Post your favorite poems and/or poets here. Remember to include:
1.) Title and Author
2.) Ideas for using poem
3.) Content possibilities
Ex: Here is a great poem to use at the beginning of the year. You can use it to teach high frequency words for 2-3 grade and also as a transition poem. Author is unknown.
Many friends
Many hearts
Different places
Different starts
Take my hand
You will see
How much stronger
We can be!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Good Read Alouds
Share your favorite read aloud books here. Remember to include:
1.) Title and Author
2.) Possible Lesson Ideas/Strategy focuses
1.) Title and Author
2.) Possible Lesson Ideas/Strategy focuses
Professional Books
Share any professional books here that you love and recommend others reading and loving too.
Remember to include:
1.) Title and Author
2.) Annotation (brief description of what it is about/topics covered)
3.) Are you willing to lend this book to someone who wants to read it?
Remember to include:
1.) Title and Author
2.) Annotation (brief description of what it is about/topics covered)
3.) Are you willing to lend this book to someone who wants to read it?
Elementary/Middle Strategy Suggestions for Independent Reading
Share any and all suggestions for goals that you would give to an upper elementary or middle school reader to work on during independent reading.
Primary Reading Strategy Suggestions for Independent Reading
Share any and all ideas you would use as goals for primary students to work on during independent reading.
Minilesson Ideas
Post your ideas for minilessons here and remember to include the topics and resources necessary for each lesson.
Websites
Post your fabulous websites here and tag them with what categories they will be helpful for.
Ex. http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/
This is Beth Newingham's site (3rd grade teacher). It has lots of great downloadables for reading and writing workshop. Great pictures too to see what it looks like.
Ex. http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/
This is Beth Newingham's site (3rd grade teacher). It has lots of great downloadables for reading and writing workshop. Great pictures too to see what it looks like.
Books to Use for Teaching
How do you organize and categorize your teaching books in order to have them handy when you need them and also know the many different lesson opportunities within each of them.
Scheduling and Organization
If you have ways that you have found to set up your schedule for the components of Balanced Literacy to make it seamless, post them here. Also, any suggestions and tips for organizing your room and your "stuff" for teaching, share those here too!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Shared Reading - Reading With Children
This article was very informative. I liked the step by step illustrations. It was an easy read and easy to understand. It was a good article to refresh your memory.
Favor Needed
Hey ladies,
I am currently finishing my last semester of graduate school at Columbia College this summer, and I have to do a presentation of my action research project. It has to be 20 minutes long and include technology. I was wondering if 5 or 6 of you would be willing to stay after class next Monday or during lunch even and let me present my research project to you. All you would have to do is fill out a brief evaluation of my presentation. The research project is about building vocabulary awareness to improve reading comprehension. Please let me know! I will ask again in class tomorrow! Thanks for your consideration. :)
CES Friends, unfortunately this can't include you since you have already seen it.
I am currently finishing my last semester of graduate school at Columbia College this summer, and I have to do a presentation of my action research project. It has to be 20 minutes long and include technology. I was wondering if 5 or 6 of you would be willing to stay after class next Monday or during lunch even and let me present my research project to you. All you would have to do is fill out a brief evaluation of my presentation. The research project is about building vocabulary awareness to improve reading comprehension. Please let me know! I will ask again in class tomorrow! Thanks for your consideration. :)
CES Friends, unfortunately this can't include you since you have already seen it.
Homework: Coaching and Conferring with Readers
This article reminded me of a Literary Guru I saw a few years back whose main statement to children when conferencing with them was " How's it going?" I think that is even the title of his book( I can't remember his name??? Carl Anderson -I think??) Nonetheless, I like the idea of the conference being nothing more than a conversation between teacher and student, with no pressure, no judgement, etc. I feel it is extremely important to make each student feel comfortable with you before,during and after conferencing. I liked how the article gave you an example of conferencing and then from there moved to show you just how many teaching points can come from just a small amount of time with a student. The article further discussed how to narrow it down- which I appreciated.
The idea of not interrupting the reader was GREAT because as an adult I know I hate it when someone interrupts me when I am at a good part of a book and lose my train of thought but the for-warning of knowing that you still have a few minutes to spare before the conference begins is a GREAT idea. I think it also reflects respect between teacher and student.
