Skip to main content

At this time of the year...

Next week is our last week of school before Spring Break. This is always a hard time of the year for me because I realize that we're in the 7th inning stretch. I feel like I'm running out of time. Soon, it will be time to say goodbye to my students for the summer. Normally, I am full of regrets about things I could have done better; about things I could have done, but didn't do; and about things I did and shouldn't have done. Typically, I will beat myself up over the small and medium regrets. But, this year I resolve to silence the regrets with the knowledge that I acted based on the information I had and with the best of intentions. 

At this time of the year, I feel like I could walk out of my classroom and let my students manage themselves. I've actually had to do that a couple of times since January and they've done better than my best expectations for them. They know what is expected. They know that when they don't know or aren't sure, they can count on themselves and each other. To be honest, just writing this down makes me burst with pride for my students. I take this as evidence of their learning, their victory, an example of how much they've grown as individuals and as a class this year.

At this time of the year, I try to let go a little bit more each day. What new routine can the kids take over as their own? What more decisions can they manage to make by themselves? What new challenges can they pursue? 

It's an exciting time of the year as my students look forward to summer vacation and middle school in the fall. Will the middle school teachers be pleasantly surprised at all they can do? If not, I can fill them in on what may not be observable. I can happily tell the story of each of my students - where they were at the beginning of the year, the challenges they faced, and how much they have learned and grown. This learning may not be evidenced through MAP scores or other standardized tests because what they learned counts, but cannot be counted. It cannot be quantified, but it should be celebrated.

At this time of the year, I recognize that the silence in the room during independent reading is the sound of my students reading. 

At this time of the year, I recognize that the buzz of small group work is the sound of collaboration. 

At this time of the year, I recognize that every student in my class can help others when they're stuck. 

At this time of the year, I never hear groans when it's time for math. 

At this time of the year, read aloud is a special time and no one ever wants it to end. 

At this time of the year, we joke a lot and my kids actually get some of my corny jokes. 

At this time of the year, I wish I could loop with my students; I don't want to let them go. 

At this time of the year, I feel more confident and sure that what we're doing is learning for life and not learning for a test. 

At this time of the year, every day is a celebration.

#celebratemonday
#terrifictuesday
#wonderfulwednesday
#throwbackthursday
#fabulousfriday

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Partner Reading and Content, Too Routine (PRC2)

I'm a hoarder. There, I've said it. I try to deny that I'm a hoarder but it comes back to haunt me every time I move houses, or pack up my classroom at the end of the school year. I have old articles, lesson plans, handouts, folders brimming with teaching ideas, past issues of profesional journals. I hardly throw anything out though I've learned to be more selective over the years. My one rule of thumb, and I really try to stick to this, is that if I haven't used or referred to something in a year, then it's time to toss it into the recycle bin. One exception to this rule (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) is past issues of journals from professional organizations. However, with the ability to locate articles online through my professional memberships, even this exception is becoming less and less useful, which brings me to the topic of this blog post. I am currently reading a copy of The Reading Teacher from 2010. I've clipped a cou...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Reading Strategies Book - Chapter 12, Supporting Students’ Conversations – Speaking, Listening, and Deepening Comprehension

The strategy lessons highlighted in Chapter 12, Supporting Students’ Conversations – Speaking, Listening, and Deepening Comprehension, in The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo are critical to students’ engagement and comprehension, as well as their ability to write literary essays, or even book reviews, summaries and reflective pieces about books. If students aren’t able to talk about books in a way that is invigorating and joyful, they will be less likely to develop an interest in growing ideas for writing about books. In her introduction to this chapter, Jennifer Serravallo, reminds us that when conversations go well, children are inspired by what they read and are motivated to keep reading. However, when conversations fall flat, then kids get bored and tune out. How do we avoid this situation and teach kids to  have  focused conversations about books?  The answer is easy: teach kids  strategies to help them develop effective conversa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Are we listening?

A child sits alone with a ripped worksheet packet on his desk. He appears to be singing or subvocalizing something though no one hears him. Or, perhaps they're ignoring him. The teacher stands at the front of the room teaching on the SmartBoard. The children follow along in their worksheets. Except the child sitting alone. He is in his own world. No one engages him and he engages no one. My heart aches for this child. He is physically and emotionally removed from the class. I ask him why his paper is ripped. (It's not an accidental rip.) He says he did that on a different day. When he had been frustrated about the work. He tells me that he sometimes sits by himself because the work is too hard for him. He later tells me that he sits by himself because the teacher thinks he talks too much during the lesson.  He says he does that because he wants to find out about the "lives of the other children". My first impulse is to rescue him from the wrongheade...
10 comments
Read more