tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30233252974486175782024-03-04T21:21:24.871-08:00Coaching, Teaching, Always LearningHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-26634209678202163712020-08-15T13:35:00.006-07:002020-08-15T13:35:37.672-07:00K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple Sister<p>If you are a teacher then chances are you're experiencing
the most stressful August you’ve ever endured. Whether your school is about to
open in-person, has already opened, or whether you’re teaching virtually,
nothing about the beginning of school is normal this year. Nothing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With so much to worry about this year (<i>Will I get Covid? Will I pass it on to my loved ones? How do I keep
students physically distanced at recess? How can I teach word study with my
mouth covered by a mask? What happens when the little rugrats start shooting
their masks at each other?</i>) it would probably behoove us to take a deep
breath and think about these two questions:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">What must we ABSOLUTELY
get right during the first weeks of school?<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">What can wait?<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve learned than when things get complicated, it’s best to
react with simplicity. Distill down the most critical concepts and save the
others for later.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">What MUST we get right?</h3><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First, it is imperative that students feel safe and loved
when they come to school. Some of our students are extremely anxious about
picking up the virus, some have been in neglectful or abusive situations for
the past five months, and others are simply “regular” anxious about the
beginning of school. Our first order of business needs to be building trust and
a <a href="http://coachingteachingalwayslearning.blogspot.com/2020/07/classroom-community-in-time-of-covid.html">sense of community</a> so that these little people can
relax. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Poverty-Mind-Brains-Schools/dp/1416608842/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=eric+jensen&qid=1597523167&sr=8-5">Eric Jensen</a> has shown us that stressful situations
release cortisol, and cortisol has distinct negative effects on people’s
ability to learn. If our kids don’t feel safe and cared for, all the teaching
we do will be for naught.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Secondly, we must create and follow procedures that will
make future learning possible. If you are teaching in-person, that means all
the new rituals and routines surrounding <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/schools.html">CDC guidelines</a>: how do we line
up safely without touching each other? When do we have to wear a mask? What do
we do with our mask when we don’t have to wear it? How and when should I use hand
sanitizer? How can I use classroom manipulatives safely? If you’re teaching
virtually, students must understand your schedule, create a learning spot at
home, and make a plan for sharing devices with siblings and parents.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of this will be different this year, and it must be
taught. Of all the things that are new, I think this is what stresses teachers
the most because we’re trying to teach kids something <i>we’ve never done before</i>. Therefore, while this
teaching-of-safety-routines is a must, we need to give ourselves grace while we
work through it. Tell your students, “This is how we’re going to store our
masks when we go to recess today. We might do it differently tomorrow or next
week, but if we change I promise I’ll show you how so we can all get it right.”
Flexibility is the name of the game for both teachers and students.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, in these beginning weeks of school we must help
students become familiar with technology and the platforms/tools our schools
are using. Most likely our schools will be going digital at some point this
year, or at the very least particular students or cohorts will go digital if
they have to quarantine. They need to be comfortable logging in and navigating
the platform. This can be done through games, scavenger hunts, and simple
assignments that inspire confidence rather than fear in students (and parents!).
If your students are beginning the year in a digital format, it’s even more
important for them to be comfortable with the technology before you introduce
grade-level concepts.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">What can wait?</h3><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Honestly, deeper content and grade-level standards are not
important in these first weeks. Give yourself and your kids a break and instead
play games to build community and trust. You might toss in some concepts they learned last year, but make sure they’re easy concepts that your
students are sure to have mastered. Nothing provokes anxiety more than being
thrown two-digit multiplication when you’re still unsure about addition.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another piece of the educational puzzle that can wait?
Assessments. This may be a bit controversial, especially since we know our
students will likely not be academically up to speed due to last spring’s
Pandemic Pause. But I still come back to the great amount of stress students
and teachers are under right now. Imagine if you were on a mission trip to a
third-world country and when you arrived instead of allowing you to settle in,
your hosts drove you to the middle of the capital and dropped you off to “assess”
your ability to find your way to the mission compound? You’d have done much
better if they’d just waited a short while and let you get the lay of the land.
The same applies to students. Of course, teachers are constantly assessing in informal
ways from day one – speaking vocabulary, behavioral strengths, small motor
control, desire to read – and these can still be done during games and
routines. Just save the formal assessments until kids have settled in.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote>"<i><b>Don't let
success go to your head. Don't let failure go to your heart</b>.</i>" - Tim Keller </blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We know these first weeks of school will be hard. The only
thing that’s guaranteed is change. In these times of uncertainty, keep it
simple. Love your students and let them know it. Create structure that will
allow for deeper learning later. And above all, give yourself grace. <o:p></o:p></p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-33386937070328682052020-07-18T15:44:00.001-07:002020-07-18T15:44:07.346-07:00Classroom Community in the Time of Covid<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s the time of year when I find myself dreaming of school
each night, but this year instead of energizing thoughts of fresh faces and
sharpened pencils, my dreams are anxious ones, troubled by struggling to keep
kids apart, computer programs that won’t operate, and children chewing their
masks into soggy chinstraps. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Among the many things Covid-19 has stolen from us is the
ability for the approximately 3.7 million teachers across the county to plan
for the beginning of school. What would normally be one of the most enjoyable
times of year for a teacher (Anything is possible! This will be the perfect
class of eager, dedicated learners!) is instead being spent in debates between
politicians, parents, and the general public with no clear right answer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, how can teachers find a bit of calm in this storm? How
can we make plans when so much is up in the air and un-plannable? We do what we’ve
always done – we think of our students first. Our students are coming, one way
or the other. If <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i> are nervous and
anxious about this year, our students are much more so. They’re likely
concerned about the same things as always – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Will
my teacher be nice? Will the work be too hard?</i> But they’re also probably
afraid of how school will be different, whether Covid guidelines will keep them
from making friends, and how to negotiate this new version of school. Some will
carry with them fears of catching the virus and spreading it to loved ones
while others are dealing with the ongoing economic impact to their families. It’s
our job to allay those fears as much as we can, and build a supportive
community in our classroom, even if it’s a virtual space.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to <a href="https://principal-matters.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Mark Wilson</a>, teachers
and students who had strong, trusting relationships made an easier transition
last spring to distance learning. Strong relationships build trust, and when
teachers and students trust each other, much more can be asked of each. And we
know this year will be asking a lot of all of us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, here are some ways I worked to build classroom community
and trust at the beginning of each school year, with ideas on how to adjust to
a digital format if that’s how school begins in your area:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>I like to help students, even young ones, understand that
fair does not always mean equal. Along with sharing <a href="https://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/" target="_blank">this image</a>, I try to bring it closer to home by asking students to interview their
guardians to find out the age at which they began to walk (in months), said
their first word (in months), and lost their first tooth (in years). We then
graph this information, which could easily be accomplished on software such as
<a href="https://kahoot.com/" target="_blank">Kahoot </a>(by creating answer choices with age ranges) or Microsoft Excel. We then
have a conversation about how everyone grows differently and reaches milestones
at different times. Similarly, not everyone will learn to read or multiply or
shoot a basketball at the same exact time. Therefore, my job as a teacher is to
meet you exactly where you are and give you just what you need. My teaching will
look different for different students, and that’s ok.</li>
<li>A classroom agreement is a
great alternative to a set of rules. I like to read “<a href="https://www.geniaconnell.com/uploads/7/8/7/3/7873855/kingdom_with_no_rules_no_laws.doc" target="_blank">The Kingdom with No Rules, No Laws, and No King</a>” by Norman Stiles. After discussing how this applies to our classroom, we would create an
agreement written in positive language (e.g. We agree to behave in ways
that allow our friends to learn). An agreement with several broad, short statements
tends to be most effective. If you are meeting with students via video
conference this might be done best in groups of 5-7 rather than whole
group to allow everyone to participate, then compile and narrow them down
as a whole class.</li>
<li>I also like to start the
year by sending the message to students that our community values
problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking, that mistakes are interesting
and worth examining, so I like to put students into problem-solving
situations fairly quickly. <a href="https://gfletchy.com/3-act-lessons/" target="_blank">3-Act Tasks</a> are a great way to do this in math and could be adjusted to a video
conference format. To celebrate problem-solving in literacy I love Jon
Scieszka’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Baloney-Henry-P-Jon-Scieszka/dp/0142404306/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DHET61BX9V68&dchild=1&keywords=baloney+henry+p.+by+jon+scieszka&qid=1595111700&sprefix=baloney+henry%2Caps%2C263&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><i>Baloney (Henry P.</i></a>) in which Henry
explains why he’s late to class using alien terms that require careful use
of context clues. I read the story to students without showing the
pictures, then give partners <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zASwWAk1EJ_7vKe1XmeF2SUwjDxXE5ywtyvkGTkbsXU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">this printout</a> and ask them to work together to
problem-solve the underlined words (if your classroom is digital or you
teach younger children the class could work collaboratively with the
teacher scribing, perhaps on a shorter section). After sharing our guesses
as a group, we finish by listening to the story again <i>with</i> pictures. It’s important that during these
problem-solving activities you encourage divergent thinking and praise
risk-taking. Repeatedly asking, “What makes you say that?” can help kids
begin to adopt a metacognitive stance.</li>
<li>Personal goal setting can
be extremely powerful for students, even our youngest learners. Adapt <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PvhiWQpkhDMDbSLkigh90iDv2QAVSO657j4OI5ke2wY/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">this goal setting form</a> for specific content areas or for certain timespans
(e.g. quarterly goals). </li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re finding yourself in a funk (like I am) because it’s
hard to find your place in this weird Covid world, spend some time thinking
about the students who are on their way to your classroom community. Whether
they arrive by bus or by internet videoconference, they’re coming, and it will
benefit them and you to plan some community-building exercises to put everyone
at ease. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What are some ways you plan to build community in your
classroom? Share in the comments below<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
<ul>
<li><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><o:p></o:p></li>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
</ul>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-79481486155831308732019-09-04T15:17:00.000-07:002019-09-04T15:17:10.427-07:00Emotional BaggageI have a love/hate relationship with
one of the key parts of my job as a coach. On the one hand, I love dropping
into classrooms to talk with students about what they’re working on or to do an
impromptu conference. On the other hand, it feels very much like a “power move”
to me, something that only someone of authority, like an administrator, has the
ability to do. I worry that it aligns me with the evaluation side of
administration, and yet I also feel like I need to see the current instruction
happening in the school in order to plan “best fit” professional learning for
our staff.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
So then imagine my inner turmoil
after this recent visit to a second grade classroom. The teacher is conferring
with a student at the back table while all the other students are spread out
around the room. I bypass the kid closest to the door and sit next to, let’s
call her Kayla, who has her feet comfortably propped up on her desk as she
reads a graphic novel version of Captain Underpants. “How’s it going?” I ask. “Can
you read me a little bit of your book?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
Kayla glances at the book. “Well, I
can’t really read the words. I just tell what’s happening from the pictures.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Let’s give it a try,” I tell her
enthusiastically. “Maybe I can help you with the hard words.” Kayla proceeds to
labor through three frames of the text, needing help with many of the words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Hmmmm,” I mention after having
helped her with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">supposed</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">joke</i>. “I’m thinking this book might not
be a just right book for you yet. That doesn’t mean it won’t be later, but we
probably need to find some books that are a better fit for you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
Kayla begins to cry. “But I want to
read chapter books like the other kids are doing!” she says. “That’s my best
friend over there,” she gestures towards a girl reading a Magic Treehouse book,
“and she’s reading a chapter book and I want to read one too!” Her voice is
starting to get louder.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Not everyone reads the same kinds of
books at the same time, and that’s ok,” I tell her, but she buries her head in
her arms and begins to cry loudly. “Let’s try reading one of these other books
you have in your bag,” I say as I pull out two books labeled as level 10 texts
and then Ralph S. Mouse, which I quickly set to the side.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Those are baby books! They’re too
easy! My auntie says I have to read chapter books to get to be a better reader,”
Kayla cries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Why don’t you show me how easy they
are?” I ask, and I pull out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cookie’s Week</i>
and open to the first page. Sure enough, she reads smoothly and accurately,
though she substitutes “windshield” for “windowsill” and doesn’t want to hear
about that error.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“I want to read chapter books like
the others! I don’t want everyone to know I can’t read!” she wails loudly
enough for everyone in the class to hear. At this point a blonde girl nearby brings
her another leveled reader that apparently Kayla had been reading yesterday.
