Reflecting on YOUR Reflections!!

“And as I look back, I see how trying out one little thing lead me to the point I am at today. After trying the “status of the class,” I realized some changes needed to be made. I began to individually ask students about their reading, which never ended up being a simple “What book are you reading now?” I found that these “status of the class” interviews were not quick encounters and I was definitely not getting to my entire class during one session. Well, what do you know, that was because I wasn’t just getting their status, I was actually conferencing with them about their reading! Just like that, I moved from “just” doing status of the class, to conferencing with my students about their reading.” ~Erina

I love how Erina describes her own process of discovery in the Reader’s Workshop. Her willingness to try even just one small part, the status of the class, led her to thinking about what other parts she was or was not doing. Sometimes it is in the doing that we discover where it is we want to go. The day we stop discovering and stop thinking…is the day we need to find a new profession! Thank you Erina for taking the risk to dive in and just “try” something! It is taking you to new places where you can see, hear and feel the thinking of your first graders. How cool is that?

“When reading through my blogs I noticed a theme. I was overwhelmed, struggling and resisting the change. Maybe I still am a little bit, but the difference now is that I’m embracing the change.” ~Deanna

Deanna, the power of reflection is shown so clearly in this passage you wrote. Initially I think it is a natural part of the process to resist change, but in taking the time to read through your thoughts and reflect upon them you were able to track your own process and thinking. I love how you identified two very distinct things you tried that began the process of change in your classroom and in your thinking. Taking the time to reflect can be difficult, but after this long year of trials and tribulations, it is essential to look back and see where we have started, where we are now and where we want to go. You have done a great deal of hard work this year! Bravo!!

“I find that students often make choices based on what is popular, or what others are reading, and don't always choose great literature by distinguished authors. I remember the fad of reading Harry Potter books. The language in those books is difficult and beyond most 5th graders for true comprehension.”
“But I do not want to judge the program without trying it. If needed I can always adapt it to fit our needs better. I am anxious to see the level of comprehension my students experience with their books of choice, and how well I am able to gauge that through their writing.” ~Dolly

Dolly, I chose two passages from your reflection because you so clearly demonstrate a shift in your thinking after your observation of the workshop. I truly believe that “seeing is believing” and for you this is shown here. You have opened up your mind to try it out and go for it after this observation. Before that you were still resisting and questioning the idea of book choices. Trusting your students to make good choices is one thing, but part of this process is to use the one thing that changed your thinking…modeling! Seeing is believing and “showing” your students how to pick appropriate books is part of the process. I do still wonder though…who defines a “distinguished” author and who says they are better than something like a Harry Potter book? How do you get your book ideas and recommendations? Share that with your kids? Do you read only distinguished authors or could you be caught at the beach with a Danielle Steel book in the summer? I think we have to be careful in judging literature…because really…whose opinion matters more? I would argue the opinion of the reader is the most important because it is their choice! Thank you Dolly for sticking with us on this journey!

“Even after 30 years of working in primary classrooms and learning so much about my students, change once again rears its ugly side in many insecurities. We all want so much to do the right thing and see our students grow, learn and develop into independent thinkers. This is the point where I am today. I feel that I myself have become more independent in making decisions with what we have available to us.”
“I have never had discussions about books like I do now and I have never seen my students so excited about reading. (We recently had a 35 minute discussion about a book that can be read in 5 minutes!) So, while I know I have much to think about and work out, I feel that I am heading in the right direction and my students are learning to be independent thinkers and for me, that is everything!” ~Liz

Liz, I chose two passages from your reflection as well because I noticed a pattern emerging. Your independent thinking allows you to value and see how the independent thinking of your students can impact their learning processes. I know that through the years programs have come and gone, but the one thing that remains constant in my mind is that we want our students thinking! We are all searching for that perfect balance between direct teaching and practice which is why I always go back to the Gradual Release model. Thank you for a great year and your willingness to also just jump on and try new things!!


“My participation in this class has definitely made me be more reflective! Blogging forced me to think! I do have to say that my lesson plans take me quite a long time this year because I’m trying to incorporate more of the strategy lessons & also am trying to put my creative twist on things too. I think it is so important that we continue to have our own personal style in our classrooms. Learning by imitation is great, but when you make something your own---it’s so rewarding and naturally more effective, I think.” ~Leslie

Leslie, I love how your reflection included all of the book groups and thinking you have been doing over the past three years. This just illustrates beautifully how change takes time and that given the time we can come to a place of discomfort and then comfort while making it our own. I agree that we still have to have our own personal styles and that is why I am not a proponent of big “one size fits all” programs. How can one have personal style when reciting from a teacher’s handbook? The Reader’s Workshop allows for teachers to have this creative outlet as well as for our students to have this sense of individuality as they develop and learn to be readers. It has been my pleasure!

