Notes
Andrea continued to provide insight and context into her current teaching role. She explained that she has a new administrator this year who provided her and her teammates with a daily schedule. This is a shift from previous years, when she and her colleagues collaboratively created the schedule. While having the schedule provided has reduced their planning workload, it has also been challenging to adjust to instructional times that do not align with her preferences. For example, she previously began the day with math, when students were most alert, but the current schedule starts with reading.
To adapt, Andrea has implemented a Math Fact Lab at the beginning of the day. This is a computer-based program designed to support the memorization of multiplication facts. It serves as an independent, self-paced, goal-oriented morning routine. She has incentivized student participation through a variety of motivational tools and shared these in detail, including her classroom setup featuring a racetrack with levels and a finish line. It is evident that Andrea has been very intentional in designing this routine and has strong rationale to support her instructional decisions.
Following the Math Fact Lab, students transition into approximately 20 minutes of phonics instruction using 95%, which aligns closely with their spelling instruction. Next, the class participates in a class meeting focused on social-emotional learning, along with fun facts. Students then take a break and have a snack before moving into whole-group instruction using Wit & Wisdom.
Andrea shared that her team had been using a PowerPoint developed by an Olathe teacher that presented the same content as the district-provided slides but was more visually engaging for students. Recently, however, they were directed to return to using the original slides, and Andrea is unsure of the rationale for this change. She noted that the Wit & Wisdom texts support integration with other content areas, particularly science and social studies, and she intentionally integrates instruction across these disciplines.
The schedule includes a 15-minute block for DRI, which is used to deepen instruction in areas such as grammar or components of the reading lesson, as well as for KITE and test-taking skills. Students then go to recess, followed by specials, and then fluency groups. Fluency instruction follows a three-day cycle: day one focuses on independent practice, day two on partner work, and day three on comprehension. Andrea has observed that students are particularly struggling with comprehension during this time.
After fluency groups, students go to lunch. The afternoon includes one hour of science or social studies instruction. Andrea noted that writing has been especially challenging to integrate within Wit & Wisdom. While the curriculum provides “quick hits” for writing, it does not fully guide students through the complete writing process, resulting in instructional gaps and areas where students need additional support and growth. She shared a specific example from a recent unit, noting that while she appreciates the structured sentence frames provided, she struggles with the level of scaffolding. In some cases, it feels too restrictive, while in others it does not offer enough support. Andrea expressed a desire for more opportunities for productive struggle and more effective scaffolding that supports a gradual release of responsibility. She noted that this may become a focus area for one of her professional goals.