Not helpful. It’s not a chapter book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“How about this?” I whisper, “What if
I can find some books for you that are chapter books that you CAN read? Will
you come to the media center with me to find those books?” I’m wracking my
brain trying to think of a low-level chapter book – maybe Nate the Great? Ivy
and Bean? Did we buy some Hi-Lo books for 3<sup>rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup>
grade last year? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
It doesn’t matter, because Kayla has
completely fallen apart, wailing loudly, bottom lip quivering, hiccupping and
gasping for air. Her teacher mouths, “I’m sorry!” to me, shaking her head.
Apparently I’m fighting an old battle and have opened up old wounds. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Why did you come in here?” Kayla
wails loudly, “Everything was fine until you got here!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
I feel for Kayla. She was not at all
shy about her dilemma – she’s very aware that she’s reading at a level lower
than the others, and it’s breaking her heart. She has a vested interest in keeping
up appearances, and that involves holding thicker books during reading time and
being able to tell her friends that she reads chapter books. If I want to
ensure she makes progress this year, this is a critical moment in her reading
life. I need to find her books that look hard but are easy to decode.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
I quickly walk down the hall and
burst into the media center. Fortunately, it’s empty. “I have a reading
emergency!” I announce to the media clerk. “Where are your <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nate the Great</i> or similar books?” She quickly directs me to the
early chapter books and we find a few – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Owl
Diaries</i>, which might be a bit on the high side, but is a graphic book with
heavy picture support; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unicorn and Yeti</i>,
an even easier graphic book with three chapters; and two more books with heavy
picture support, fairly simple sentence structure, and most importantly - chapters.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
I run back to Kayla’s class, where
she is still crumpled on her desk, crying quietly while everyone else sits on
the rug for writing time. After some coaxing, I convince her to come to a back
corner of the room to look at the books I’ve brought. “Are they chapter books?”
is the first thing she asks, so we flip through each, looking at the tables of
contents and chapter headings. Instantly, her tears dry up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Let’s read a few pages of one of
these – which one would you like to try?” I ask. Quietly, she chooses <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unicorn and Yeti</i> and then she literally <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">crawls into my lap</i>, dries her tears, and
begins to read. She still needs some help, and we study the pictures a good
deal to understand the context, but after reading four pages, she is beaming. “Thank
you!” she whispers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
Later that day as I see her class on
their way to lunch she breaks out of line and runs up to me. “I read more of
those books you got me! I’m taking them home to my auntie to show her I can
read chapter books!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
At the time, I didn’t realize quite
what had happened for Kayla. Honestly, for a while there, I thought I’d broken her.
There’s nothing quite like a wailing, blubbering reader to make you feel like a
conference failure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
But all Kayla wanted is what we all
want – to be loved by our friends, which to her meant fitting in by reading the
same types of books they had. As a teacher, our jobs are to meet kids where
they are while simultaneously helping them with the emotional baggage that
comes with being a struggling reader. Thankfully, there are texts that can help
with this. But it’s also important to realize that without Kayla’s buy-in and
emotional confidence, nothing I said to her about reading strategies would stick.
She needs first to feel like she belongs, that she’s in a safe zone with her peers.
Once she has that comfort, we’ll be able to work on cracking the nut of finding
the skills and strategies she needs as a reader.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-58028044406267212752019-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:002019-03-06T15:25:17.408-08:00Storytelling - The Secret Sauce of Instruction?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
“Once there was a little girl…” Much
has been written about how the human mind is primed for stories (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Minds-Made-Stories-Informational-Persuasive/dp/0325046956/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PT7YTS2IOOG&keywords=minds+made+for+stories&qid=1551913203&s=gateway&sprefix=minds+made+%2Caps%2C509&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Newkirk</a>, 2014; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Stay-Sane-School-Life/dp/1250030633/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YWHZBDCL1AIU&keywords=how+to+stay+sane&qid=1551913238&s=gateway&sprefix=how+to+stay+sane%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Perry</a>, 2012). Our brains perk up when we detect a
story in the making – reading “once there was” above probably cued that
response in your own mind. Scientists suspect this innate response is due to
the eons we’ve spent in huts and caves passing knowledge along to others
through the stories we tell. Narratives are how we learn what works and what
not to do – which animals were dangerous, how to escape scary situations, and
how to respond in social settings. Nowadays, we don’t encounter as many
physically dangerous situations as humans did in the past, but stories still
matter immensely for how they help us process learning. The most engaging
informational books have micro-stories sprinkled throughout to illustrate the
most important points. Writers know the brain responds best to stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In their book, “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Learning-Teaching-Traits-Independent/dp/0325062889/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2B8LXPYB53GEK&keywords=a+mindset+for+learning&qid=1551913335&s=gateway&sprefix=a+mindset+for%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Mindset for Learning</a>”, authors Kristine Mraz and Christine Hertz describe
how storytelling can be a powerful method for sharing the habits of mind that
encourage a <a href="https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/" target="_blank">growth mindset</a>. True
to form, they sprinkle stories from classrooms throughout their book that
perfectly illustrate the habits in action through whole-class conversations and
teacher-student conferences. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Kristi and Christine’s key points for
teaching storytelling are deceptively simple. They are worth thinking about
when we teachers tell our own stories and when we teach our students to
storytell:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Set
the scene (the who and the where)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Name
the challenge or problem<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Raise
the tension through multiple attempts or worsening events<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Reach
a resolution (Mraz & Hertz, 2015, p. 91)<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know my own downfall is rushing
step 3, the tension and events that make up the bulk of the story. When I tell
jokes or repeat a story, I tend to rush headlong towards the punchline or
resolution, without spending enough time marinating in the problem for the listener.
Not surprisingly, this is also the problem most students have when writing
their stories – summarizing major events in the rush to be “done” instead of
elaborating on the tension of the major events. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The solution? Simple – add dialogue
and dramatization to the story. Don’t just summarize, but act out parts, and
include the dialogue or internal thinking of the characters. Practicing this in
oral storytelling will likely impact students’ written stories in positive ways
as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Building on Kristi and Christine’s
suggestion to tell stories about growth mindset learning, if I were to tell a
story of one student’s growth to a class, it might sound like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s the end of reading workshop in
second grade and students are spread around the room in clumps or singles,
their books spread around them, quietly murmuring. I stand from my conference
with Khloe and call out, “Class, clean up your book baskets and join me on the
rug – I have a wonderful story to tell you about one of your friends!” After
the group is gathered in a circle on the rug, I lower my voice to a whisper:
“Everyone has been working so hard on tackling their trouble words in books,
just like we’ve been practicing. Today, I want to tell you a story about one of
your friends who’s done just that. Once upon a time, there was a determined
little girl named Khloe…” I glance over at Khloe beside me, who ducks her head
and grins. The other students’ ears perk up at the familiar beginning of a
tale.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Khloe had been reading and reading
and reading the books in her book basket, all except for one book. She had
tried to read it once before, and it was just too hard. Just reading the first
page was frustrating because there were too many tricky words. So what did she
do?” I looked around the circle and shrugged. “Did she give up?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“No!” the other children called out,
smiling. I grinned back. “Of course not! She could have given up, but she
decided to be persistent and so she showed the book to her reading partner.
‘I’ve got a tricky book!’ she told her partner. ‘Can you help me figure out
these words?’ Her reading partner, being the understanding and helpful partner
that she is, agreed to help. They decided to read the book at the same time –
chorally reading. When they got to a tricky word, they used their superpowers
together: they looked at the picture, they made sure they had the right
beginning sounds, and they backed up and read from the beginning of the
sentence.” I touch my fingers and exaggeratedly glance at our anchor chart of
decoding strategies as I describe the steps the readers took. “And guess
what?!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“They read the book!” yelled the
students, some up on their knees, others clapping their hands.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“You’re exactly right! Did they get
all the words exactly right? No, but that’s ok. They knew that they had worked
together to solve many of the tricky words, and most important of all, the
story was making sense. Together, they decided to keep working on the book the
next day and the day after that, so they could get better and better at tackling
the trouble words.” I lean in and whisper to the students as I wind up my tale.
“They <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">persevered</i>, which means they
kept on trying, even when it was tough. I bet there are other readers just like
that in our classroom.”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><o:p></o:p></div>
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Storytelling brings issues to life.
