In 19 minutes, I can...
...find a bang-up lesson online to help ease a teacher's planning frustration.
...complete a purchase order for new books that will change a teacher's pedagogy forever
...plan a study group agenda
...teach a reading strategy
...stop a breakdown
...read a new professional book chapter
...organize a read-aloud with a follow-up activity that will seal the learning
...box up a class set for delivery to a new teacher
...write a blog
...lay the groundwork for critical literacy in our curriculum
...reignite the passion in a weary, overworked veteran
...thank a teacher for a job well-done
...get an entire student body fired up about books
...booktalk four books that will be checked out for two months straight
In 19 minutes, I can start the revolution!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
On Mastery
Since becoming a coach, I've spent much time thinking about failure and mastery and student achievement. Teachers work hard to "cover" their standards and curriculum. Teachers feel end-of-course tests breathing down on them and thoughts of merit-based pay don't help.
So what is mastery? According to Rick Wormelli in Fair Isn't Always Equal, mastery is more than knowing information. Mastery is applying information, manipulating information. Howard Gardner says that true understanding involves the appropriate application of the concepts and principles to questions or problems posed. In other words, knowing what to do and when to do it. Not only knowing x equation and y equation, but knowing which one is appropriate for z problem. Knowledge implies the reinvention of new knowledge by the student.
So how do we achieve mastery in our classes? How do we know when students fully understand the new concepts?
One way is to expect students to elaborate on how they arrived at their conclusion through writing. Written responses reveal misconceptions that oral retelling cannot. Students can gloss over their insecurities through voice inflections and body language and they make it easier for us to believe that they understand the concepts. They can't do this to you in writing. It is either there or it isn't.
Remember that mastery and recitation are not the same. Mastery involves application and manipulation. Students can recite and remember and fool you good, but they may not have achieved mastery yet. Have them write it out--see where the confusion lies.
So what is mastery? According to Rick Wormelli in Fair Isn't Always Equal, mastery is more than knowing information. Mastery is applying information, manipulating information. Howard Gardner says that true understanding involves the appropriate application of the concepts and principles to questions or problems posed. In other words, knowing what to do and when to do it. Not only knowing x equation and y equation, but knowing which one is appropriate for z problem. Knowledge implies the reinvention of new knowledge by the student.
So how do we achieve mastery in our classes? How do we know when students fully understand the new concepts?
One way is to expect students to elaborate on how they arrived at their conclusion through writing. Written responses reveal misconceptions that oral retelling cannot. Students can gloss over their insecurities through voice inflections and body language and they make it easier for us to believe that they understand the concepts. They can't do this to you in writing. It is either there or it isn't.
Remember that mastery and recitation are not the same. Mastery involves application and manipulation. Students can recite and remember and fool you good, but they may not have achieved mastery yet. Have them write it out--see where the confusion lies.
Authentic Literacy
Generous amounts of close, purposeful reading, rereading, writing, and talking are the essence of authentic literacy.
I have recently started to pay close attention to the buds beginning blossom around Newberry High. It's spring and though the late freeze might have gotten some of them, others are filling out nicely. There's an interesting metaphor here, because what has truly caught my eye is the blossoming literacy practices around NHS. There are pockets of greatness that I'm starting to pay attention to. Sometimes accountability (the freeze) can get them, but most of the time they are strong enough to endure.
There are several teachers that are experimenting with supplemental texts in their content area classes. The human growth teachers are a great example of this--they have truly taken the concept of literature circles and made them their own. Some of the social studies teachers are beginning to dip their toes and experiment with the possibilities that YA lit can bring into a classroom. English I and II teachers have incorporated the Janet Allen curriculum which uses YA lit to teach the universal literary themes that used to be taught through classics that didn't reach a single student.
This is what gives me hope. We are showing promise. We just have to get it to spread. "Literacy liberates." We have to teach our students the value of reading in order to help them leave their current world behind. Schmoker points out that 40% of those born into the bottom economic fifth stay there as adults. Literacy liberates. It is what our students need to break the cycle.
Of course we can't do this alone and it is easy to use the lack of parental support and lack of time as a crutch. As a reason for not trying as hard as we can. We have to fight against this. We can't let anything stop us from being the very best teacher that we have the ability of being...and then going further. It really is never enough. But the rewards are endless.
I have recently started to pay close attention to the buds beginning blossom around Newberry High. It's spring and though the late freeze might have gotten some of them, others are filling out nicely. There's an interesting metaphor here, because what has truly caught my eye is the blossoming literacy practices around NHS. There are pockets of greatness that I'm starting to pay attention to. Sometimes accountability (the freeze) can get them, but most of the time they are strong enough to endure.
