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Mary/PA - Welcome to this evening's Reading Recovery Meeting here at Teachers.Net.
Mary/PA - We didn't set a topic at our last meeting for this evening. What would you like to discuss?
lorey(NYC) - Can we talk a little bit about behind the glass experiences
Mary/PA - Sure, we can talk about what ever you like
lorey(NYC) - in addition to
lorey(NYC) - ...I'm in my 2nd year as a RR teacher and am finding
lorey(NYC) - he btg sessions a little hard to take
lorey(NYC) - Someone from outside NYC came to observe us doing a btg and said that we were a little rough and too focused on the teachers' performances
Mary/PA - BTG largely depends upon how your TL runs things. The TL's attitude and manner of conduct influences the experience in a big way. Either positively or negatively, depending upon which way he/she goes.
lorey(NYC) - What about your peers. What kind of feedback do you get and are limits set on how much feedback you get>
lorey(NYC) - My teacher leader is very gentle and positive.
Mary/PA - There is a big difference between being supportive and creating a positive learning experience or being critical
lorey(NYC) - Is anyone here going to Ohio in February?
lorey(NYC) - It's my first time.
lorey(NYC) - I am curious to know if there are any tapes available showing btg sessions and feedback re btg.
Mary/PA - We have no limits other than time. The people are quite gentle and not highly critical. They will point out something that may have been done differently , but it's not done in a nasty way
lorey(NYC) - I can't say our teachers are nasty but sometimes there's just too much feedback and it's overwhelming. I think there should be a limit
Mary/PA - I'm not sure about tapes, your TL should know if there are any
lorey(NYC) - I'll look for them in Ohio. Thanks
Mary/PA - I'm not going to Ohio. It's too much of a hustle for me to get away for more than a day. I have too many petsIt's hard to get a pet sitter.
Alison - Maybe we should have just a few "teaching points" when we are behind the glass, too.
lorey(NYC) - I know about that. I have an aging pet but hubby will watch her.
lorey(NYC) - We have to do 2 tp's btg
lorey(NYC) - 1 error and 1 s/c
Mary/PA - Alison, that is a bit like what we do. Our TL tells us something to look for during the lessons and that's what we discuss for the most part.
lorey(NYC) - It's a trick picking the good tp's btg in a hurry
lorey(NYC) - We do that also.
Mary/PA - Also what we discuss is guided by what the teachers giving the lessons state as their focus
lorey(NYC) - We have a focus for btg
Mary/PA - We are discussing BTG
tyylee - Greetings all. Sorry you can't go to Ohio. I always get so much out of it!!
Mary/PA - The biggest problem I have with BTG is getting the child to the Uni
lorey(NYC) - I am very excited about Ohio
lorey(NYC) - That's another problem. I have to bring a child to our RR office which is a few blocks from my school
tyylee - Just did my BTG last week. We were discussing off task behavior and ways to control it. My child was very distracted by the mirror! He is usually very focused but not that day!
Mary/PA - We are in a rural area and our CC sessions start at noon. Getting the kids fed and up to the center is difficult
lorey(NYC) - but have to get parent permission and worry about child being absent, etc.
lorey(NYC) - Last year during training sessions were after 3 and this year they're from 9-12
Mary/PA - Well, then Tyylee, your child produced lots of opportunity for discussion then
Mary/PA - Hi teach
lorey(NYC) - We usually sit the child in the room before the btg to play, draw or read to give them time to get used to the room
lorey(NYC) - think that helps relax them
tyylee - Sure did! We watched a Mary Fried video where she worked with a distractible child and how she handled it.
lorey(NYC) - was that btg video
lorey(NYC) - A lot of children get distracted looking at themselves in the glass
tyylee - The video was part of the discussion after my BTG.
Gigi/MO - Hello, everyone!! Sorry I'm late!! Just got back from a ballgame!!
Mary/PA - Do you all do a BTG every year?
Gigi/MO - I saw that some of you are going to Ohio!! My RR partner and I are going to Chicago to the RR conf. on Thurs. and Fri. of THIS week!! We've never been to that conf. before so are really looking forward to it!!
tyylee - We usually have a topic of discussion preselected by our TL using feedback from the teachers or from her state meetings.
lorey(NYC) - I had 4 in my training yr last yr and only have to do one this year-thank goodness. I just did mine last week.
