This will be your last and final blog entry! I can hear your sighs of relief from here!! Ahhh....
What I would like you to do is to reread each of the posts and every one's responses, paying particular attention the the journey you have been on. I have done this with some of you and if you actually print them out you can see how your thinking has changed over time. It is really quite a remarkable record of you and your growth and the processes you have gone through along the way. For each of you it is individual and unique.
As this is our last blog I am really asking that you take the next few weeks before our last class to write a reflective entry that "shows" us your individual journey and how talking, reading with and observing your colleagues has impacted the changes you have made and also to set yourself a goal for where you plan to go next. This entry will be your longest entry of the year and it should take you the next few weeks to complete. I would also suggest that you write it on word and then copy and paste it so that you don't lose it!
Here are some quotes that you might consider in thinking about your journey...you do not have to respond to them, I just thought they might inspire you along the way!
"The language of education, if it is to be an invitation to reflection and culture creating, cannot be the so-called uncontaminated language of fact and 'objectivity'. It must express stance and must invite counter-stance, and in the process leave place for reflection, for meta-cognition. It is this that permits one to reach higher ground, this process of objectifying in language or image what one has thought and then turning around and re-considering it"Jerome Bruner
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."- Marcel Proust
"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change." Carl Rogers
“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn - and change” Carl Rogers
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." Confucius
15 comments:
Hello Everybody,
“We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” Marcel Proust
A journey is a perfect way to describe what this past year has been for me.....A journey implies distance covered and time elapsed. This year has not been a drive-thru at Dunkins, pick up the large iced coffee, and be on my way. A journey requires a lot of work--- list making, organizing, and map plotting. It might involve delays, flat tires, bug bites, and getting stuck in the mud. Along with all that however, there may be seeing pyramids, watching a sunrise over a mountain, and saying hello in a new language. Has the journey been smooth going all the way...N-O. Have a lot of good things started to happen with my teaching and Team 10's learning? (Yes---remember now, I said “started”).
I'd like to speak to Tomasen's first question about how talking, reading, and observing with colleagues has impacted the changes I have made. Reading Tanny's and Debbie Miller's books, along the articles gave me the book knowledge I needed to continue with what we started in MOT.
Reading through all the blogs again, gave me reassurance that starting something new, brings both joy and angst---every one of us had high moments to share, as well as as common concerns. (assessment, report cards). It is evident that we all feel more connected to our students (through conferring), as they have become more connected to their reading. While we all have tried to figure out logistics of reaching all students, (don't even think about making a crack to me about the size of my class!), I think I have come to realize I now reach them more times, and more meaningfully than I had been. As Kathie P. said.....we were used to asking all the questions, and calling on the person we knew who would know the answer. Sure, I need to think more about my instruction---book selection, use of strategies, gradual release....and do I really get what all that means? The words “baby steps” has been used often, and doesn't that make sense for a journey? Knowing my size 8 feet could in fact take baby steps when I needed to, made certain things work for me.....like using the basal for a focus lesson.....this time. It was enlightening to me to see the scope of using wordless picture books....I have used them for years, as far as I was concerned, “for fun”. Oh my goodness, the inferring, questioning, predicting......all the strategies can be touched upon with this type of book. Like many of you, I felt awed by the insights of others----sometimes thinking why didn't I think of that? Using wordless picture books in a more deliberate way, showed me the value of them as metacognitive tools---especially with some of my special ed. students.
In regard to observations....well you all know I like a good show.....and while you are not actors...(well Nancy, yes, you are a wonderful actress), you all are primo teachers. Thank you to Tomasen, Jennie, and Karen---and pretty soon Sheila---for being so welcoming to me observing you. It is great to see your demonstrations and witness the enthusiasm and investment of your students in their reading. The students I observed loved turning and talking, writing letters to Mrs. Verry, and reading novels intently. From the blogs I read, language in first grade is paralleling that in fifth grade.....this can only keep getting better. Thin is getting thicker----whether is number of pages being read, or types of questions.
Finally, (you say), what is the goal of where I plan to go next? I plan on making those baby steps bigger. We are fortunate to have received a wonderful library of guided reading books. Jennie is available to help us with how to implement Reader's Workshop. Many of you are more secure than I am, and there is no doubt in my mind that you would help me with any challenges. Anna is providing us visitations to other schools. I have been working on a binder of MOT/Reader's Workshop focus lessons and templates thanks to the wonderful Wachusett website. Thanks to Kellie, for the excellent planner that will be a guide for me next year. It's time for the training wheels to come off. Hey, I might not drive the highway, but that doesn't mean I can't burn some rubber.
Thank you everybody.
Faith
Okay I have to be honest when I first started this class I didn't really understand completely what I was getting into. I knew it was to better myself in reading but I didn't realize the extent of the changes. With that said I had a hard time making some of those changes not because I didn't want to try them but I wish I started at the beginning of the year from day one. I would have felt more organized. As I read through some of my blogs I realized I did feel unorganized and that my teaching had a lot of jumping around.
