Transcript of book club conversation 3/5/13

"ANAG" Book Club: 3/5/13

N: What if the mom’s humming isn’t a signal anymore?

A.M.: Yeah because in the book she kept humming, but nothing…

A.V.: Nothing was really a sign. Mostly bad things were happening to other people except for the mom.

AM: Like remember, I think Sounder survived because he went inside the leaves…

[others jump in]: The oak leaves!

AM: So I think he just went in there, that’s why he wasn’t under the house. So he must have went to the woods. He probably knew it would heal him, because of his ear.

G: But how would it heal his eye?

AV: If he lost his eye? Because when he got shot, I can’t imagine how he actually lost one of his eyes.

AM: Because either the eye healed on it’s own, or the leaves somehow…

N: But the ice would be able to heal his eyes…

G: Because if your eye gets hurt, you can’t get another eye.

AV: When I read, I read this amazing part that after Sounder got shot, a little while later, he barked for the first time when he got shot.

AM: So I guess he’s feeling like a lot better from the trees. But if the trees were high, I think the leaves would have to be on the floor.

G: They were like falling or something. Or they were like a bush.

AM: Yeah.

AV: Because there is no way that a dog that is wounded can jump that high up a tree.

AM: Yeah, they could be really hurt, so they can’t jump like crazy.

Teacher: I’m hearing you guys talk a lot about the details of the story. Is that right? Like would you agree that that’s what you’re focusing on? How could we take our discussion to the next level?

AV: I’m wondering why did they have to shoot Sounder in the first place?
N: Because, I remember that the officer told the boy to hold Sounder, and if didn’t, and he goes running after the father, he would shoot the dog. So that’s why he shot the dog, because the boy didn’t hold onto Sounder, and Sounder went running after the car where the boy’s father was.

AV: Exactly, but if Sounder wanted to go after the boy’s father, why did they shoot him?

G: Because they told him to hold him!

N: Because, I don’t know, they probably thought he would be able to like do something to the sheriff.

AM: There was a part…where the boy, he keeps talking about some guy named David. I think like, a king, like King David.

G: No, it’s like a story that his mom tells him!

AM: Oh, that’s what I was confused by.

Teacher: Why would his mother keep telling this story?

G: And then the one about Joseph!

AM: Maybe it represents something…

AV: It represents something but we can’t…

AM: Because we’re kind of in the middle of the book, so we can’t tell…

AV: …what it means!

Teacher: So you have this idea that the story represents something, but you’re not quite sure what?

N: It was before when the boy asked his mom if she could tell him the story, and she just stayed quiet. Like he wanted to hear the story but that was before. She never said it again. He asked her, but she just stayed quiet.

Teacher: What does that make you think?

N: Maybe it’s because his dad was in jail and she didn’t really want to think about it.

AM: I mean, who wants to have a thought that their husband is in prison. Because of stealing a ham! But I see a reason why they put him in jail, but then I see a reason why they shouldn’t have too. Because for one, he stole something from the owner. And one reason I think they shouldn’t have is that his family was hungry.

AV: They hardly have anything to eat.

AM: Yeah, so they would have to steal because he can’t just let his family starve.

Teacher: So you’re kind of trying to figure out, did he do the right thing or the wrong thing?

N: He did the right thing because—

AV: And then at the same time he did the bad thing because, he stole the food, but I don’t see a reason why they put him in jail for a piece of ham.

AM: And at the same time, his family is hungry. So…

N: They didn’t care about African-Americans.

Teacher: Do you think his race had anything to do with him being thrown in jail?

G: Yeah, because he was an African-American. And he lived in a little house.

N: A lot of people were slaves. There were kind of like slaves…

G: No, it was past slavery. In the 19^th century.

A: And then they kept on talking about a big house.

AM: Yeah, that’s where they were…

AV: As being slaves…

Indicators of Success: Book Club Conversation 2/12/13

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My area of Inquiry/Inquiry Question is: How can I raise the level of students’ discourse in their conversations with each other about reading?

My routine data source is: Video and field notes from student book club conversations

Demonstrating Success: Reflect on what evidence you see in the routine data source that tells you how your student is or is not progressing on the indicators.

