Darlene had a suggestion for our blog and I think it is a great one! This week I am asking that you take some time to navigate your way through the blog and do some reading, some rereading and some reflecting. If you click on each post, all of the comments will be listed below it. Take this time to go back through the different posts to see what people have written before you and after you. Notice how the conversations take twists and turns. Feel free to comment again after a certain section or not! If you have missed a post, then take the time to weigh in now! Remember, this is our place to continue our conversations, to ask questions, to ponder and make sense of our teaching in this crazy culture that we call education! Below is some of the rough thinking I have been doing about all of you and your school as of late! I am working with a colleague on a book proposal on "The Improvisation of Teaching" if you will. As I mentioned this is a very rough draft, but I am hoping it captures some of what I sense that day in class. We are trying to speak about the art of teaching and the role that each of us plays in that.
Energy is Catching!
A big part of my work is working directly with teachers. As I was driving to the Windham school I realized half way there that I had forgotten the registration forms for class that afternoon. As I turned around to go get them I called Laura and told her. Laura is a long time friend and colleague. We worked together in the “good ole’ days” and team taught every chance we could. We had a rhythm teaching together and got energy from each other as we discussed, planned and executed great teaching moments! Her response was to take my time, but to be SURE to see her because she did the coolest thing with her students that day. I hung up the phone and smiled, not remembering the last time I had heard that kind of energy in her voice about teaching. What HAD she done? I couldn’t wait to find out what brought on such a flurry of excitement.
When I arrived she accosted me with a great smile and a stack of papers saying, “you HAVE to see this!” This is the lesson she told me about.
Laura described talking with a colleague about her job and how it had become on of shuffling and mastering paperwork. She was finding herself getting bored with the constant need for grades, accountability and testing. She was experiencing a great deal of sadness about the state of teaching and what she was required to do. So, after this conversation she decided to make the time to do some poetry with her students. She uncovered a treasure of images from another teacher and hung up one of the photos, asking the students in her small remedial group to brainstorm words and phrases that came to them as they looked at the image. She listed everything they said. As she looked at the list she realized that they were focusing on the sights. She spoke of the other senses and asked each of them to think about what it would smell like, sound like and feel like to be in this setting. And the list went on. After they brainstormed, she told them they were going to take some time
(Insert Laura’s piece about the process)
I knew I would be meeting with Laura and her 16 colleagues that afternoon. After visiting various classrooms the wheels in my head were turning. I had come with a solid plan for that day’s class and it would be fine to do, but I also knew myself well enough to know that this “energy” theme was going to make it’s way into our class that day. It, in fact, was imperative that it did because this was the school that I drove away from just before Christmas thinking about how it was a pressure cooker and that at any moment the roof of the school was going to blow off with all of the pressure that was building. (You have no idea just how vivid this image was, and the fear that had been instilled in me as a child from my mother about not getting near the pressure cooker…because it could explode at any moment and kill me…was overwhelming. I was afraid, afraid for these teachers and afraid for our kids!) The administration had made the decision to move to a basal program and this group of incredibly talented, creative, intuitive, artful teachers were breaking under the pressures to complete so many pages within so many days. The art of teaching was slowly being squelched out of them in the name of test prep, basals, worksheets and time pressures. I could see, feel and sense their utter distress of what was being required of them. These were seasoned teachers who love children, the prospect of what each new day would bring and here they were being reduced to reading manual after manual and reciting from that manual and giving assignments that they themselves knew were meaningless. They were drowning in these manuals, they were suffocating under the heavily-laden expectations of what these programs would “supposedly” do for test scores.
As I continued to think about my conversations throughout the year with many of the teachers, one common theme ran throughout. “How am I supposed to do all that I “have” to do and also get to do the things that I KNOW are what my students need?” Laura made a very deliberate choice on this day and the results blew every single person who knew these children out of the water. Me, I am always humbled by the voices of children, but I am never surprised. In fact, I expect those kinds of thoughtful, creative voices to come out. They crave the opportunities for their voices to be heard, their thinking to be explored and valued. The more we take this out of our curriculums, the more they will show us, again and again, just how critical it is!! We MUST listen to our kids!!