As I progressed through some of my blogs I seem to come to terms with the fact that I am doing the best I can right now and I am taking babysteps (Faith I have size 12 feet so it felt good to use the word babysteps:))I was feeling unsure of myself and wasn't sure if I could pull off the lessons but after reading comprehension connections I felt comfortable with using some of those launching lessons. The book was an easy read and had great ideas to get you started which was very helpful for me. The launching lessons made it more manageable.
Now after doing several launching lessons I find it a LITTLE easier to look at books and figure out how can I use this book. Organizing my library has been a challenge and letting go of the control of me organizing was a big step. My library continues to be a work in progress with the organizing. I have to say that it was amazing to me how excited the students got when I let them take all my books and organize them the way they thought they should be organized. It was the best thing because the kids always go through my books looking for certain ones they saw while organizing. Books that students never looked at are now being picked out of the bin because they KNOW they are there now. When I put the books away they didn't know what I had.
Having the opportunity to observe and consult with other teachers has been a saving grace for me. It was nice to hear other teachers share their ups and downs. It made me realize I was not in this learning mode alone. When you get to observe others you pick up great ideas, whether it be a poster, a way to phrase a question, or a lesson idea they are all so helpful.
So where do I see myself going from here? I see myself continuing to try new lessons and see what works for me and doesn't. I am working on the best way for recording information to show evidence of growth to parents and ways to support my grades. The internet continues to be a great resource for ideas for mini lessons. My major goal for myself is to continue to gather and organize all this "stuff" into a usable resource for next year. When August comes and those students walk through the door I will have my room organized and my beginning lessons prepared for the introduction to readers workshop in third grade. For some it will be new and for others they will be famiilar with all the language and ideas. I do not think I will be a pro next year but I will be in a better place and comfort level than I am at today. Thanks to all of you for sharing and being open about your ideas and feelings.
Nice Job everyone on your songs. I was so amazed at how different everyones songs were. It was a lot of fun. You all deserve an A in my eyes:) Enjoy the rest of your year and I hope to see you before the end of the school year. Happy Reading Workshop!!
"By three methods we may learn wisdom; first by reflection...
Reflecting back through this class we have all learned a great deal about ourselves,our colleagues, and how to teach reading effectively. We have gained knowledge with the teachings of Tomasen, the book by Tanny, as well as many handouts. We have read, discussed, and indeed reflected on the strategies used to help readers to become thoughtful about their reading. We have listened to our peers thoughts, and opinions with dialogue during class, as well as on our blogs.
"Second by invitation, which is easiest"...
Again, we have watched modeling of lessons by several people. Starting with lessons and activities modeled by Tomasen. Visiting and observing each other in various classrooms both at Soule, around the district, and visits outside of the district. We have all "borrowed" ideas, lessons, and anchor charts from texts like Tanny's , Debbie Miller, and Mosaic. We have shared ideas, lessons, and assessments with each other... and gained ideas from each other that we can use in our classrooms.
" and third by experience...Confucius
We all know that we learn best by doing for ourselves. So, after many class sessions, reading of texts, observations, etc. it was time to jump in and learn to do it ourselves. We have gone from those first few tentative "baby steps" ...to toddler steps... to actual walking through the process. We can all say that the program is up and in full swing(we may not be running yet, but we are definitely past the baby steps stage. As with most things, we will continue to learn what works best for us and for our students. We will change, tweak, and probably change things some more. Next year, although we may still be "novices", we will be working to get closer to being "proficient."
We will continue to confer, adapt, and hopefully engage our students to become insightful, thoughtful thinkers- who have a passion and a love of reading.
It has been a pleasure being part of this dedicated group of learners. Thank you all!
This thinking process has been a long journey. I came into Readers Workshop with one set of ideas, and am coming out with another. The unknown can be scary, but not even realizing the depth of the process makes it overwhelming when it happens.
Our study group on Mosaic of Thought was just a ‘toe in the water’ approach. I did not contemplate how this new way of thinking would change some of the ways I teach reading. I was resistant to change and unbelieving in how it would work with my children. I still have my days of doubt and worry when I release them to their ‘just right reading spot’ reading their ‘just right’ books. This release of responsibility takes a strong heart if you are unsure that your children need more support than this can guarantee.
I had a breath of relief when I discovered (was told) that we could continue with guided reading during those workshop times of release. I had many misconceptions. Each time we met, my head would spin because of ‘new understandings’ or a concept that others were already working on with their children and I was not ready to do. The pressure was like a steam cook pot, ready to blow. Why so anxious? It had to be the new, unknown possibilities. Why would something work more than what I have been doing all these years? What new thinking would push my children into a zone of better comprehension and more success?
As I reread the thinking blogs, I sense comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who is resistant to change or the only one very unsure of the process. I am a bit overwhelmed at the amount of rereading of all the blogs from this semester to create this “thinking paper”, but I know it will be well worth the trip. I also am secure in the fact that having these blogs creates a parameter that fits like a good shoe.
In January our wonderings continued. As Faith wondered about writing and Karen at needing to “conference with more kids”, I realized my wonderings were a bit different, but similar. I need that visual piece when I conference, so a ‘just right’ checklist is something I am searching for. Sheila also commented on “what conferring checklist is the most effective for first grade and the best tool for me.” We’ve shared list after list, after trying out each one, only to keep searching for what works. It is an individual thing, and by trying and reconstructing our own, I believe we’ll finally find the one that’s best. This process takes time and frequently I’m a bit too impatient.