The idea of setting reading goals is GREAT. I like the idea though of leading the child to being able to set their own goal and being able to self evaluate that goal. I also liked the prompts that were presented from reading recovery and can definitely see this as being a useful tool. I see how students could even create their own running lists of what they think or have learned to do to help themselves as they read. This list would be something they could refer to as they came to areas where they need assitance.
The quote I loved best was " Our wisdom, our experience, and our teaching are too valuable to run untapped within us. Just as each book, well read, makes children better readers, each conference, well taught, makes us better teachers. Our children deserve our best selves."
The idea of not interrupting the reader was GREAT because as an adult I know I hate it when someone interrupts me when I am at a good part of a book and lose my train of thought but the for-warning of knowing that you still have a few minutes to spare before the conference begins is a GREAT idea. I think it also reflects respect between teacher and student.
The idea of setting reading goals is GREAT. I like the idea though of leading the child to being able to set their own goal and being able to self evaluate that goal. I also liked the prompts that were presented from reading recovery and can definitely see this as being a useful tool. I see how students could even create their own running lists of what they think or have learned to do to help themselves as they read. This list would be something they could refer to as they came to areas where they need assitance.
The quote I loved best was " Our wisdom, our experience, and our teaching are too valuable to run untapped within us. Just as each book, well read, makes children better readers, each conference, well taught, makes us better teachers. Our children deserve our best selves."
Homework Article: Shared Reading
This article was a GREAT step by step how to implement/ "do" Shared Reading. I found this extremely helpful in reminding myself on the intent and purpose of shared reading. I also liked the photos- I am a visual learning and find it helpful to see things in action not just read about them. I think this article solidifies for me what we learned in class today.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Fans of Katie Wood Ray!
As I read your responses to Katie tonight, I couldn't post this information fast enough for you! To those of you who have never heard Katie speak, I strongly encourage you to take a look at the information below and consider attending. Not that you haven't given up enough of your summer, but this is an opportunity to see/hear Katie for FREE--food included!! ;) This mini-institute is what Christy and I were referring to when we were looking at our last class date.
There is still time to sign up if you're interested--you have until July 24th. However, due to the fact that it is free and provided by the state, I wouldn't wait to sign up if I were you! I know I plan to be there! In order to sign up (it can be a little confusing), you have to create an account using the link to Miko Group below. Once you create an account, you will receive an email giving you a link to all of the institutes they sponsor across the country. Scroll down until you see this one, and click to register. You will then receive a confirmation email letting you know you are registered!
Hope to see some of you there!
South Carolina Reading First Early Childhood Institute II
Promising Practices in Early Literacy
August 3–4, 2010
South Carolina Reading First (SCRF)’s second summer institute will be August 3–4, 2010, and is for educators interested in early childhood instruction and practices. Katie Wood Ray and Matt Glover will be the keynote speakers and the facilitators both days. Registration for this institute will begin daily at 8:30 a.m. with the keynote address starting at 9:30 a.m. The conference will end at 4:00 p.m. each day. Lunch will be provided to all attending. Recertification credit will be available to participants.
The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Greenville. The hotel is located at 220 North Main Street, Greenville, SC 29601. The phone number for reservations is 1–888–421–1442. Please specify the conference name to secure state rates when making reservations for staying overnight. Reservations must be made by July 24, 2010, to receive state rates.
There is no registration fee for the institute. However, registration for the conference is required. Please register on-line with MIKO at http://www.mikogroup.com/events/.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND DAILY FACILITATORS
Katie Wood Ray—After leaving Western Carolina University where she was an Associate Professor of language arts education for eight years, Dr. Katie Wood Ray is now a full time writer and researcher of the teaching of writing. With a particular focus on the study of writing craft, she leads teacher workshops and summer institutes related to the teaching of writing. Her professional background includes both elementary and middle school teaching experience and two years as a staff developer at The Reading and Writing Project, Teachers College, Columbia University. She has published numerous articles and books, and is the former co-editor of the journal Primary Voices K–6, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of English. Some of her more recent published works include About the Authors: Writing Workshop with Our Youngest Writers, Study Driven: A Framework for Planning Units of Study in the Writing Workshop, and Already Ready: Nurturing Writing in Preschool and Kindergarten.