It can make an abstract concept real and relevant to students. Try
incorporating storytelling into the daily fabric of your classroom. And once
you do, tell the story of how it went in the comments below. We all love a
great story!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-69830356313691777662019-01-23T15:01:00.002-08:002019-01-23T15:01:28.218-08:00Book Review: Onward – by Elena Aguilar<br />
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This <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Onward-Cultivating-Emotional-Resilience-Educators/dp/1119364892/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548284385&sr=8-1&keywords=onward" target="_blank">jewel of a book</a> is one you’ll
want to read very slowly so that you can stretch out the experience. It has
taken me months to read it, and even now I’m sad it’s over. Elena knew it would
likely have this effect, because she’s organized each chapter around a month of
the year, beginning with June.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The book is about cultivating
resilience in educators. Each chapter examines aspects of resilience such as
emotional intelligence, storytelling, taking care of yourself, compassion, and
dealing with change. Along the way she takes deeper dives into specific
emotions such as optimism, empathy, and perfectionism. Each page gave me so much
to think about and reflect upon that I felt the need to slow down to digest,
but also share with others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For instance, she begins the short
section on perfectionism saying, “At the heart of perfectionism is the belief
that, in order to be loved and accepted, we must strive to act and be the best
all the time” (p. 166). This isn’t possible, of course, and so along with
perfectionism comes frustration and even anger when things don’t work out
perfectly. Understanding this helps me understand some people I know who at
first glance appear to be angry much of the time, but underneath it all may be
frustrated perfectionists. Education is certainly a difficult field if you’re
constantly striving for perfection.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Her chapter on change made a big
impression on me as well. Appropriately, she fit this into the April chapter,
which in education is the month of testing and finding out the big changes for
next year – the principal’s not coming back, or you’re asked to teach a new
grade level. Change is incredibly stressful. The secret to leading change,
Elena says, is to understand that most people are fearful of change, and as
leaders we must acknowledge this and lend encouragement. There’s no fast way
through this. “Leading change most often includes learning; in order for people
to do something different, whatever it is that you want them to do, you need to
address skill, knowledge, capacity, will, cultural competency, and emotional
intelligence” (p. 280). She suggests setting up opportunities for teachers to
reflect on their purpose and their ongoing growth. And above all, to listen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As teachers, we all feel a complete
range of emotions throughout the year. If you have lately been feeling less
bounce in your step, less resilience in the face of challenge, I urge you to
pick up this book. Each time I set it down after reading, I felt better, more
encouraged, and filled with food for thought. Treat yourself to this book – you
deserve it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-84542692931492660362019-01-01T15:41:00.000-08:002019-01-01T15:41:22.173-08:008 Professional Books You Should Read<br />
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<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Everyone’s
coming out with their favorite books from the past year, and though I’m a
little late I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon. To keep it simple, I’m
restricting my list to professional books only, though I read SO many good
novels this year too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Teaching-Deeper-Reading-Problem-Based/dp/0325077924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385297&sr=8-1&keywords=dynamic+teaching+for+deeper+reading" target="_blank">Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading</a></b> by Vicki Vinton<o:p></o:p></div>
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This book tops my list mainly because I just finished it a
few days ago and it’s still on my mind daily and will continue to be. Through
so much of it I found myself nodding, and wondering how she put into words what
I’ve intuitively felt and known about how we make decisions around
comprehension instruction. Her writing style is filled with references to her
work with students, so it automatically feels trustworthy, and while her ideas
are complex, they make complete sense. It’s a book I’ll want to revisit a few
times. Overall, her premise is that we should take a problem-based approach to
our work with kids. Vinton suggests that we’ve been doing too much of the work
for kids – that we’ve over-scaffolded their thinking, and thereby prevented
them from practicing the work they’ll soon be doing on their own, when we’re
not by their sides. Step-by-step she shows us how to create deeper thinking
readers through mini-lessons, small group work, and conferences. This is a
great book for anyone familiar with workshop who wants to take their
instruction to the next level.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Texts-Readers-Comprehension-Instruction/dp/0325108927/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385336&sr=8-1&keywords=understanding+texts+and+readers" target="_blank">Understanding Texts and Readers</a></b> by Jennifer Serravallo<o:p></o:p></div>
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I blogged about this book <a href="http://coachingteachingalwayslearning.blogspot.com/2018/09/book-review-understanding-texts-and.html" target="_blank">earlier </a> and feel that it’s
a phenomenal book for a school book study (as are any of these books, honestly).
We’re beginning a book study on Understanding Texts and Readers at my school
and my only complaint is that Jennifer hasn’t come out with a study guide yet,
that I can find. This is an amazing tool for teachers that has the potential to
radically change how we confer with readers as we learn what to look for in
texts and readers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Embarrassment-Emotional-Underlife-Thomas-Newkirk/dp/0325088772/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385376&sr=8-1&keywords=embarrassment" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Embarrassment</b> </a>by
Thomas Newkirk<o:p></o:p></div>
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This jewel of a book is a conversational jaunt through an
emotion most of us hope to avoid at all costs. <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Newkirk gives us a great deal to think about,
not just about the “emotional underlife of teaching and learning”, but about
how we present ourselves to the world, how we learn, and above all, how to
write well. The book feels like a comfortable conversation with a fascinating
friend – a bit meandering, chock-full of stories, and with a liberal sprinkling
of surprising ideas and connections.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Student-Centered-Coaching-Moves-Diane-Sweeney/dp/1506325262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385410&sr=8-1&keywords=student+centered+coaching+the+moves" target="_blank">Student-Centered Coaching: The Moves</a></b> by Diane Sweeney and Leanna Harris<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is an excellent follow-up to Diane’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Along-Way-Professional-Development/dp/1571103430/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385410&sr=8-10&keywords=student+centered+coaching+the+moves" target="_blank">original book</a>. Very clear, specific writing that describes more of a partnership
approach than the gradual release model that she was a proponent of in her
earlier books. The moves include: micro-modeling instead of long-term modeling;
noticing and naming, when teacher and coach use a sheet to describe how students
respond to the lesson; sorting student work; thinking aloud, which refers to
both coach and teacher and also helps with limiting the amount of time both
plan outside of lessons; setting goals for coaching cycles; using learning
targets to break down those goals; providing strengths-based feedback; and
measuring the impact of coaching by looking at student work. The coaches in our
district are doing a book study on this and it is great fodder for discussions.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Impact-Cycle-Instructional-Powerful-Improvements/dp/1506306861/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385476&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=The+Impact+Cycle&psc=1" target="_blank">The Impact Cycle</a></b>
by Jim Knight<o:p></o:p></div>
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I always love Jim Knight’s books, and this one was no
exception. <span style="font-family: inherit;">It seemed to pull together a lot of what he’s been saying over the
years into a very clear structure. <o:p></o:p>Jim
pulls together <a href="https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/" target="_blank">Hattie’s research</a> on effective instruction along with a
wonderful book by Atul Gawande called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385772&sr=8-1&keywords=checklist+manifesto+book" target="_blank">The Checklist Manifesto</a> about the
power of checklists as a way to support knowledge workers with complex tasks.
Finally, of course, he layers in his own and others’ research on coaching as a
partnership as opposed to an administrative or advice-giving approach.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Learning-Teaching-Traits-Independent/dp/0325062889/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385502&sr=8-3&keywords=A+Mindset+for+Learning" target="_blank">A Mindset for Learning</a></b> by Kristine Mraz and Christine Hertz<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you’re fascinated by the growth/fixed mindset phenomena
and want to know practical strategies for including growth mindset work in your
own classroom, get this wonderful book. It’s written in a very fun style (I
laughed out loud at their opening story about a fire drill on the first day of
Kindergarten) with very practical suggestions and tools for folding growth
mindset work into the work you already do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Real-Revision-Authors-Strategies-Student/dp/1571108564/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385532&sr=8-1&keywords=Real+Revision" target="_blank">Real Revision</a></b> by
Kate Messner<o:p></o:p></div>
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I stretched this book out because I didn’t want it to end.
Kate has a very readable style in which she addresses the reader both as a
middle school teacher and as an author of middle grade books. Her book is a
compilation of revision strategies from herself and her author friends,
interspersed with examples from her own writing. It brought to life the
revision and writing process, and really helped me understand the processes
published authors go through in re-envisioning their writing. Lots of excellent
quotes throughout, and very practical ideas, even for adult writers to follow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Infusing-Grammar-Into-Writers-Workshop/dp/113883212X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1546385558&sr=8-1&keywords=Infusing+Grammar+Into+the+Writer%E2%80%99s+Workshop" target="_blank">Infusing Grammar Into the Writer’s Workshop</a></b> by Amy Benjamin and Barbara Golub<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">If you’re looking for a clearly-written,
not-too-threatening book about teaching grammar in authentic ways, then check
out this book. Amy writes the sections providing the background knowledge on
grammar that most of us never received when we studied to be teachers, and she
does so with a non-threatening, practical voice. Barbara, a coach and staff
developer with the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, provides the
applicability piece by showing us what it looks like to teach these concepts
within the classroom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I hope you enjoyed this short list –
here’s to more wonderful professional reading in 2019! <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-66644788840449987292018-12-04T14:28:00.000-08:002018-12-04T14:28:46.651-08:00Reading Workshop Bingo<br />
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At my school we are working on
refining our understanding of workshop structure for both reading and writing
instruction, but also for math and other subjects as well. As is often the case
when an approach gets popular and shows up all over the internet, everyone has
differing – sometimes widely different – understandings of exactly what it
means to teach using a workshop approach.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I think one of the best ways to work
through these sticky parts and clarify our understandings is to dialogue about
them. After all, <a href="https://www.freire.org/paulo-freire/concepts-used-by-paulo-freire" target="_blank">Paulo Freire</a> argued that humans
learn by problem solving, and one of the best ways to problem-solve is to engage
in dialogue with one another.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In that vein, I recently led
professional learning with grade levels during their collaborative planning
time during which we played “<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wtBp1gWqpeuOHwEoopeitl2HDdq9f7JA">Reading
Workshop Bingo</a>” (see image below) as a way to jump-start conversations
about how well workshop was going in our classrooms. The rules were simple:
find someone who fit one of the descriptions and have them initial that square,
but you could only get the same person to initial a maximum of three times,
forcing people to get up and move around.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The teachers were surprisingly
competitive, and did not want to compromise their possibility of winning by
stopping mid-game to ask their colleagues questions. So we saved that
reflection for after we had a winner (no one seemed to mind that I didn’t
actually have prizes). Our conversation flowed easily as teachers shared how
they’d used their document cameras to make read alouds more accessible, simple strategies