Nancy wants to hang onto some of the old tried and true reading program components, as do I. This is when the McGraw-Hill security blanket comes out. It’s the familiar that has had some well-deserved success. A change needed for sure, but not the whole program.
As I read and reread the ‘Wondering’ blogs, it is Karen Stone’s that gave me the true connection. “I tried to start in the middle of the process” she writes and therein also is my confusion! I did go back to do the baby steps because I was confused and my students needed a clearer start. This was where my journey seemed to do a jumpstart. I was derailed and couldn’t get back on track until I accepted that I had to ‘fix’ the misunderstandings. I had omitted key components, ones that I didn’t think were of ultimate importance (the groundwork for doing a readers workshop, including set-up, “creating the culture and climate for thinking) and couldn’t conceiver why things weren’t working well. I hadn’t given my students the proper scaffolding to be successful.
As we continue our (my) journey and go into “not answers so much as thinking”, I’m alerted to Angela’s thoughts about the “direction of the district.” Is this where we’re headed? Are we all going in the same direction? Are Soule and its sister schools on the cutting edge of making this happen in Salem? Is it just another initiative by the district that will come and go? This is the thinking process. In working so hard to make it happen, will we be getting closer to actualizing it? When Kellie says “I, too, feel as though I jumped right into Reader’s Workshop without a plan,” I sense her experience. Because of this course and my new understandings, will I be in a place to carry out the plan for my students? We’ve all felt like Karen S. that “the basals…provide me with some structure and sequence.” My thoughts confirm that ‘a gradual’ release will ensure better success. Is the gradual release from the basal, going from our strengths to new strengths? I continue to have as many, if not more, questions as answers.
Reading the blogs from “Conversations and conferring” I smile as I recognize a true transitional time for most of us. The blogs are positive and upbeat. We are experiencing the shift that Reader’s Workshop provides. As a group, we appear to be in a better place with our thinking and we are excited about the new things/sharing happening within the class and also in our personal one-on-ones with our children. My conversations with the children provide hopeful moments that Readers’ Workshop is working well. I seem surprised at how it works, maybe because I now hear the children verbalize their thoughts and connections. It’s metacognition at its best! Karen capsulates the entire thinking when she says “conferencing anchors the whole workshop experience, connecting on a more personal way to each student.” Why wouldn’t I want that connection with my students? If each time I write an anecdotal note about a student and I’m excited about knowing him/her better, how much more important for the children to share the way they learn, how they feel and their own personal excitement at getting it.
As we all make our “last”, OK, it wasn’t really the last blog on “Change”….. our thinking shifted to “more ponderings…more growth” as Kerrie puts it. The quotables continue with Angela…”Change and transition keeps our teaching both fresh and new” to Nancy’s “need a lot of reassurance during the transition time” and Sheila’s…”support…an important ingredient in feeling successful with change.” We’re all coming into the culmination of the thinking that we agree that change, even though out of our comfort zone, puts us in a new place. For me, the place is the “let’s give it shot and see how it goes.” Readers’ Workshop has a forgiveness about it. I didn’t feel that way at the onset. I do feel that way now. That’s what makes it more manageable in my head. I keep learning, as do the children. I use their cues to make smarter decisions about my teaching. I allow them their thoughts, no matter how off or awkward, as they have value, and we aren’t working from my preconceived notions.
The security blanket remains that it takes different strategies to teach reading. What works for some/most does not necessarily bring the same results for others. Building on a child’s strengths is the important component and using the models that work best!
It’s been a journey that I’m glad good friends were there along with me…..thank you!!! Jackie
Change seems too ordinary of a word to describe what has happened to me this year in terms of reader’s workshop. I feel like I have been looking for this change my whole teaching life. This year, I have been the student with new ideas constantly popping into my brain; tweaking this, implementing that, conferencing here, tracking thinking there, responding, questioning, doubting, crying and finally realizing that I cannot do this alone. I am not perfect. This process is not nor was it meant to be. My realization was, I am human first, a teacher second and this year I became a learner right alongside my students. I have been uncomfortable many times, frustrated and overwhelmed too. I felt like my brain had reached its limits. Then I stopped. I breathed. I started believing in myself and my students by not pushing them or pressuring myself but allowing the process the time to evolve and take root. The “I can’t do this” thoughts were replaced with, “Yes I can.” I no longer expected perfection. I gave myself a break. I listen to my students and my heart.
No one can do it alone. That was my lesson. Working with Heather has been vital for my sanity and the “two heads are better than one” axiom is definitely true and has enhanced the quality of our workshop. It has also been the expertise and wisdom of teachers, one of the greatest untapped resources on the planet,that has extended my learning curve. The new “we’re all in this together” mindset has moved me beyond my comfortable shut-door mode of teaching. Talking with colleagues, inviting teachers to observe my workshop, watching others in action and sharing our struggles has helped me be more open. I’m no longer living in my little world, in my own little head. Now I feel validated and more importantly, I feel a deep sense of pride that we have elevated our teaching by deepening our own thinking processes. The interdependence of our thinking has changed me and changed our students and hopefully will change education from the old model of compliance to the new and improved model of engagement, inquiry and joy for our students as well as for teachers. All this thinking has changed me, revitalized me and ultimately transformed me. I thank all of you for ”engaging” me in this extraordinary change. I feel lucky to be your colleague and your friend. My door is always open.