Matt Glover—Matt is a full time educational consultant and author. He is the coauthor (with Katie Wood Ray) of Already Ready: Nurturing Writers in Preschool and Kindergarten (2008) and the author of Engaging Young Writers, Preschool—Grade 1 (2009). Matt is a frequent presenter at conferences and in school districts on topics related to nurturing young writers and supporting children’s intellectual growth and development. Matt has been an educator for over 20 years as the principal and instructional leader of Creekside Early Childhood School, a school of 900 preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students. Before becoming a principal, Matt taught first grade.
Reading Aloud--Wondrous Words
Oh, Katie Wood Ray!! Oh, I'm really going to have to restrain myself. I love Katie Wood Ray. I went to one of her sessions at NTCE two years ago, met her, and promptly burst into tears. I think I was trying to tell her something along the lines of, "Thank you for giving me the courage to do what I know is best for students even when everyone around me was telling me I was "doing it" wrong."
Up until I saw Katie, I didn't realize that I had pushed those first two years of teaching--the two years I literally spent in the principal's office because of "see me" notes--far far far into the back of my memory. During those miserable two years, other teachers had reported that I wasn't "using Vocabulary Workshop books" or "teaching Treasure Island packets" or even "reading the The Acorn People." Of course I wasn't reading The Acorn People, I said. It was too depressing and poorly written. And no, I said, I can't teach the Treasure Island packets because they bore me to tears. We're making room-length timelines trying to figure out flashbacks and sequence of events. We're making dictionaries to cover all the words we don't know in the all but archaic language that dominates classic literature." I defended myself poorly back then, because I didn't have the language to name what it was I was doing. All I knew to say was "Katie Wood Ray" says or "Nancy Atwell writes" and lean heavily on a master's degree from USC that gave me some credibility as a teacher. The book Wondrous Words literally saved me. I stuck to the curriculum I “had” to teach but I filled it with books I wanted, not to “teach,” but to TALK about. I spent the required 9 weeks on Treasure Island but I also threw in author imitation assignments to allow students to read aloud and imitate in writing their favorite authors. I completed Vocabulary Workshop lessons but I also made a Wondrous Words Wall, so that I could fill the walls of my classroom with words the students brought to me from their reading—words like “boondoggle” and “flabbergasted” and “flummoxed.” So it's no wonder that I cried when I met Katie Wood Ray in person, but now at least I understand why—I would not have survived those first two years without her.
As I read this chapter of Wondrous Words for the 3rd, 4th, 5th? time, I still respond to it with the same joy I felt the first time I read it. I could crawl into this book, this chapter, and live here. Katie just reminds me, as always, to have the courage to do what I know is right in my classrooms. I CAN spend 20 minutes reading aloud of a 90 minute block. It IS important. I can PROVE it. I CAN savor the language. I CAN. And I WILL.
Up until I saw Katie, I didn't realize that I had pushed those first two years of teaching--the two years I literally spent in the principal's office because of "see me" notes--far far far into the back of my memory. During those miserable two years, other teachers had reported that I wasn't "using Vocabulary Workshop books" or "teaching Treasure Island packets" or even "reading the The Acorn People." Of course I wasn't reading The Acorn People, I said. It was too depressing and poorly written. And no, I said, I can't teach the Treasure Island packets because they bore me to tears. We're making room-length timelines trying to figure out flashbacks and sequence of events. We're making dictionaries to cover all the words we don't know in the all but archaic language that dominates classic literature." I defended myself poorly back then, because I didn't have the language to name what it was I was doing. All I knew to say was "Katie Wood Ray" says or "Nancy Atwell writes" and lean heavily on a master's degree from USC that gave me some credibility as a teacher. The book Wondrous Words literally saved me. I stuck to the curriculum I “had” to teach but I filled it with books I wanted, not to “teach,” but to TALK about. I spent the required 9 weeks on Treasure Island but I also threw in author imitation assignments to allow students to read aloud and imitate in writing their favorite authors. I completed Vocabulary Workshop lessons but I also made a Wondrous Words Wall, so that I could fill the walls of my classroom with words the students brought to me from their reading—words like “boondoggle” and “flabbergasted” and “flummoxed.” So it's no wonder that I cried when I met Katie Wood Ray in person, but now at least I understand why—I would not have survived those first two years without her.
