Welcome Back to Team ELA!

Welcome Back to Team ELA! Kick-Off 2014 Tuesday, July 22

Learning about & loving each other ELA Network = POWER O’lajuwon Thomas, class of 2013 Full scholarship recipient, MVSU • LIGHTNING FAST, you’ll write a haiku describing… • Given your experience at Institute, why do YOU believe ELA– this content that you’ll be teaching for 2+ years!-- is important for students? “Speakers Plugged into the Heart” If I was in love Love would be very verbal My heart with full sound. • WHY? • Continue to get to know your professional support network. • We MUST practice the art of reading & writing constantly otherwise we might lose our passion for it amid all the chaos of teaching.

Who Is In This Room? (And who is not?) Sarah Franzen, ELA Instructional Specialist Marissa Cumbers, TLD Coach, ELA-colleague Kacie Neville, ELA Subject Area Leader Ashley Lamica, CMA, ‘12 ELA Jessi Caldwell, ‘13 ELA Andrea Rooney, TLD Coach, upper El- colleague

Our ELA time…

Expectations… Be present. Be honest. Be positive. Ask questions. Share your passion for our content.

Take a Seat, Make a Friend. In ELA, we ask & answer big questions. Directions:(1) Find a person who you don’t know very well yet. (2) Sit down with that person. (3) Have a conversation about the BIG QUESTIONS I throw up on the screen. *I’ll intentionally cut you off!

What do you wish you knew? Who is the most important person in your life? Tell your partner something that you like about them already.

What big lesson could someone learn from your life? If you were to create a piece of art, what would the subject be?

Tell about a life changing event. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

What is on your bucket list? How would your friends describe you?

In order for us to be a real team, we need to know WHY we are here, together. What are we really seeking for students?

How & Why ELA: Liberating v. Oppressing We will… Discuss the ELA-wires in Mississippi & their implications on students' relationship with ELA. Understand and commit to CRT as a set of dispositions that generate “wire cutting” opportunities for our students inside and outside of the classroom. Consider how ELA pedagogy and curriculum are particularly poised for "wire cutting," Define (and experience through video analysis) some of the basic components of what makes a CRT-oriented ELA classroom. Understand the scope of our ELA-specific kick-off development. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermaentum. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Cras mattis consectetur purus sit amet fermaentum. Maecenas faucibus mollis interdum. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor Our BIG Question… What are the hallmarks of TRULY EXCELLENT ELA instruction? How do those fit with CRT?

Why might students be skeptical if we make broad claims that reading and writing are liberating? What’s been going on for many students in our schools? • Consider… • What can Bria do as a reader? • How might she feel about reading? How might she feel about your ELA class? • What can Bria do as a speaker, a thinker, a writer, and leader? • What structures (wires of the birdcage) have contributed to this? • Compare writing between 2 states. • ACT statistics • Read/ View Each Artifacts & then discuss questions with your table: • READING: Video of Bria • WRITING: Comparing Writing Between States • COLLEGE: ACT Statistics

Given what we see (and more– remember the Amanda Elzy High School Interviewees)… We believe that middle school and high school years of ELA are critical in the actualization of Social Justice and Equity in students’ Lives in Mississippi. As such, we act with the knowledge that every ELA classroom must aggressively pursue the dismantling of systems of oppression through rigorous ELA-content and all elements of Culturally Responsive Teaching.

Our ELA Outcomes Take a moment to (re-)read these in more detail. These will also be another way we can celebrate each other throughout the year. WE need to live these if our students are going to as well. So, let’s shout each other out on them!