So as I entered class that afternoon I knew I was about to improvise, as Laura had improvised that morning with her students. I was going to teach from a place of not knowing, a place that I knew most of these teachers needed to go, a place where we could be authentic in both our teaching, our discussions and our learning together. I started out by telling the story of hearing Laura’s voice on the phone and the energy that I heard there. I posed the question about “What gives you energy?” and then Laura shared her story with great enthusiasm and sheer pleasure! You could see that this had allowed her to tap back into the reason she went into teaching in the first place. She allowed herself, gave herself the permission to go back to a way of teaching that she is masterful at; a kind of give and take that combines the thoughts and the thinking of both the students and the teacher. It is a collaborative effort that kept everyone engaged. It was thinking on her feet. She didn’t know she would move into the other senses until she realized and made the change on her feet that they needed more information other than just the visuals from this image. This is GREAT teaching! It takes us places we don’t know about. Just as this class would take a turn and take us all somewhere that I had no idea about!!
When I asked again the question about energy I felt the pull of those who wanted to talk about what took energy away…as that is what is most on their minds…that is what they spend much of their time thinking about…but I really wanted them to get back in touch with what gives them energy and so I redirected. Remembering…that I did not know where this conversation would lead, but I did have a very specific sense of where I did not want it to go! Not into a bitch session, but to a constructive place where each teacher could look at their teaching from the point of view of what is good for them and their students. They were quick to respond and what followed was powerful. There were conversations about different things people had tried, on the sly, with their students and the celebration of what they might do next. After this discussion we went into what I had planned, but what permeated the entire two hours was the feeling of possibility. There was hope in the air and that is something I have not felt in a long time.
The goal of the day was to share with the group part of my library of children’s literature that I use all of the time to teach. We are reading Katie Wood Rays Wondrous Words. I brought in some of my favorite children’s literature and asked teach pair to choose a book and read it like a writer. Most chose a book they had never seen before and the excitement on their faces was contagious as they poured over The Napping House and Where Are You Going Emma? with great interest and engagement! They laughed and read as though they had not had a good dose of good literature in a long time. One teacher commented that she wished her children were still young so that she could read some of these books to them! After each pair shared what they had found about craft, I asked them to dust off some of their old favorites and to bring them into their classrooms. I talked about how I use all of these books over and over to teach reading comprehension strategies, writing craft, text structure, vocabulary and the list goes on. Getting to know just a couple of books really well allows us to use them over and over. Nothing spectacular about what we were doing, but what was spectacular was the engagement and the willingness to go through these texts with hopeful eyes. I cannot accurately explain the shift that I felt in the energy in the room, but I can only trust that you will believe me that it was there!
I am not saying all of the pressure dissipated, but there was a sense that as we went through a stack of children’s books and read them as writers, that they would and could bring some of these ideas and others back to their students and make the choice to tweak their days to include good literature and choices in their writing. Each pair shared their book with great enthusiasm and respect, remembering those favorite books that needed to be dusted off from their shelves.
I got an e-mail from Darlene who was in class with us last night. She wrote simply,
Tomasen,
YOU are definitely my energy in teaching! Darlene
And as much as I’d love to take the credit for this, I reflect and realize that it was the energy of the group that gives us energy in our teaching. We are all in this together and as long as we can continue to have conversations about what we KNOW in our hearts to be good teaching…then we too will survive this ridiculous right wing swing in the educational pendulum that has so many of us scratching our heads, even banging our heads and waiting and wondering how long it will be before we find some sense of equilibrium! I too left with the hope that we can and will endure and even facilitate the move towards a better education for all of our kids!
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12 comments:
First of all, I agree with Darlene. I have never taken a class that has given me so much to take back into the classroom. We do more then "theories", we do "practical application". I only wish there were less third grade teachers taking the class so I wouldn't have to hear my kids say. "We already did that in the classroom". Only kidding.
I do feel that we as a group have had several conversations regarding our frustrations with how teaching has changed. I also don't feel like they have all been "bitch sessions". As teachers, we need opportunities to vent. We vent and move on.
I too was excited by Laura's lesson (because I worked with those student two years ago). Sandy and I tried Laura's lesson the other day. We, however, did not meet with as much success. I am not sure that I picked the best picture. We will try again!
