January Vertical Alignment by Jacqui Barna

2024-01-05 14:07:50 UTC

With our more intense writing in class, I have broken the assignments down, modeled examples of how to create the pieces of writing, provided sentence stems, and also paired students who are struggling with students who have worked ahead and are available and willing to help their peers.

Lindsey D.

rmccoy44 — 2024-01-05 14:10:41 UTC

We can combine assignments, especially if it is a writing assignment.
We can offer a 1:1 meeting time and walk students through a lesson/assignment.
Allow points to be given for verbal understanding.
Giving grace and excusing an assignment if possible.

During class time we can use breakout rooms and ask LSTS and Reading Specialists for their help for specific students.
Students can help one another. Group them to their needs.

Robin McCoy

mrichar — 2024-01-05 14:40:16 UTC

I have had a lot of success with providing short (<5 minute) videos explaining each assignment. I link it right to the Canvas assignment page. When STs ask for help, I make sure that they have first watched the video and attempted the assignment.

I think a lot of STs see a writing assignment and automatically message their teacher that they need help, without even trying it on their own. Often, they will surprise themselves with how easy it seems and how well they do! So I always ask my STs to at least try every assignment before meeting with me for help. This also ensures that they come with specific questions instead of just expecting me to do it for them.

sdimauro11 — 2024-01-05 15:47:18 UTC

Students who have fallen behind (and those on track) benefit more from assignments that are broken into manageable parts (or chunking). This allows for them to focus on one task at a time and not get overwhelmed with the final product. It allows them to see the process and how each part builds on another. Classkick is a tool that I have used in the past and this year to help with scaffolding the larger assignments, but it also works with smaller writing assignments, as well. One thing that I have started to think about is mastery. How can I determine if a student has actually mastered the standard, especially if the student does not want to complete the writing assignment. Encouraging discussion on the individual parts can also open up some additional support for those students. I have found that with one of my students, this is a great way to get him to begin the process of writing.

nthompson140 — 2024-01-05 16:22:23 UTC

With the computers being shutoff over break, Miss Blair made a "paper" version of one of the larger modules for the LS students, and we adapted that for the RegEd students. It allowed the assignment to be chunked, but also allowed them to work on it in sequentially, no matter where they were in actual lessons. That way, once they catch up on any previous work, they can just submit the entire module. -Mr. T

2024-01-08 20:39:11 UTC

In Canvas, our writing assignments are broken down into parts. For example, students are currently writing an informational text. In one lesson, they wrote the introduction paragraph. Currently, they are writing the body of the text, and then they'll complete the conclusion. Furthermore, we can take more days to complete these lessons as well as time during class to write.

During class, BORs can be used to support those that are behind. By having students join a different BOR depending on where they are in the course. This works twofold. First, teachers can provide more individualized help and attention. Second, they can work with peers who are working on the same assignments.

Tiffany Rubino

slindermuth1_2 — 2024-01-09 02:02:17 UTC

I do a lot of BO rooms during class time, so STs have the opportunity to work on missing assignments with additional support from me, LST, and RI. In the BO room, I also review grades, missing assignments, demo Classkicks for assignments (these can be a breakdown of a paragraph assignment or a research paper), schedule follow-up sessions, etc. I also like giving students choices for practicing skills, writing topics, and demonstrating mastery.

I also think it would be helpful if we isolated each module concerning missing assignments. Essentially each module is an opportunity to start with a clean slate despite missing assignments from previous modules. Not only would this prevent STs from falling further behind, but it could increase scores because STs can demonstrate mastery of a new topic when it is taught.

kreckless1_2 — 2024-01-09 13:34:28 UTC

Creating breakout rooms during independent work time where students join a room based on what assignment they're on has been helpful, especially when a coteacher is available. This allows us to more efficiently help multiple students catch up at once.

Working with students 1:1 outside of classtime can help some students kick-start their catch-up process. Although we cannot walk every student through every assignment start to finish, I have found that when I set aside a little time to work through one missing assignment with a student, if only to show them I am willing to support them, they are often better able to move forward on their own.

2024-01-09 13:36:23 UTC

Scaffolding occurs in many natural ways throughout our day-to-day teaching (prompting, hints, chunking into more manageable parts). One way that we can scaffold for students who are behind is to offer 1:1 meetings to review a manageable plan on how to get caught up. Before break, my team took the time to collect data on students who have fallen behind in Canvas. We sent emails to those students outlining ways that they can work on those late lessons, and what resources are available to them.