“After 22 years of teaching reading I thought I had all the wisdom I needed and I didn’t need to discover any more. Boy was I wrong!!! I have discovered so much wisdom from this journey not because I read it in a book but because I discovered it for myself through talking, sharing and observing colleagues. I discovered it from my students. I listened to their thinking, wonderings and their perspectives. The time spent on this journey with my colleagues and students has made me excited about teaching reading.” ~ Carol

Carol, you are one of those teachers that I love telling my colleagues about. This new way of thinking has brought new life into your teaching. Your experience of 22 years allows you to embrace it with great passion. Conversations, observations and working with others are how true learning lives. Hearing the thinking of our students and our colleagues allows us to work through our own thinking and be a part of the process and not outside of it. We are not the teachers at the front of the room anymore, we are the teachers thinking and learning alongside our students. This is a major shift and it has been delightful to watch you embrace your own process and those of your students!!


“Thank you, ladies, for all the laughs this semester. Mostly thank you for having the courage to share your defeats as well as your triumphs. Sometimes we learn as much from the not-so-great lessons as we do from the great ones.” ~Janet

The idea of failure is one that has created a great deal of wonder in me. Janet speaks to this idea that we often learn as much from our not so successful lessons as we do from those that are successful. Through the process of reflection we are forced to consider what went well and what didn’t. We have to probe a bit deeper to discover just what was missing that we can do differently next time. THAT is what I love about teaching. We can always be thinking and ever-changing our thinking based on our experience, our students and our knowledge. Thanks Janet.

“I am so happy our district has given us a lot of freedom this year to try new things when were felt comfortable, rather than implementing everything at once. As I look back I can see that I am still not fully confident in teaching all of the reading strategies, but I am much more confident then I was earlier in the year. I have seen my students’ conversations during literature circles and class discussions grow so much as the year has gone on. This has been very rewarding to see. Positive changes are finally happening!!!!” ~Ellen

Ellen, I know I have said this before, and I am going to say it again. You are right! Your district has provided a great deal of support in terms of these changes and I am most impressed with the dedication and foresight to stick with it. They are not moving on after one year, or two or even three. For many the book study groups have been a way in, for others it has been observing the work of colleagues and for others it has been LTT. No matter what the venue, the district is standing behind you in your journey and they are sticking with it…which in my eyes is a great gift. Positive changes are happening everywhere! It is exciting!

“At the end of the day I want the children that I teach to love reading and be confident in themselves as readers. I want them to have the tools to “figure it out” on their own. Teaching them comprehension strategies is definitely a part of this.” ~Nancy M.

Nancy, this is a shift in your thinking because I remember our conversations from earlier in the year where you really thought that decoding was the place you needed to focus on and that comprehension would come later. This statement shows me that you see these processes happening simultaneously and not one after the other. Even if they can’t decode they can still think and be metacognitive as they develop as readers. You are right…comprehension strategies are a part of the whole!

“After organizing our library as a class. My students began to take ownership of their reading. I could see that DEAR TIME became a whole new experience for them and for me. They were using the strategies that I had taught them and could not wait to actually read! Many students were reading while I would take attendance or during snack. They would pull out a book at any free moment in the day and they were actually reading. This was the best feeling for me because it was a struggle to get there!” ~Cecelia

Watching our students take ownership is a very powerful part of the process. All of a sudden it is as though you are not in this alone. They are there with you and it changes everything. I believe a big part of this is trust. Trusting that if we show our students what is expected of them then they will follow through. Often times this is tied in with control and who has or does not have the control in the classroom. I believe this was part of your struggle Cecelia, but also one that you got through and were able to see how this benefits your young readers. Isn’t it nice to see them so excited!!

“Knowing that others were/are feeling the same resistance and now a new comfort with the gradual release of responsibility helps me to know that next year will be different. I look forward to starting a new year, especially with students who already know the vocabulary, and who are already using the strategies.” ~Heidi

Heidi, your thoughts here are reiterated throughout the blog reflections! So many cannot wait to get to next year to start fresh. As I have said, in many ways this was the year to “test drive” the different strategies and ideas along the way. I can see next year for many of you, as being much more organized with a sense of purpose along the way. With this purpose will be a greater sense of the bigger picture where you will work alongside your students as they figure their way through the process as well.

