7. Engage with SIM Professional Developer

My coach, Lisa Atkins, was VERY patient and helpful.  She was involved with my progress and implementation of this instructional model.  Ms. Atkins has checked in and offered support throughout the entire process.  

I video conferenced with Morri Pace on 1/29. She was very helpful in offering ideas to make the routine work better for my students this year. She clarified expectations, and offered feedback quickly after assignments were submitted to her. She is also great about emailing reminders to keep us moving forward in earning our badges.

My work with Keli, the SIM Professional Developer, has primarily been conducted through email.  In addition, I submitted a video of myself teaching the LINCing Routine for her review.  In July, I was able to see the LINCing routine being modeled while Keli presented the LINCing routine at a workshop. 

Great Cue-- really got the students ready; Good work with students to elicit answers and giving them time to find a reminding work; Great job having them review all the parts and check for understanding. You were very encouraging through out the process.

Early in the process, I sent of draft of my LINCs Table to Keli Jessie for review. She provided valuable feedback, She noted that the draft of the routine looked great, but that she would change the example for the associative property LINC. She suggested making the story about a positive association instead of a negative one, as this relates more directly to the property. Unfortunately, upon receiving her feedback, I had already demonstrated the routine to the class and taken the video. Next time, it will be important to remember to keep the association positive in nature, and encourage students to do the same.

Dana McCaleb, my SIM coach, observed a Vocabulary LINCing Routine lesson. We were preparing to read the first act of "A Christmas Carol" play in our literature book. We used the suggested vocabulary from the book. The students were engaged and actually participating in the lesson. Overall, the lesson was successfully implemented as evidenced in the provided feedback. She liked how I thoroughly explained the device, guided students on how and why to choose reminding words to tie into the definition and to create the lincing story, and how I explained the benefits of using in other classes. Unfortunately, we ran short on time at the end and were unable to go back over the words and components before dismissal. However, we began the next day's lesson reviewing each section of the Vocabulary LINCing Routine before having the students finish it.

Whitney Miller, my SIM coach, observed a Vocabulary LINCing Routine lesson. We were preparing to read the first act of "A Christmas Carol" play in our literature book. We used the suggested vocabulary from the book. The students were engaged and actually participating in the lesson. Overall, the lesson was successfully implemented as evidenced in the provided feedback. She liked how I transitioned into the lesson conversationally, acknowledged student responses, and reminded them to be able to connect back to the story. There was one student who responded with an inappropriate reminding word. I addressed the situation in such a way for all students to recognize that while some words could work as a reminding word they still needed to be cautious and use only appropriate ones. She applauded my efforts in diffusing the situation. Unfortunately, we ran short on time at the end and were unable to go back over the words and components before dismissal. However, we began the next day's lesson reviewing each section of the Vocabulary LINCing Routine before having the students finish it.

I was able to meet briefly with Denise at the end of the lesson.  We over thee observation and she offered suggestions for further use.  Denise is always willing to help out when planning and pre-constructing some vocabulary words.