Even after participating in a MOT study group last year I hadn’t even considered the depth of changes I could make in my approach to teaching comprehension strategies. This year was real eye-opener for me. When we started meeting in the fall. I was feeling quite overwhelmed. I wasn’t prepared for the strong focus on Reader’s Workshop that everyone else seemed to know so much about. (I eventually learned that I wasn’t alone in that boat, but it sure felt like it at the time.) I was still trying to digest the strategies themselves, and figure out how to impart them to my students. I now know that bringing back a structure (with a better foundation) that I used many years ago would be a change for the better and practical way for my students to actually use the strategies.
Each time I carried out an assignment and/or modeled the concrete launching lessons, I became more comfortable with the process and convinced that this was the way to go. All my students were able to participate and contribute equally – regardless of their reading level. Not only did I internalize the strategies for myself, but I also found a multitude of methods for teaching them to beginning readers. The combination of McGregor, and Miller’s texts, along with all of you, gave me the ingredients I needed to move forward. I also realized through this process that teaching the strategies and using RW are flexible in their format. It will look different from classroom to classroom, and that’s more than OK! Being able to read about, observe and talk with others, to see a variety of procedures and set-ups helped me put things into perspective.
As I said in one of my blogs, trying to establish a workshop setting mid-year was difficult, but I’ve tried to work it in a little at a time and we’re making progress. I have higher hopes for next year when I can start from the beginning. I know that it’s going to take some trial and error, but I’m better prepared and thankfully, have all of you as resources.
We talked a lot about RW vs basals. I think this decision depends upon where each of us is in the process. There is no right or wrong way, just as there is not one way to carry out RW. Being confident that I’m providing the skills and concepts students need to be good readers is what will drive my decisions. For now, I will use both, at least for a while. I do plan to use the basal differently, along with my library, etc. and the scope and sequence (for skills) as a guide. I really like the monthly planner Kellie found (thank you Kellie), so between this and Miller’s sequence, I feel like I have a plan and can pick and choose other resources along the way.
See?… I’m sorting it out, making sense of “changes” and knowing that transitions lead to better things! The Carl Rogers quote really hit home – “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” Change is up to me and only me.
As I read through the blogs, I found the “conversations and conferring” posts generated the most personal comments and reactions. I think it was because our students’ comments verified what we’d been trying to give them through the strategies – a realization that reading goes beyond the mechanical action of reading words. These conferring interactions provided me with many AHA! moments. Taking the time to do this gave me insights into their thinking in ways I hadn’t anticipated. There are so many connections, reflections, problem-solving strategies, and depths of thought going on in those busy heads – if we (I) just let them express it. Beyond this, the kids have proven that allowing more time for conversations in small or whole groups creates a contagious line of thinking, regardless of their reading abilities. They clarify for each other and refer to or elaborate on each other’s thinking. This is the kind of classroom community I strive for – one that listens to and learns from each other! (Just like us!!)
This year has definitely been a journey for me, one that will probably (hopefully) continue for quite a while. It has had its ups and downs, but bolstered with all your encouragement, ideas, support and guidance, I think the next leg of the journey will be easier, even if it means taking some detours along the way. Sometimes the scenic route is the most interesting and memorable. At least I know where all the Information Centers are if I feel lost. Thanks for helping me get this far!
Another quote often came to mind as I worked through this process of growth and change. Those of you who know Fritz Bell will recognize it.
I hear … and I forget.
I see … and I remember.
I do … and I understand. Ancient Chinese Proverb
I didn’t know where to start this blog. What was my journey? Where am I trying to go? Did I reach my destination? I have to admit that reading through the blogs really helped. What I realized is that I took this journey with Tomasen, my peers (thank you) and my students. And I think that I can relate it to being the new kid in school. When you walk in the door, you are in a new school, with new people, curriculum map, rules, etc. But they are not really all new, you have some schema for them. Your old school had the same structure…just a bit different, teachers…just different names and faces, still have to learn…just a little different information. So, you ask questions (where is the bathroom?), infer what the teacher expects (from the other kids behavior), make some connections (they have desks too), and pull it all together to be able to make new friends (synthesize). Well, at times I felt like the new kid on the block, because I was and still am. But I do feel that I grew and learned from this experience. As I planned each lesson and reflected upon each step, I realized that I was doing the best I could for my students. I was succeeding. My students were showing signs of growth and understanding. Their ability to reflect on their reading and explain their thinking was expanding. They were applying the reading strategies while reading in every curriculum area. They were using the language of good readers and being metacognitive about their learning. Of course some made greater or quicker gains than others, but I could identify that and I knew how to address it. So this year, I learned side by side with my students. Sharing every success, failure (yes, there were several), and the joy of learning. I really loved it! Thanks to all.
This course has been a thrilling voyage for me and I feel very fortunate to be on this adventure with all of you. However, unlike the castaways on “Gilligan’s Island,” I don’t feel like we were stranded and cut off from the rest of the world (“district”). We’ve been allowed to construct our own knowledge as our students do the same. We were navigated by Tomasen, Tanny, and Debbie Miller and supported by incredible colleagues and administrators.
