Summer Reading

 

photo credit:  pixabay.com

The beginning
Many years ago, when Three Cups of Tea was sweeping the world (in a good way at the time) I encouraged my school to try a whole-school summer read.  The opportunity to read one story at three different levels (Listen to the Wind for lower school, Three Cups of Tea Young Reader's Edition for middle school, and Three Cups of Tea for upper school) was so exciting.  We could unite around one topic, centralize our philanthropic efforts, and move away from the notion of summer reading as getting a jump start in the English curriculum.  It was wonderful to have a shared experience as a school, and I would consider that summer reading a success.

The journey
Over the years we have tried several iterations of the whole-school summer reading idea.  We have not had another opportunity to read the same story across three divisions, but we have read about common themes.  One year we selected one book for each division, which was also fairly successful in terms of providing a shared experience, albeit divisionally. 

But we worried about providing books that would be interesting and accessible to all students; the one book for all concept was outstanding for building community but not for building readers.  So we tweaked the model again, devoting the summer reading to one core value (honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility) and generating lists many books long for each division.  For two years we also included movies on the list.  Once we did that it was clear that the mission of summer reading, or summer learning as we then called it, was to serve as a spark for an ongoing thematic conversation throughout the year.

Those of us on the committee knew and understood these shifts.  We regrouped every year to select the theme, review our purpose, and read like crazy.  Unfortunately, few people beyond our small group had any idea what we were up to.  And it seems that the parents of our students were the most excluded in understanding. We have fielded many questions from about our book selections and about the assignment in general to signal that we need to have a wider, more substantive conversation this year.

Now what?
It is time to iterate again--and as my twitter handle (@bookcrusader) intimates, I'd like to bring the conversation back around to how our summer reading program can nurture and inspire readers.  It's time, in my opinion, to figure out how to help our younger kids celebrate the joy of reading and our older kids rediscover it. 

From looking back on this 7-year summer reading journey, I can tell that we've been floundering to ask the right questions, to really identify the problem, and to "think like freaks" about how to find the best solutions. 

8 New Things I Tried This Year

This year I returned to the upper school after two years away to teach one section of our revamped sophomore English curriculum. While I worried that teaching this class would pull me away from my work as an instructional coach (it did), the time I spent this year with my hilarious, challenging, endearing, and frustrating students supported my growth as a teacher/learner that has and will strengthen my work as a coach.  That's because this year I returned to the mindset I had as a first-year teacher waaaay back in 1995--the mindset of "why not."  As a coach I want to support teachers as they try new things and as they stretch themselves beyond self-imposed limits. So as a classroom teacher I "why-notted" my way through the new Brit Lit/America Lit mash up curriculum.

What follows is a list of some of what I tried. Some of the things on the list were enormous undertakings (the first two); others were a one-off. I'll provide a brief explanation of each, but really what I'm doing is making my list of future blog topics!

1.  Standards-based grading

I joined a growing group of FHS teachers using Active Grade as my gradebook tool. While the most frustrating thing about SBG is that we force it to end in one overall grade at the end of each quarter, the delightful thing is that students can see how they are progressing in specific aspects of the curriculum. There is so much more to say on this...

2.  Passion projects

I began the year with the idea that I wanted kids to improve their reading, writing, research, thinking, and presentation skills by exploring one of their own passions. So I created a 20% time concept that would run through every A day of the year (our school is on a 6-day cycle) and incorporate a range of learning opportunities all built around students' individual passions. Students wrote children 's books, created infographics, started a blog, read blogs, and reached out to experts in their fields of interests. We ran out of time before we got to the final project--Make Something/Do something--which I regret because it would have brought all of the other work together. 

3.  Literary analysis reality tv-style (confession cam assignment)

I'm pretty proud of this one since the idea was entirely mine, I think!  I wanted to approach literary analysis in a new way--one that would still require close, careful reading and rereading as well as a synthesis of that reading. So for our study of Arthur Miller's The Crucible I asked the students to select one character to become and get inside that character's mind throughout the play.  They had to choose four moments from the play, consider their character's reaction to/explanation of the event, and sit down on the couch to film a "confession" about it.  You can find the assignment here and the planning doc they used here.   A completed doc can be found here.  The students' footage was proof that they understood the characters in the play and could analyze it successfully.

4.  Personal visual representation and reflection project

We finished our year with a study of Alan Moore's V for Vendetta.  We were taken with V's personal icon (the red V) and wanted to find a way to help kids visualize their end-of-year reflection.  This was a short assignment that resulted in personal icons that were thoughtful and creative (also plenty that were sloppy and fairly shallow!).  Here's an example:

5.  Book trailers as an independent reading project

Book trailers are not new, but were new to my sophomores.  They were surprised to learn that publishers are creating book trailers as a way to market new books.  We watched several together and created a list of "ingredients" of book trailers before they created their own.  With the help of iMovie's trailer feature, some students produced high quality book trailers that revealed their understanding of the book and its core.  I found it to be an excellent way for kids to creatively synthesize the central issue of a book and entice others to read it.