As I read this chapter of Wondrous Words for the 3rd, 4th, 5th? time, I still respond to it with the same joy I felt the first time I read it. I could crawl into this book, this chapter, and live here. Katie just reminds me, as always, to have the courage to do what I know is right in my classrooms. I CAN spend 20 minutes reading aloud of a 90 minute block. It IS important. I can PROVE it. I CAN savor the language. I CAN. And I WILL.
Reading Aloud: Filling the Room with the Sound of Wondrous Words
Respond to the excerpt from Wondrous Words by Katie Wood Ray here.
R & W Workshop and Watching/Listening To Children Read
Fell asleep last night reading. . . . not bored, just sleepy! So, just now blogging!
“School Talk,” article was a super review for me. I appreciate the “Literacy Workshop Across The Day” summation at the end. Regrounds me.
I loved and will reread, “Watching and Listening Children Read.” This article/paper offers some very practical thoughts on making reading real for children. I also appreciate the practical thoughts on everyday/everywhere assessments and the huge amount of info to be derived from such.
Thank you for sharing!
“School Talk,” article was a super review for me. I appreciate the “Literacy Workshop Across The Day” summation at the end. Regrounds me.
I loved and will reread, “Watching and Listening Children Read.” This article/paper offers some very practical thoughts on making reading real for children. I also appreciate the practical thoughts on everyday/everywhere assessments and the huge amount of info to be derived from such.
Thank you for sharing!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Reading and Writing Workshop
This article was a good summary for me of the elements of readers and writers workshop. I noticed that they included shared reading and interative reading in the same heading.
I realized that I have already been doing write alouds and shared writing and independent writing in my science classes already. When we watch a United Streaming video, I ask the students to take one bulleted note for each 2 minutes of video (independent writing). After the video is finished I ask students to share their best notes with the rest of the class so that other students who may have missed something (or are just not proficient at watching a video and taking notes at the same time) have a compolete set of notes. As students share, I type their notes on the smartboard for all students to copy. This helps me ensure they have notes for all of the salient point on the video, and that they have a chance to review what they have learned. We work together on the grammar, spelling and semantics of the bulleted notes as I type them on the board. I even occasionallyt have student volunteers check a dictionary to make sure we are spelling things correctly.
I realized that I have already been doing write alouds and shared writing and independent writing in my science classes already. When we watch a United Streaming video, I ask the students to take one bulleted note for each 2 minutes of video (independent writing). After the video is finished I ask students to share their best notes with the rest of the class so that other students who may have missed something (or are just not proficient at watching a video and taking notes at the same time) have a compolete set of notes. As students share, I type their notes on the smartboard for all students to copy. This helps me ensure they have notes for all of the salient point on the video, and that they have a chance to review what they have learned. We work together on the grammar, spelling and semantics of the bulleted notes as I type them on the board. I even occasionallyt have student volunteers check a dictionary to make sure we are spelling things correctly.
Reading and Writing Workshop
Like Sarah, I noticed that I put a lot of "I already do this" or "I need to always do this" in the margins of this article. I loved the reminder to all of us that reading and writing workshop needs to happen in a large block of protected time. It is not always possible for this to happen, but it is crucial. Children have to have time to practice what we have modeled in class, and this needs to happen in the same block, not hours later. I appreciate that our principal feels very strongly about this matter. Another component of the article that really spoke to me was the part about sharing. I have made this a must in my classroom. I feel this is easily accomplished during writing instruction. There is no better way to make a child feel worthwhile. I love to walk around the room with my "I LOVE YOUR WRITING" clipboard and catch students in the act of awesome writing. Sometimes I take a picture to put on the Smartboard, sometimes I let the student share their thinking on the document camera, and sometimes I just let them chart a great idea, hook, or strategy they used during writing. I also like the point made about having routines in reading and writing worksop. This is so powerful. Routines are so improtant. I have a special signal in my classroom to let students know that reading or writing workshop has begun. When the lighted Palmetto tree comes on,it's time to read. When the light goes off...it's time to come to the floor to share. To signal writing workshop the Flamingo light comes on and all students come to the floor for a mini- lesson. I also think it is valuable to have a special signal, sign, or reminder that I am having individual conferences with students. I have found it helpful to keep a visible reminder sign that states that conferences are being conducted.