There are several teachers that are experimenting with supplemental texts in their content area classes. The human growth teachers are a great example of this--they have truly taken the concept of literature circles and made them their own. Some of the social studies teachers are beginning to dip their toes and experiment with the possibilities that YA lit can bring into a classroom. English I and II teachers have incorporated the Janet Allen curriculum which uses YA lit to teach the universal literary themes that used to be taught through classics that didn't reach a single student.
This is what gives me hope. We are showing promise. We just have to get it to spread. "Literacy liberates." We have to teach our students the value of reading in order to help them leave their current world behind. Schmoker points out that 40% of those born into the bottom economic fifth stay there as adults. Literacy liberates. It is what our students need to break the cycle.
Of course we can't do this alone and it is easy to use the lack of parental support and lack of time as a crutch. As a reason for not trying as hard as we can. We have to fight against this. We can't let anything stop us from being the very best teacher that we have the ability of being...and then going further. It really is never enough. But the rewards are endless.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
All you have to do is ask!
What a novel idea! Ask and you shall receive! I don't intend for you to take this and ask for miracles, but I do want you to ask your students what they need. They'll tell you. Its really that simple.
I'm in the middle of a persuasive essay with two classes of juniors. We did a ton of frontloading--research, website reviews, persuasive writing exercises--you name it. (There are some great activities in Barry Lane's Why We Must Run With Scissors.) At one point during planning, I was lucky enough to be sitting in the midst of several students, albeit advanced students, but teenagers nevertheless. I sat there and pondered what I wanted to do next in the unit (no I didn't have it mapped out beforehand--I could plead the balance of two different jobs, but this is pretty typical for me). I talked things out with the students around me. I asked them what they would want me to do. They, of course, offered up how this compared with what their teachers weren't doing, but I did get some good advice.
So I sat down to do written conversations with my students. They turned in rough drafts and I expended hours writing letters to each of them. Typing made the letter writing easier and faster, but I got to give personal advice to every child. They got those letters and their rough drafts back yesterday. They were floored. They could not believe that I had taken time to not only read their work but actually talk to them about it. They were actually grateful.
So, with my letters in hand, final drafting began. We didn't get done yesterday. There's a lot of work left to do with these essays before they are up to snuff. At the end of class, I jumped out on a limb and did the unthinkable AGAIN--I asked them what they wanted from me next. I told them that they weren't quite done, but if they would like, I would read what they had typed up and type my comments in the paper. They all went for it. No one said, no, just grade mine. No one said, I'm ready to be done with this. They all went the route of improvement.
They saw that I was out to make them better writers and they came on the journey with me.
I'm in the middle of a persuasive essay with two classes of juniors. We did a ton of frontloading--research, website reviews, persuasive writing exercises--you name it. (There are some great activities in Barry Lane's Why We Must Run With Scissors.) At one point during planning, I was lucky enough to be sitting in the midst of several students, albeit advanced students, but teenagers nevertheless. I sat there and pondered what I wanted to do next in the unit (no I didn't have it mapped out beforehand--I could plead the balance of two different jobs, but this is pretty typical for me). I talked things out with the students around me. I asked them what they would want me to do. They, of course, offered up how this compared with what their teachers weren't doing, but I did get some good advice.
So I sat down to do written conversations with my students. They turned in rough drafts and I expended hours writing letters to each of them. Typing made the letter writing easier and faster, but I got to give personal advice to every child. They got those letters and their rough drafts back yesterday. They were floored. They could not believe that I had taken time to not only read their work but actually talk to them about it. They were actually grateful.
So, with my letters in hand, final drafting began. We didn't get done yesterday. There's a lot of work left to do with these essays before they are up to snuff. At the end of class, I jumped out on a limb and did the unthinkable AGAIN--I asked them what they wanted from me next. I told them that they weren't quite done, but if they would like, I would read what they had typed up and type my comments in the paper. They all went for it. No one said, no, just grade mine. No one said, I'm ready to be done with this. They all went the route of improvement.
They saw that I was out to make them better writers and they came on the journey with me.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Oh, were time not an issue!
Were time not an issue, think of all I could do. Were time not an issue, think of all that I could teach. Were time not an issue, think of the changes we could all make.
I'm sitting here working on individual letters to my juniors regarding their persuasive essays. This way every student gets a personalized letter from me with instructions and suggestions for how to make their final draft fantastic. This is a great way to talk to students one on one before they construct their final draft. As to whether or not they'll take my suggestions or just try to flit their way through the assignment, we'll see. While taking my advice will make them better writers, it also makes more work.