Alison - I'm in training. We have to do 4 this year.
tyylee - We are suppose to have one BTG per year but due to numbers in my class each year one teacher gets to skip a year. I got to skip last year.
lorey(NYC) - You are a lucky woman.
Mary/PA - During my training year, the class was so large we each only had to do two BTGs
Gigi/MO - I've done one a year after my training year.
tyylee - I think I got to skip by virtue of being the oldest in the group.....
Gigi/MO - My training year we only had to do 3 BTG's!!
lorey(NYC) - I thought 4 was excessive
tyylee - Do you have a discussion about your child after the BTG or hear a tape of the discussion or get any feedback from the teachers? Sometimes I have heard nothing about my child or my lesson and find it frustrating to go to all that trouble and not get any help with my instruction for that child.
Mary/PA - The BTG experience is so different for the child than regular lessons. I hate dealing with the surprises that the child comes up with...doing something he/she has never done before...it throws me way off. I'm too tense to be able to think well
Mary/PA - We always meet in a circle after the lessons to discuss each one
lorey(NYC) - We discuss my lesson mostly and where I can go in the GB for prompts, etc.
lorey(NYC) - and where I can go to help the child that is if my focus for him was to focus more on meaning, etc.
Gigi/MO - I'm back!! We always discuss the lesson afterwards!!
Mary/PA - We meet before the lessons as well to give background about the student, what we've been working on, concerns, focus, etc
Gigi/MO - Me too lorey!!
Mary/PA - Didi, are you back in session now?
lorey(NYC) - At some btg sessions, there seems to be a lot more feedback than others
tyylee - It would be nice to be able to meet before the lessons but since I have to transport my child it isn't possible. We have a form we fill out that gives the information to the group.
Didi (Oz) - No Mary we have a week and a half left of hols. The kids start 2 weeks today
Mary/PA - lorey, do you think that's because there was little to discuss or folks are just not in the mood to talk much on different days?
Mary/PA - Or do you think they are afraid to say much
lorey(NYC) - I'm not sure.
Mary/PA - Oh, Didi, I guess this is the time of year for you to hurry up and get all your playing done quickly
lorey(NYC) - Part of our group is definitely not afraid to say anything
Didi (Oz) - We do much as Mary has said but we have a room for the children to play in if they have come with the teacher
tyylee - My fellow RR teacher in my building and I sometimes watch each other teach a child and offer suggestions. Also, as the end of the twenty weeks nears we sometimes switch children for the day and see what we think each child's strengths and weaknesses are. It also helps the children become more comfortable with the person who will eventually text them.
Mary/PA - That's nice to be able to do that tyylee
lorey(NYC) - It's funny you should mention that Tylee. I was thinking of doing that with my fellow RR teacher
Mary/PA - I'm the only RRT in my building
Gigi/MO - Didi--Where do you teach?
Mary/PA - It's a lonely job at times
Didi (Oz) - That sounds great Tylee but I'm the only RR again this year
lorey(NYC) - got thrown off again
Didi (Oz) - I'm in Cairns Australia Gigi
lorey(NYC) - I'd be really unhappy if I didn't have a rr colleague to work with
Gigi/MO - I'm the only one in my building but I have another one that I trained with in our district.
lorey(NYC) - We really talk about a lot of things
Mary/PA - lorey, are you on AOL?
lorey(NYC) - no msn
tyylee - We try to switch at least twice. We are planning our first switch this week, most are at seventeen weeks now. My first year when I was the only one in the building another RR teacher in another building and I traded visits and observed each other. And then we tested each others children when the time came. Mary, who tests your children?
lorey(NYC) - So she prepares her lesson for her child and you teach that child with her lesson?
Gigi/MO - Wow! Didi!! Glad you could join us!! I'd love to come and visit Australia some day!!
lorey(NYC) - How do you pick the children to switch--most likely to discontinue??
tyylee - lorey, yes I teach from her lesson plan. She gives me a brief overview of her planned teaching focus and I go from there. Afterwards we meet at lunch or after school and discuss our findings.
Mary/PA - tyylee, I have to have another RRT from another building come over to test
lorey(NYC) - That's such a great idea!
