We need to do better for our struggling readers and reluctant writers. I understand the reality of test scores, whether SBAC or SAT, often dictate how we approach the teaching of reading and writing. And after a year in which my students' test scores did not make the gains I wanted, it would be easy to abandon my philosophy of student choice and voice, instead opting for more teacher control and more direct instruction.
But I can't do that. I'm doubling down on the power of "wow." This week, Jennifer Serravallo's Reading Strategy 9.2, from The Reading Strategies Book, captured my attention as I reviewed our 6-8 ELA curriculum. The strategy, titled "Reading with a Sense of 'Wow'" invites students to "[a]pproach the text expecting to learn." How incredibly powerful for us to help our readers develop a mindset of curiosity and wonder. Using this strategy, and modeling it ourselves, will help students to have more "'Wow, I never knew...'" moments. Of course, for me, it means making sure that I am offering students high interest non-fiction that promotes questions for students to consider. As I have been doing, I searched for a partner Writing Strategy from her The Writing Strategies Book. Of course she delivered! Writing Strategy 4.8 "Find Your Passion to Focus" fits perfectly with "Reading with a Sense of Wow". In this strategy, students are asked to "Identify [their] passion and/or what [they] really think, feel, and believe." Students want to explore what they find important, especially at the middle school level. Whether students are writing to inform, explain, or persuade, they are more likely to invest into the writing process, which is time consuming and challenging, if they are writing about topics that move them. This is why finding high interest topics for their reading selections is critical. When partnering these two strategies, we can help students examine texts with curiosity, pointing to the ways in which the author captures and keeps our attention. Then, set them loose to use their passion and interest to create their own writing that captures and keeps their audience's attention.
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For me, one of the most important teaching practices we can include in our daily lessons, is that of promoting metacognition in our students. If we can help young readers to think, and think about what they thought, they will develop much quicker as readers and writers.
Today, I was thinking about how I, as an expert reader, come to a fuller understanding of what I read, especially with non-fiction. And as usual, I turned to Jennifer Serravallo's seminal book, The Reading Strategies Book, where I found that one important skill I use is "Consider Structure," which is strategy 8.19. In this strategy, the teacher's goal is get students to think about "How is the information being presented? What's the overall structure?" And then, after examining this, to think about how that structure impacts their understanding. Of course, the way that students make sense of the text, meaning, which approach do they use in their notebooks to show that understanding, is going to be determined by the structure. When students consider the author's structuring of the text, they have a better chance of synthesizing that material accurately in their reader's notebook. The follow up to this lesson, naturally, is one that asks students to consider how they, as young authors, present their information so that readers can make sense of it. In essence, what are the clues that an author uses to guide the reader to understanding. In her equally important book on writing, The Writing Strategies Book, Serravallo provides strategy 5.16, "Moving from Chunk to Chunk." One important way that writers guide their readers is through transitions. In strategy 5.16, we ask students to examine their writing, box up the sections and "[n]otice how you transition from one part to the next. Think, 'Did I use a transition word or phrase that makes sense given the relationship between the parts." In this process, it is again important to show mentor texts so that students see the language of compare/contrast, sequence, or providing examples being employed accurately. Then, ask student to consider the purpose of their piece and their choice of transition words. Many students, especially struggling readers and writers, have difficulty determining what the author intended to be the central idea or key details. Connected with this is the parallel issue for developing writers who don’t yet know how to emphasize the most significant ideas in their writing, or how to support their central idea or claim with enough strength.
Reading strategy 8.9, “Most Important...to Whom?” and Writing Strategy 5.34, “Weight the Parts of Your Piece” from Jennifer Seravallo’s Reading Strategies and Writing Strategies books can help teachers develop these skills in focusing on what is most important, while pointing out the connections between the reading process and the writing process. Reading Strategy 8.9 asks readers to consider what they think the most important from the text. Developing readers are understandably self-centered readers. They are expending a great deal of mental energy simply trying to understand the general meaning of the text. The easiest way to understand is through their own lens. But, the second part of this strategy is key to pushing readers to the level of being critical readers: ask them to consider what the author thinks is most important; follow that up with having them return to the text and find support, being sure to ask a lot of questions like “Do most of the details support that?” or “What’s different about your idea and what you think the author’s idea might be?”. When conferencing with young writers, it is important to get them to consider whether or not their readership will be able to determine what they, the authors, want to convey as most important. Writing Strategy 5.34 addresses this skill development. Have student examine their drafts and draw lines or boxes around the different parts of their text. Help them to question which part is most important by carefully considering the amount of writing and strength of writing in each section. Do they need to cut from a lesser section? Do they need to elaborate more in the area they want readers to find as most critical? As part of my own development as a middle school Literacy Coach entering a second year in the role, I am examining the incredible genius that is Jennifer Serravallo. We purchased both titles for our Language Arts team, and I will be reentering the blog world by posting about a reading and writing strategy each week.
