Flying Solo

By Ralph Fletcher
Why are these images important?
Chapter 1: What do you think this means for Rachel?
Bastian
Fauvell
Jessica Cook
Sean O’Day

Why do you think the woods are important to Sean?

Why is this image so
important?
Why is this scene important?
 What do we know and understand about our
characters? How can we share our thinking?

Rachel Bastian

Jessica Sean

Karen Christopher

Missy Mr. Peacock

Mrs. Pierce
Visitors...
Flying Solo: Circle of Viewpoints

Students believe it will be an ordinary Friday in Fabiano’s

sixth grade class. When they arrive, they find themselves
without a teacher AND extraordinarily without a substitute.
Build different character viewpoints around this problem
and share your opinion around these questions:

❏ What is each character thinking?

❏ What do you think each character will do next?
❏ Share your evidence for your opinions.
 Missy Karen

Mr.
Fabiano
Rachel Bastian
is absent
without a
substitute.

Sean Jessica
“A story like this is contagious.”
Should Bastian give
his dog to Sean
instead
of taking Barkley
to Hawaii?
What if you came to school and discovered Mrs.
Smith and Mr. Bertrams were both absent

and
substitute teachers
had not arrived.

What would you do?

Why?
Tell or not tell?
Leader or leaders?
Would you follow the schedule?
Follow the lesson plans? Make up your own plans?
Rules of the class or new rules?
Transitions?
Switch?
In the story, Jessica says:

We are not equipped to deal

with running our own class.
Saying Goodbye to Flying Solo:
To wrap up our work with the latest read-aloud
book, you will write an editorial to share with the
team stating your opinion about students’
decisions in the book, Flying Solo.
 What do you believe?
Do you think the students
should or should not
have managed their classroom by themselves?
What would you do?