This afternoon I worked with a group of students who were all talking at the same time. It was really neat. Because the group was small (4 kids), it was not necessary for them to raise their hands. Their enthusiasm for sharing their ideas (that were focused and on target) was really exciting for me. I think that finding moments in teaching that are not part of the basil/program, help give enegy to both my students and myself.
I would like to comment on Laurie's writing idea she blogged about last week. Laurie explained that she let the kids draw a picture of a character as a beginning exercise. She loved the enthusiasm being shown by her class, but she wasn't sure what to do for a final project. Laurie, if it were me, I think I would have them write a descriptive paragraph. Before the kids start writing, perhaps you could create a rubric for the paragraph together; then the kids would feel more ownership towards the project. I really love your idea! I hope you don't mind if I try it in my classroom.:-)
ME,TOO....I cannot wait for my kids to put their artistic abilities to use...we are going to stop for some creative input into their books before they continue to write...I love the idea...thanks, Laurie!
I would like to respond to Deb's last blog about helping the student's but not ending up with too many of our thoughts and ideas in their writing and not their own. For students who are good writers that is not usually a problem. They may need help with editing down their work, but a lot of it is revision. I'm talking about the kids with language issues who struggle just to formulate their ideas, or find the words to put their thoughts on paper. By giving them lots of models and many choices I hope that we can give them that spark to keep going. Modeling with the mentor tasks has proven very beneficial and has given me renewed energy this year. It sounds like such a simple concept I wonder why I haven't been using more of it the past few years? The more exposure they get to the written word the more they will learn and improve. I feel the picture books are so valuable because it also gives them the picture to go with the words they are hearing. I will continue to model with these books and hopefully the beauty of the words will be contagious!
Thank you, Christine, for your suggestion of pairing the character illustration with a descriptive paragraph. I think you sensed my discomfort with simply leaving the lesson without the satisfaction of completion or meaningful direction. A descriptive paragraph is a great way extend the lesson without making the project larger than it needs to be. I am flattered that you and Lisa find the idea worthy of a writing workshop in your own classrooms. Thank you, and let me know how it goes!
As a classroom teacher of writing for 25+ years, I am frequently and pleasantly surprised to gain so many writing ideas that I have never used in my writing lessons. I recall classes on teaching reading, math, and science in college, but none on writing.
It has always been an area I have not been fully comfortable teaching. I have learned how valuable modeling is to my students. I have actually had the courage to model my writing without preplanning...writing on the spot. I shared my thoughts with my students while I developed, edited, revised, and improved a writing piece on large chart paper. I've also discovered many excellent mentor texts to use with various topics and themes covered in our curriculum. I have never taken more practical and useful college level courses than those I have attended with Tomasen. My teaching methods has improved greatly as a result of all I have learned. Thank you!
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Sara! Good for you!!!! This week you were the first to comment. You took over Laurie's title from last week!
This is a good energy week. I think back to a few weeks ago when many of us were talking about the changes in education and how much we dreaded the monotony of teaching lessons that are so programmed, systematic and skill oriented that we find ourselves bored. Heck, what does that say about the children in our classrooms???? On top of all the curriculum changes/additions/grade-level-expectations, we are asked to complete more paperwork and be more accountable for everything from grades, notes to special education, teacher goals, reading and responding to e-mails, blogs (sorry Tomasen), student social issues, summative reports, pre/post observation notes, My Learning Plan upkeep, recertification requirements, etc.!!! No wonder we were (are)
cranky and need to vent.
We crave the ENERGY that a good lesson full of "a-has" can give us. You know, the ones where we go home with a HUGE smile on our face or where we are anxious (like Laura!) to share with a colleague. Sharing in our class validates our feelings and allows us to move beyond the test-prep oriented lessons to those which we know WORK. The lessons where the children beg you not to stop and change gears to another subject!
Energy comes from doing what you know is right in your heart and soul. It’s about recharging your battery with things that make you feel your time is well spent. If our goal is to teach the best that we can, some of the restrictions placed on us by people who don’t spend their time working with children, needs to be "snipped". How great it would be to BREAK FREE of the "have tos" and see what would happen if we did it “our way”...with heart, and meaning and true joy!
