Re: Struggling with classroom setup

Posted by Adrienne on 9/18/06

More | Report Post

What a lovely, informative response you gave. I look forward
to looking up the books you cited and would love to
communicate with you further.

I'm a combination teacher in Northern California, and I
absolutely love the position. I've been doing quite a bit of
reading on combination (multi-level) classrooms lately, and I
really appreciate your input.

Adrienne

On 9/09/06, Patty Montgomery wrote:
> Paula,
> I have been teaching a 1-2-3 multiage classroom for 16
years. I use a
> constructivist approach to teaching. We begin our day with
writer's
> workshop. I use Lucy Caulkin's "Units of Study for Primary
Writing: A Year
> Long Curriculum" as well as Ralph Fletcher's "Craft
Lessons". Katy Ray's
> ideas from "Wonderous Words" has been a great help in
setting up my
> workshop. You might want to try "Units of Study for Teaching
Writing 3-5
> Grade" by Caulkins.
>
> For math I split my students into two groups. The younger
students work
> with my Instructional Assistant. ( I know having an IA is a
luxury and not all
> teachers have this kind of help.) I work with the older
children. We use
> Mathland, I can't remember the publisher, sorry. The lessons
are mostly
> designed by Marilyn Burns and uses a project approach where
children
> construct their knowledge through experiences. I also use
supplemental
> units by Marilyn Burns as well as timed tests and math
games. My room is
> full of math manipulatives.
>
> For reading I run a reader's workshop using Debbie
Miller's "Reading for
> Meaning". The children choose their books from my class
library which has
> been leveled, color coded, and placed into tubs. This
provides easy access
> for all kids. They write in lit logs and keep a reading log.
After reading they
> choose a project that helps them build skills and encourages
them to go
> back to the book. I got the projects form a Scholasticbook
called
> "Idependent Reading Projects". I conference individually
with children as
> well as take running records on the book they are reading. I
also do shared
> reading and read aloud daily. I use poetry and song books to
get them
> reading right away. Many of the younger children read the
same book over
> and over as they grow into fluent readers and the older
children are
> reading from both picture and chapter books. You might want
to check out
> "Mosaic of Thought" by Ellen Oliver Keene. Her ideas will
help with
> scafolding learning for your older readers.
>
> Often younger children are paired with older children for
various activities
> and I pull children with like abilities for small group
teaching. The children
> do many activities in small groups with the more proficient
readers and
> writers, collecting ideas from the others to share out in
large group.
>
> Karen Smith ran a wonderful intermediate multiage classroom
at Herrera
> Elem. school in Phoenix, AZ years ago. You may want to
Google her and
> see if she has anything out there to help you.
>
> You may also want to read Ralph Peterson's "Life in A
Crowded Place". He
> talks about his experiences with being placed in a multiage
room without
> knowing quite what to do and finds some encredible new ideas
about
> building a learning community.
>
> Jim Grant has much on multiage teaching and Sandy Stone out
of NAU in
> Arizona runs a multiage institute in the summer and a
multiage
> conference. This year the conference is at Northern Arizona
University in
> Flaffstaff, AZ on October 7th.
>
> Whatever you do my suggestion is to hang in there. It is so
rewarding to
> watch children over a two or three year span as opposed to
only having
> them for one year. Also, the history that you and your
students will build
> together is an incredible part of spending years together.
>
> When describing a multiage I like to use an analogy from
Ralph Peterson: It
> is like a parade; The older children, who are usually the
more established
> class members, who already know the classroom rules and
procedures, go
> first, the younger, newest class members follow. This way we
as teachers
> have more time to devote in teaching skills and facilitating
learning.
>
> Welcome to the world of multiage!
> I wish you all the best with this wonderful new endeavor!
>
> Patty Montgomery
> Primary Multiage Teacher
> Gilbert Elementary School
> Gilbert, Arizona
>
> On 8/21/06, Paula wrote:
>> I posted this question on the primary board but someone
>> suggested I also try here. Here goes:
>>
>> I'm starting at a new school in a week and a half (First
>> day with students is August 30th). I will be at a very
>> small school with a Kindergarten, Grade 1/2/3 class (my
>> class) and a Grade 4/5/6.
>>
>> What I'm struggling with is how to run the room. It
>> wasn't advertised as "multi-age" and has been run as
>> a "split" class in the past. I prefer the philosophy of
>> the "multi-age" as opposed to a split. The teacher for
>> the past several years completely ran it as a split
>> class. Students lined up according to their grade. Grade
>> 1 and 2 students sat at tables while grade 3 got desks. A
>> token economy type system was used but students were just
>> given money at the end of the week and the amount they got
>> was based on their grade level.
>>
>> I believe that this creates 3 very separate groups within
>> the class setting and I'm trying to create a classroom
>> community. I'm not sure how I should address this or how
>> to set up my day.
>>
>> I would love some advise from those of you to know of or
>> have been in similiar situations.
>>
>> Thanks

Posts on this thread, including this one

• Struggling with classroom setup, 8/21/06, by Paula.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 8/27/06, by JK.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/09/06, by Patty Montgomery.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/09/06, by Paula.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/10/06, by Lynn.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/10/06, by Paula.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/10/06, by Lisa.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/10/06, by Lynn.
• Re: Struggling with classroom setup, 9/18/06, by Adrienne.