Farine+Brain+Storming+Session

=//**This page is for posting your meeting notes from the Farine Specialists Meeting**//= =Notes from Chris Johnson= =Specialists are in the classroom working with a small group working a week behind the teacher Region 4 researched based instructional materials - focuses on phonics for K & 1st All Special Ed Certified See english and spanish students Math specialist Farine school blocks are Scheduled by administration specialists are in the room Identify students during lessons who are not getting the concepts Center based classrooms NO WORKSHEETS Reading Centers groups are meeting with specialist (30-45 minutes) Balanced Literacy and Scheduling are the two biggest issues for Gilbert - These two areas would allow the Instructional Team to maximize student time Assigned to one Grade Level K-1 Math Specialist K-1 Reading Specialist Can a schedule for me work K-5 ie, K on monday, 1 on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday, 4 on Friday TAKS preparation doesn't start until a month out - there's no emphasis on strategies until then=

Sherry Kadel

Notes from Meeting with Farine teachers Once a month all specialists meet with their grade level or camp. The students have an extra PE that day (end of day) so they can plan. All specialists are special ed. Certified. Specialists can recommend students for SAS/student staffing and attend those meetings. Schedules for all classes are made by administrators, including LA and math blocks within the day. This is non-negotiable. They are staggered in grade level by 15 minutes to allow for scheduling within that time by with specialists. Each specialist works with only one grade level. Specialists are help in high regard. K-1, is pull out because of distractions at that age. All pull out for reading is during the LA block. LA is center based in ALL grade levels. K-1 centers were free choice, but LA based. K-1 uses the //Targeted Reading Intervention// book, phonics based, tests and lessons are included in the book. They help give the TPRI, don’t usually start classes before 3 weeks/doing observations, testing/scheduling/etc. The use 25/30 minute blocks of time. Once a month all specialists meet with their grade level for camp. The students have an extra PE that day (end of day) so they can plan. All specialists are special ed. certified. Schedules for all classes are made by administrators, including LA and math blocks within the day. This is non-negotiable. They are staggered in grade level by 15 minutes to allow for schedule within that time by specialists. All subjects were scheduled by administration. Specialists are help in high regard. Whole group instruction is not during the specialist’s time. Specialists time is always during centers. The number 1 thing for specialists is **daily** communication between them and the teacher. Specialists should make it as easy as possible on the teacher. Give teacher a clip board with all students’ names on it. Teacher checks off students that understand the concept taught and then specialist pulls the group that did not understand for lessons the next week. The example was given that the teacher is sweeping and the specialist comes along behind and sweeps up what is left behind. Specialist should present material in a different way than the teacher. Example: specialist is a week behind. Reteaching what was not understood the week before. Never more than 6 in a group, but could be less. During center time the teacher is working with a group while the specialist is reteaching a group. Students **cannot** miss whole group instruction. Specialists took 3 days to do the telpas verifying, altogether, would go back and forth to teacher as needed. Centers must teach and have an accountability component or it is not an allowable center activity. Social studies and reading were incorporated. Read Right could only be scheduled during LA block. Specialists plan their own activities. One month before Taks they taught Taks as a genre/ kill and drill! No worksheets at all. Teach concepts not worksheets. At Farine the teacher does ARI and AMI in addition to specialist’s time. If problem with a teacher, specialists go to Coaches (Cathy and Jay) for help. Then to an administrator if needed. Email addresses: efinnell@irvingisd.net bkannenbert@irvingisd.net