Excellence in Education: TQE Reading
What is TQE?
Thoughts-Questions-Epiphanies. A discussion-based reading comprehension that enables students to show mastery.
How’s it work?
- Students critically read and annotate the reading assignment with Thoughts-Questions-Epiphanies.
- Small group discussions for approximately 15 minutes. At the beginning of the year, as this is a new approach, you may need to provide question stems.
- Next, groups place top 2 thoughts, lingering questions and epiphanies on the board.
- Whole class discussion of TQEs.
Tips:
- Students who don’t read, read in the hallway or class while those who did read participate in the discussion.
- Good TQE’s typically include the author’s name.
- Lingering questions should not be plot-based.
- Groups can try to guess/answer questions they come up with.
- Groups should expect follow-up questions based on what they write on the board.
- Students should take notes on their group and class-wide discussion.
- Additional resources here and here.
Why does it work?
- Less teacher talk, prepared questions
- Students do the heavy lifting and learning
- Learning becomes more organic and relevant
- Increases student responsibility
I find this strategy to be very similar to Socratic Seminars. While it was designed by an English teacher for use around reading novels, it can easily be used for any deep critical-thinking reading. This could include charts, graphs, lab reports, editorials, etc.
Tasks, Important Information, Upcoming Events
Mustang Morning. Kate Casady has been working diligently to make sure students are signed up for Mustang Morning. We are assigning lunch detentions to students who haven’t signed up or are skipping.
As Mr. Vrhovac alluded to on Thursday’s V-TV, we are going to be stepping up our proctoring of students who do not sign-up by mass assigning them to “Unassigned During Mustang Morning” in the forum. Students will be kept in the forum, required to sign up for Mustang Morning and will receive a lunch detention. We will complete this mass assignment at 9:30.
Please assist us by ensuring students are signed up for Mustang Morning after the announcements.
We’ve looked at closing the portal for students at 9:30 but this doesn’t work because of students coming in late and because we’re trying something new with lunches. Most strategies to deal with these issues are very labor intensive, but we value Mustang Morning and most students are using it appropriately. We’ll continue to work on tweaking the system to maximize Mustang Morning’s efficiency.
Student Lunch Sign-Ups Students will now sign-up to eat the library/media center through Adaptive Scheduler. Students are only able to sign-up on that day.
Flu Vaccinations: October 15 from 12-4:30 For more
This Wednesday is PSAT, CWRA testing. Please see the schedule below and review your responsibilities/duties.
Friday is an A-Day with Clubs.
Parent-Teacher Conferences: Thursday 10/17 from 4:30-7:00.
Diabetes training
If you are going on a field trip with a student who has diabetes, a chaperone on the field trip is REQUIRED to be diabetes trained. Training is a combination of online (4-5 hours) and includes a one time hand-on portion. The latter is being offered from 4:15-5:15 on October 21 at Center 1/Seminole Place. You will not be able to go on a field trip if you have a diabetic student and no diabetic-trained chaperones. List of students attending field trips should be provided to Ms. Tomlin 3 weeks prior to the field trip. For a helpful field trip checklist, click here. See Ms. Tomlin for more information.
Once an employee completes the training and passes a test at the end, he/she will be issued a certificate of completion that counts as being trained. Recertification credit will be granted.
ACPS AVID is hosting a Fall Workshop on October 22-23. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please click on the link below and submit your names in the attached Form.
To be considered AVID trained and receive recertification points participants must attend both days (there are 5 topics discussed).
For those deciding to attend, please request your subs early. If you are unable to attend this workshop there is a second workshop in February. The February workshop is the same as October.
October 31: End of Quarter; 10th grade field trip to Career Expo (will miss Mustang Morning and 2nd period)
Field Trips
October 23-24: 1st Period Drama with Cale and In-House Performances
October 30: Pumpkin Launch
October 31: 10th grade Career Expo (all 10th graders)
October 31-November 3: Theater Trip/Competition
Birthdays
October 14: Jackie Perry
October 20: Terry Tomlin
I missed Jo Ann Harris-Burch’s birthday this past weekend.
Useful Information
Seeking volunteers? ACPS is attempting to expand volunteer outreach and help teachers find volunteers. Here’s a form that takes a minute to complete.
Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm
Want something included on the Monticello Outlook Calendar, the Monticello website, in the PowerSchool Daily Bulletin, schoolwide Schoology accounts, or the student newsletter (viewed by parents, students and staff)? Please use this link https://goo.gl/forms/bIjfJLKokWPcEHx33
Worth Your Time
Wednesday’s Schedule