As I look back on the various ports of call (“blog entries”), I am reminded of all the struggles and highlights of the trip so far. I started off worrying about how to re-focus my focus lessons each day and the best ways to assess my students. I have since discovered some answers to some of my questions on my own through experience, trial, and error, and many from listening to and observing so many of you! I began to notice some incredible changes in my students that I simply hadn’t seen last year. I had the wonderful experience of seeing and hearing my own children benefitting from the Readers Workshop model in their own classrooms and I feel very fortunate to have not only a teacher’s perspective but a parent’s perspective as well.
As I begin to dream about where this voyage will take me next, I am excited to hear we may possibly get the chance next year to explore how this model can transform our writing instruction. I’ve already experienced on my own how the reading strategies naturally flow over into children’s writing and I’d love to explore this further. I also know that before this next leg of the journey begins, I will take time this summer to go back, re-read, reflect, and prepare for my next year’s students. I feel so fortunate to have this time to regroup and better prepare myself and my classroom for a full year of Readers Workshop. I still have so much more to learn and a long way to go to before becoming “Proficient With Distinction” but I want to get there!!
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."- Marcel Proust
This quote kept haunting me as I thought about my LTT journey. The reality is, it made me think of the 33 years of teaching and why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place. More importantly, why did I want to be a special educator? That links back to my Algebra I teacher virtually yelling at me in frustration asking me, “What don’t you understand?” No child should have that experience when trying to learn. Reading and Language Arts was my strength and I wanted to teach students who had difficulty learning to read. When I wanted to go on to obtain an M.ED, I asked myself what would benefit me as a teacher. I decided on reading because I felt there had to be a way to bridge the “usual special education reading tools” with real reading. That was where my true journey began. Like everything else, new ideas come and go.
Leave it to our newest change agent, Anna, to invite us on a journey (MOT) and present us with new challenges on the way and always with a grin on her face as if to say… “It’s good for the students. You’ll figure it out!” She presented us with a few life-lines in the form of books by authors such as Kean, Harvey and Tanney; Karen Verry was our faculty link, (brilliant I might add) and Jennie Marshall’s expertise made this so concrete. The LTT experience pushed us to see that we need to take risks with our teaching. Here, Thomasen invited us to step back and look at reading in a totally different way which, for some of us, was alien to what we had learned and believed. Scary for sure, but I always believed that change keeps us fresh and new. Out of 33 years of teaching, 28 years has been in special education. Fresh and new is a must. Low and behold, Reader’s Workshop offered me that bridge I was seeking for my students to achieve real reading.
I just finished reading “The Last Lecture” by Randy Paush. A totally insightful and uplifting read into what is important with life, family, and career. I reflected on all three of these areas but, I was able to finally have clarity when it came to my most recent “leg” of my educational journey, LTT.
“Don’t obsess over what people think”. I chose this one not because, I was worried about what my colleagues thought of me. It was more in the way of “What if I don’t do this right with all of these students with different abilities?” and “How can I do this like a classroom teacher?” Well, I can’t. My situation is different. I had to step back figure out how best to link this with student needs and IEP obligations. It is a work in progress, baby steps started. It is a slow walk now and a work in progress. The classroom teachers were more than likely asking themselves the same thing. We are all in this together. It makes it easier. We are a family at Soule and we help each other out. Classroom teachers, special educators, Title I, and specialists are working together to achieve the same goal no matter the job description and credentials.
“…the brick walls are there to stop other people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people. I have had many brick walls in front of me at times and LTT was no different. I often wondered how I was going to do this in my classroom. How can I release them to go on their own? How can I meet all of their needs? How can I do this with five grade levels and an imperfect schedule? (like I am the only one…not) How can I do this perfectly for everyone? I couldn’t see ahead and that was the frustrating part. Tenacity got me over the brick wall. I had to figure this out, and I am finding that there is no perfect way. “If at first you don’t succeed…” So, I keep trying different thing different ways to make this work while implementing the strategies and lessons in my own unique situation. “Reading is thinking which results from comprehension.” That is the ultimate goal. Students need to efficiently decode and comprehend.
“Don’t complain,just work harder”… “ Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier.” Very true! I’d like to think I wasn’t whining when I found myself working through a point of frustration but my beloved colleagues will probably say that sometimes, there was a definitive sound of whining here and there. Yes, I always have my wish list. But there are many things out of my control: Yes there is only one of me; yes your case-management duties are all compassing; yes, the schedule isn’t perfect; etc… So, I got on the scheduling committee; went on a sight visitation like everyone else to see the workshop in action; still working on ways to make the case-management part of this job work better; how to get in the classrooms more. Still a work in progress but an exciting one! My assistant, Belle, reminds me daily, “We will make it work.” She’s right.
“If you can find your footing between two cultures, sometimes you have the best of both worlds.” The goals I have for myself are still the same as those of a classroom teacher. Have the students into the classroom (least restrictive environment) as soon possible. A balanced reading program is a balanced reading diet. You give them everything they need to be a good reader and that means real books, with real language leading to real discussions and comprehension. The Reader’s Workshop allows the students to be a part of the class at their level and I know I can still meet their individual needs. I know that this is the direction our school district is heading. I plan to be a large part of it.
