A Year of Change PLUS My Summer Reading List

This past school year was a tough one for me. I changed districts and schools and the change had more of an impact on me than I expected. In the six years I’ve been teaching I’ve moved districts three times, moved schools four times, and changed classrooms five times. Whew! It seems crazy when I write it down like that. Change is something I have grown accustomed to, but this year really shook me.

I’ve written about my “journey” as a teacher so to speak in previous posts, especially the one about Rita Pierson, the amazing educator who had a profound impact on me. The first few years of my career presented many challenges. I taught a majority of kids from poverty and who lacked even the most basic manners.

Getting my classroom to run smoothly took months. Simple routines took extensive modeling, practice, more modeling and more practice. Lots of my time and energy went into teaching kids how to speak correctly, how to behave, and how to interact. I grew tremendously by learning how to connect with my students, build and maintain meaningful relationships, and manage my classroom without the throwing of chairs and cursing.  I had found strategies that worked thanks to mentor texts like Teach Like a Champion and The Essential 55. I got a little bit better each year. By year five, my teammates and I had built a strong team, one that was held in high regard with our administration. We had great success with our students and I felt successful and competent.

And then I moved. My entire world was different. I taught a new demographic, one that was different than any other I have taught before. My students were mostly white and middle class. The students sat quietly and listened on the first day of school- the first day of school! I didn’t have to remind students not to yell in the hallway or not to push each other on the playground and I could actually turn my back for a few minutes and not worry about a fight breaking out. It was a whole new world!

What this meant, however, is that with that entire layer of behavior management no longer needed, I realized how little I knew about how to actually be a good reading teacher. Yes, I could connect with students, and yes, I could manage my classroom, but as far as actually progressing my students’ learning, pushing them beyond their current levels, I realized there was still so much I needed to learn. I tried my best and did what I could, but the entire year I felt a sense of emptiness and failure. I felt like I didn’t have enough knowledge to really produce the results and growth I knew the students were capable of. I hate to say this, but I actually fell into a bit of a funk for several months. I felt defeated and lost my motivation. Let’s call it what it is- I had wounded pride.

Well, I am happy to say that after a lot of self-reflection, I am back to my old self again! I have come to accept the fact that my past experiences have given me a solid foundation to handle a variety of behavior issues and have blessed me with the opportunity to learn to connect with students and I am very appreciative of even the worst experiences I have gone through. The next step in my journey as a teacher is to beef up my instructional strategies. So, I’m dusting off some books I bought last summer but never read and starting some new ones, too. I am confident that these books will give me the jumpstart I need to really enhance my instruction and give me the tools to progress my students’ learning.

1. Teaching in Small Groups: Differentiated Instruction for Building Strategic, Independent Readers by Jennifer Serravallo

Buy it on Amazon!

I’ve spent almost half the day reading this and I can’t put it down. I love the way she scripts out the conversations she has with her students and provides lots of great ideas to engage readers. I will be able to easily implement these mini-lessons.

2. Conferring with Readers: Supporting Each Student’s Growth and Independence by Jennifer Serravallo

Buy it on Amazon!

I have read a portion of this one in the past, but I’m ready to really dive in and learn how to make those precious one-on-one conferences with students most effective and efficient.

3. The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers by Jennifer Serravallo

Buy it on Amazon!

Are you noticing a pattern? Serravallo is a brilliant woman! This is an absolute goldmine of a book! In this book, Serravallo shares 300- yes, 300!- explicit strategies to teach readers- from emergent to proficient. Each strategy is described by telling which levels would most benefit from it, which genres work best, and which skills are enforced. It’s full of colored charts and actual student examples. Like I said, goldmine!

4. Making Thinking Visible: How to Promote Engagement, Understanding, and Independent for All Learners by Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison

Buy it on Amazon!

I’m about 1/3 of the way through this book and I am hooked. One of my big goals is to provide more opportunities for critical thinking and this book provides 21 strategies to do not only that, but also enhance students’ understanding of what it means to think and learn. The book also gives lots of ideas on how to make students' thinking visible so as the teacher, I can better assess their understanding. 

I have several other books on deck, but these are the four I’m going to be making my way through first. I’m sure I’ll have some more to say about each book as I get into them!

Before I go, I do want to say this. After moving districts and teaching a new demographic, I have an even deeper appreciation for my job and feel more compelled than ever to do my job to the best of my ability. Kids, no matter where they come from, all deserve to have an amazing teacher. Regardless of how different one school is from the next, I am determined not to let myself fall into a funk again. Time is too short and my job is too important! I have come to peace with the fact that I did the best job I could with what I knew at the time this past year. I will continue to grow and improve and I know that I will never be perfect. Just as I teach my kiddos, learning is never done!   I think Maya Angelou says it best!

