Kistner's Kollection

Blogging Goals A goal this year is to Blog twice a month at least.  So far, I have two written and will try to share more and more.   Recently met with my PLN and they were asking questions about how we are becoming so successful with the 20 min. Free choice reading in our classes.  This month is the sixth month mark for our campus.  Students read for 20 mins in every READING class each day.  So we have 940  -  7th and 8th graders who are reading 100 minutes a week.  Now you know you may have a few students not reading, but let me explain how I am seeing this change grow.   More reluctant readers are talking to me about their books, or asking for book suggestions than ever before.   Summaries about their books have more details suddenly. Teachers are reading also and talking more about books they have in their classroom or from the library. Teachers are asking for reviews, one 7th grade class has more than 400 boo...

So this year I am opening the library with a rap. (Students have now given me the "rap" name Special K. But as I am thinking of all the smart ways I can entice students to the library. I think I will rap once a week about a book or something of that kind going on in the library, each Wednesday. Such fun! Kids love it. I am hoping soon they will make their own and we can have a poetry slam this year! Yo, yo, yo - Listen Up... Joe! Grab your friends And stop on in, Because up its time To slay some Rhymes The library is open… For all who’ve been hopin’ The teacher’s been meetin’ And they want  --You  -- Readin’! To check out the cool books, Stop by before school to take a  look! I know what you're after So...See Mrs. Kistner for the next Chapter! DKistner16

So this is the first summer in a long, long time that I have taken weeks off at one time.  I will have to admit it was so nice.  This gave me many hours to read of course so I better catch up on some great books you might want to read soon. This book by Courtney Summers. I would give it 3 Stars. This was a quick read for me, I liked the story and I really could not figure out who had kidnapped the girl.  I did feel the main character was seriously stronger than some people and she had a few head problems, which after reading I understand why she was a little messed up.  She told people that she had been raped by the sheriff's son, but no one believes her.  She distances herself from the town and not until another girl disappears do people, start to think something is really wrong in this town, but who is it if the Sherrif's son is not in town? This is a High School /Adult book only.  I won't have it in my middle school.  I got it on Overdrive fro...

If you don't move forward you will always be where you are! This was a post recently on Twitter and it made me think.  I need to step it up. I loved learning more from others at iPad Palooza.  But I need to use what I know now and share it with those younger and beginning their journey.  Yes, mine may not always be perfect, but it will help someone and I know I can do that.  I have heard several times...we didn't want to ask you because you are so busy at school.  Well, I need to make it look like I am there for them, to help and be open to questions. It is kind of humbling to say, I need to make some changes and help others. So at iPad Palooza, I learned a lot about iMovie - or having students make movies about their lives.You can teach inferring with those videos. You can teach characterization.  You can teach tone and mood.  I want to have a group of students that I can do this with.   My mind wanders to things I could do with this and book...

Deeper thoughts after a session with George Couros! Innovative Mindsets  It is more than New & Better Not exactly Change all the time either, It is more of being better at what you do. You have to disrupt what you have BEEN doing, to be better. Disrupt your routine.YOU do it first. Have that meeting without paper if you want a paperless class to actually happen. He quoted: We need to find the best people & find job titles for them, not fit the people into the job titles. Think about this: 1. Show what you are doing in class each day. What if we tweeted one thing?  What would it do to the learning of everyone? 2. Connect with another educator of same grade and learn from each other.   It matters when you are sending it out to the world.   Suddenly you want to get it right.   The freedom is powerful to share. Same thing with kids. Rock Paper Scissors Game  - overcoming obstacles in a room when 500 educators play a...

If you are in the classroom, you know what the pressure is like.  It is like a four-letter word pressure.  It is constant, every three weeks Test and Test, over and over.  The questions fly at you.  Do your students get it?  Are they ready, will they know?  How can you help them more, how can you work more to help them score higher?  What are you doing that helps them score higher?   It's all about Testing, must have extreme instructional time higher scores and banners.    This is the biggest obstacle - Time to read, principal buy-in to support students actually reading.  This is like concentrating on one smart student  instead of the whole school.  It is like working out one muscle group and ignoring the others.  We are looking at ONE score, one passing, one banner to fulfill our feelings of success.  To stop the pressure, of failure, we think we must work harder, and find better ways to help students pa...