I feel these routines in my classroom have given my students predictable structures to learn in.
I feel these routines in my classroom have given my students predictable structures to learn in.
My Think-Writing; 6-14-10 Homework
I truly enjoyed reading both Reading and Writing Workshop and Watching and Listening to Children Read.
Because I have always been a firm believer in writing and reading workshops (thanks to USC’s master’s program and Nancy Atwell!!) a lot of School Talk’s Reading and Writing Workshop reaffirmed the way I already structure much of my 90 minute class. I actually take “status of the class” each day after my 20 ELA minutes (in which students can read or write independently while I conference with other students). Sometimes, we need to adjust due dates or I need to review material—such as research logistics like MLA format. Some days I learn that my students are procrastinating on a project I have assigned, and I need to listen to them in order to evaluate whether students are avoiding work or whether they don’t have the necessary skill set to get started or move on. In many places I wrote, “I do this” in sections of this article. And in many places I wrote, “I need to remember to do this.” The article was a nice refresher for me.
In Watching and Listening to Children Read I was fascinated by the many ways to judge what students know about treading. I particularly loved the philosophy behind kidwatching. Watson writes, “Good kidwatchers make it a point to see the student’s strengths first. This does not mean that problems are ignored. It simply indicates that teachers need to build their reading programs on what students are doing right, not on what they are doing wrong” (121). I like this because it allows the teacher and student to focus on the positive. I also like this technique because it is something I can do informally, every day, to get a view of how many students are conducting themselves as readers. It also gives a name to something I do instinctively—and it is yet another researched-based reason why I do not need to give several “pretests” to determine student’s reading ability. In fact, this article actually demonstrated exactly how such pretests can be faulty, and therefore detrimental to planning student instruction. Watson writes, “…when proficient readers are presented with interesting, well-written text they look like what they are—good readers reading good discourse. If these same readers are presented text that is unpredictable, lacks cohesion, is conceptually inappropriate, and holds no interest, the students will appear to be poor readers—their potential diminished by poor text” (116). Now, I can just say I am looking at a “transactional view” of reading to defend my methods of kidwatching and textwatching as I help students with reading instruction. It’s simply a matter of giving a researched-based name to what I am already doing in my classroom.
Finally, WOW to all of you who have always known about and conducted formal miscue analysis and ERRQ!!!! I was absolutely riveted by the section—I’ll admit to reading it twice. And I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of both tomorrow, but as of right now (if what I’m understanding is correct) the possibilities are endless for how I can utilize these methods in my classroom. I don’t want to write more on this subject because I don’t think I have a full grasp of how to fully analyze the results of miscue analysis, but I’m thinking along the lines of using these methods as a way to make students aware of their own reading processes—an activity in metacognition for my middle schoolers as readers. So, until I learn more, I’ll just say I’m pretty excited!
Because I have always been a firm believer in writing and reading workshops (thanks to USC’s master’s program and Nancy Atwell!!) a lot of School Talk’s Reading and Writing Workshop reaffirmed the way I already structure much of my 90 minute class. I actually take “status of the class” each day after my 20 ELA minutes (in which students can read or write independently while I conference with other students). Sometimes, we need to adjust due dates or I need to review material—such as research logistics like MLA format. Some days I learn that my students are procrastinating on a project I have assigned, and I need to listen to them in order to evaluate whether students are avoiding work or whether they don’t have the necessary skill set to get started or move on. In many places I wrote, “I do this” in sections of this article. And in many places I wrote, “I need to remember to do this.” The article was a nice refresher for me.