6.  Database-only research project

Our school has invested an enormous amount of time and money in developing a large database collection for our students.  Unfortunately, most students do not know that we have these resources and/or they do not know how to use them. So, when we set out to conduct our research for our school's annual GatsbyFest, I required the students to use our online databases to research their chosen key court case of the 1920s.  The process was both distressing and fascinating for all of us as the students realized they were uncomfortable with anything but "googling it."  They appreciated the information that was available to them through the databases, but I don't think they are ready to abandon their Google addiction yet.

7.  An assortment of online tools:  Today's Meet, Animoto, Educanon, Socrative, Goodreads

These tools have all helped me differentiate my teaching and assessment, expand my communication with students, and encourage greater student engagement.  Give them each a try!

8.  100% transparency with my students about my teaching philosophy

I am grateful to the kids (Tamika, Christine, Justin, Mitch, Danny, Kory, Nick, Conner, Bryan, Maddie, Christina, Megan, Janie, Genna, and Lexy) for their willingness to engage in the year of "why not" with me. While some of them still ask questions that chip away at my spirit (How long, how many paragraphs, will this be a 4...), they have all had to think and work in ways that challenged them this year. 

Recommittment to Reflection (Farewell Summer)

It has been 2 months since my last blog.

I think that sounds like some sort of confession.

It was a conscious decision to step away from my blog and from Twitter, even from my Feedly reader for the summer, so I shouldn't feel the need to apologize.  I lived my summer--at the beach, in the mountains, in the gym, in a book--but I didn't reflect on my summer, at least not in writing.  It was just how I wanted it.

And yet...

I've spent the past three days with our new faculty, and I've asked them all to blog each day this week, to reflect publicly about their new Flint Hill lives.  So it's time to sit myself back down at the computer and recommit to my blog and to public reflection.

Check out our new teachers' blog posts, which have reminded me to get back in the game.

NCTE Reflections

On the flight home from NCTE I had a long time to think about what I learned there, the trends I noticed, and what I want to put into practice right away...5 whole hours awake on a red-eye can be great for reflection.

My top 5 moments from NCTE:

1.  Presenting with Melissa.  It was wonderful to have a partner to share the journey with and who taught me so much about how to craft an effective presentation.   I believe that people left our session having learned something new and useful.

Proof that we presented

Our standing-room only crowd

2.  Listening to Sir Ken Robinson with thousands of other dedicated professionals.  I was charmed by his sense of humor and reinvigorated by his call for sweeping changes in education that begin in each person's classroom.

 

3.  Learning from my teaching heroes in an intimate setting.  Though NCTE is a huge conference, the sessions are small and allow for a sharing of ideas.  I was lucky enough to attend sessions with Ralph Fletcher, Georgia Heard, Laura Robb, Matt Glover, Ginny Lockwood, Kathy Collins, Stephanie Parsons, Donalyn Miller, and my new teaching heroes--Kristin Ackerman and Jennifer Mcdonough.  Everywhere I turned I found inspiration.  I also found comfort in the way these mentors presented their ideas--they are still forming them, toying with them, changing them. 

Ralph Fletcher

The Two Sisters!  Joan and Gail sitting in front of me in Kristin and Jen's presentation

The Nerdy Book Club session

 4.  Listening to Natalie Merchant perform the poems-turned-songs from the collection Leave Your Sleep.  She reminded us all about the power of poetry for children (and adults!).

 5.  Being stopped by someone in a hallway in the conference center who said, "I loved your presentation yesterday."  That brings me back to my first favorite moment... 

My Top 5 Action Items:

1. Find a few teachers who will try Biblionasium with their students to create stronger communities of readers.  Thanks, Nerdy Book Club, for that idea.
2. Urge all teams K-6 to plan at least one non-genre-specific writing workshop unit.  Thanks, Matt Glover, for reminding me why that's important to kids.
3. Find one classroom teacher who will allow me to try out Georgia Heard's poem-a-week model for poetry instruction (Tanya, if you are reading this...)
4. Visit the DailyCafe website to follow Kristin and Jen's progress with their ISCORE writing concept and design lessons for our teachers.  Their idea is fantastic--let's not compartmentalize the writing lessons we teach by genre.  Let's teach kids that good writing is good writing, no matter what the genre.  Good writing has Ideas, Structure, Conventions, One Focus, Real Voice, and Elaboration.  Let's set up those concepts just as we do with the Daily 5 and Cafe menu.
5. Work with Melissa on an in-house presentation on knocking down the classroom walls--how to use technology to broaden our students' writing and reading lives beyond the classroom.