Written conversations between students and between the teacher and students is a valuable way to talk about learning. In a class of 20 to 30 students, maybe even more, it is hard to find time to conference with each student. Then, in group conferences, there are always students who don't get addressed and don't speak up. Getting thoughts out on paper allow students to process their information. If we didn't write, how would we know what we think?
I'm sitting here working on individual letters to my juniors regarding their persuasive essays. This way every student gets a personalized letter from me with instructions and suggestions for how to make their final draft fantastic. This is a great way to talk to students one on one before they construct their final draft. As to whether or not they'll take my suggestions or just try to flit their way through the assignment, we'll see. While taking my advice will make them better writers, it also makes more work.
Written conversations between students and between the teacher and students is a valuable way to talk about learning. In a class of 20 to 30 students, maybe even more, it is hard to find time to conference with each student. Then, in group conferences, there are always students who don't get addressed and don't speak up. Getting thoughts out on paper allow students to process their information. If we didn't write, how would we know what we think?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
The Struggle of Balance
I adore my job. I hesitate to call it a job most days, because I really, really enjoy working with kids--even when they are driving me crazy. Coaching has given me a new and unique perspective; teaching part-time and coaching full-time has only deepened my appreciation for both jobs. My problem--I can't be a little of either. I'm an all or nothing kinda girl.
This is my third year as a literacy coach under a state grant with the South Carolina Reading Initiative. The first year, I spent two days a month in training and the rest of my time being a full-time teacher. That was quite a year--I was constantly looking at my own pedagogy and making changes. I was much more aware of what I was expecting my students to do and how well they were achieving.
The second year, last school year, was my first year out of the classroom. I had an office. I did conference presentations. I taught a graduate class on campus. I worked with individual teachers. While all this was going on, I was still attending training sessions and I was still very much learning what to do. The learning curve is steep when you are supposed to be the expert in your field.
This year is my third year under the grant and my second year out of the classroom. Being sans children really began to take a toll on my psyche. I didn't look forward to work. The assignments for my training have really pulled me down and I find myself being more and more frustrated. So when an English teacher left mid-year and I was asked to step in for two of the classes, I all but jumped at the chance. This is what I was born to do, no doubt. My assistant principal recently visited and called it a symphony to watch.
But there aren't enough hours in the day for both jobs. I find myself wanting and needing to spend all of my time on a group of students who were abandoned for 3 months after their teacher left. I find myself needing to be the best teacher that I can possibly be and spending hours searching for new ways to teach things. I truly struggle to balance both jobs well.
This is where my calendar comes in handy. Now that 3rd quarter grades are done and entered, I can get back to keeping a strict schedule with my teachers. I'll be able to get out of my office and spend my spare time watching others teach and helping them improve. Its a fun job too--its not too far-fetched from creating lessons to intrigue reluctant learners. Only now its morphing new and innovative practices into something that anyone can implement.
This is my third year as a literacy coach under a state grant with the South Carolina Reading Initiative. The first year, I spent two days a month in training and the rest of my time being a full-time teacher. That was quite a year--I was constantly looking at my own pedagogy and making changes. I was much more aware of what I was expecting my students to do and how well they were achieving.
The second year, last school year, was my first year out of the classroom. I had an office. I did conference presentations. I taught a graduate class on campus. I worked with individual teachers. While all this was going on, I was still attending training sessions and I was still very much learning what to do. The learning curve is steep when you are supposed to be the expert in your field.
This year is my third year under the grant and my second year out of the classroom. Being sans children really began to take a toll on my psyche. I didn't look forward to work. The assignments for my training have really pulled me down and I find myself being more and more frustrated. So when an English teacher left mid-year and I was asked to step in for two of the classes, I all but jumped at the chance. This is what I was born to do, no doubt. My assistant principal recently visited and called it a symphony to watch.
But there aren't enough hours in the day for both jobs. I find myself wanting and needing to spend all of my time on a group of students who were abandoned for 3 months after their teacher left. I find myself needing to be the best teacher that I can possibly be and spending hours searching for new ways to teach things. I truly struggle to balance both jobs well.
This is where my calendar comes in handy. Now that 3rd quarter grades are done and entered, I can get back to keeping a strict schedule with my teachers. I'll be able to get out of my office and spend my spare time watching others teach and helping them improve. Its a fun job too--its not too far-fetched from creating lessons to intrigue reluctant learners. Only now its morphing new and innovative practices into something that anyone can implement.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
When "Say Something" Isn't Enough
Spring break did not last nearly long enough. Its only Tuesday, so why do I feel like I never left?
