Are you looking forward to a long weekend? I know I am! Winter can be such a good time for reflection, and to change course with projects that aren't going as well as you'd hoped by mid-year. It is also a great opportunity to make plans for next year.

Cultural Anthropologist Angeles Arrien says there are only four rules of life:

1. Show up;

2. Pay attention;

3. Tell the truth; and

4. Don't be attached to the results.

These rules may be especially applicable to teacher study groups. Look at what's going wrong in a group, and it usually comes down to one of these principles being violated in big ways. It's obvious a group will fail if no one shows up. Feeling too much pressure to show quick translation of the learning from the group into classroom results is more subtle, but can ultimately be just as debilitating.

While the principles may be simple, the adjustments they cause after reflection might not necessarily be easy. Yet the boost from re-energizing or even nixing a failing study group may be just what the doctor ordered during the mid-year doldrums.

I hope this weekend gives you a chance to relax and recharge. And if you're in the mood for a little professional development, we've posted some terrific new resources at the site on study groups and more. Enjoy!

Brenda Power

Editor, Choice Literacy

www.choiceliteracy.com

Free for All

From the Choice Literacy Archives, "Launching Teacher Study Groups" has some quick tips for getting started with study groups with a minimal amount of fuss:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/188.cfm

From the Cornerstone newsletter archives, some additional suggestions from teachers on what works (and what doesn't) when designing and leading study groups:

http://www.cornerstoneliteracy.org/NEWSLETTER/110901/study.html

Leading Teacher Study Groups and Meetings with Jennifer Allen is one of our new one-day summer workshop offerings. You can access the full line-up with descriptions and registration forms at this link:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/department22.cfm

For Members Only

There is a different sense of urgency by this time of year for helping struggling students - we know who they are after months with them, and there is still time to adjust instruction. Yet the puzzles these children present often require a team approach, because they wouldn't be struggling if their needs were easy to address. Andrea Smith works with her peers to develop an observation form leading to action plans for individual struggling students as part of a school study group:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/546.cfm

Jennifer Allen finds winter is the perfect time of year to start planning next year's study group offerings. In "On the Lookout," she explains her process for selecting texts and videos for next year's groups, and why the choices make sense based on the needs of her colleagues:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/549.cfm

We've posted the second of the two-part video series from Aimee Buckner's 4th grade classroom on mentor texts and writer's craft. In this installation, Aimee confers with students as they try the listing strategy in different drafts and genres during writer's workshop:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/545.cfm

Finally, Andie Cunningham finds art is a wonderful tool for closure in a months-long study group with teachers - promoting risk-taking among colleagues, and insight into professional learning:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/547.cfm

That's all for this week!