In Watching and Listening to Children Read I was fascinated by the many ways to judge what students know about treading. I particularly loved the philosophy behind kidwatching. Watson writes, “Good kidwatchers make it a point to see the student’s strengths first. This does not mean that problems are ignored. It simply indicates that teachers need to build their reading programs on what students are doing right, not on what they are doing wrong” (121). I like this because it allows the teacher and student to focus on the positive. I also like this technique because it is something I can do informally, every day, to get a view of how many students are conducting themselves as readers. It also gives a name to something I do instinctively—and it is yet another researched-based reason why I do not need to give several “pretests” to determine student’s reading ability. In fact, this article actually demonstrated exactly how such pretests can be faulty, and therefore detrimental to planning student instruction. Watson writes, “…when proficient readers are presented with interesting, well-written text they look like what they are—good readers reading good discourse. If these same readers are presented text that is unpredictable, lacks cohesion, is conceptually inappropriate, and holds no interest, the students will appear to be poor readers—their potential diminished by poor text” (116). Now, I can just say I am looking at a “transactional view” of reading to defend my methods of kidwatching and textwatching as I help students with reading instruction. It’s simply a matter of giving a researched-based name to what I am already doing in my classroom.
Finally, WOW to all of you who have always known about and conducted formal miscue analysis and ERRQ!!!! I was absolutely riveted by the section—I’ll admit to reading it twice. And I’m hoping to gain a better understanding of both tomorrow, but as of right now (if what I’m understanding is correct) the possibilities are endless for how I can utilize these methods in my classroom. I don’t want to write more on this subject because I don’t think I have a full grasp of how to fully analyze the results of miscue analysis, but I’m thinking along the lines of using these methods as a way to make students aware of their own reading processes—an activity in metacognition for my middle schoolers as readers. So, until I learn more, I’ll just say I’m pretty excited!
Watching and Listening to Children Read
Let's do the same with this article so all the thinking and responses are centrally located! :) See you in the morning for more brain food in Balanced Literacy.
School Talk Article
In order to make responding to the article easier, I thought it would be nice to make one post where we could all respond with comments and aha's from the reading. Hopefully you will all agree that this works well and respond here.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Chapters 7 & 8--My thinking on this book
Promise: This will have a positive ending! J
First of all, a confession: up until these chapters, I have not liked the tone of this book. And that confused me a bit, because I inherently agreed with the philosophy and content behind Routman’s research. Granted, I have not read anything else by Routman, but in the first couple of chapters of this book she appeared to me to have a negative attitude towards teachers. “What I didn’t see then was how their teacher’s narrow vision would permanently impact each child’s life,” (3). “I have never been in a classroom or school where the expectations are too high. In fact, I continue to be stunned at how little is expected from students” (10). “Everywhere I teach, I find that students’ voices have been silenced” (20). This list could go on.
In addition, I have a hard time recognizing an expert in education when that expert is really no longer in the teaching capacity; yes, Routman is a coach, and yes, she is a teacher-researcher, but all of her case scenarios seem to be focused on a sample lesson (Norman comes up quite a bit) which runs for the same amount of time. One week. And while the research does have the consistency of approach, The Optimal Learning Model, and therefore does validate the practice, I had a hard time reading about Routman coming in and saving the day for well-meaning, but sub-standard, teachers, especially when so much of her advice directly contradicts what we are told to do by our superiors. “Stop while the kids’ energy is still high” she says—but our evaluators are looking for “bell to bell” instruction (41). It is easy to take one idea and one lesson and “wow” students and teachers for a week, especially when you stop when the energy and enthusiasm is high. It is much harder to be in the classroom, day in and day out, live with successes and failures, and still press on to find a way to reach each student.
This is what I believe about teaching: most teachers go into teaching with a passion and love for the profession. We are well-meaning, but we are also well-educated and dedicated to continuing education for ourselves and our students. We grasp at good ideas, we change direction on a dime if what we were doing isn’t working, we ask for help when we need it. And what is that called? We say that we “beg, borrow, and steal.” Again our own “professional jargon” makes us sound little more than magpies…desperate for someone to come in and save the day.