Oh, Tomasen. I can only comment on what you have written as it touched me so very deeply. Your words said it all and so eloquently. You gave me such a feeling of relief and verification, in written words, of how I feel every day. Laura and I have talked a lot about the "Way we like to Teach" and that we have to do our way or else we'll soon die on the vine. So, I told her about the ice hotels and the energy and enthusiasm I was having, and seeing the kids loving it and even wanting to stay in from recess to work on the project. We made a pact, and decided to go for it - doing,at least once a month, something that we want to teach in the way the makes more sense for us and therefore our kids. And so it began ...
This class,along with all of the enthusiasm from my colleagues, gives me, not only energy, but the springboard and the ok to try new things in the way in which I like to teach. I guess, in a way, I'm rebelling against, to a degree, the way in which we "Have" to teach to what I believe is "Best Practices." So, in sum, thank you Tomasen, once again,for saying and writing, exactly how I feel. LET'S GO FOR IT MY FRIENDS. WE KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR KIDS!
I LOVE when the class gets excited because the "energy" is contagious. The children are a wealth of information and creativity. I found this as we were exploring their fables. We had shared some in class in then I brought in my Aeosops Fables to share with them. the children like to predict the morals, but more importantly began to create their own.
I decided that we needed to tell the children's stories so we talk for a bit about what our own fables could look like. Then i let the children go. They first chose a moral and were off and running. I heard comments like, "I love this!" and "I want to write another one!"
We then put them on a writing program where the kids could pick their pictures. The results were amazing. I have them posted outside my room.
We all know what gives us pleasure and ownership and it's a great feeling to be among teachers that all agree!
To me, this class is more about bringing a group of professionals together, than individual learning. I get so excited to read about what everybody is doing and to see the excitement spreading. I love to read what Cory says because she always shoots from the hip...but it is sooo true. We need to have more time to do what we know is right. I am behind you Sue, better yet, standing right beside you!
I lucked out this week. I did find something that worked in my classroom. I originally saw this lesson in Darlene's room and then tried it out in Barb's with much success.
You know when you hit a low point, you are just so stagnent and bored, bored, bored. So I grabbed the folder of prints and picked out a poem a student had written. I read it several times to my students, without showing them the picture. We talked about visualizing. Then we reversed the process and started out by looking at a print and then brainstormed words, phrases describing what we saw, felt and thought of when we looked at the print. Leaving the "list" up on the chart, I gave them paper and told them to write about the picture. This is what I heard: "I cant't write poems because I can't rhyme?" "How long does it have to be?" We all began to write.
What I got was amazing. The students wrote and wrote. And then they all wanted to share, and then write some more. Before we moved on to another poem, we talked about taking words out of our writing to make it more powerful. Have you ever heard of that? We are always at our students to add words to their writing! We made a list of words/phrases to cut out. They shared their original pieces and because we are such a small group we conferenced whole group. Through conferencing they revised and rewrote and shared again. I saw excitement in my students. I felt their excitement and joined them.
It felt good
Ever-so-very-belatedly I'd like to comment on Laurie's entry on Monday, Jan. 21st. Her comment was about the quote:"We often teach revision as if it were like being sent back to clean your room again because you didn't do a good job the first time." She was critical of herself for making the editing process a negative experience for her students. Number one, I'm sure she doesn't; number two, I think even young writers need to learn the very important difference between editing and revising. Getting children to really revise a written piece historically is impossible. They are absolutely married to those words as they first came out of their pencil tips! For some reason, the past couple of years I have felt far more successful in getting children to really revise. My only explanation is that they are ultimate clearly able to see their piece improve step-by-step. I let them know that in my own writing, I continue to revise up to the very minute I have to submit something. Even then, when I revisit the work, inevitably I find any number of things I would have phrased differently. Positive feedback is huge during the process; they need to know their extra work is noticed and successful. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a child absolultely thrilled with a final piece of writing which they think is the most perfect thing they have ever written. They need to know that getting there never is a one-step process; but rather requires many revisitations with time in between. Of course this takes TIME. . . and where has that gone?
I liked what Deb said, "I LOVE when the class gets excited because the "energy" is contagious. The children are a wealth of information and creativity..." Through out the blog, she disscussed her students' excitement about a fables lesson. Her students energy and excitment bubbled up. I have noticed that we get just as excited about the activities that we discuss in this class, and as just are thrilled to show our students work. I guess we are still children at heart, and that is pretty nice to know.
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