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What an Amazing Week!!!

I can't even begin to tell you what an exciting week I had!!! I attended The Leader in Me Symposium in San Antonio with a fellow teacher, my principal, and my counselor. OH. MY. WORD. I cannot even begin to express to you the exhilaration I feel right now. I feel renewed and refreshed and I am SO ready to see my kids again on Monday morning!!!

To begin, The Leader in Me is a program that was inspired by the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This book, written by Stephen Covey, discusses 7 habits that have the power to completely transform your life. If you haven't read it, put it your must-read list and head to the bookstore or buy it online as soon as you finish reading this post!

Stephen Covey passed away last year. However, his son, Sean, who has also authored numerous books involving the 7 habits, including a picture book used to teach the 7 habits to kids, was at the symposium to give a keynote speech. I MET HIM!!! Yes, this is me along with my co-workers and Sean! Ahhh!!

Hearing him speak about the passion his dad had for living your best life and hearing his dad speak (they showed a short video highlighting his career) was so inspiring. To hear for yourself, check out this video below:

That was just the morning! We then learned a lot about The Leader in Me by visiting several schools who had gone through the implementation of the program and achieved their "Lighthouse" status. The kids were absolutely jaw-dropping. These kiddos, even kindergartners and first graders, spoke so eloquently, were so well-mannered and exuded such confidence, that I couldn't help but just say, "Wow." The kids had learned about the 7 habits and truly taken them heart and applied them to their own lives. It was an amazing sight. I will have to do a separate post about this program, otherwise this post would turn into a novel!

After we returned from the school visits, the moment I had been anxiously awaiting finally came. RON CLARK GAVE THE AFTERNOON KEYNOTE! Yes, you read right. Ron Clark- THE Ron Clark!!!!! I was thrilled! If you are not aware of who he is or what he has done in the world of education, watch this video RIGHT NOW and then finish reading this post! :) Then, go buy his two books and read them immediately! I promise you will not be sorry!

To say that Mr. Clark was an inspiration does not at all capture his essence. He is full of energy and his passion and enthusiasm are contagious- you are glued to his every movement, and they are sometimes so unexpected and crazy that it makes you gasp! He is truly the model of what an educator should be- someone who is so passionate and dedicated to their work that they are able to effortlessly ignite that fire in every other individual in the room. When you watch him teach, you will often see him jump up on to a table or bust out into song or dance. He does the same when he is speaking to adults! 

                                                

After his speech, I was able to meet him face-to-face and he autographed my books. I almost cried! I feel like this is exactly what I needed to reinvigorate my teaching. I cannot tell you what an amazing experience it was!!! I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity and I will never forget it! 

                                  

Hearing him speak and really thinking hard about what he writes in his books, I am realizing that I need to reevaluate my teaching. It's that time of year when we all start to feel the pressure of the state tests and that weight starts to settle onto our shoulders. I mustn't forget my goal as an educator: to produce highly effective and productive citizens who will contribute to our country in a positive way. I have to ask myself- am I truly doing EVERYTHING that I can each and every day to inspire my students and mold them into the people I want them to be? Am I requiring that each and every second of the day they perform to the highest of standards? I would be lying to you if I were to say that I am. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I have let up a bit since the beginning of school. I don't mean that I do not have high expectations for my students, because I do. What I mean is that I have let that certain level of comfort seep through the classroom. A non-rasied hand here, a forgotten thank you there, and I shouldn't. It is not helping the students and it is certainly not helping me achieve my goal.

After this week, my resolve is stronger than ever. My students MUST learn not only the academic lessons I have to teach them, but also the important LIFE lessons that I have to teach them too, because the sad reality is, if I don't, it is highly likely that no one ever will.

On Monday morning, my kids are going to be truly excited to have me back in the classroom. Cocky? Over-confident? No! I say they will be excited to have me back because I am going to make sure I do everything I can to ensure they feel that way. Do I have the day already planned? Nope! What I do know now, is that we will start the morning with this song, which was performed at our symposium this week by a deaf and hearing combination choir of student leaders from one of The Leader in Me schools. I have lots of planning to do this weekend before Monday comes to achieve my previously stated goal- but I will get it done!!

I hope that you will be inspired to truly reflect and evaluate your teaching and find whatever it is that you need to reignite that flame if it has started to die down, or add the spark that will turn it into a wildfire. Our kids deserve our very best.