for increasing reading stamina, creative ways they’ve used sticky notes, and
cute stories about kids newly energized about reading. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We all enjoy participating in games,
but even better is celebrating the sometimes simple, sometimes big changes we’ve
made over the past few months. It can be easy to get caught up in all the
pressures to continually change and to lose sight of the actual changes we’ve
already made and the positive effects they have had on our students. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Play some games, engage in dialogue,
and above all, celebrate the positive changes we’ve all made as teachers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wtBp1gWqpeuOHwEoopeitl2HDdq9f7JA" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="522" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDx6V053VskbT-5sWBY-TgdxA9hSdwWbA8E5k2_pZ-kZfY7Sf72PhIbwOofwJO2lZcYrVB749RTRBbXXeNtT-AIhW-4jX9xcrTAmqlACr3wYPTQDwZlKURg4FFKy8LDE1yCIZ8mxhY9kM/s400/bingo.PNG" width="308" /></a></div>
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<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-80412277778406449912018-09-29T17:04:00.001-07:002018-09-29T17:04:52.518-07:00Book Review: Understanding Texts and Readers by Jennifer Serravallo<br />
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Where has this book been all my life? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Texts-Readers-Comprehension-Instruction/dp/0325108927/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538265761&sr=8-1&keywords=understanding+texts+and+readers" target="_blank">Understanding Texts and Readers</a></i> feels like it pulls together
everything Serravallo has been working on for the past several years into one
clear, very understandable book. It’s definitely worth a book study with a team
of teachers or even an entire school.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The information on how texts gradually become more complex
in both fiction and nonfiction is ground-breaking. Fountas and Pinnell have
done some of this work already in their <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fountas-Pinnell-Literacy-Continuum-Expanded/dp/0325060789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538265820&sr=8-1&keywords=literacy+continuum+fountas+and+pinnell" target="_blank">Literacy Continuum</a>, but Serravallo
writes in a much clearer way so the readers doesn’t get overwhelmed, which is often
the case when we try to digest F&P’s Continuum. She narrows the focus in
Fiction to four areas: Plot/setting, Character, Vocabulary/Figurative Language,
and Theme. She does the same for Nonfiction: Main idea, Key details, Vocabulary,
and Text Features. She outlines how each gradually increases in difficulty,
discussing the major jumps at particular levels. She then follows that up with
examples of students’ written responses for each area, showing how readers of
increasing level texts should respond in more sophisticated ways. The work she’s
done here is eye-opening and will jump-start some great conversations about the types
of instruction students need to effectively tackle each increase in levels
within these four areas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally, her last section is very powerful in arguing
against leveling kids, but instead using levels as just one way of helping
match texts to readers. “Be sure to emphasize with kids that there is no such
thing as a reader being leveled, and that the level on books are just one of
the many things to consider when choosing them. Never refer to children by a
reading level. Correct and redirect children if you ever hear them referring to
themselves as a level” (p. 214). <o:p></o:p></div>
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This book is a WONDERFUL addition to the professional book
canon and is destined to be a classic. If you don’t have it yet, RUN to the
book store to get it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-1427247554767687932018-08-01T15:06:00.001-07:002018-08-01T15:06:52.142-07:00Anticipation Season<br />
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It’s that most exciting time of year
for teachers, Anticipation Season! School supplies are on sale, new organizer
tools have been bought, color-coded charts are being made, and absolutely
anything is possible for next year’s class. Actual students haven’t shown up
yet, and for those of us who are optimists, this means our dreams are full of
bright-eyed, eager children who love to learn and enjoy coming to school. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, Anticipation and Planning
Ahead will only get you so far. Some years, my elation ended on Open House
night as soon as I met my actual students. My dreams and extensive planning
were revealed for what they really were – unrealistic visions of a perfect
classroom. Meeting my students brought reality crashing in – some students
didn’t have the money for school supplies, others couldn’t focus long enough to
have a conversation with me, and some parents seemed to be mad at me already
and we’d just met minutes ago. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The truth is there’s no point in
making detailed plans for the beginning of your year. As Eisenhower once said,
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but
planning is indispensable.” In other words, we can make loose plans for what we
want our students to accomplish based on the standards, but we can’t know how
to teach them until we know <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">them</i>. How
much do our students already know? What are their strengths? What worries them?
What motivates them? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Donald Graves, guru of writing
instruction, once said, “You are not ready to really teach a kid until you know
10 things about his or her life outside of school.” When we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> know our students, we respond to
them as individuals and they do likewise. Kids who feel like their teacher
knows them and understands them will work much harder than those who feel like
a number in a crowd.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How do we learn at least 10 things
about our students’ lives? One of the simplest ways is through letters. Smokey
and Elaine Daniels have written a great book called “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Kept-Teaching-Secret-Conversations-Activate/dp/1452268630/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533161117&sr=1-1&keywords=best+kept+teaching+secret" target="_blank">The Best-Kept TeachingSecret</a>” about the power of written conversations between teacher and
student, parent and teacher, and student to student. They recommend, as <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Meaning-2nd-Teaching-Comprehension/dp/1571109552/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533161071&sr=8-1&keywords=reading+with+meaning&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER" target="_blank">DebbieMiller</a> did years ago, that teachers ask parents
to write them a letter sharing three important things they should know about
their child. I found that asking parents for input right away not only gave me
valuable insight into their child, but also set up the parent and me to have a
closer relationship from the very beginning of school. Asking about their child
showed that I cared and wanted to start the year off right.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Daniels’ also suggest the teacher
sending “get-to-know-you” letters at the beginning of the year. While this can
feel like a lot of effort for teachers, it is often a highly anticipated event
for the children. One of my teacher friends shared a picture of her daughter so
eager to read the letter she knew was coming from her teacher that she tore
into the electricity bill, convinced her teacher had disguised her letter
inside. If kids are this excited about communicating with their teacher before
they’ve even met us, think of the power we wield once they’re actually in our
rooms. Our every word and action matters.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy Anticipation Season! It’s a
great energy boost during a time when we really need it. But at the same time,
think of ways to gather the information you need to make your plans realistic
for the students you have this year, who may be very different than those from
last year. Your students will thank you for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-38165604184780073172018-04-18T14:42:00.000-07:002018-04-18T14:42:59.677-07:00Why aren’t they doing what I taught them?<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Recently I spent the morning facilitating a
lesson study with K-2 teachers and an afternoon meeting with coaches only to
find that both groups were having problems with the same basic idea – lack of
transfer from instruction to independent work. For the teachers, they felt they
had taught students lesson after lesson about editing writing for punctuation,
spelling, and capital usage, but students were unable to correct the work on their
own. If teachers pointed out the errors, students recognized them and could fix
them, but they weren’t finding the mistakes on their own. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">With the coaches, the concern was that the
teachers they worked with had watched them model workshop and mini-lessons, but
when coaches dropped by classrooms the teachers weren’t necessarily putting the
work into practice. Instead, unannounced visits revealed teachers reverting
back to the instructional methods they’d previously used.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In both of these cases, instruction had
happened, but wasn’t sticking. Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">There could be lots of reasons, but I wonder if
it has to do with the gradual release model not being gradual enough. When we
think about “I do” moving into “we do” until finally “you do,” I’m not sure
we’ve really thought about the different variations of “we do” deeply enough.
Within that large middle section of “we do,” how might we intentionally back
off our support in ways that translate to confidence on the part of the
learner?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Perhaps part of the confusion lies in how long
gradual release should take. I wonder if the teachers discussing writing
conventions felt like they had gradually released sufficiently since over the
course of the mini-lesson they’d modeled and had kids work with partners? But
what if it takes longer than that? Are we building in enough time for kids to
discuss their options and work through the difficulties? Do the materials we
model with closely match the students’ materials, or are they just different
enough to confuse those extra-literal students? Are we giving kids the concrete
steps or strategies they need in order to walk through the editing process? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In thinking about gradual release as it applies
to coaching, perhaps we’re also cutting gradual release too short. Just because
we’re working with adults doesn’t mean those adults don’t also deserve to
receive a great deal of “we do” support from the coach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">That might mean the coach co-plans and
co-teaches more lessons with the teacher. It might mean asking the teacher to
videotape her teaching in order to capture “the work” for you both to reflect
on. It might mean building in more intentional reflection time after lessons in
order to point out on-the-fly decisions and to look at the resulting student
work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">And what about our so-called “you do” segment?
Are we really expecting learners, whether children or adults, to apply what
they’ve learned in completely solo environments? What if we built in support
through partnerships by coaching two teachers instead of one, so there’s a
built-in talk-partner for times the coach is not available? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">These are just a few of my current ideas on why
our work might not be sticking, whether it’s with students or adults. I need to
do a lot more thinking about this. What are your thoughts? How can we make sure
that the work we’re doing is effective and transfers to independence? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-79873030629939152582018-03-28T15:42:00.000-07:002018-03-28T15:42:19.477-07:00The Chameleon Effect<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">When I was six years old, my family moved from
the big city of Memphis, TN, where my dad was an accountant, to the western
North Carolina mountains. Back in the 70s, there weren’t many “ferreners” in
the mountains, and we stood out like a tick on a beauty queen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">When I got a little older, I noticed an
interesting phenomenon. Anytime we stopped for gas at the local full-service
station, my dad would always get out and talk to the owner. That wasn’t the
interesting part. Rather, I was fascinated to hear my college-educated father
pick up the country twang of the locals while he leaned on the fender talking
about the weather, wild hogs, and deer hunting, which I was not aware that my
father did. His entire demeanor changed in that situation, and I realized at
some level it was necessary to try to fit in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">It turns out that this is called the Chameleon
Effect, and we all do it. We tend to adapt ourselves to the surrounding social
environment by changing our speech patterns, gestures, posture and behaviors to
match those around us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">This morning I was in a 5<sup>th</sup> grade
classroom in which the teacher has built an amazing sense of community. She is
constantly encouraging kids, celebrating their accomplishments, and having them
set individual goals. As I was visiting this morning, I overheard one of her
boys pass by her and whisper, “I love you!” to the teacher. She smiled and
whispered it right back to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">How many 5<sup>th</sup> grade boys do you know
who willingly tell their teachers they love them? This boy’s outward show of
emotion is a direct result of the Chameleon Effect – he is taking on the same
behaviors he sees modeled in his teacher. We’ve all observed it – students with
a sarcastic teacher are much more likely to make biting comments to each other.