Yet in later chapters, Routman talked about empowering teachers. She says we must be advocates for our students. So, Routman understands that teachers are the only hope for educational success, and yet she considers very few teachers competent? By her own admission, she comes back to the schools she visited and notices that nothing has changed. She writes, “I have rarely seen coaching in a school or district that, after a few years, impacts student achievement” (115). So…what does this mean? In the last chapter, I finally understood where Routman’s beliefs (and attitude/tone!) coincide exactly with mine. She writes, “I have been teaching long enough to know I don’t have the power or the right to change anyone. Second, lasting change happens from within. My work, at best, is a catalyst” (127).
I think Routman put into writing something very brave, and very, very powerful. The only people capable of initiating a school-wide pedagogy change are teachers. The rest—the principals, literacy coaches, curriculum coordinators—they need to be the catalysts and then resources to help teachers change. They need to empower teachers to research, to observe, to change, to grow. In fifteen years we may have a new educational model we are encouraged to follow, and inevitably it will be up to teachers to determine whether or not that new model works. And so Routman concludes that attaining and maintaining high student achievement depends, not on an “expert” coming in and doing a residency for a week, but “on all teachers being knowledgeable and effective…there must be a core group who keep things going” (123). I think Routman pursued a venue of education that allowed her to see many schools, many teachers, and many students. I believe that she is knowledgeable in her craft. But in the end, I think that she understands that her research is meant to give teachers the voice they need to stand firm in advocating for students and for the teaching profession. She acknowledges that teachers need to “simplify” instruction, “have more fun” in the classroom, and work smarter, not harder. All these things I believe teachers know inherently, but we get bogged down with all the rest. We need someone to remind us. Routman quoted Arthur Miller when he said, “the longer I worked the more certain I felt that as improbable as it might seem, there were moments when an individual conscience was all that could keep a world from falling.” I believe that she referenced this specific quote because Routman knows that all meaningful, quality instruction begins and ends with the teachers who have the endurance and the passion to stay in the classroom to plan, assess, and work for all students, all the time. And so I believe Routman when she encourages us, as teachers, to “rise above the distractions and regulations and naysyers. Focus on the children in front of you, and create genuine hope for their futures. They deserve the best of what you have to offer. They are counting on you" (131.)
We can do it.
First of all, a confession: up until these chapters, I have not liked the tone of this book. And that confused me a bit, because I inherently agreed with the philosophy and content behind Routman’s research. Granted, I have not read anything else by Routman, but in the first couple of chapters of this book she appeared to me to have a negative attitude towards teachers. “What I didn’t see then was how their teacher’s narrow vision would permanently impact each child’s life,” (3). “I have never been in a classroom or school where the expectations are too high. In fact, I continue to be stunned at how little is expected from students” (10). “Everywhere I teach, I find that students’ voices have been silenced” (20). This list could go on.
In addition, I have a hard time recognizing an expert in education when that expert is really no longer in the teaching capacity; yes, Routman is a coach, and yes, she is a teacher-researcher, but all of her case scenarios seem to be focused on a sample lesson (Norman comes up quite a bit) which runs for the same amount of time. One week. And while the research does have the consistency of approach, The Optimal Learning Model, and therefore does validate the practice, I had a hard time reading about Routman coming in and saving the day for well-meaning, but sub-standard, teachers, especially when so much of her advice directly contradicts what we are told to do by our superiors. “Stop while the kids’ energy is still high” she says—but our evaluators are looking for “bell to bell” instruction (41). It is easy to take one idea and one lesson and “wow” students and teachers for a week, especially when you stop when the energy and enthusiasm is high. It is much harder to be in the classroom, day in and day out, live with successes and failures, and still press on to find a way to reach each student.
This is what I believe about teaching: most teachers go into teaching with a passion and love for the profession. We are well-meaning, but we are also well-educated and dedicated to continuing education for ourselves and our students. We grasp at good ideas, we change direction on a dime if what we were doing isn’t working, we ask for help when we need it. And what is that called? We say that we “beg, borrow, and steal.” Again our own “professional jargon” makes us sound little more than magpies…desperate for someone to come in and save the day.
Yet in later chapters, Routman talked about empowering teachers. She says we must be advocates for our students. So, Routman understands that teachers are the only hope for educational success, and yet she considers very few teachers competent? By her own admission, she comes back to the schools she visited and notices that nothing has changed. She writes, “I have rarely seen coaching in a school or district that, after a few years, impacts student achievement” (115). So…what does this mean? In the last chapter, I finally understood where Routman’s beliefs (and attitude/tone!) coincide exactly with mine. She writes, “I have been teaching long enough to know I don’t have the power or the right to change anyone. Second, lasting change happens from within. My work, at best, is a catalyst” (127).