Our very first unit when we return in late August is a narrative writing unit partnered with reading and analyzing short stories. This first post looks at how to use Writing Strategy 3.37, "Defining Moments", and Reading Strategy 7.4, "What Can Characters Teach Us?". First, any time that we as literacy teachers can help students make connections between reading and writing, we ought to jump at it, so partnering these two strategies made a lot of sense to me. "Defining Moments" has students dig deep into their own life story, mining their life for moments or experiences in life that have impacted them. By encouraging students to see how the plot of their own lives has shaped who they are as young person, we can than explore "What Can Characters Teach Us?" while examining a mentor text. The strategy of "What Can Characters Teach Us?" focuses on having students think about the character's traits and wondering why the character might act a certain way, and then moving that to asking "what can this character teach me about life?" As student generate small moment stories from their own life, they can then begin to develop a character who comes alive, acts in response to that life, and ultimately comes away with an important message about life. In both strategies, the teacher questions drive students to think and make connections. They aren't just doing an assignment for a grade; they are analyzing and evaluating at a high level. Make sure to help them see that connection between their own writing, and the reading that they do. "For quite a few years, now, the work of Carol Dweck regarding mindset has influenced our view of struggle and failure as impactful in student learning. We've now grown accustomed to the language of the Common Core State Standards, and the adjustment away from content to skills--noting that content still has a significant place in the process.
Now, we find ourselves asking what is the next step? Our next step must be to focus on students, individually, and collectively. Recently for my role as Literacy Coach, I have been privileged to work with The Center for Secondary School Redesign, who "are driven by our desire to be the voice of student-centered engagement and empowerment at the highest levels of policy and practice" (from their Vision Statement). This learning matches well with the values of the Great Schools Partnership, who seek to develop "an equitable, rigorous, and personalized education system that prepares every student for college, careers, and global citizenship. Because I have not fully operated in a student-centered school or classroom, here are a few easy steps to start the process: 1. Believe in the Excellence of Your Students: There is tremendous power when we shift our mindset as teachers to truly believe that students can learn regardless of perceived barriers like language, economics, or home life. Creating and sustaining this mindset will help you to stay focused on what is best for students. 2. Look for Small Ways to Relinquish Control: I don't recommend jumping right into student self-assessment or student-led conferences. But there are small ways to empower students by providing autonomy. Does every student have to write the same essay or produce the same end product? Can students choose from a variety of approved texts? Can you facilitate an inquiry process that leads students down various paths? 3. Allow for Mastery: I had always been an "in control" teacher. Here is the assignment. Here is the due date. Here is the penalty for being late. Here is a Zero.... This past year, I gave that up. I wanted my students to look at their learning as on going. I let students submit their work as many times as they needed to achieve the level of learning they were seeking. My students found success--though, admittedly, we have a long way to go in comparison to school around our State (but I believe we can get there if we continue this process). 4. Accept the Messiness!: Change of this magnitude is not clean, quick, or easy to stick with over time. The daily life of your classroom or school will feel very different. Protocols will shift. You will find there is yet another step to take. The initial struggles might push you to flee back to the safety of your old ways that were successful. In the end, though, your students will be engaged, and they will demonstrate learning in ways that make sense for them and us. At the core of the "Why?" question for me, is the issue of equity. Students, ALL students, deserve a learning environment that focuses on their development. Sometimes that can come collectively, but often it has to be tailored to the individual for it to be true and long-lasting. This week my students enter the gauntlet of end of year testing. From the SBAC to our District Benchmarks, students will be testing 80% of the days between April 24th and June 2nd. As our morning announcements laid out the plan and potential incentives for outcomes and behavior, I watched the faces of so many students shift to fear, indifference, and outright hostility.