Didi (Oz) - How often do you have continuing contact tutorials in the year?
lorey(NYC) - We do test each other's children -- the ones who are probably going to discontinue
lorey(NYC) - once a month
tyylee - We try to switch all our children on a given day or two. It helps so much with those who we are troubled about as well as seeing if the strong child uses their strategies when reading with another person.
Gigi/MO - I think we have 8 and are to attend 6 but I usually hit them all!
Mary/PA - We have to have 5 or 6 each year. I can't remember...it's different each year---when we have them.
Mary/PA - We have 4 different groups of teachers and one TL, so the schedule is tight
lorey(NYC) - We also have 1 colleague visit where 3 rr teachers visit us for a lesson
Didi (Oz) - That's about what we have too. We also have to do 2 colleague visits and have 2 colleagues visit us a year as well as the tutorials.
lorey(NYC) - The teachers are all from different schools/sites.
tyylee - I also think it is helpful for the child to see that other teachers expect them to use the same strategies. We also try to have the other person's RR children in our Literacy groups so we can reinforce the same things.
Gigi/MO - Mary--I have a question but it doesn't go with BTG!! Can I ask it?
Mary/PA - Sure, Gigi
Mary/PA - As long as it's not my age
tyylee - Do you find BTG helpful? When you watch others? When you are the BTG teacher?
Didi (Oz) - Colleague visits are great for getting a different perspective of a child if they are stalled or a concern
lorey(NYC) - I find btg extraordinarily stressful for me
lorey(NYC) - and the stress is so great that I'd prefer not to do it
Mary/PA - I don't get a lot out of BTG, I'm too unable to focus, I can't hear what is going on and listen to the discussion as well, I think I'm ADD
tyylee - I like Colleague visits better, they are more positive and focused and helpful for my work with a specific child. I find myself very nervous for
lorey(NYC) - I just feel that there are easier ways to learn
tyylee - for BTG even though I am an experienced teacher. I don't have those feelings at Colleague visits.
Didi (Oz) - I think BTG lessons make me reflect on how I do things especially when I either agree or even disagree with the way the teacher BTG does something.
Gigi/MO - I'm in my 20th week with a little girl that isn't going to discontinue (she's on a level 8) but she will NOT try the first sound of a word very often on her own!?! I guess she is unsure of what it is maybe and if she starts the word she will NOT go further than the first letter!! HELP!! I'm probably going to have her 1-2 more weeks!!
Didi (Oz) - I hate doing the BTG lesson I think everyone does.
lorey(NYC) - They definitely make me reflect and go back and search the guidebook and these archives for info
lorey(NYC) - I'm on my 17th week with a child who cannot get out of L5-6 and is being referred for sp ed services
tyylee - Gigi, try saying to her "Try something else
lorey(NYC) - If everyone hates doing btg--why do we have to do it?
tyylee - and don't give her any help until she tries something
lorey(NYC) - My child get stuck on the first sound and won't go further but he has so many other problems
Gigi/MO - OK--Thanks, tyylee!! Don't know if she will but I can try it?!? She does do a good job at repeating but then just STOPS!!
Mary/PA - Gigi, one thing that helped with my two that were like that was to use mag. letters a lot. Right during the reading of the NB, when she came to a word for which she needed to say the beg. sound and then search further through the word, I'd get the letters out, space them far apart and show them how to "slide" the sounds together. They soon were able to do it on their own
Didi (Oz) - Gigi I had a couple of boys last yr who hated the idea of making a mistake so I began praising their mistakes and giving them permission to make mistakes because and explaining that good readers make mistakes too. After a few lessons like this they were more willing to try things and not so uptight about mistakes
Alison - I don't like BTG, but I think it's worthwhile and keeps me on my toes so to speak. I review a lot before a BTG session.
lorey(NYC) - I get desperate with my little one and say go further and try to work through the word with him but...
tyylee - Mary, like teaching them to 'CRASH' the words. I also sometimes say, "What else could you do/try?"
Mary/PA - Alison, review in what way? Your knowledge or with the child?
Gigi/MO - Thank you for the input!!
Didi (Oz) - Gigi how is she with meaning and structure?
lorey(NYC) - I remind him to look for chunks, etc.
Gigi/MO - You all are a great help!!