I also utilize my LST and Reading Interventionist when they are in class to work more closely with specific students who may require additional assistance.

Tiffany Bachart

rwaterhouse9 — 2024-01-09 13:54:56 UTC

We chunk projects into smaller writing assignments to help students who struggle with writing and keeping on track. During class. we allow students to join breakout rooms based on where they are in the project/curriculum. There are usually at least 3 teachers in the room that can help assist these struggling students. We create "ketchup" rooms to assist and support students who have fallen behind. This is a meet them where they are at approach that gives students who are behind the opportunity to work 1:1 with a teacher for extra support and encouragement.

ltraut3 — 2024-01-09 17:00:31 UTC

Lauren Traut

Many of the teachers that I work with were great about allowing me to put a, "Bookings Button" on their Canvas pages. This allows students to set up a time with me to help get them caught up in a 1:1 session when they need a little more time outside of the classroom to play catch-up. I have also been in classrooms that allow for scaffolding of various writing stages for students who are comfortable on their own, may need a little help to get them started, or who require some more intense help, by setting up breakout rooms and having students select what they need the most.

cpurnell16 — 2024-01-09 17:12:40 UTC

Christy Purnell

I have provided a 1 on 1 help button to each of my ELA teachers. Kids can reach out to sign up for 30 min sessions for help catching up. I have also gone into the gradebooks and emailed students individually that are significantly behind to suggest they sign up for help.

In addition when I am in the coteaching sections, if I student pops in who is behind, I pull them into a breakout to help them to catch up. I know this doesn't allow them to hear the content, but when they are too far behind, it doesn't help them to listen to a current lesson.

mwright2024_2 — 2024-01-09 17:15:42 UTC

I love the idea of creating breakout rooms and working with students on individual assignments if needed. I think our students are at so many different levels right now.

Modeling is key, especially for writing assignments. Writing is such a huge struggle for our students, and I am excited to see how we can implement the WACOMs most effectively.

jtreacyc2 — 2024-01-09 17:19:43 UTC

ELA 8 -- Students who have fallen behind are mostly not coming to class so my current strategy is thus: 1. Provide the essay prompt that had been chunked into bits as ONE assignment so that some can just sit down and get it done. This is what will be asked for them in PSSAs soon so they need to begin doing that now and it is actually less overwhelming than looking at it as a bunch of assignments.

2. If they are struggling, then I took the Module and the various Classkick assignments and put it into one simplified Classkick. It both chunks it and simplifies it. I also suggest 1:1s but I also require they come having prepared one thing for me (such as made an attempt at a first sentence or read a story).

3. I have about one help session a week advertised for those who are behind and needing to work on specific assignments -- they must come on time, participate, and follow through with doable requests.

4. For those who are extremely behind, I offer a doable task for them to show they will independently do their part -- such as complete three lessons by Monday with true effort and then email me to say they have followed through. It is only then that I begin skipping lessons to help them have a reasonable workload. (In the past I have had students sit down and just plug on through months' worth of lessons and I don't think that's a terrible thing if they are capable--it's a good lesson learned for the future)

2024-01-09 18:27:31 UTC

As an LST, I often work with students who are behind in the curriculum. I pull students into breakout rooms, schedule 1:1 work sessions, and use small group instruction time to help students get caught up, answer any questions they have about an assignment, and offer my support if they need it. The 1:1 or small group support has proven to be helpful for students who are seeking help/support, especially to those who are significantly behind and need guided through the lesson/assignments.

kmatson19 — 2024-01-10 13:12:22 UTC

Currently, I offer 1:1 meetings with students who are behind. This has been very successful. In class, the LSTs and Interventionist pull students for individual help when they are behind. When we are writing, individual breakout rooms have been offered so students can work in a quiet environment and have individual help when needed.

