Out Words Part III - In this share time, Blaine and Amy share Blaine's book about losing a tooth, particularly focusing on sounding out words. This share time matches the first lesson and first conference above. (about 3 minutes)
Grammar Moments
Grade 6 - Comma Causers - from Jeff Anderson's work - See Amy yell AAAWWUBBIS with sixth graders as they look closely at sentences from THE 39 CLUES. This lesson includes student work time in which students go to their independent reading books to find their own AAWWUBBIS sentences. The session ends with a share. This is a brief "grammar moment." (about 13 minutes)
Please note that some of the subtitles in the clips do not match the exact way I might talk about the parts of a lesson - this is simply because the videographer and I had limited time to talk. Please do not let this confuse you at all!