“Never give up!” A simple statement but important. Here are my thoughts from a former blog: Change has never been easy but complacency would be worse. We as teachers like to have an instructional climate that incorporates clarity of vision; efficiency of instruction; and student understanding within the parameters of our self-created comfort zone. When change is evident and we are thrust into the role of change agent, we feel the sting of discomfort. Our clarity of vision is cloudy and stormy. We want the expected change to settle into our instructional comfort zone easily and immediately. It's hard to experience the uncomfortable twinges that the uncertainty of change ultimately brings. We wonder how it will affect our students. We need to teach with the end in sight. Clarity of vision is important and we want it immediately. We are often struggling to have the murky end change brings to become clear and we want to "cut to the chase." But life is a series of changes and transitions. It is a chance to find out what works and how it fits into our daily instructional climate. Uncomfortable? Certainly, but well worth it. Change and transition keeps our teaching both fresh and new.
I end this blog with one more thought from Randy Pausch, “You cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how you play the hand.” In education, we are dealt new cards every day. Often one idea or initiative leads to another. My next direction of this journey is take the LTT Writer’s Workshop. It is the natural progression and one I welcome with relish. Thanks Anna, Jennie, and Thomasen for raising the bar, helping us see the possibilities, and help us with the means to get there. Thanks to Karen and Heather for keeping it real for us. Thanks to all of the Soule Sisters and Barron friends. They are always willing to try something new and help each other along the way.
We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."- Marcel Proust
This particular quote reminds me of last year at Mosaic study group, when I officially jumped on to boat and started the journey. I remember thinking back and learning about my own learning. I reflected on myself as a reader in order to gain insight on how to effectively teach reading to my students. We were asked to note our text using various strategies in order to understand each component and thinking WOW this is going to be hard to explain to a first grader. I felt apprehensive, not only because it was my first year teaching, but because I needed to trust in myself as a teacher.
I went to undergrad and graduate school at UNH and did learn some of the “theory” behind this way of teaching. Although I read about it, I had never seen it in action before. During my internship, I taught Open Court, which is on the other side of the spectrum as far as reading instruction is concerned. In Manchester, I taught only guided reading groups. Therefore, I feel that last year was my baby steps year. I would try out new ideas and feel the grounds to see if they worked. I experimented with ideas I found on Reading Lady, lessons from readings, and my colleagues. I think I dipped my foot in and out of the water quite a few times last year but was scared to take the full plunge.
Looking back to the beginning of this class, I was still eager to try to venture a bit but scared of the water. What if the waves knocked me down or worse if I lost the boat? What if I didn’t actually know what I was doing? What if I was teaching reading wrong? Then, I realized that I must trust in myself.
During a blog back in November, we were asked to define what reading is. I concluded that reading has many components including the “fab five” and other deeper level thinking and comprehension components. To me, a student is a reader when they develop a love for text. Even that first grader who is skimming pictures is a reader, perhaps not a reader quite like a fifth grader using sticky notes in search of a burning question, but they are becoming active with the text…developing that love! Of course, I know reading is more than just loving books but in first grade, creating a community of readers is a key component for students being vested in the process.
I have established my reading criterion many times before but I never realized how much of my own beliefs overlapped with this theory, how some of the ideas actually supported what I think about instruction. So that water started looking a little clearer and I think I actually saw my reflection.
Once I developed my beliefs, I needed to set a goal for my journey. After all, I couldn’t just float around aimlessly. I decided to let some of my lessons take on the Reader’s Workshop format. I had a mini-lesson, independent work time, and a share time. During this trial, I found that I spend most of my time with a long “mini-lesson” and not allowing enough time for independent time. Then, I started to observe some other teachers in my school to see how to effectively apply my lessons in such a short amount of time. Slowly my workshop took form. Finally, I was ready for the full dive into the water. Of course, I stopped and questioned along the way: I wondered how to check in with everyone everyday. I know it boils down to trusting my students and myself… something that Karen Verry had taught me. I like being able to butterfly conference in order to talk to everyone, however, the quality and structure of the conversations are not as deep as a full one on one. I also want to know how to conference with each child and run guided reading groups in only 45 minutes a day (making sure to meet with each child’s needs). On top of this, I am completing Running Records and still using the IRI from McGraw-Hill (not sure if that is good or bad), as well as, other assessment pieces I need to guide my teaching and evaluate my student’s learning. Although I still struggle with this part of the workshop from time to time, I know that my voyage is continuous.
In January, I wrote that I adore Reader’s Workshop and I am sure that most of you know this, but I will profess it anyway. I love that my students are vested in their reading! I love that when it is Reader’s Workshop time every student comes to rug enthused and waiting to see what skill he or she will try out that day! One day we missed it because of an assembly and boy were they bummed. I love that I see the carry over into DEAR time. Every student silently reads a book for 30 solid minutes…that can be a hard task for a first grader but they want to take the challenge. I even have children asking each other about books recommendations, characters, and authors without my prompting. It is AMAZING dialog to listen to. They use strategies across the curriculum and know they are using the same language as fifth graders! How exciting for a first grader. This was only January!
