A New World for Me

Hey everyone!!! I started this blog to help me connect to other teachers, reading intervention professionals, and just readers!!! This blog will have posts related to my teaching, my favorite books, and anything related to literacy teaching and learning.  The first thoughts that are coming to my mind are the thoughts that have been consuming every teacher's mind; how to fit it all in!!
I am a reading acceleration teacher, which is code for reading intervention provider.  I spent the last five years as a Reading Recovery teacher, which was amazing.  I learned from one of the best Reading Recovey teacher leaders in my opinion, which makes me really lucky.  Through my training and the years of Continuing Contact, I learned how to effectively observe, assess, and then teach early literacy behaviors and reach the most struggling of students.  I want to continue to keep learning and growing as a literacy teacher and I no longer have my monthly professional development meetings with the rest of my colleagues.  Those sessions were so helpful to me as a teacher.  We learned from each other. I have learned from so many amazing people; Donna, Barb, Ann, Cheryl, Kathy, Merla, Carrie S., Karen, Melissa, Carrie R., Stacy, Rebecca, Rebekkah, to name a few!  
So my first questions to all of you teachers out there is this; how do you maximize your groups with only 20 minutes, without Reading Recovery?  I have been racking my brain on how to be more effective.  I am trying to fit in all the components of a good lesson, based on the needs of the students.  For example, in my first grade acceleration group,(I do have a tad bit more time with them), but the needs are so varied.  I am struggling with how to maximize the instruction and get the best bang for my buck!  These are some of the lowest first graders and I have been following this general framework.

1. high frequency word practice(words that should be known): write on whiteboards, make with magnetic letters, etc.  prompting for fast and fluent writing & reading the words
2. new book: interactive introduction, predict and locate
3. teaching during the first read
4. teaching after the first read
5. interactive writing about the book-teaching page/writing page/boxes/words to fluency etc.
6. more word work-either teaching a new word or learning how words work

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?  They are also struggling with learning the high frequency words.  It is taking a long time for them to learn a new word.

Sometimes as teachers, we get caught up with going through the motions and getting everything done, that we don't stop and think "is this really working?"  That is what I realized when we started up after the break.  I thought, "what am I doing?"  Has anyone else ever thought that? I hope so.  Well, I am happy to have successfully posted my first entry on my new blog:)
I hope that everyone is having a great new year so far!!!
<3 Brooke