Alison - Mary, MY knowledge, LOL. My kids just plug along.
Mary/PA - tyylee, what I do is a bit like CRASH, but I do it right at the table, I don't go to the board. I have such a poor excuses for a room that getting from the table to the board is a lot of trouble
tyylee - In the beginning I praise the child for making the beginning sound and then together we look at the picture, sound further into the word, or whatever is needed. Later I explain to them that that is their "job" and that I expect them to do it and won't help unless they try.
lorey(NYC) - I've hear the term Crash before but we don't use it. What does that mean?
Alison - Wondering about CRASH myself.
Gigi/MO - Didi--She pretty much reads word by word and she also goes to speech for some articulation problems and structure isn't always the best!!
Mary/PA - I find it interesting that a child can read a word made out of mag. letters taken from the book at a point of difficulty, but they can't read it in the book...not at first...it seems they need the practice with the mag. letters first. I often wonder if this has something to do with the size. Sometimes I feel book print is too little for some of my kids.
Mary/PA - Gosh does anyone know the page number for Crash? It's in the GB
Mary/PA - That should say Gosh, does anyone...
tyylee - for a word like crash have the child say the c sound then begin again and say cr and then begin again and do cra and so on and so forth until you get to the end of the word. It teaches the child how to blend the sounds together into words. It is similar to saying the words and hearing the sounds in the sound boxes. After the child learns the technique they don't have to go back to the beginning for each sound.
Gigi/MO - It's at the top of the page in the first column but I don't know what page and I don't have my GB here at home!!
tyylee - Don
lorey(NYC) - When it's made of magnetic letters, it's larger and also isolated which I think makes a difference
tyylee - Don't have my guidebook here tonight.
Mary/PA - Does anyone have a suggestion for a topic for our next meeting?
lorey(NYC) - Oh Tylee I do that on the white board connecting word parts with a curved line underneath the word
tyylee - Mary, have you ever used a card with a window cut out so that the child can only see the problem word. That helps sometimes. I also have a small magnifying glass that just fits over one child and we tease that we are being a detective and are looking carefully at the word for clues.
Alison - Thanks tyylee, will try that with one having blending problems tomorrow.
Didi (Oz) - I sounds like she has multiple problems. I am going to try what one our RRT said she avoided visual prompts like the plague and tried to major on meaning and structure prompts.
lorey(NYC) - Would it make sense to discuss working towards discontinuing in the later lessons
tyylee - Over one work I mean
lorey(NYC) - I like that Tylee
Didi (Oz) - whoops---avoided that should say
Mary/PA - Not too much tyylee, I've tried them both in years past, but not lately
tyylee - I mean word. Darn I can't type
Mary/PA - lorey, that's a good topic, I think it makes sense
Gigi/MO - Discontinuation sounds good to me!!
Didi (Oz) - I don't think I'll be able to get on next time. First day of the school year things will probably be hectic. Its Midday here just after our lunch break.
Gigi/MO - Thanks again for all your help! I'll try those suggestions!!
tyylee - I have a friend that uses the prompt 'Get your fingers in there" when she wants the child to find chunks. She expects the child to use her fingers and isolate chunks she knows and then put them together. Sometimes it works but some children refuse to use their fingers.
lorey(NYC) - I'd like to hear how teachers focus in on different areas when they're preparing to discontinue and what different people do.
Mary/PA - I have to leave now...lots of things to get done yet tonight. You folks are free to stay as long as you like. Thank you all for coming and I hope to see you all next time. Good night for now.
Didi (Oz) - Goodnight Mary
Alison - Must go. As always, there are some good ideas and reminders here. Thanks.
lorey(NYC) - I'm not always able to participate in chat but I read all the archived chats.
Gigi/MO - Thanks, Mary!!
lorey(NYC) - I wasn't able to even follow an active chat until tonight--browser or something.
tyylee - Need to go also. Goodnight everyone.
lorey(NYC) - So it was a treat tonight. Thank you everyone for your ideas.
Didi (Oz) - It's been good to get the brain ready for the new year.
Didi (Oz) - bye Tylee
Gigi/MO - Have a nice break, Didi!!
lorey(NYC) - Goodbye everyone!
Didi (Oz) - Thanks Gigi see you another time
Gigi/MO - Bye!! I'm going too!!