I took the time to use our Circle Time to address the culture of testing and compliance inherent in most schools whose data, taken on the numbers alone, don't tell the real story. In an effort to alleviate the pressure of the testing season, we talked about how to navigate this year's American Testing Warriors course. 1. Be honest with yourself. For many of my students, we needed to address the truth. SBAC and Benchmarks judge us against the 7th Grade Standards. Many of my students arrived without having met the 6th grade, or even the 5th grade standards. If we aren't honest that this a result of adult failures and student failures, we can't be our best. If students are blaming teachers, they will remain disconnected. If teachers are blaming students, they will fail to push through frustration. 2. Focus on Growth Yes, the outcomes are important. They allow us to better understand current student levels; we can then address potential solutions. It's that data cycle we all know so well. But if we only reward students who meet outcomes, we are implying that the hard work of students who make significant growth towards the standards is not important. The message that outcomes matter more than the effort serves to defeat our struggling students, actually hindering our overall progress. 3. Encourage #mindsetforlearning I remain energized by the work, A Mindset for Learning of Christine Hertz and Kristine Mraz. In the Circle, we were honest with our current levels, but we spoke Optimistically about their ability to perform at their best. Their teachers had provided the needed instruction; they have put in the effort. These two components will give them a great opportunity to be their best. We spoke about the flexibility of trying different methods when they get stuck, and how their resilience throughout the year had helped them handle the struggles of 7th grade. We examined the persistence they had shown in resubmitting work until they were happy with their scores. And, we shared our the empathy we show towards each other will allow us to support each other during the testing window. 4. This is about their opportunity, not ours Like many schools, the evaluation system attaches testing outcomes to our final evaluation. That personal level of anxiety can filter out to our students, who are more perceptive than we sometimes give them credit for. Yes, the final outcomes matter to me, but they cannot tell the truth of what is accomplished in my classroom. The students tell the story through achieving at their personal best. From the start of the year, my students have heard me repeat, perhaps annoyingly so, that they have excellence inside of them. They can show that through, among other things, being optimistic, resilient, persistent, flexible, and empathetic. If they live those values, I trust they will demonstrate amazing growth. In the end, some will reach the District and State standards. Some will not. Before my own children begin go off to school or athletic event, I remind them, "Work hard; do your best; take a risk; have fun." Let's encourage our students to do the same while competing on American Testing Warriors. Going through my now defunct, original blog, I came across a post from almost 10 years ago--a time well before I had honestly considered educational leadership. However, I had unsuspectingly taken my first steps towards pursuing work at building level of leadership. Here is that post:
"My older brother recommended a book to me, and this afternoon I stopped at Barnes and Noble to purchase the book, Strengths Finder 2.0. The book can be found in the Business Management section. The purpose of the read was to discover what my natural instincts indicate my top five themes of strength are in relation to the career I have chosen. This year, more than any, I have felt underutilized. The result of feeling underutilized is that I am restless and wanting more from my job. Rath lists six results from when "you're not able to use your strengths at work..." 1. dread going to work. 2. have more negative than positive interactions with your colleagues 3. treat customers poorly 4. tell your friends what a miserable company you work for 5. achieve less on a daily basis 6. have fewer positive and creative moments All six of these thoughts and realities have expressed themselves this year. Some of the culpability certainly rests on my outlook of the situation, but much of it stems from a drastic change in the way I am able to perform as a teacher. I never gave my previous principal credit for creating an environment for me that allowed me to grow as a teacher and to succeed as a teacher. After taking the online quiz, which is only available with a unique code from the book, I discovered my top five strengths. The descriptions and warnings have already begun to influence me. Here are my top five with their brief 'Shared Theme Description:' 1. Activator--people who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient. 2. Communication--people who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters. 3. Adaptability--people who are especially talented in the Adaptability theme prefer to "go with the flow." They tend to be "now" people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time. 4. Command--people who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions. 5. Self-Assurance--people who are especially talented in the Self-Assurance theme feel confident in their ability to manage their own lives. They posses an inner compass that gives them the confidence that their decisions are right. I want to follow up with more posts relating this book to teaching. But first, let me just thank my previous principal, Mr. Dean, for allowing me to operate according to my strengths. Even when I took risks within my strengths, Mr. Dean never hindered my growth. I didn't necessarily appreciate it fully in the moment, but I do now." Here I sit, ten years later, finding so much in this post that is true today. I continue to use these five themes and strengths of mine. I continue to be thankful for the model of Mr. Dean. Further, I am thankful for the first two administrators to recognize in me these same skills, encouraging their growth, and leading me towards my pursuit of administration, Mr. Whibey and Mr. Merlino. Upon completing my coursework for Educational Leadership (shout out to UCAPP's East 25), our mentor distributed an artistic, wire-woven, giraffe. She explained that we should be willing to "stick our necks out." As I work on updating my resume, her symbol and words are more than appropriate.