Looking back at the start of my journey, when I was scared to jump on the boat, I know that I have come a long way. I have had the time to reflect and assess my previous and current instruction. I was given the opportunity to dip my toe into the waters a few times before the big dive.
Now heading into May, I have seen a growth in my students, my instruction, and myself (both personally and professionally). I was asked to be a model for primary teachers within our school to help other colleagues see that they can do this and I believe in them. After reflecting on my journey, I know I am only one boat among a fleet of strong leaders…
I realize that I've put this blog off long enough. I'm sitting in an airport in Chicago with a 2 1/2 hour layover and nothing to do but think (OK, so I could be reading a good book but that's still in my vacation plans). Looking back, I can see that I've come a great distance. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but it's still a long way away.
My first observation, as I reflect, is that I was terrified of the BLOG!!! Not the technology of it - that was the easy part. It was having my thoughts out there for others to read. I was sure I had nothing to contribute, being a specialist rather than a classroom teacher. Who would want my opinion (besides Tomasen)? I persevered, not as faithfully as I should have, and I'm gaining confidence. I certainly learned a lot by reading everyone else's blogs. Thanks, ladies.
I realized that when we started this semester, my enthusiasm for using the reading strategies had grown. I was excited to finally be able to put a name to what I'd been teaching in research. Determining importance has obviously been my favorite. It's what we do when we research and I was in my element. I've worked with classroom teachers to provide our students with the best tricks of our trade. I feel more successful with every lesson I teach and every class I facilitate.
Stepping out of my comfort zone a little I began to incorporate a bit of questioning. What have you read and discovered? What do you still need to know? What questions are you asking about what you'd still like to know? I've always asked my students questions but I was new at asking them to ask themselves questions. A work in progress.
Inferring. My nemesis. How can I make students realize that sometimes you can infer in nonfiction reading and sometimes you can't. I can always tell which classes have recently had lessons on inferring Just this week one of my students wrote about John Adams and his brother Sam (cousins and about 25 years difference in age). It's hard for kids this age to turn inferring on and off.
I realize I'm on a journey and fairly surprised that I am enjoying it. I've done things in this class (singing!?!) that I never believed I would do. I hope to continue to stretch and grow. I am in awe of the quality of the educators that make up this class. The energy and enthusiasm that they bring to their work is amazing. It's been a privilege to learn with you and from you.
Well I guess I am the last one to blog again. Surprise surprise.
Looking back over the year and where I started from is very interesting. As most of you know I never really liked the basal reader and I always preferred using real books. I already had each child picking their own books and keeping them in their own folder. Each week the children would pick a book to take home and I would read with them during stations. So I was real excited that Reader's Workshop followed that method.
Yet I wasn't to sure I liked the idea of so much reading time and on their own so much. Especially at the beginning of the year. I also didn't feel as though I had a good understanding of what RW was. I never expected to be implementing the model this year.
Well now it is close to the end of the year and lots of things have happened. I had to implement it this year. I observed in Portmouth, and in a four other classrooms. I have been observed four times. Even when I had no idea what I was doing. Looking back I would have never had done the lesson that I did when Leslie observed me. I know better now.
I have to say that I am glad that I found the guide on what to teach when, although I don't really follow it anymore. Yet it was helpful in getting me started. I think it was a REALLY rough start. I didn't start at the beginning Instead I jumped into questioning. I know better next time to start with what is RW and explaining the tools and doing lessons on that first.
The one major part of this whole thing that I really like is that you are telling kids what a good reader or thinker looks like. I have been doing choice and reading with kids forever but I don't think I really ever got deep into their thinking. Yes they could decode, work on fluency and expression and answer my questions but never much deeper. This part I LOVE!!! Teaching the different strategies allows the student to dig deeper into their own thinking.
I don't think the journey to get here had to be quite so challenging. But nevertheless it was but I am at a different place now than I was at the beginning of the year.
I still have the challenge of fitting everything in and balancing stations and other language based activities with reader's workshop. I am also not good at hanging anchor charts but I am better at it than I was six months ago.
Kellie, I didn’t want you to think that you were the last. I, of course, am finishing after you.
Like Heather, I have to say that it is difficult to figure out where to begin this blog.
I think I need to read “The Last Lecture” to help me focus my blog as Angela did so nicely.
Thinking back to the beginning of the year I was very eager to get together and learn more about RW with Tomasen “the expert.” I enjoyed the half day classes that Tomasen lead the year before. There, Tomasen brought strategies and real reading activities to life for myself, and other teachers throughout the district. Goal sessions with Anna, Rhonda, and Karen blazing the way at Soule also helped to set the foundation of what was to come. I knew that working with Tomasen and supportive colleagues would be a great help to change my reading instruction but I didn’t know how much change would take place.
I had the bag of ideas and the list of strategies that would be necessary. I continued with McGraw Hill and went on my merry way. Having kids ask questions and trying with all my might to get second graders to turn and talk. Tomasen came into my classroom to see a reading lesson with a story about a cattle round up. Even thought I was having students work on asking questions, these kids were lost. Can you say “NO SCHEMA” on a cattle round up. I can see now how I was trying to fit the square peg into the round hole. Turn and Talk. My second graders were not good at this. I felt this was just a skill for older students. Now, I think that I may have been asking too much all at once. We were studying the strategies and I was trying to keep up with it all. I ended up throwing too much at my students without creating the ground work that they needed.