“Good” students will suddenly become trouble-makers when put with a teacher
with a loose management style. We see chameleons when upper elementary students
must change their demeanors multiple times a day as they transition between
classes and teachers with very different styles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The good news is that kids are listening and
watching. The bad news is… kids are listening and watching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We must be incredibly tuned in to our demeanors
and how we interact in our classrooms because, like it or not, we will have a
couple dozen chameleons mimicking our actions. Studies show that, “if teachers
ask lots of questions that everyone knows they already know the answer to, then
often students ask teachers questions they tend to already know the answer to –
questioning becomes a performance rather than an inquiry” (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/10-Mindframes-Visible-Learning-Teaching/dp/1138635529/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522276826&sr=8-2&keywords=10+mindframes" target="_blank">Hattie & Zierer</a>,
2018, p. 137). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Do you feel like your kids aren’t listening to
you? Is it possible that you’re not listening to them? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Do you kids love being at school? Are they
picking that up from you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">This is one reason that establishing community
is so incredibly important in classrooms. It’s not just a feel-good fluffy
thing. It actually changes student behaviors and thought patterns as they mimic
us. Hattie & Zierer say, “the more intense our relationships are, the more
closely we imitate each other” (p. 137). It’s worth examining our students’
behaviors for what we wish were different, and then considering how we might
model those behaviors when we interact with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Your students are chameleons. What types of
behaviors do you want them to take on when they enter your classroom?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><i>Hattie & Zierer (2018). <a href="https://www.amazon.com/10-Mindframes-Visible-Learning-Teaching/dp/1138635529/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522276826&sr=8-2&keywords=10+mindframes" target="_blank">10 Mindframes for Visible Learning</a></i></span></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-24146492997334601822018-03-07T15:43:00.000-08:002018-03-07T15:43:14.122-08:00Let's Do Away With Right and Wrong<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN">“I don’t know if this is the right way to do
guided reading, but…”</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN">“This is probably wrong, but what I do is…”</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN">“Am I doing _______ (insert instructional
approach here) correctly?”</span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If I had a dime for
every time I heard someone say variations on these statements, I’d be able to go
on that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3dBcHJ_rRY" target="_blank">dream beach vacation</a> I’ve always wanted.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
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<span lang="EN">Many of us teachers joined this profession
because we were good students – we liked school, we felt comfortable there, and
we want to replicate the joy of learning we felt growing up. And that’s a good
thing! But being a good student oftentimes means we are people-pleasers who
honor authority figures. We want to do the “right” thing the “right” way. Bless
our hearts, we believe there actually IS a right way to do everything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The other day I heard a coach friend of mine
laughingly describe her first year of teaching. She bargained with her
boyfriend – if he would just stick with her during this difficult first year,
she agreed to get married, because after that she would have her first year of
plans made and she could fall back on them from then on. Five years into it,
her then-husband wanted to know why the heck she was still staying late at
school and working on weekends – hadn’t she figured it out that first year or
two?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">One of the most unsettling realizations we can
have as teachers often comes within the first 5-10 years of teaching, when we
realize that Teaching Is Not Something You Master. There is never One Right Way
to do anything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN">
<span lang="EN"><a href="https://coe.uga.edu/directory/profiles/sjones1" target="_blank">Stephanie Jones</a>,</span></span> professor- and coach-extraordinaire, worked with a group of us coaches several
years ago. Among the most impactful concepts she shared was letting go of
“Right” versus “Wrong” and instead considering what each decision Allows and
Shuts Down. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUADlbyjVb0SY7RQ0ItCu9b93lhhrueq03E-3MV0Ic_urgBES3NENgzHIt-7YGAs9O4ka3_FNYAri9cpVOvdQQ6MITiBNJW0OcVHhWancbMBtQBTk0W7lcqenRvY3NmZKN3HZlZD5fi8/s1600/allows-shuts+down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="478" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUADlbyjVb0SY7RQ0ItCu9b93lhhrueq03E-3MV0Ic_urgBES3NENgzHIt-7YGAs9O4ka3_FNYAri9cpVOvdQQ6MITiBNJW0OcVHhWancbMBtQBTk0W7lcqenRvY3NmZKN3HZlZD5fi8/s320/allows-shuts+down.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Every decision you make as a teacher (as a
human, really) allows certain things to happen and shuts down other things. For
example, consider the way you set up your classroom. You might push your students’
desks together in groups – this allows for more teamwork and better table-space
for project work. But it shuts down some students’ ability to easily see the
board (if their back is facing the front) and it might encourage student talk
during those times you’d rather they listen to you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">Or think about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azi2iASKv3I" target="_blank">strategy-based reading groups</a>, which
is when you meet with kids reading at different levels and teach them a
strategy before conferring with them individually. This approach allows you to
provide targeted instruction regardless of reading level, thus giving you flexibility
in forming groups. But it might shut down a common conversation that would be
easier if everyone had a copy of the same book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">In other words, strategy groups aren’t “wrong,”
but they’re not always “right” either. You make your decision as a teacher
based on what you want to allow for your students <i>at that moment</i>. The
key is understanding that every decision you make <i>simultaneously</i> allows
and shuts down certain things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Unfortunately, we will never Arrive at a point
in our careers where we have this thing all figured out. We will never create
the ultimate set of plans to save from year to year that will suffice for all
students all the time. We will not find the One True Way to teach.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sooner we realize this and embrace the
messiness of working with young minds, the sooner we can be kind to ourselves
and find the joy in teaching.</div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-1813967199621378782018-02-21T17:47:00.000-08:002018-02-21T17:49:18.238-08:00Correcting the Fundamental Attribution Error<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">It turns out that we’ve all made a critical
error. And not just any error, but a <i>fundamental attribution error</i>. If
it sounds terrifying, well, that may be only slightly off the mark.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I read about this error in Richard Nisbett’s
book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindware-Tools-Thinking-Richard-Nisbett/dp/0374536244/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519263729&sr=1-1&keywords=mindware" target="_blank">Mindware: Tools for Smart Thinking</a></i> in which he describes
“scientific and philosophical concepts that can change the way we solve
problems by helping us to think more effectively about our behavior and our
world.” It turns out that we are not nearly as smart as we think we are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Our problem is that we tend to attribute other
people’s successes and failures to personal dispositions while we discount the
context or circumstances that may have contributed to them. For instance, we
might think of Todd as a lazy student, or of our co-worker Susan as standoffish
and rude, or of Bill Gates as incredibly brilliant. We don’t take into account
the circumstances that may have led to our perceptions. Nisbett digs into the
Bill Gates story to reveal that when he was an 8<sup>th</sup> grader his
parents transferred him to a different school because he was bored. His new
school happened to be one of the very few schools in 1968 that was connected to
a mainframe computer. This lucky break meant that he was able to log time on
the computer and even test software for a local company. From there he began
sneaking out of the house at 3am to spend time at the University of Washington
computer center. If Gates had not transferred schools at that critical time,
would he have become who he is today?<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Nisbett states, </span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“Behind many a successful person
lies a string of lucky breaks that we have no inkling about” (p. 35). </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We tend to assume it was the person’s <i>characteristics</i> rather than
the surrounding circumstances that made them succeed or struggle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The kicker is that we do the <i>opposite</i>
with ourselves – we, having the luxury of an intimate knowledge of our own
circumstances, tend to give ourselves a break when we experience failure. We
attribute our problem not to a personal traits, but to the situation. “Well, I
would have gotten that job if I had not gotten a cold – I just wasn’t at the
top of my game” or “The teacher doesn’t like me” or “The requirements aren’t
fair.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The truth is, contexts and situations have a
great deal to do with our behaviors. While we tend to think other people behave
the way they do because of some innate characteristic (e.g. laziness,
brilliance, greed) the reality is that life is a series of circumstances that
make us into the people we currently are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">This Fundamental Attribution Error has huge
implications for teachers when we think about how we approach students,
parents, and even our fellow teachers. I’ve been guilty of thinking Parent A
“just doesn’t care” about their child’s needs in school, or that Teacher X just
has a chip on her shoulder, or that my administrator is rude. But if it were me
in those exact same circumstances I would cut myself a break by understanding
how the current situation is making me appear as if I don’t have time for my
child or that I’m too busy to socialize and be friendly with my co-workers or
that my fracturing marriage is spilling over into negative interactions at
work. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The bottom line is that we need to give each
other a break. It can be hard to catch yourself doing this but, fittingly, it’s
easier to catch someone else in the midst of committing the Fundamental
Attribution Error. Once you begin to see it in others, you can notice it in
yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Does this strike a chord for you? Do you notice
yourself doing this with others? Have you discovered ways to catch yourself in
the act of judging others and halt the judgment? Share in the comments below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-84243039137365963062018-02-14T14:56:00.000-08:002018-02-14T14:56:06.660-08:00We're Never Using Scissors Again...<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">The other day I was working with a group of
Kindergarten teachers, otherwise known as the saints of the teaching world,
when a second-year teacher gave me some words of wisdom that I think God
intended me to hear. She lamented that the first time she tried to have her
students use scissors it was a disaster. So much so that she went home and told
her mom, a retired Kindergarten teacher, that they were never using scissors
again. Ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Her mom gave her some advice, which has been
reverberating through my mind ever since: <i>The first time you do ANYTHING
with Kindergarteners, it’s a disaster. Just expect it. And know that it will
get better the more you do it</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">I think that advice may not be just for
Kindergarteners. It may apply to any person, or group of people, no matter
their size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">I think about the first time I tried to ride a
Razor scooter – I’m lucky I didn’t end up at Urgent Care with a tree-shaped
dent in my forehead. Or the first time I modeled a lesson in front of a teacher
– the lesson went too long, I hadn’t planned out EXACTLY what to say during the
think aloud, and the kids left the lesson confused and befuddled.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">I brought up this scissors story to a different
group of teachers during a lesson study in which we decided to try revision
stations from Kate Messner’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Real-Revision-Authors-Strategies-Student/dp/1571108564/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518648833&sr=8-1&keywords=real+revision" target="_blank">Real Revision</a> . We planned each station,
prepared the materials, and tried to anticipate students’ confusions. But the
teachers were still worried that it wouldn’t work. Well, guess what? The first
time, it probably won’t! It might even turn out to be a complete Kindergarten-Scissors
disaster. But that doesn’t mean there’s not value in the attempt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">If we gave ourselves room to have a nuclear-meltdown
disaster every time we tried something new, and just expected it to not go
well, then I’m guessing we might be pleasantly surprised at least half the
time. And that’s a WAY better feeling than the anxiety and frustration that
comes with expecting perfection and not getting it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Some might think this is a pessimistic way to
look at things, but I actually think it’s the opposite. It’s giving yourself
permission to flop at something the first few times you try it, to expect it to
be less than perfect. And to be optimistic that it will improve a little, with
every future attempt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Expecting disaster could make us more daring and
willing to try a new strategy. And in the process we might end up being kinder
to ourselves.</div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-29165351320658991392018-02-06T15:28:00.002-08:002018-02-06T15:34:37.098-08:00Which Matters More -- Type or Amount of Scaffolding?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gFwALwpmtbfsr7idKctVSjFGejLpLOU2fp6kEr9EcdqoX52Nl3SWmI-XqP-Uhka6dazj_HUqJYOv8vA2KjeSrcLDaZP3vRPaJNbYz6RbjBOt4DY8xdS0ifTX41wyW-zVDH8nUM9luxI/s1600/venndiagram.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="512" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gFwALwpmtbfsr7idKctVSjFGejLpLOU2fp6kEr9EcdqoX52Nl3SWmI-XqP-Uhka6dazj_HUqJYOv8vA2KjeSrcLDaZP3vRPaJNbYz6RbjBOt4DY8xdS0ifTX41wyW-zVDH8nUM9luxI/s200/venndiagram.bmp" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">When reading with a student, which matters more
– the amount of support you give the child when they encounter a difficult
word, or the type of support you give?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">The answer might surprise you. In an <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.1548/full" target="_blank">article</a> in the March/April issue of The Reading Teacher, Emily Rodgers describes
her study of 10 Reading Recovery teachers and the level and type of scaffolding
they provided students as they read. They separated the teachers into two
groups – teachers who tended to have results above the national average for
Reading Recovery and teachers who tended to have results below the national
average. To assess the level of support
they evaluated teachers’ use of Wood’s (2003) tutoring rule: “When the learner
runs into difficulty, the teacher should increase the amount of help provided,
and when the learner experiences, success, the teacher should decrease the
amount of help” (Rodgers, 2017, p. 527).