My Top 5 Realizations and Reminders:

1. Ralph Fletcher shared that he is rethinking mentor texts. (Wait, he wrote the book on mentor texts!)   He is thinking that perhaps it is better to provide kids with examples of great writing and see what the kids find, rather than saying, "Kids, this piece uses excellent similes."  He's rethinking his work with mentor texts to balance the teacher-directed and student-led noticings.  I heard this idea in more than one session--this reminder that we should trust the kids to make their own discoveries, even if they aren't what we intended.
2. Student choice continues to be at the center of student engagement and achievement.  This choice is important in all areas of their day--what they read, what they write, what they discuss, and how they think.  Ginny Lockwood demonstrated a mistake so many of us make when doing a read-aloud--directing the kids on how to feel about something in the book.  Let's work on shutting up and letting the kids think!
3. Teachers of reading and writing must be readers and writers themselves.  I must work to encourage this with the teachers.  Our kids must see that we build reading lives.  And the only real way to name what they are struggling with as writers is if we are writers doing the work we ask our kids to do.
4. When we catch ourselves saying, "These kids don't..." or "These kids can't..." then it's time for a gut-check.  What are we doing to make kids BE school instead of DO school.  It is our own fault when they ask questions like, "How long does this have to be?" or "When I'm done with this can I..." or when we say things like, "What I'm looking for is..."  Kids came to school as joyful, creative creatures.  There's nothing to blame but SCHOOL when kids lose that.
5. 93% of a teacher's day is spent in isolation (from other adults)!  When is the time for collaboration, deep reflection, and planning?  How can we allow more time for the collaborative planning and reflecting side of teaching that is just as important as the time spent in the classroom with kids?

Lessons Learned in Vermont

Rather than outlining my third day in Vermont, which included a trip over to the 3-8 building (Williston Central School) to see kids blogging, writing pieces for the Vermont Young Writers' Program, skyping with an author, using Pixton to create graphic novels, I'll close out my reflections from the trip as a whole.

Here are my major takeaways:

Third grade classroom

Sixth grade classrooms

1. In every classroom I visited, I saw kids sitting at tables--not individual desks.  This arrangement is a physical representation of the belief in collaboration.  I'd love to see our individual student desks replaced with collaborative work spaces like tables.
2. Kindergarteners can and want to blog, tweet, video chat...and not for a gimmick.  These activities transform their learning, helping them explain their thinking, publish their work, and connect to the larger world around them.  I'd love to see every student in our building publish work and thoughts on a blog hosted by their teachers.
3. Teachers who are connected via a PLN (personal learning network) can transform their instruction virtually (no pun intended) overnight.  Of course we should support the work of the teachers right next to us or down the hall, but why not reach out beyond our building to share best practice ideas with other teachers throughout the country and around the world?
4. If we are truly child-centered, our decisions about schedules, facilities, access to technology, and curriculum and instruction must not be based on adult-conveniences but on what's best for kids.  We also need to figure out how to help parents understand our choices, offer them boundaries, and hold them to those boundaries so they do not interfere with their children's learning.
5. We cannot depend on programs to define our instruction.  While teachers may benefit from following a set of lessons or a packet of resources, we must bring our understanding of best practice to everything we teach.

 Many, many thanks again to all of the people at Allen Brook School and Williston Central School who opened their classrooms to me and spent time talking with me.  Of course, I am especially grateful to Sharon Davison for coordinating my visit and for being an inspiring, motivating teacher.

Reflections--A Look Back on 2011

On this last day of school of 2011, I feel compelled to reflect on the first half of this academic year, especially in light of my new position.  It began with a professional development workshop on assessment, which refined my vision for the year--kids have to know where they are headed, where they are now, and how they will close the gap.  They have to be able to name the things they are learning so they can evaluate their progress.  Teachers have to provide meaningful feedback in reasonable chunks and kids need time to reflect on their learning.  In my role as instructional coach I have been trying to hold these key ideas in my mind in all of my work with teachers.  I see the positive effects of teachers naming the learning targets for the kids, having them reflect on their progress, and setting weekly goals.  I am grateful to have attended the workshop led by the Assessment Training Institute and feel like this is the right path to take to help kids become more metacognitive and engaged learners.

The next stop on the professional development train took me to Kansas for Jim Knight's Instructional Coaching Institute.  My goals as a coach became easier to name as a result of the training:  be a better listener (active listening is really hard), work with people who are excited about being coached, and strive for reciprocity (by getting as much as I give).  I have tried to do these things, and I am particularly pleased to say that I have gotten far more than I have given.  I plan to continue working toward these goals in 2012.  Thank you to all of the teachers who have let me in your doors and allowed me to help you fine-tune your craft.

The rest of my professional development has happened on the job.  I am so lucky to work with such a broad range of teachers and their students, dealing with challenges as diverse how to introduce fiction writing to kindergarteners to how to engage middle schoolers in science.  I am most grateful to my coaching partner, Penni, and our technology integration specialist, Melissa.  All three of us are navigating instructional coaching together, even though we have different content expertise.  Thank you, Melissa, for inspiring me to begin this blog!

As I head off for winter break, I pack my bag full of what I'll need to begin 2012 well:  a list of blogs to read so I can stay abreast of what's working in schools near and far, a copy of Troy Hicks' The Digital Writing Workshop so I can continue to plan for how to move writing workshop into this century, and works by George Hillocks to deepen my understanding of inquiry-based learning.

Until next year...