I think Routman put into writing something very brave, and very, very powerful. The only people capable of initiating a school-wide pedagogy change are teachers. The rest—the principals, literacy coaches, curriculum coordinators—they need to be the catalysts and then resources to help teachers change. They need to empower teachers to research, to observe, to change, to grow. In fifteen years we may have a new educational model we are encouraged to follow, and inevitably it will be up to teachers to determine whether or not that new model works. And so Routman concludes that attaining and maintaining high student achievement depends, not on an “expert” coming in and doing a residency for a week, but “on all teachers being knowledgeable and effective…there must be a core group who keep things going” (123). I think Routman pursued a venue of education that allowed her to see many schools, many teachers, and many students. I believe that she is knowledgeable in her craft. But in the end, I think that she understands that her research is meant to give teachers the voice they need to stand firm in advocating for students and for the teaching profession. She acknowledges that teachers need to “simplify” instruction, “have more fun” in the classroom, and work smarter, not harder. All these things I believe teachers know inherently, but we get bogged down with all the rest. We need someone to remind us. Routman quoted Arthur Miller when he said, “the longer I worked the more certain I felt that as improbable as it might seem, there were moments when an individual conscience was all that could keep a world from falling.” I believe that she referenced this specific quote because Routman knows that all meaningful, quality instruction begins and ends with the teachers who have the endurance and the passion to stay in the classroom to plan, assess, and work for all students, all the time. And so I believe Routman when she encourages us, as teachers, to “rise above the distractions and regulations and naysyers. Focus on the children in front of you, and create genuine hope for their futures. They deserve the best of what you have to offer. They are counting on you" (131.)
We can do it.
What to bring tomorrow!
We are looking forward to our time together tomorrow!
Things to bring:
Oh, and don't forget your brains...we may have left ours behind in Holden Beach (Christy) and Texas (Becky)! haha!
Becky and Christy
Things to bring:
- Your calendar
- Your syllabus
- Your "Teaching Essentials" book
Oh, and don't forget your brains...we may have left ours behind in Holden Beach (Christy) and Texas (Becky)! haha!
Becky and Christy
Understanding Vocabulary
Understanding Vocabulary
Gotta quickie concerning vocabulary….When it comes to direct teaching of vocabulary and strategies to figure out vocabulary what do you do when:
You’re reading a story that will become an old friend and revisited numerous times to focus on different skills/strategies/standards but that story has gobs of rich colorful language and unfamiliar vocabulary??
One story that comes immediately to mind is Once There Was A Tree (can’t remember the name of the author). Fabulous story for a variety of reasons. However, it was an extremely difficult story to read the first few times because of the amazing vocabulary and language. I almost abandoned reading the story because of the high level vocabulary usage. I am still not sure how to read a story that has so much vocabulary that needs explaining. It becomes a chore as a reader and certainly as a readee. What I’ve done is to end up simplifying the language the first couple of times I read the story so as to be able ensure that the children understand the meaning of the text. Then, I add the new vocabulary a little at a time.
Any suggestions??? Help!
Gotta quickie concerning vocabulary….When it comes to direct teaching of vocabulary and strategies to figure out vocabulary what do you do when:
You’re reading a story that will become an old friend and revisited numerous times to focus on different skills/strategies/standards but that story has gobs of rich colorful language and unfamiliar vocabulary??
One story that comes immediately to mind is Once There Was A Tree (can’t remember the name of the author). Fabulous story for a variety of reasons. However, it was an extremely difficult story to read the first few times because of the amazing vocabulary and language. I almost abandoned reading the story because of the high level vocabulary usage. I am still not sure how to read a story that has so much vocabulary that needs explaining. It becomes a chore as a reader and certainly as a readee. What I’ve done is to end up simplifying the language the first couple of times I read the story so as to be able ensure that the children understand the meaning of the text. Then, I add the new vocabulary a little at a time.
Any suggestions??? Help!
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