Hey to everyone!  I'm looking forward to our meeting next week because I feel out of touch with you guys.  My inquiry group is going okay, but a little slower than last year. It's been hard to connect my group this year.  Maybe it's just different personalities-I'm not sure.  I'm setting up individual meetings with each of my teachers over the next two weeks.  I'll see you Tuesday!

OH yeah- my daughter turns 16 tomorrow, so I'm a little out of sorts over that!!!!! SCARY

Rhonda 

I am looking forward to the meeting next week so much!  I love the face-to-face contact, although I have been able to blog somewhat frequently.  It is not as rich as the group discussions that we generate… maybe that is why I am excited.  I can’t “afford” to be gone during DIBELS, but I didn’t want to miss the meeting with everyone.  

In case you haven’t read the blog entry that Nancy wrote me about the “How Can I?” wonderings, it is worth looking at the below comment I cut and pasted.  I found it a great discussion topic at our last meeting.  Many of our inquiry briefs did have the sub-questions, but there was still a very “deep” discussion about our inquiry practices, and how we were changing our way of thinking about teaching.

“I did notice that a good number of your groups' wonderings begin with the phrase, "How Can I?.  It might be helpful to review pages 60 - 63 of The Reflective Educator's Guide to Professional Development.  This passage in our book reminds us as coaches that How can I wonderings are great, but it's important to focus an inquiry on not just the development and implementation of new strategies, but also, what was learned as a result of implementing them in the classroom.  Good reminder for all of us who coach inquiry!”