I took the break quite literally--I did no schoolwork, no blogging, no professional reading, no nothing. Of course I took everything home with me; I always do. This year, I even went so far as to unload it from my car and sat it next to my kitchen table. And that is where it was Monday morning when I loaded it all back up. I really should just learn not to bother taking things home.
I've hit the ground running as a coach since my return. I gave my law ed. teacher some spring break homework. We are going to teach his class An Hour to Kill, a true-crime story based on a murder in Conway, SC. Now working our way out of the textbook is enough to rock his world right off its base. So I am wracking my brain for reading strategies that are easily implemented and assessed to pair with the novel, and that is easier said than done. I don't want to throw him totally under the bus because I know he can feel it bearing down on him. (Can't we all at this point?)
I've pulled out an old standby that I've used with students and teachers alike--"Say Something". This strategy can be found in When Kids Can't Read What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers (an awesome reading strategies handbook for any content area). The strategy forces students to bring their cognition to the forefront by making them do one of five things--predict, connect, comment, clarify, or question. I have a great organizer for students and have even used sentence starters to help them with the strategy. What I've noticed, though, is that they seem to get stuck on the comment section. Its like its the easiest one to do and that is almost where they hang out--in their comfort zone. So as I've prepared for my law education teacher, I've revamped the categories.
Many of the strategies are the same, just worded a little differently. I want to push students to think in different directions and I want to offer direct, on-point questions to help them get there. Here are my changes:
Where do you think the author is going with this? (I want students to really examine what they are reading and imagine why the author is giving us such information and what he/she will do with it.)
What are you confused about? What do you still want to know? (I want students to realize that questions come in many types--they can indicate confusion as well as curiosity.)
What can you assume or infer about the characters and/or action? (I had the novel in mind when I created this question. As students learn more about the accused, I want them to develop their own beliefs.)
Make a comment about something you've read.
How can you relate to the characters or the action of the story?
Tomorrow I'll be trying out my new thinking prompts. This activity is best done when modeled repeatedly. Its also best done while reading aloud, either in groups or as a whole class. Beers recommends students working in partners to read to one another and then write each others' thoughts on the organizer. Once students have internalized the expectations, they will be able to notate on the text itself.
I took the break quite literally--I did no schoolwork, no blogging, no professional reading, no nothing. Of course I took everything home with me; I always do. This year, I even went so far as to unload it from my car and sat it next to my kitchen table. And that is where it was Monday morning when I loaded it all back up. I really should just learn not to bother taking things home.
I've hit the ground running as a coach since my return. I gave my law ed. teacher some spring break homework. We are going to teach his class An Hour to Kill, a true-crime story based on a murder in Conway, SC. Now working our way out of the textbook is enough to rock his world right off its base. So I am wracking my brain for reading strategies that are easily implemented and assessed to pair with the novel, and that is easier said than done. I don't want to throw him totally under the bus because I know he can feel it bearing down on him. (Can't we all at this point?)
I've pulled out an old standby that I've used with students and teachers alike--"Say Something". This strategy can be found in When Kids Can't Read What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers (an awesome reading strategies handbook for any content area). The strategy forces students to bring their cognition to the forefront by making them do one of five things--predict, connect, comment, clarify, or question. I have a great organizer for students and have even used sentence starters to help them with the strategy. What I've noticed, though, is that they seem to get stuck on the comment section. Its like its the easiest one to do and that is almost where they hang out--in their comfort zone. So as I've prepared for my law education teacher, I've revamped the categories.
Many of the strategies are the same, just worded a little differently. I want to push students to think in different directions and I want to offer direct, on-point questions to help them get there. Here are my changes:
Where do you think the author is going with this? (I want students to really examine what they are reading and imagine why the author is giving us such information and what he/she will do with it.)
What are you confused about? What do you still want to know? (I want students to realize that questions come in many types--they can indicate confusion as well as curiosity.)
What can you assume or infer about the characters and/or action? (I had the novel in mind when I created this question. As students learn more about the accused, I want them to develop their own beliefs.)
Make a comment about something you've read.
How can you relate to the characters or the action of the story?
Tomorrow I'll be trying out my new thinking prompts. This activity is best done when modeled repeatedly. Its also best done while reading aloud, either in groups or as a whole class. Beers recommends students working in partners to read to one another and then write each others' thoughts on the organizer. Once students have internalized the expectations, they will be able to notate on the text itself.
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