It might be helpful if once or twice a week if we offered a help session for specific assignments. For example, anyone in grade 6 who needs help with 2.04 may come to Teacher A's Zoom Room during a specific time to work on this assignment, and we could move through missing assignments sequentially. Teachers could go through a rotation of working with students.

joebomba2 — 2024-01-10 14:27:47 UTC

I offer 1:1 meetings with students who are falling behind/need extra help. I also work the and encourage students to work with LST's, Interventionists, counselors, etc. Less formal scaffolding methods include chunking information, giving hints to answers, pairing students together, putting students in groups, etc. Breakout rooms are particularly helpful when grouping or pairing students. I also try to give students different options for classwork when possible, different writing prompts, etc. I also like using short videos, especially from BrainPop.

rporterfield2_2 — 2024-01-10 14:28:13 UTC

My students really enjoy working in breakout rooms, so I have been utilizing them as much as possible. By creating different breakout rooms to allow students to work on the assignment they are currently at in ELA, students are able to get help from both their peers and the teacher(s). Since students have to move themselves into a breakout room based on the assignment they need to complete, they have to be cognizant of their progress within the ELA curriculum to know what assignment to do/which room to choose. Once students are in the breakout rooms, I can easily bounce from room to room assisting students. Since all students in each individual room are working on the same assignment, I can help by teaching a mini lesson/answering questions for everyone at the same time. Students also share their screens in the breakout rooms to help their peers, which is very helpful. I have found this to be the most effective way to assist all students during class since so many are inevitably working at their own pace in the course.

2024-01-10 15:32:53 UTC

To support students with writing, I hold a TON of 1:1 Zoom sessions, help sessions through open office hours on Fridays, breakout rooms for groups with similar needs during live lesson, etc. I model how to plan for writing, and we read several examples together and discuss why the writing sample "works" or "doesn't" work, and I point out stylistic choices (word choice, tone of the description, etc.) to show students what they might want to do in their own writing assignments. I also provide sentence stems sometimes for my struggling students, assign students to breakout rooms so that I can have a "leader" in each room, and take time with those who've fallen behind to walk them through the assignments in smaller steps.

--Wendy Sheeran :)

lwiest4_2 — 2024-01-10 19:08:35 UTC

I have had a bunch of kids who come work with me due to the 1:1 button we added. This helps in getting them caught up on work and building relationships with them. During class, I try to check in with students as my coteachers teach. Recently, we have been using BOR more and am able to work with kids in various rooms

jbarna912 — 2024-01-10 19:39:07 UTC

I have had success with both calling and texting families. I find when I call the actual voice can put parents at ease. The do not infer a tone. I will schedule 1:1 and meet with students and make a plan with them. If a student is really struggling with writing. I will ask them for one sentence as a time. I will then record everything in Word then send it to them in an email. They then continue on writing or use what we have worked on together to submit. Many students hear writing and the get overwhelmed and shut down.

If I have students who are very far behind both my LST and reading specialist have taken them in breakout rooms and worked with them 1:1.

Recently I have been piggy backing with other team members and sending a text listing all the subjects they are failing or behind in. This is helping keep parents on track it is one centralized place.

rmcdermott30 — 2024-01-10 19:55:36 UTC

We provide the opportunity for students to join a breakout room to gain more 1-1 support. We also break many assignments down into smaller parts so that students are better able to follow, understand, and complete each step successfully. In addition, we give ample in class time to work on, start, or complete assignments so that students both have the time and can ask for help while they are working on their assignments.

2024-01-10 20:37:45 UTC

I like to hold 1:1s or very small groups that target a specific skill or assignment. I also hold break out rooms with my coteacher, Lauren McElrone and reading interventionist, Katie Mangiacarne when they are in my room for extra support. At times, they will take over class and I will work in BO rooms with students. We model how we close read and how we ask questions while reading a text. We point out when kids naturally use these strategies as well. We had a ST say she asks too many questions of texts and we reminded her that skilled readers ask many questions when reading.

I also send out specific or shortened recordings on assignments for STs to catch up if they cannot meet with me. I offer classkicks and ST paced Nearpods so STs can work during their free time.

Finally, I always provide sentence starters for my reluctant or shy writers. It really helps them gain confidence to feel comfortable writing.

-Meaghan Sanders

jbannister22 — 2024-01-10 21:02:14 UTC

It has been very productive to work 1:1 with my MTSS students who have fallen behind in ELA; this has given me the opportunity to collaborate with their ELA teacher, who has modified the assignment in some way to help the student reach the goal. I have appreciated this process. I've also had more communication with parents to help their students catch up, which has made for stronger connections.