Indicators	Book Club Name "Call of Donuts" Book Club 2/12/13 __________________	Student Name __________________
I:  Students stayed on one idea and built on it by responding, agreeing, disagreeing, and adding on	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell? Students discussed basics of what happened in the chapter that they read, important characters. J brings up idea that the book is similar to The Magic Treehouse. E changes the subject, but A returns to it. Not much disagreement, or especially interesting conversation happening. Are they lacking a strong enough initial idea that can sustain a good conversation?	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell?
II: Students asked deep questions that sparked good conversation	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell? "What other books can you connect to this book?" (After the group had been discussing this for a while)	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell?
III:  Students asked clarifying questions when they were confused	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell? "What are you trying to say?"	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell?
IV:   Students challenged each other to support their ideas with evidence	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell? "How do you know [that the Magic Treehouse is about that]? "I read it."	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell?
V:  Students developed theories about the book together	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell? Few big ideas raised, none sustained and developed.	☐Met ☐Not met  ☐ Partially Evidence/How can you tell?

Book Club Schedule

One of the challenges of teaching reading in the upper elementary grades is negotiating the transition from guided reading (an instructional practice most often used to move lower readers to higher levels of proficiency) to student-led, discussion-based book clubs or literature circles. In my classroom, reading levels range from late first-grade to eight- and ninth-grade. Creating more opportunities for students to be independent and in charge of their own learning is developmentally appropriate for fifth graders, but many of my below-grade-level readers need more guided support. I drafted an initial schedule for our book clubs that I hope will balance these dual needs for independence and guidance. I see the book clubs as falling along a guidance-independence continuum. As the book clubs show readiness, they will meet less frequently with me, and more frequently on their own.

Reading Workshop Schedule

	Monday	Tuesday		Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8:50-9:10	Minilesson	Minilesson		Minilesson	Minilesson	Minilesson
9:15-9:30	Group 2	Group 3	9:15-9:35 Groups 5 and 6	Group 2	Group 3	9:15-9:35: Groups 1-6
9:30-9:45	Group 1	Group 4		Group 1	Group 4	Reflection, Self-Evaluation
9:45-9:50	Share	Share	Share	Share	Share	Share

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Group 1	9:30-9:45		9:30-9:45		9:15-9:35
Group 2	9:15-9:30		9:15-9:30		9:15-9:35
Group 3		9:15-9:30		9:15-9:30	9:15-9:35
Group 4		9:30-9:45		9:30-9:45	9:15-9:35
Group 5		9:15-9:35			9:15-9:35
Group 6		9:15-9:35			9:15-9:35

Book Club Self-Evaluation Rubric

Name:

Book Club Self-Evaluation Form

1 = Not At All            2 = A little           3 = Often/Mostly            4 = Exceeding

Book Club Name: ________________________________________   Date: ___________________

Student Evaluation:

Name of Student:
Came Prepared
Was On-Task
Participated Actively
Was Respectful and Polite

Discussion Evaluation:

We stayed on one idea and built on it by responding, agreeing, disagreeing, and adding on
We asked deep questions that sparked good conversation
We asked clarifying questions when we were confused
We challenged each other to support our ideas with evidence
We developed theories about the book together
The conversation was natural (we didn’t just go around the circle)

What was the highlight of your book club today?

What is your goal for your next meeting?

Launching Student-Led Book Clubs

For about a month after our class discussion about what had made the book club conversation in the video so good, my class was swept up in our social studies expedition on multiple perspectives in the American Revolution. Intensive research, expository writing, and art and music integration eclipsed read alouds and small reading groups in our schedule. All of this culminated in the school's Exposition of Student Learning at the end of January, after which we all breathed a sigh of relief.

In the past two weeks, we have returned to our regular schedule, and begun preparing for the launch of student-led historical fiction book clubs. I introduced students to the idea that unlike last year, when I facilitated all the book clubs, this year they would often be meeting independently. They would be in charge of leading the conversation, deciding on the work they expected each group member to do, and ensuring that their conversations led them to deeper understandings of their books. Students discussed their hopes and worries: many talked about their excitement about this new level of independence (Creating group names! Making their own rules! Choosing their own books!). They also brought up their fears that some people would monopolize the conversation while others might not participate at all, that the group would argue over books and assignments, and that people wouldn't come prepared. Without my prompting, they naturally moved from this discussion of fears into brainstorming strategies to ensure the book clubs' success. This was exciting to me; I felt like the fact that they weren't waiting for me to provide answers indicated their investment in these book clubs.

My inquiry explores how I can raise the level of discourse in students' talk about reading, primarily through student-led book club conversations. The reality is that launching student-led book clubs requires a huge amount of thought and preparation. In the following posts, I'll include some of the materials I've created to support these book clubs. The items on the rubric for evaluating the book club discussions will double as my indicators of success, by which I'll track growth in my focal students over time.

"What made that conversation good?"

The following chart was the result of a whole-class conversation about what made the book club conversation in the Teachers College video so good:

I later adapted the chart into a rubric that students would use to self-assess their book club conversations, and which I would use to evaluate and coach them.