Rodgers found that there was no significant difference between the two
groups of teachers. All teachers adjusted the level of their instruction
appropriately about 61% of the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Rodgers did, however, find a very significant
difference between the two groups of teachers regarding type of support they
provided. Students (and all readers, for that matter) use three cueing systems
as they read: meaning, structure, and visual <a href="http://msfielding.global2.vic.edu.au/2014/06/22/meaning-structure-visual-clues/" target="_blank">cues </a>.
Proficient readers simultaneously use multiple cues, while struggling readers
tend to overuse one or two cues, often due to the instruction they’ve received
(Schwartz, 2005). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">Rodgers found that high-performing teachers were
<b>eight times<i> </i></b>more likely to intentionally
vary the type of support they gave in response to students by prompting them to
use the missing cueing system. In other words, if a student over-relied on
meaning cues (by misreading <i>pony</i> for <i>horse</i> or <i>swing</i> for <i>playground</i>)
then these teachers prompted them to use more visual cues. If the reader
overused visual cues (by saying visually similar nonsense words such as <i>payund</i>
for <i>playground</i>, for instance) then the teachers prompted them to attend
to meaning. This attention to the readers’ MSV errors and intentionality about
their teaching response resulted in much higher success for students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">It seems simple, right? Simply notice what the
student is not doing, and prompt them to do it. But Rodgers cautions that we
tend to find our “favorite” prompts and reuse them over and over again without
regard to the child in front of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">She also cautions that just because there wasn’t
a significant difference between the amount of support provided by the two
groups of teachers doesn’t mean that we should stop adjusting how much support
we give. All students in the study made some progress, and that could have been
due to the teachers’ varying amount of support. Of course, if we don’t vary how
much support we give, we will likely cause frustration in the student, which
can be detrimental. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN">I found this interesting, because I’ve <a href="http://jolle.coe.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Wall-When-Guided-Reading-Isnt-Working.pdf" target="_blank">written before</a> about amount and type of teacher
scaffolding, but this study forwards the notion that tailoring our prompts for
students to the quality of their miscues is by far the more important to attend
to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
What about you? Does this change your thoughts
about how you confer with your students? Or how you work with small groups of
students? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-6862231514422037572017-04-12T17:02:00.000-07:002017-04-12T17:02:53.134-07:00The Freak Factor
<br />
I just finished a really interesting book by David Rendall, a speaker I
heard at the ASCD 2017 conference. His book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Freak-Factor-Discovering-Uniqueness-Flaunting/dp/1599326698/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492041678&sr=8-1&keywords=freak+factor" target="_blank">The Freak Factor</a> argues
that your mother's advice to work on improving your weaknesses is entirely
wrong. Instead, we should think of our weakness as uniqueness and flaunt it.<br />
<br />
His argument was pretty convincing, once I took the Freak Factor test he
includes in the book. He demonstrates that every strength we have can also be
perceived as a weakness: someone who is organized can also be seen as rigid;
spontaneous people can also be too impulsive; creative people are often
disorganized, and so on. My test showed that I am reflective and thoughtful,
but that can come across as quiet and shy. I am analytical and rational, but
that also comes with being critical and judgmental. I'm patient and cautious,
but that is also the same as being slow and indecisive. <br />
<br />
Rendall's point is that if someone who is creative (and also disorganized)
tried to work on becoming more organized, they'd be undoing the very thing that
makes them unique. This is because their creativity is inextricably linked to
disorganization. Altering one alters the other. <br />
<br />
Instead of trying to change ourselves, we should embrace our true nature, take
the good with the bad. Rendall tells quite a few stories of people who tried
unsuccessfully to go against their nature and ended up unhappy and in
unfulfilling jobs. He argues that we should avoid the things we hate and find
someone else who enjoys that task to do it instead. Just because you hate that
task doesn't mean everyone hates it. Pay attention to what you procrastinate
about - it's a sure sign that's not your strength. <br />
<br />
Overall, the book has me thinking about how to be happier in my life and
stop fighting my own nature by trying to be something I'm not. <br />
<br />
Thoughts on what you feel like your strengths and corresponding weaknesses
are? How might you embrace those?<br />
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-33431120193373210582017-03-29T17:09:00.001-07:002017-03-29T17:10:54.604-07:00Stress and ADHD<br />
That title may make you think of teacher stress as a result of kids having
ADHD, however I'm really thinking about a comment <a href="http://www.jensenlearning.com/" target="_blank">Eric Jensen</a> made at the
2017 ASCD conference in California. His session was filled with rich nuggets of
information, more than I could process at once, so I'm thinking his <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1942496516?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_1" target="_blank">newest book</a>
will contain most of the information he covered.<br />
<br />
One particularly fascinating piece was about how the human body responds to
stress. Chronic stress, the kind that comes from stressors occurring again and
again (think about soldiers in a battle, or kids who are abused or beaten)
creates not only physical changes to the brain due to high levels of cortisol
(the stress hormone) but also behavioral changes. Kids will generally respond
to stress one of two ways: 1) hyper-vigilance or 2) apathy. Kids will either
“blow up” at very little provocation, or seem very unmotivated and as if they
don't care. It brought to my mind the parents at high-poverty schools who can
be extremely difficult to deal with, seemingly quick to anger and “go off” on
the principal or teachers. Jensen explained that this hyper-vigilant behavior
is an effort to control situations in a life that often seems out of control.
If your world is crumbling around you, and it has been for a while, it makes
sense that you do your best to take control the best (or only) way you know
how.<br />
<br />
But Jensen also made another provocative comment: this hyper-vigilance due
to chronic stress can look like distractibility, impulsivity, and
hyper-activity. In other words, it looks just like ADHD. How many of our
poverty students are being diagnosed with ADHD (or being blamed for having
untreated ADHD) when in reality they may be under chronic stress? Are we
treating the wrong problem?<br />
<br />
Eric has several recommendations for addressing student stress in schools:<br />
1. Relationship building<br />
2. Giving students more choice and control<br />
3. Teach stronger coping skills<br />
4. Learn to manage your own stress (as teachers)<br />
<br />
Would we have fewer students with ADHD in high-poverty schools if we
followed these recommendations? What are your thoughts? Add your comments below.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-7640704805318744652017-03-22T17:14:00.000-07:002017-03-22T17:21:33.645-07:00Helping Students Read Closely in Authentic Ways<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are your students struggling with
deeply comprehending nonfiction texts? Have you heard about ‘close reading’ but
aren’t sure what it is? Or have you been turned off by the plethora of
professional books and workbooks that seem to teach close reading in overly
procedural, basal-like ways?</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If this describes you at all, I can’t
emphasize enough how much you will enjoy Kylene Beers and Bob Probst’s book
“</span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Nonfiction-Stances-Signposts-Strategies/dp/0325050805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490227791&sr=8-1&keywords=nonfiction+notice+and+note" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reading Nonfiction: Notice and Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.”
Kylene and Bob pull up alongside you, the reader, and provide just enough
research, sprinkled with humor and stories from the classroom, to keep you
turning the pages and believing that from now on your students will be masters
at comprehending nonfiction.<br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They begin by outlining three
questions to teach students to ask themselves as a way to develop a questioning
stance every time they read nonfiction:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What
surprised you?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What
did the author think you already knew?</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What
changed, challenged, or confirmed what you already knew?</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kylene and Bob then reveal the
research they compiled about “signposts” that appear in nonfiction text to help
students think about the Big Questions with more specificity. After reading
about these five signposts I even find myself reading Time magazine and online
articles differently. The five signposts are:</span><br />
<br />
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contrasts
and contradictions (e.g. phrases that use key words such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">however</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on the other hand</i>)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Extreme
or absolute language (e.g. words or phrases such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone on Earth</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">totally</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i>)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Numbers
and stats (i.e. Ask yourself – why did the author include these particular
numbers?)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Quoted
words (i.e. Again, ask yourself – why did the author choose to quote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> person?)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Word
Gaps (i.e. help students become aware of gaps in their understanding of
vocabulary – oftentimes, these gaps are </span><a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/article/choosing-words-teach" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tier 2 words</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> used in unfamiliar
ways such as an electrical <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">charge</i> or
waves <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">triggered</i> by an earthquake).</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, Kylene and Bob share seven
strategies students can use before, during, and after reading to help clear up comprehension
confusions. For instance, Syntax Surgery prompts students to draw arrows
connecting confusing information such as vague pronouns to the supporting
information elsewhere in the article. Another strategy, genre reformulation,
encourages students to synthesize information after reading by recreating the
information they read into an ABC book or a cause/effect sequence patterned
after <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/If-You-Give-Mouse-Cookie/dp/0060245867/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490227981&sr=8-1&keywords=if+you+give+a+mouse+a+cookie" target="_blank">If You Give a Mouse a Cookie</a></i> or
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Bear-What-You-See/dp/0805047905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490228011&sr=8-1&keywords=brown+bear+brown+bear+what+do+you+see" target="_blank">Brown Bear, Brown Bear</a></i>.</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall, this book is one of my
absolute favorites, both for the richness of the ideas it contains as well as
the comfortable, genuine style in which it is written. Teachers of students 2<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>nd</sup>
grade through high school should have this book on their nightstand.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<ol style="direction: ltr; list-style-type: decimal;">
</ol>
</div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-54158095775872991142017-03-15T16:24:00.000-07:002018-03-02T11:57:37.092-08:004 Key Ways to Teach a Concept (Part 2 – Professional Learning)<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Recently I was thinking about the <a href="http://coachingteachingalwayslearning.blogspot.com/2017/03/4-key-ways-to-teach-concept-part-1.html" target="_blank">four ways of teaching a concept</a> to students and how some of these methods are more
helpful than others, when it hit me – these four ways of teaching also mirror
the ways we experience learning as adults. And in much the same way as with
students, some methods work better than others in particular settings. </span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
As a quick review, the four ways to
teach a concept are: demonstration (modeling), guided practice, explicitly
telling and showing, and inquiry. As teachers, we may experience demonstration
when a coach or consultant models lessons, and we might learn through guided
practice as we try a new strategy and receive immediate feedback from the coach.
