Substitute Plans

So many teachers love Daily 5 but worry about what to do when they must be gone from the classroom. "How do you explain to a guest teacher the structure of Daily 5? Do you have them teach your guided groups?" These are just a few questions we are asked repeatedly by Daily 5 users around the world.

Below you will find a couple of different looks at Substitute Plans. We are including our plans as well as those from two dynamite teachers, Patti Johnson and Angie Freeland, who are from Stoney Creek Elementary in Michigan. We had the joy of meeting them in Illinois last spring and with their permission, are sharing not only their plans for when a guest teacher is in their rooms but this note from them as well:

"Daily 5 has eased the burden of having to leave our classrooms. In the past, it took a lot of time to write out substitute plans, in detail, so that the day was 'filled' with plenty to do and ran smoothly. Now we do not write separate plans for Guest teachers. We have created a format for our weekly plans on Microsoft Excel and include on each week's plans a brief description of Daily 5 and who is available should they have questions. We have had positive responses that this system is unique, easy to follow and manages the class very well."

Wanting a starting place for writing your own substitute plans? Just click on the link below.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/public/338.cfm

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Here it is, the last in the series of Quick Start Guides for Daily 5. This Quick Start Guide #6 takes a look at launching Listen to Reading as well as the Sharing component, which takes place at the end of Daily 5 each day.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/341.cfm

Wrapping up a session of Daily 5 with a purposeful and focused sharing time is a powerful way to review the strategies taught during the day and to review strategies previously covered. Sharing time also provides students with an opportunity to reflect on their own work, share their progress, and celebrate the growth of others.

This video features Caleb, a very young kindergarten student, who has just joined our class. We wanted to bolster this hesitant writer by having him share and by asking specific questions that will cause him to view himself as a writer.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/231.cfm

What does a real live classroom really look like when all of the components of Daily 5 are up and running? We get to peek into Carrie's K-2 classroom. Her students have been taught independence for all of the Daily 5 components and have been given the element of choice when determining the order with which they will participate in the components.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/244.cfm

We once saw a sign on a classroom door which read, "Teaching kindergarten is like trying to organize earthworms." Those of you who teach classrooms full of nothing but ego-centric five year olds may be saying, "Amen, Sisters!" So, what does Daily 5 look like in a straight kindergarten (as opposed to the K-2 example already posted)?

Let's peek into Joan's Kindergarten as the youngest learners in the school work independently with their Daily 5 choices and she sidles up to cozily confer with her little individuals.

http://www.thedailycafe.com/members/245.cfm

Until next week!