Last summer I put my neck out more times than I want to remember, seeking to land that first position as a Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, or Principal. I failed to even get an interview with 70%. With 15% of the schools, I had one interview and wasn't moved forward. The other 15% actually were obvious learning experience as I moved on to multiple interviews. In the end, I returned to the classroom feeling more dejected than I ought to considering how I am regularly championing the idea that failure is okay. I say it to my students. I say it to my children: "Be kind, compassionate, polite. Work hard. Take risks." Now, as the application season opens for business, I am forced to reflect on the risks, and whether sticking my neck out helped me to grow in this profession I love. Takeaway 1: Mastery Based Learning is worth the effort because, and this can be tough, it is more about the students than the adult. I can't say I have mastered MBL, but I definitely waded into the waters and flopped around a bit. Now when interviewing, I will be able to speak to MBL through the lens of experience and not simply as philosophy. Takeaway 2: For a school to be successful, teacher leaders are essential. One of my weaknesses has been that I can be too "in my own head". This can lead to doing things for or to people instead of with them. I have had the chance to lead Restorative Practices in my classroom. Each session starts with a circle, much like you would find in a Responsive Classroom. As the school begins to roll the practice out to the whole group, I can say that I have been a part of helping the Principal go about change in a thoughtful, grass-roots, manner. When I get that first building leadership position, I will remember the impact of allowing teachers to lead change. Takeaway 3: Growth can happen only when we are willing to learn. In all honesty, I was not happy about so much rejection. But when my 10 year old daughter failed to make a team she was passionate about making, she explained that she was sad, but knew what she needed to improve at for the next time. She made a plan. She also added, "Dad, it's kind of like you not getting a principal job. You just have to keep believing." In the final analysis, I am ready to stick my neck out again. Though it took a while to finish George Couros's The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity, I can now reflect on my takeaways. Before doing so, I must confess that this book made feel woefully inadequate, but in a way that will force me to better shape and craft the experience of students and teachers when I finally put into use my recently earned Connecticut Administrator Certification,
1. Take Risks That Seek to Improve Student Experiences Our business is to educate young people to discover the excellence inside of them and to discover the avenues to use that excellence for a common good--personally, locally, and globally. Couros confirms for me that by "[f]ocusing on the learner, not just the learning, shifts the focus to a larger moral imperative to embrace the opportunities to educate and empower the students in our schools and classrooms in a powerful way" (p. 141). When we put students first, we are forced to examine the policies, procedures, curriculum, and instruction to determine whether or not they are truly empowering those students. Of course risk is scary, especially in the current system of accountability. A monumental philosophical shift cannot happen over night. As I consider my own future as a leader, one in which I am very willing to challenge the status-quo, I appreciated Couros's continual return to that question, "what is best for students?". When I have the opportunity to get to the why for this shift, I will have to be both careful and bold in getting that philosophy out to parents, teachers, and students--though I think students would be much more open as a whole. 2. Focus on Strengths to Uplift Weaknesses Many years ago, and again just a couple of years ago, I examined my own strengths with Tom Rath's StrengthsFinder 2.0. Having spent considerable time educating in high needs schools, I can speak first-hand to that emotional conflict as people outside of the classroom focus on how the school is failing. It is demoralizing and unsatisfying. Teachers feel it; students feel it--and they all talk about it. Couros reminds us, or maybe teaches us, that "we need to make sure our educators and students have ample opportunity to explore and practice in areas which they thrive" (p.126). A practice I learned from Justin Baeder (@eduleadership) started my growth towards strengths based leadership. He suggests spending time visiting classrooms for the singular purpose of leaving the teacher a positive note on a strength of theirs. Couros opened my eyes to a host of other ways, as has my experience as an elected member on the Ellington Board of Education, where the leadership team has actively pursued avenues for teachers and students to discover their strengths and explore how to continue to build on them. 3. Innovation and Empowerment are Not Endpoints The title's key word is "Mindset." We can have 1:1 devices and 3D printers, but in time the world will change again. Innovation and empowerment are mindsets that can best be summed up when he writes, "we must commit to perpetually moving forward, for our own sakes and for the benefit of the schools and students we serve" (p. 217). We must be adaptable, and willing to adjust midcourse if that is what is needed. We must approach this craft of education with purposeful dedication to benefiting the students. That focus, and the connected belief that our students can be great, is what will help us to be truly innovative in how we educate students. Up next, I will be reading Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom by Mark Barnes. Early in my teaching career, someone asked me if I would ever become a principal. The conversation included a mention of "the dark side," a phrase often used to describe school administrators. Today, I am actively pursuing my first administrator role in the public school world. Paying attention to the journey has proven insightful.
As I am making this transition, I am reading George Couros's The Innovator's Mindset, a wonderful exploration of leadership that promotes a culture of empowerment in both teachers and students. So much of what he explores resonates with who I want to be as a leader. He describes "moving from compliance and engagement to empowerment" When asked in an interview to describe my beliefs about homework, I stumbled my way through the response because I, quite frankly, had not anticipated that question during an interview for Assistant Principal. Later, when I reflected on the answer I gave (philosophically I think we overemphasize homework and its role), and the response it garnered (a clear belief in the value of homework), I found myself going back to Couros's examination of compliance vs. empowerment. An important principle in my own leadership beliefs is that if we empower students and teachers to reach their own greatness, then our schools will become places of transformation. What I do know, and will be better at explaining in the future, is that homework given to teach responsibility or work ethic is simply a compliance driven practice. It's not that homework is inherently compliance based, but unless that task has true instructional purpose, then it isn't serving to empower the student. |
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