Very occasionally we may engage in inquiry groups. More often, however,
professional learning entails “explicit telling and showing” or the “sit and
get” model. Each of these methods have very different structures and require
different types of thinking from participants. It’s worth thinking about the
type of learning and thinking required of each method.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
My guess is that most teachers
experience “explicit telling and showing” as their main form of professional
development. Or maybe it’s more just “telling and showing” without much
explicit-ness. These are the after-school faculty meetings when a coach,
consultant or administrator shares the latest, greatest method for close
reading or word study instruction or whatever new approach has come down the
pike. If we’re lucky, we are somewhat active participants and get to try the
strategy with a partner, but more often we sit and listen to a PowerPoint being
read slide by slide. It brings to mind the viral quote I saw not long ago: </div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: center;">
<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #444444; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="https://dennissparks.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/inservice-as-a-near-death-experience/" target="_blank">I hope that I die during an in-service
</a></span></i></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: center;">
<i><span lang="EN" style="color: #444444; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="https://dennissparks.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/inservice-as-a-near-death-experience/" target="_blank">because the transition between life and death would be so subtle.</a></span></i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.aeinstructional.com/research.html" target="_blank">Research shows</a> that simply being told something does not transfer to classroom instruction.
And yet, many schools and districts continue this method as the primary form of
staff development…</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I have found it to be much more effective to
provide professional learning in a <a href="http://coachingteachingalwayslearning.blogspot.com/2011/12/coaching-labs.html" target="_blank">coaching lab</a> approach, in which I meet with teachers during the school day so that we can
work with actual students and try out the methods we’re learning about. We
usually begin with theory and discussion about the topic, then move on to a
demonstration lesson with students and finally guided practice as the teachers
partner up to practice with small groups of students. The feedback I get from
teachers afterwards is usually very positive – people enjoy seeing the teaching
strategy in action, and after initial trepidation, they really like seeing each
other teach – a luxury that is oddly absent in our profession. My sense from
talking with teachers is that they’re much likelier to bring the teaching
method back to their own classrooms after having tried it with colleagues in
the lab.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Another method I’ve found to be very successful
is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lesson-Study-Step-Communities-Instruction/dp/0325080224/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489270607&sr=8-1&keywords=lesson+study" target="_blank">Lesson Study</a> This approach uses inquiry, the fourth method for teaching a concept. Lesson
study involves teachers creating lessons to address a common problem of
practice, then taking turns teaching the lesson while their colleagues watch
the effects on the students. It may be the most nontraditional method of
professional development most teachers experience, and it can be very difficult
to facilitate, but it often results in deep reflection and feelings of
empowerment for the participants. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">One final thought about these four methods as
they pertain to thinking: over-use of “explicitly retelling and showing” tends
to lead to a procedural approach to teaching, a sort of “here’s what you need
to know to be able to be successful, just follow these steps or guidelines.” Procedural
learning leads to procedural teaching.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In contrast, modeling a teaching strategy, then
providing teachers time to engage in guided practice is less about
discrete procedures and more about deep processes. These approaches, along with
inquiry learning, honor the difficulty of the teaching profession, and invite
teachers to engage in and explore the complex choices we must make in the act
of teaching. Teaching cognitive processes IS rocket science, and cannot be
accomplished by following a series of procedural steps. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">There will be times when a concept is simple
enough to call for the procedural thinking that comes from “explicitly telling
and showing,” but I argue that both teachers and students deserve to experience
the process learning that comes with modeling, guided practice, and inquiry
learning. </span></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-8582588684289181182017-03-08T17:44:00.001-08:002018-03-02T11:54:04.515-08:004 Key Ways to Teach A Concept (Part 1 – students)<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lately I've talked with a few teachers who are confused about the messages
they're hearing about current “best practices”. On the one hand, they hear that
they're supposed to allow students to struggle and become more comfortable </span><a href="http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/11/23/why-understanding-these-four-types-of-mistakes-can-help-us-learn/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">experiencing failure</span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> . On the other hand, their principal has docked them for conducting lessons
that consist of too much questioning and not enough explicit modeling. How do they
know what to do? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As always, Lucy Calkins and her colleagues have words of wisdom to offer. In
the “A Guide to the Reading Workshop” that comes with the </span><a href="http://www.heinemann.com/unitsofstudy/reading/#components" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Units of Study</span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> boxed
kits, they
describe four key ways that we can teach a concept to others. As an example,
they describe asking people to teach a partner “how to put on your shoe.” When
we teach our partner, we usually default to these four main methods:</span><br />
<ul type="disc"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Demonstration</strong>:
This involves explicitly modeling the targeted skill or strategy. The
teacher should think aloud as he models, talking through the steps and
possible misconceptions or confusions along the way. A teacher
demonstrating how to put on your shoe would think aloud about the process:
“Oops! I need to point my toe more to make sure the tongue doesn't get in
the way. Now I'll slide my foot forward…” Calkins argues that demonstration
should be included in 90% of our mini-lessons.</span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span>
</span><br />
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Guided Practice</strong>:
We provide guided practice by working alongside a student as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">they</i> attempt the skill or strategy,
offering guidance and feedback as necessary. This shifts the
responsibility partially onto the student, while allowing the teacher to
actively teach. The shoe-teacher would coach the student by giving
pointers: “Make sure to hold the back of your shoe while you point your
toe.”</span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span>
</span><br />
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><strong>Explicitly telling
and showing an example</strong>: I had to really think about how this was different
than demonstration. After some thought, I realized that demonstration
includes sharing the teacher's thinking aloud about a process, whereas
explicitly telling has more to do with simply telling students a
procedure. The shoe-teacher might have a chart with illustrated steps, and
describe each step without actually modeling the procedure or sharing her
own struggle with the process: “First, you should lift up the tongue, next
you should point your toe, third you should…” There are times when this
method is sufficient, but generally not if the concept is a difficult one.</span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
</span>
</span>
</span><br />
<li style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Inquiry</strong>: In
this approach, the teacher is not modeling at all, but instead asks the
students to discover the answers themselves. “How do YOU think we could
put on our shoes? Go ahead and discover by trying some different ways.”</span></span></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
</span></ul>
<div style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few weeks ago, I realized the subtle differences between these methods
when I attempted to teach a group of 5th graders a way to find the main idea by
looking for vivid language that revealed the author's point of view. The lesson
flopped. Afterward, I realized it was because I didn't strongly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">demonstrate</i> the key strategy I wanted
kids to practice – determining which words in the article qualified as “vivid
language.” Instead, I simply “told” the kids the words I was going to
highlight: “This word <em>frigid</em> helps me imagine how cold it was, and
when the author says the people were <em>bundled</em> up in the cold, that's
another vivid word.” I was just telling and showing them the words I would
highlight as “vivid” without clearly thinking through what made them vivid. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Instead, I should have been much clearer in my thinking aloud to make it a true
demonstration lesson. If I had talked about visualizing the scene, and thought
about which words were helping my mental picture become clear (<em>frigid,
bundled, miserable</em>) and which were not (<em>Wednesday, temperature, people</em>)
then the students might have understood better how to apply this thinking to
their own reading. They needed to hear more about the process I used WHILE I
tried the strategy, when instead I merely told them what to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you're finding that some of your lessons are flopping like mine did, take
a look at how well you're modeling the work you want kids to do. It
helps to actually do the task or use the targeted strategy beforehand with an
adult-level text while you pay close attention to your own thinking processes.
Make sure you're going beyond simply telling. <br /><br />Open up your head, and let your kids see the processes strong readers and
writers use. <br /><br />Have you tried this before? What works and what doesn’t? Share in the
comments below.</span><br />
<br />Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-53526104746769249442017-03-01T17:06:00.000-08:002017-03-01T17:06:00.720-08:00Writer's Anxiety OR How a rusty blogger got cranked back up again
<br />
“<em>Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance</em>.”<br />
– Will Durant<br /><br />Before I started graduate school, I began this blog and I posted entries
every few weeks or so about my thoughts. I stopped for the four years I was in
school because I was so pressed for time, but I'd feel guilty about not writing
about all the new information I was learning.<br /><br />Now I'm done with my degree, but I am suddenly much more aware of how
ignorant I am and how many brilliant people exist in the world. I find myself
terrified to write anything. Any time I think of a topic, I convince myself
that others have already written about it in much more interesting ways. Or
I'll think that I've only learned a little about the topic and will surely
share misinformation and humiliate myself. I've found a million reasons not to
write over the past few years.<br /><br />
I liked it better when I was less educated and thought I knew more.
Ignorance truly was bliss.<br /><br />
I realize there may be many teachers out there who feel like me - afraid to
step out on a limb and write about their experiences because of crippling
self-doubt. But we all have stories to tell and lessons we've learned
(regardless of the amount of bliss-erasing education we've received). If 100
teachers lived through the same experience, we'd have 100 different
perspectives and stories about how it unfolded. That's what makes humans so
interesting. <br /><br />
So, I've decided to step back out on my limb and begin blogging again. I've
come to some realizations about what I need to do to make this happen:<br /><br />
1) understand that blog-writing is not polished writing. I think I've been
too worried about making my blog sound dry and professional. Actually, people enjoy
blogs that have voice, that sound like real people wrote them. Several blogs
I've read recently are humorous and informal, so I need to work at keeping mine
the same. <br /><br />
2) live like a writer. I've stopped collecting incidents and ideas
throughout my day for the specific purpose of writing about them. Ralph
Fletcher says that writers live differently than other people because they file
away their everyday experiences for future writings. I need to consciously pay
attention to those fleeting thoughts that could become blog entries. <br /><br />
3) sit my butt in a chair and write. I used to have a fairly regular habit
of writing each night. I gave myself a small goal - just write a paragraph a
night. This was a small enough goal that I was able to keep it even when I felt
super reluctant.<br /><br />
I started this blog to force myself to write for an audience beyond myself.