I slowed myself down and with the guide that Kellie found, I decided to go back and set up the classroom environment for RW. They had much of the language down for the strategies and I just needed to back up and talk about expectations for RW, picking books, and reading spot.
Going on the visitation to Portsmouth also helped. I loved how the teachers organized their classrooms, gave students designated reading spots, and kept a check list of conferences. I took these tools back to my class and talked to my students about how we would improve our readers’ workshop. I have a chart in my room that gives students a list of were their reading spot is for the day. Each week students are able to swap out their books. This is great! I don’t have to have students looking for books everyday or everyone looking for books the same day!! I have a class list that I use to keep track of the students I conference with daily. Students also have a book log to record the books that they read during RW.
Now when I ask student to turn and talk, they are not looking at me thinking “WHAT?” They feel very comfortable with the thoughts that they have and can share them easily with one another. Each peer is excited to talk about the story or about a connection that they have. One of the teachers in Portsmouth asked her kids to get “knee to knee” during gradual release. I have adopted that in my room and the students like this. There is no question to who am I talking to, and partners are forced to listen.
I thought that having a small group of students this year would make the transition to RW easy. It has been hard with our schedule and we took half a year to get the schedule settled. I have worked around the schedule to get RW to work in my class. While half my students are out to computers I get to have a guided reading group with the students that remain in the classroom.
This was a very bumpy journey and I am now feeling more confident. I look forward to feeling comfortable, the way Tomasen comes into the classroom!! I’ve enjoyed the support and sharing of ideas from everyone. Like Kerrie, I look forward to starting fresh next year. We know have more clear expectations of RW.
Thanks everyone!!
This final blog was a little daunting for me…which is probably why it has taken me this long to respond
Thinking about my (and our) journey through MOT and reader’s workshop this year and last is one that has been such a complex, scary and exhilarating learning experience...all at the same time. This mix of emotions I feel is what learning is all about, and it’s through this learning and challenging of ourselves where we as educators are able to define, change, and come closer to perfecting our craft…with the ultimate goal of teaching and showing our students how to become better readers, real readers, readers who love and enjoy reading.
These last 2 years has been the start of this journey. Through LTT and our MOT study groups my thinking and understanding of how to teach reading has been stretched, challenged, engaged, changed…but all in a positive way which has allowed me to grow as a learner and educator. This is what is so intriguing (for me) about education, this is what I truly love about teaching…and I hope this is something that I bring into my own classroom everyday. I want to stretch, challenge, engage my students in their thinking and have found that reader’s workshop brings this into my classroom in ways which I did not expect.
Through the year our reading has become more thoughtful, more invested and more exciting. And now this has transcended into other areas of our learning as well. The climate of the classroom is reflective of the deeper thinking that reader’s workshop inspires throughout all the content areas…all around the students are questioning, connecting, inferring more meaningfully. It is a breath of fresh air and excitement in our classroom.
Of course this journey has had its ups and downs…like every journey, and yet I welcome the challenges as well as the successes because as I said…I feel that it is through challenging ourselves that I feel we best learn and are encouraged to work towards creating optimum learning climates for our students. Of course, like many others, I began this process slowly…allowing myself to become acclimated and familiar with the model of reader’s workshop. Like many others, I remember reflecting upon similar challenges of how to meet with all my students while addressing their individual needs, and what logical sequence to follow through the mini lessons. However, I always had that sense that we were in this together and that I was not the only one struggling at times…it was a sense of security to hear other’s honest trials and tribulations as well as their successes.
As we continued upon our journey throughout the year I slowly began bringing the model more and more into the classroom. I was given opportunities to observe, welcome others into my classroom, read from a variety of literature, and confer with Tomasen and colleagues…all of which created a climate that welcomed my struggles and celebrations as we ventured on this journey together.
With this secure climate in place I began to feel more comfortable bringing reader’s workshop into my classroom, and as I did the scary and unsettling feeling slowly gave way to excitement as I began seeing the effects of this model. I saw more investment and enthusiasm in my student’s reading…and I began to see aspects of their learning and thinking that had not been present before. They began surprising me with their thinking and reflecting…which is what happens when you challenge and encourage your students to think more deeply and differently and do not limit them to pre determined ideas or notions (which is often what happens in basal readers with teaching points and student answers in place in the margins). The students know that their thoughts and ideas are valued, accepted and celebrated, they have choice in their reading and the knowledge base to practice the skills we discuss during our mini lessons…and as we work through reader’s workshop I let their discussions, questions and misunderstandings lead to future instruction. It is truly a climate where we are all learning together…and I often find myself saying to them “huh I never thought of it quite like that”.
As for the future I am excited and eager to see the start of the next year. I am anxious to start fresh at the beginning of the year implementing the workshop model, and look forward to bringing this model into their writing as well…since there is such a strong and inherent connection. I look forward to being challenged and stretching my thinking next year with the connection between the reader’s and writer’s workshop model…and thank you all for your support and help (this year and next).
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