A Teacher's Ruminations

I have started doing a series of Wednesday afternoon sessions for teachers at my school on Writer's Workshop. The first session was this week. I love doing these workshops for teachers because it helps me articulate my philosophy and practice. They help me think through the what and why of my practice. They keep me honest. During the first session we talked about the writing process or "the process of writing" as worded by Wendy Bean and Jan Turbill in their book, Writing Instruction, K - 6, Understanding Process, Purpose, Audience . We talked about how the writing process and the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing work together, since the latter is of special interest in my school at the moment. I explained the components of Writer's Workshop and we did a little bit of writing. It was probably too much for a one hour session; we could have spent more time on any one part of the agenda. At the end of the afternoon I asked for feedback regarding what teachers wanted to kn...

Yesterday, at Teacher's Convention in Calgary, I heard Alfie Kohn speak. Although I've read articles he has written I had never seen him in person. If you ever get the chance to attend one of his lectures don't walk, run, to see him! He is passionate about children and teachers. He wants to keep classroom tasks authentic and connected to students' lives. He is anti-grades and anti-testing but he doesn't just leave it at that. He supports teachers as knowledgeable professionals who know their students best. He asserts that the research says, and I've been at several assessment sessions that support this position, that before high school there is no need to give grades or tests. A case can be made for high school simply because that is how colleges still admit students: partially on the basis of their grades. However, before grade 9 it is more beneficial to students' learning if they aren't given grades but are provided with timely and specific f...

Last week my students presented what they had learned about Guatemala to three different groups of classes at my school. It was part of the now annual Celebration of Learning . Although it started out as a way to highlight the Latin American holiday of Carnaval it has taken on a life of its own. We now share what we're learning about the different Latin American countries that we study, whether or not it's to highlight that country's particular customs around Carnaval time. Although my students' presentations were far from polished and they had been nervous while presenting, they felt they had done an awesome job . At the end of the day, I asked the children what they could improve on for the next time they had to give a presentation in front of a group. In a nutshell, this is what they said: --Even though I was nervous I pretended there was only one person in the room and that I was just talking to that person. --I just told myself that this was only for a few ...

The answers depend on the questions you ask. What a simple and provocative statement! When we worry about students who don't seem to be making progress we often start by asking questions such as these: --Why can't F. retell simple stories? --Why does F. get a blank look on her face when you ask her a simple question? --Why does F. sometimes seem to know what's going on and at other times, she hasn't a clue? I could go one and on in this same vein but I don't think it's necessary since you may have already noticed that all these questions are phrased negatively - what D. can't do. They all operate from weaknesses and deficits. The answers will only lead me to more cant's and probably even some "wont's". If, on the other hand, I explore what D. can do, and what her interests seem to be I might be able to use her strengths and interests to help her improve her ability to listen and attend so that she can l...