I thought having a purpose would help motivate me to get words written. But
once I realized some people actually were reading what I wrote, it caused me to
freeze in my tracks. <br /><br />
This is my public attempt to un-freeze myself and commit to writing more
regularly.<br /><br />
What about you? Do you keep intending to start/continue a blog? Write a
book? Start a journal? <br /><br />
What prevents you from writing? What tricks have you found to get yourself
un-stuck? Share your ideas below.<br />
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-32944935771826042042016-08-29T14:20:00.000-07:002016-08-29T14:21:36.654-07:00Questioning Game for CoachesI recently attended a great conference on <a href="http://elenaaguilar.com/" target="_blank">The Art of Coaching</a> hosted by Elena Aguilar, the author of the
book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Coaching-Effective-Strategies-Transformation/dp/1118206533" target="_blank">The Art of Coaching</a> . I've read a lot of books on coaching over
the past ten years, but Elena's perspective stands out because of her
commitment to social justice throughout the text. She helps us move beyond
looking only at the interaction between coach and teacher to consider the
implications of systems thinking, systemic oppression and change management,
among others. Her book is changing how I think about coaching, and I have a
feeling I'll be referring to it in future posts as I digest and attempt to
apply her approach.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Elena mentioned that in coaching interactions, the coach should only speak
about 1/3 of the time. This stems from her belief about coaching, which I
paraphrased as: <em>Most of the time, people are able to solve their own
problems. Therefore, coaching should be about helping people solve their own
problems. To do this, we need to let teachers talk, we need to draw out their
beliefs and help them connect these to their actions, we need to tap into who
they are being and who they want to be, and we need to understand their core
values.</em><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Over the course of the two day conference, I realized that I am much more
tempted to solve people's problems for them, in an effort to be helpful and
speed things along, instead of doing the harder and often more time-intensive
work of helping them grow themselves so that they can solve future problems on
their own. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
To get better at this, I think I need to start by listening more, so I'm
going to attempt something I'll call the Questioning Game. It's based on those
Improv game shows where contestants can only ask questions:<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bLVVoxYcEBo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLVVoxYcEBo" width="420"></iframe></a>
<o:p></o:p>
<br />
I'm wondering if making myself ask a series of questions will encourage the
person I'm with to think through their dilemma and possibly solve it
themselves. I imagine it might go something like this: <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Teacher: I'm really worried about my low group of kids. Their DRA scores
show they're reading more than a year below grade level and a lot of them
struggle with writing anything more than a couple sentences.<br />
Coach: What have you tried so far?<br />
T: Well, they all go to Mrs. Y for intervention and she's working with them on
sight words and some of the comprehension strategies. But they miss most of my
writing mini-lesson because they're gone to intervention, so I'm worried that
they're falling even farther behind in writing. <br />
C: Do the kids have to leave during that time? Is there a way to rearrange the
schedule to make it work?<br />
T: Well, unfortunately the intervention teacher's schedule is tied to everyone
else's schedule, so I don't think she can pull them at another time. [pause] I
wonder if I could move my mini-lesson back a little so they could be here for
that and leave when we do independent reading? <br />
C: Would you feel better about that?<br />
T: I think so. Then they'd get to hear the mini-lesson from me AND receive
intervention.<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course, it can get awkward to
answer everything with a question, so if I'm ever at a loss on a question to ask
- like the comedians in the clip, there's a point at which you draw a blank -
then rather than trying to solve the problem for the teacher, I'll try to
restate what they've just said. I find that easier when restating emotions: <em>It
sounds like you're frustrated with this situation</em> for instance. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In today’s stressed world, it can be
tempting to take the “most efficient” route by solving people’s problems for
them. But then they don’t own the solution, and can leave the interaction
feeling less energized and empowered than when they arrived. So, my new goal is
to ask more questions and act as a mirror by restating the thinking teachers
are doing as they talk with me. I’ll let you know how it goes… <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-60796363563273628762016-08-16T16:46:00.000-07:002016-08-16T16:46:56.834-07:00Facing Down Imposter Syndrome<br />
Becoming a coach is not an easy transition. Actually, part of being human is
realizing that there are no easy transitions - becoming a teenager, moving to a
new home, getting a divorce - most change is hard for us fragile beings.<br />
<br />
I suppose much of it comes from discomfort with a lack of control. Most of
us like feeling that we know what we're doing, and transitioning to a new place
or a new position puts us in a place of Wobble, as my friend <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Students-Practice-Engaged-Classroom/dp/0807752444/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471390910&sr=1-1&keywords=bob+fecho" target="_blank">Bob Fecho</a> calls it. Wobble is good however - it means we're changing,
growing, and learning, becoming more than we were before. But it is also often
uncomfortable.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, those of us in this period of change subscribe to what is called
Imposter Syndrome, or the feeling that we should “fake it til you make
it." Imposter Syndrome is that uncomfortable feeling that you SHOULD know
something, that others are depending on you for the answers, and that to not
know them would appear weak. It can manifest as a feeling of guilt or shame or
even in some cases in defensive behaviors such as anger.<br />
<br />
I remember as a new coach, in a new building of teachers I didn't know, I
felt I had WAY more questions than answers to give people. After several days
of telling folks I would get back to them, I didn't feel like I'd helped anyone
with any thing. I wasn't at all sure that they'd hired the right person for my
job, that perhaps I'd just be better off going back to the classroom where at
least I knew what I was doing. I remember wishing I could skip the next two years
and just magically become an experienced coach who knew the answers.<br />
<br />
If I'd had the words to label what I was feeling as Imposter Syndrome, I
think it would have helped. I needed to know this was a perfectly normal
feeling for a new coach, or even for a new teacher or new principal. I wish I
had confided these feelings to someone, and that they had advised me to enjoy
the Wobble that came with this new experience. There would only one time in my
life I would be a new coach, and I could learn a lot from the experience if I
only let myself reflect on it, pay attention to it, and use it.<br />
<br />
If this is you this year, or if your next door neighbor down the hall is new
this year (to the school, or the grade level, or to teaching), watch for the
ugly evidence of Imposter Syndrome and do your best to squash it. Instead, tell
yourself (or the other person) to enjoy the Wobble as a sign of growth. Embrace
the chance to stretch yourself. And know that to not know something is never a
sign of weakness. It is, instead, a sign of transition as our fragile selves
change into something new.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-38063841747221901872016-08-04T18:33:00.000-07:002016-08-04T18:34:20.270-07:00The Power of Teachers<br />
<br />
<br />
Years ago, on the first day of school, Nicholas walked into my classroom.
Nicholas was a full head taller than the other kids, and though he wasn't
necessarily older, he was much more confident than the other newly minted
second graders. He hadn't come with his parents to “meet the teacher” afternoon
earlier in the week, so I hadn't been sure he was still enrolled at our school,
and yet here he stood at the door to my trailer classroom loudly asking the
nearest kid, “This Mrs. Wall's class?” before walking in like he owned the
place. His parents were nowhere to be seen - this 7-year-old had gotten off the
bus, asked around, found our class, and simply presented himself. It was a
perfect depiction of his personality in a nutshell, and it gave me a hint of how
he would take charge of my class in the coming days.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kids like Nicholas are in every classroom in the country. Kids with
louder-than-the-teacher voices, kids who expect their classmates to obey them,
kids who struggle with reading, and kids with very little parental support. It
would have been very easy, that first morning, for me to harden my heart to
Nicholas and mentally set him up to be the problem child, the negative mascot
of the class who garnered most of my attention and whose name my husband would
come to know from my daily rants.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Something was different that year, however, and for some reason I chose to
really learn who Nicholas was and try to get inside his head. Perhaps it was
because it was the second year I had done home visits with all of my students,
and something about seeing these kids' earnestly cleaned bedrooms and their
drawings on the refrigerator, and being introduced to the family pet while mom
cooked Hamburger Helper suddenly brought into focus where school ranked in the overall
picture of their lives. While I had Nicholas in my classroom for 6 ½ hours a
day, there was another world in which he lived that we teachers had never seen.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Kids like Nicholas are why I love teaching. The power we hold in our hands
as teachers is stomach-droppingly powerful. We decide whether a kid has a good
year or a bad year. We can influence how a parent responds to their child, how
that child feels about himself, and whether school becomes a place of love and
safety or a place of shame and self-doubt. How we choose to respond to a child,
every child, contributes to those children's beliefs about themselves and their
own abilities for years to come. It's an awesome responsibility, and one we
should be fully conscious of as we enter these first days of school. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
My hope for teachers as this new year begins is that we all have the
contemplative space we need in our days to be fully aware of this power we
wield. Here's hoping we can come to understand the stories behind all of our
little Nicholas's.<br />
<br />
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</div>
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3023325297448617578.post-25627107222059486142013-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:002013-10-21T10:21:00.161-07:00Savoring the Struggle
<br />
I've been reading a lot about inquiry learning lately, and the power of
letting learners discover knowledge for themselves. This is true for learners
of all ages - people from age 2 to 92 tend to remember and understand more
deeply that which they had a hand in creating. A first grader who “discovers”
that even numbers can be modeled by creating two matching columns of blocks to
model a number will have a much deeper understanding than the child who
memorizes, “2, 4, 6, 8…” The middle schooler who starts an interest-bearing
savings account and the 35-year old who rebuilds his truck engine both learn
life skills at a much deeper level than by simply reading a book about these
events. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
The key to inquiry, however, is struggle, and that something that's very
hard for us teachers to allow. Letting a child struggle to accomplish something
that we could help them solve with one or two well-placed comments requires
patience and trust that eventually the student will master the task. It comes
from a misunderstanding of where the learning is occurring - we tend to think
the learning happens at the very end, when the math problem is solved, the
engine is put back together or the savings account results in a longed-for
purchase. But in reality, <strong>learning</strong> occurred during the period
leading up to the final event. Without the struggle beforehand, facts are
merely memorized and soon forgotten. No lesson is learned. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I'm reminded of a first grade teacher I knew many years ago while I was a
reading specialist. I worked with several students from her class, and they
would sometimes say, “Don't give me the fish!” while reading a text. When I
asked the teacher to explain this, she told me that every year she would very dramatically
act out the proverb “Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day - teach a man to
fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime.” She created a story from it, complete
with a poor, bedraggled man becoming rich from all the fish he'd learned to
catch. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
She then connected it to the culture they were creating in their classroom -
they promised each other that they would never “Give each other a fish” but
instead would find ways to teach each other along the way. She told me the
parents had been especially guilty of “giving fish” by providing the hard words
during nightly reading, but the students soon put an end to that by teaching
the parents to prompt them with strategies. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I've never forgotten that teacher's important lesson to her first graders. I
unabashedly stole it to use in my classroom for years afterwards. Those kids
knew the power in the struggle. They knew that being given a difficult word or
told a math answer took away their right to learn for themselves. Allowing our
students to struggle isn't easy, but it's the best way to ensure they truly
learn.<o:p></o:p><br />
Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11910064436724635007noreply@blogger.com1