“The biggest “aha” I will take with me as a result of the LTT training is to spend more time talking with colleagues and observing others at work. With the day to day schedule and time constraints, it is easy for me to fall into the trap of “I don’t have time to collaborate.” The time spent collaborating with colleagues helps me to clarify my thinking and adds to my repertoire of skills. So many of my colleagues have great ideas and lessons to teach the varied comprehension strategies. I feel fortunate to work in a district with colleagues who are so giving and willing to help.” ~ Marie

Marie, this was the biggest “aha” for me when I first took Learning Through Teaching with my colleagues over 10 years ago! I was new at this particular school and had no idea what I was signing up for other than it was a course about literacy. The gift I received was the gift of professional conversations and dialogue. This is what keeps LTT in business! Teaching is such an isolating profession and getting out, talking to others, and working collaboratively is what keeps us alive and you nailed it…we can and do learn so much from each other and this district is filled with incredible professionals who are willing to give and help if we only ask!

“I’m a perfectionist…another thing about which I have never been bashful! I have this undying need to be right…all the time and about everything. I was so afraid that I was going to “do something wrong” and mess my students up for life! I have reached a point where my guard is down (remember the sunglasses and boa?). I’m comfortable mucking about in what I’m teaching and I tell my students as much. I tell them that I’m still learning, which I’m coming to see is a valuable lesson for my students. I have so much still to learn and so much that I still want to do. I don’t think I’ll ever be “done”.” ~Michelle

Michelle, I love your honesty here and you are right…you have figured out that having your guard down has allowed you to “muck around” (I love this!) and figure it out as you go. That is what we all do when we are first learning something new. At first we just need to play with the ideas and figure out what we think of them from as many different angles as possible. Remember when “play” was a respected form of teaching in the primary grades? I also love that you are open up and talk to your students honestly about your thinking. They appreciate it and embrace it for its authenticity. I won’t ever be “done” either and the day I think I am done…it will be time for me to do something else!

“My goal for next year is to design a schedule that will allow for teachers to access me more for conversations, observations, and modeling when needed. I envision a true learning community where teachers journey together through conversations, planning sessions, and collaboration using student work samples to reflect upon their teaching. In order for us all to grow and move, reflecting together and providing cognitive conflict in our discussions, we will increase our wisdom and teaching.” ~Nancy S.

And here is the perfect illustration of how there is support for teachers on so many different levels. The Reading Specialists in every school are there to support you in this process of change. In my role I have had the opportunity to meet with each of them along the way and realize that there is support in place for those who want and need it and this model Nancy speaks of is one where I can see the work of LTT growing and evolving within each of the schools. There will also be new teachers in LTT and so my hope is that you will connect with them as well and support them in their journeys. It has been a great pleasure working with each and every one of you and I look forward to working together in the future! You know where I am!!
Best,
Tomasen

Reflections...

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

Observations...

Please post your observations here...feel free to respond to one another as well.

Change...

Please read and respond to the following....

"In reality 'learning' and 'change' are synonymous. Change is not an issue if it makes sense to and is 'owned' by those involved. An appreciation that change is a continual process, involving confusion and difficulty, is vital for future learners. 'It is not change that kills it is the transitions'."

Conversations and Conferring...

As we continue to work to think this through...I am wondering what you have tried with your students in terms of strategy instruction and conferring. What kinds of conversations or teachable moments have you discovered through this way of teaching? Think about a conversation you have had with a child or a small group of children and write about what you discovered that you did not know before. "Show" us that conversation in words here on this blog. Celebrate these moments by remembering each detail of what was said, the expression on the child's face and the interaction between the two of you. This does not have to be an interaction of great proportions or success, just an interaction you can recount, remember and really reflect upon. Does this interaction demonstrate a "shift" in your thinking and or teaching?

Inferring

In the process of inferring we have to take the time to really slow down our thinking and retrace the path we went through in our minds automatically that allowed us to infer. Identifying this process and the schema involved can be a challenging one. As one person stated in class after our work with the wordless picture books, it is almost like we can infer and then have to think back to what the schema was that led us to this inference.How does this fit in with your thinking about emerging readers? What about all of the other strategies and processes you engaged in with a wordless picture book where there were no words to decode or pronounce? How much of reading is deeper level thinking versus the surface work of decoding etc.? What does this make you think about in terms of our instruction

Not answers as much as thinking....

Wow! There are so many questions lingering out there! This is good news. It means we are all in a place where we are trying to figure out what works best for ourselves and our students. This week I am going to ask you to go through the wonderings (from last week's post) of your classmates and choose one of their questions to do a quick write in thinking about the quesiton that you choose!! Be sure to post the question you will be writing to and who that question came from!!