I teach 2nd grade, and am using Second Grade Writers from the Calkins "gang" for Writing Workshop. During the next unit, the students can choose partners, but in a way that the teacher has some control (like not letting best buddies be partners). After minilessons in what makes a good partner and how partners can work well together, they were given homework: to pick 3 other students with whom they think they'd be good partners, and be successful during partner work. When everyone brought their lists back, I sat down to pair them up. Everyone (I think--haven't done it this year) got one of their choices.
That worked very well, and later in the year you could do it again. I'll also do it this year for some reading partnership work. Melissa/VA/2nd On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 1:01 PM, Stewart, L <lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us>wrote: > "So... do I really have to let the students pick their partners? If so, > why? Do I need to keep the same pairs all year? If so, why? Jan > > Jan, > I have a reading and science manual from Berkeley University that is > research based. Turn and Talk was a major component of the teacher > instruction. It was never suggested that the partners remain the same > throughout the year. Last year, I started out making the partnerships. > Later on in the year, I would just tell them to make a smart choice when > they came to our discussion circle (meaning don't sit with someone that will > cause you to be inattentive). The pairings varied. If I child felt > helpful, they might choose to sit with someone they thought they might be > able to assist with the task, or they might sit with someone from their > reading group, or with someone they weren't often able to work with. I > think it would be stifling to have to sit with the same person for an entire > school year! I would be interested in the research behind that one! (Not > that I think the research is always right either.) > > Leslie R. Stewart > (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749 > lstew...@branford.k12.ct.us > > Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter > and those who matter don't mind." > ~ Dr. Seuss > > -----Original Message----- > From: mosaic-bounces+lstewart=branford.k12.ct...@literacyworkshop.org[mailto: > mosaic-bounces+lstewart <mosaic-bounces%2Blstewart>=branford.k12.ct.us@ > literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Beverlee Paul > Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 12:48 PM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] workshop > > Why would you have partners at all for turn and talk? Why not turn to > whomever is next to you, which will hopefully be someone different most of > the time? > > On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 8:10 AM, <wr...@att.net> wrote: > > > Yesterday the grade 3-8 teachers in my district met together to have > > training on workshop. > > > > Our trainer said that partners for turn and talk should be kept the same > > all year. The trainer also said that students should pick their only > > partners. > > > > I'd like to move partners around (maybe as often as every six weeks) as I > > see that certain students could help each other learn more. I also want > to > > pick the partners because there are always some students who want to work > > together, but they just goof off. > > > > Letting students choose their partner, and then breaking up that partner > > group a week later, will create lots of uproar. It's smoother for me to > > just match the partners from the beginning. > > > > So... do I really have to let the students pick their partners? If so, > > why? Do I need to keep the same pairs all year? If so, why? > > Jan > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