TEACHER What makes you proud for your students? What makes you proud for your ELA team? What makes you proud for yourself? Building Curriculum ELA Skills Developing relationships Student’s Now & Future Personal Opportunity & Personal Happiness Pride in Self & Community Critical Consciousness STUDENT Leadership Designing Pedagogy

Culturally Responsive Teaching Our Student Outcomes Teacher Actions Teacher Beliefs

Culturally Responsive Teaching • As you watch… • What do you notice about what students are achieving and doing? • What do you notice about the curriculum? • What do you notice about the pedagogy? • What do you notice about the relationships the teacher has with his students? Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach…

Sample Lesson & PlansThis should feel like what we did at Induction! • We will watch so many sample lessons (and we’ll model some tomorrow!) because this is a great way to learn! • Take notes on how the lesson drives towards ELA student outcomes. • Know that you can and should ask questions! Students read Frankenstein & Nonfiction Texts about the development of the Atomic Bomb. Students knew while they are reading, talking, and writing daily focus responses to the two texts that they are preparing for and engaging in a Socratic discussion about a creator's responsibility for his/her creations. On days prior, students worked in small groups and individually to identify and develop arguments based in textual evidence. Students participate in small group Socratic discussions during day one, and engage in a whole group, text-based Socratic seminar on day two, which is graded on analysis and reasoning, discussion skills and civility.

Culturally Responsive Teaching • As you watch… • What do you notice about what students are achieving and doing? Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach…

Culturally Responsive Teaching What did you notice about pedagogy? Now let’s read a Mississippi teacher’s students’ work. What do you notice about pedagogy once you read the student work? Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach…

Culturally Responsive Teaching What did you notice about pedagogy? Students had opportunities to give each other feedback & reflect on self. Students engaged in real discourse Students made connections from classic literature to modern relevant questions of the world. Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach… A big idea: “challenge” teaching, not “transmission” teaching

Culturally Responsive Teaching What did you notice about curriculum? Now let’s read a Mississippi teacher’s. What do you notice about this curriculum? Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach… A big idea: “explorations,” not (just) “activities”

Culturally Responsive Teaching What did you notice about curriculum? Explorations are scaffolded, but always asked for real thinking Opportunities to reflect on bigger questions + issues Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach…

Culturally Responsive Teaching What did you notice about the relationships Mr. Amendelore had with his students as learners? Teacher facilitated student ideas Teacher did not have all the power and answers Teacher Actions What you teach… How you teach…

Take your first stab at your vision!1. What do you want for your students at the end of this year & why does it matter so much– at this point?2. What will it take from you as their teacher-leader? How will you & your students achieve what you want? Our Student Outcomes Teacher Actions Teacher Beliefs

Take a lunch break!Make a new ELA-friend!Creep on your shout-out-partner!Choose a new seat!

Four Corners My biggest pet-peeve is… Everyday cleanliness/organization (e.g. dishes in the sink, dirty clothes on the floor) People talking loudly on their phones in public spaces • Move to the space that best represents you. • Find out why others (someone you haven’t spent time with) are near you. • Be prepared to share something you learned from someone else. Up-talk, misuse of words, and/or excessive use of words in conversation (e.g. “literally” or “like”) Something else that is really horrible that I need to tell you about.

Four Corners My biggest motivation while teaching is… Building relationships with students Knowing I am working against a critical issue in social justice. • Move to the space that best represents you. • Find out why others (someone you haven’t spent time with) are near you. • Be prepared to share something you learned from someone else. Something else you aren’t mentioning, but I want to tell you about. Seeing students succeed on a high academic bar.

Four Corners My favorite form of entertainment is… Music, Art, or Theater Movies, TV Shows • Move to the space that best represents you. • Find out why others (someone you haven’t spent time with) are near you. • Be prepared to share something you learned from someone else. Books Sports

Four Corners The kind of reading that makes me lose sleep… Sci-fi/ Dystopian Short stories & poetry • Move to the space that best represents you. • Find out why others (someone you haven’t spent time with) are near you. • Be prepared to share something you learned from someone else. Just got to talk about something else Non-fiction

Four Corners So far, my experience with TFA has been… Easy, fun, no worries. Challenging, but worth it. • Move to the space that best represents you. • Find out why others (someone you haven’t spent time with) are near you. • Be prepared to share something you learned from someone else. These categories don’t match what I’m feeling. Let me tell you about it. Challenging and frustrating.

Four Corners If I’m going to work with you guys, I’m going to need… …You to know me as a person …You to challenge me • Move to the space that best represents you. • Find out why others (someone you haven’t spent time with) are near you. • Be prepared to share something you learned from someone else. These categories don’t match what I need from you. Let me tell you about it. …You to remind me why I am doing this work.

Welcome Back to Team ELA!