How?
Writing.
We need to leverage writing.
Tim Shanahan is feeling this vibe too.
It’s good and provides the necessary background for my new passion project.
I am excited to teach you why we need to marry reading and writing but, also, the how.
The research is there.
So, stay tuned!
Yours forever in literacy,
Brandi
Yesterday, I was going through my old journals and found this list of ‘things I know for sure’ regarding learning and education in 2017. For me, in 2023, nothing has changed from this list. I still love the ‘real’ things like books, paper and people. Even with the digital explosion and the AI, it is hand-ons learning that centers me and inspires my creativity. Everything needs balance. I strive to make sure that there is some balance in the work I do with students and teachers. Here is the list! Enjoy!
From 2017
Things I know for sure:
Reading is social. The digital experience can never replace the paper experience.
Do the read alouds, kids want to hear you.
Kids first, grade assignment is secondary.
Relationships are important…every child, every staff member, every parent.
Miserable people are few and far between.
Writing must happen every day.
Everyone wants to hear how they are doing, confirmation is nice.
Folding paper is always fun…at any age.
Change the paper, 8×11 is standard, you’re not.
Writing can get a bad “wrap”. Don’t be the person that delivers that package.
Being reaffirmed can defuse a situation…we all want to be heard.
Permission is the barrier between Now and Wow!
Until Next Time,
Brandi
“Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior.” (Clear, 2018).
Peeking into a Classroom
“Hands on top!” the teacher calls out.
“That means stop.” The kindergartens respond immediately. Arms reach up, hands rest on their heads and their bodies intentionally frozen in place. Walk into most primary classrooms and you will hear similar callouts to engage students in focusing behaviour. These focusing routines are put in place so that the flow and pace of the classroom are maintained. A targeted routine that takes time and intention to establish at the beginning of the year but later preserves instructional time. Another example, when I taught second grade, I had a windchime that I would use to indicate to students that they needed to join me at the meeting carpet. The routine had been set up so that the students once hearing the windchime, would clean up their space, push in their chairs and find their designated spot on the carpet. Overtime, this routine was executed quickly, and I was able to begin instruction, with few reminders or corrections, pace and flow was maintained.
What about the older grades? Every class, every grade, needs a fresh appraisal. Recently, I was in a class of fourth graders who could not line-up in a quick efficient manner that was expected by that grade level. A line-up routine that should have been effortless, required back to basics reteaching. In the older grades, they require a review or reteaching of habits and routines. They benefit from structure that prepares them for instruction. We must move away from assumptions that students in older grades, are better prepared and can move quicker to adapt to new habits and routines or that students know what is expected, from prior school experiences.
From A Student’s Perspective
We want students to be self-directed learners yet imagine a student arriving in a space with no clear guidance of behaviours and expectations. The students have two choices: do what they have done before (desirable or undesirable) or watch what the other kids do (desirable or undesirable) and then decide how to navigate the new space. Either choice, is dependent on previous experiences or judgment. Remember that this not just a yearly decision, moving between grades but also daily moving, between classrooms. With no expectations specified, students flood into the room, general goals – find a seat and put down their belongings. Time is at a premium.Ideally, teachers would like to walk into their classrooms and deliver lessons, thinking- if the lesson is well planned, everything else will fall into place. The everything else, the habits and routines, can develop organically but often in undesirable ways. Without intentionally designed habits and routines, teachers are in a constant state of delivering reminders. We begin, we stop, remind, we stop and begin again. In all that, clunky instruction, we lose the kids, and end up repeating what we started, in an unproductive loop.
Defining Habits and Routines
Habits are learned and reinforced behaviours executed with little thinking. A common example is brushing your teeth. Most people brush their teeth as part of habit. Little thought goes into it, you just brush your teeth. At school, a habit can be raising your hand to answer a question or pushing in your chair after standing.
Routines are a combination or chain of habits initiated by a cue. A common example is a home-based morning routine. The cue for the routine is the morning alarm, first, you might exercise, shower, get dressed and then eat breakfast. At school, the cue might be the bell and the routine might be – take off your outside shoes, hang up your coat, unpack your bag, find your desk, put on your shoes, and sit down.
The Benefits of Habits and Routines
“Our environment shapes us, so it makes sense to design an environment that works for us, not against us.” (Hardy, 2018).
Most teachers and students start the day with a finite amount of willpower. An amount that varies across individuals. For some, avoiding negative habits and behaviours is at a low threshold. We know that some of our students can only “focus” so long. We also know that some of our students can only “sit” for so long. Similarly, we know that some of our students can only “self-regulate” for so long. Teaching often feels like a race to see how fast “we can get into a lesson and get out.” A race against the clock, and a race against the willpower meter. Instead, we need to shape the environment, establish those habits and routines, and leave willpower untapped if possible. Otherwise, we are fighting a losing battle and inevitably bound to repeat rules and expectations, each class.
Habits and routines reduce the cognitive load required for a task. If students use all their cognitive load up trying to figure out how to negotiate their classroom environments, we have already lost valuable energy for instructional time. We need to recognize that most students thrive with established habits and routines.
Putting a Plan Together
We must be intentional in the way that we design our habits and routines. We must align them with our current situation, environment, and classroom profile. When we look over student needs, there are two categories of habits that support self-directed pace and flow: directional and emotional. Directional habits facilitate pace and flow by helping students proceed in an orderly fashion and promote focus, for example visual schedules and signage. Emotional habits facilitate pace and flow by helping students to move forward with positive emotions at the beginning of the day, and at the close of the day, for example the feeling of belonging and confidence. It is also common for habits to address directional and emotional, at the same time. Chart 1.1 provides an example of where the habits fit in a sample schedule. Following Chart 1.1, the habits are unpacked.
Chart1.1 Habits in a Sample Morning Schedule
Routine: Entry from outside
Routine: Reading Block
(Placeholder for Instruction)
Recess (outdoor break)
Routine: Math Block
(Placeholder for Instruction)
Lunch
Habit of Bookending Your Day (Directional and Emotional)
An anchor habit leads to all other habits readily occurring. Having an opening and a closing routine is referred to as bookending your day. This habit of bookending is illustrated in the old episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Mr. Rogers would enter his house singing a welcome song, change his sweater and shoes. At the end of the episode the reverse would happen, Mr. Rogers would sing a closing song, change back into the original strategies and routines. This bookending effectively created structure and predictability for the viewer to follow the episode. In real life, bookending creates structure, increasing flow, driving momentum, and instilling a sense of accomplishment. In the classroom bookending routines serve a similar purpose but in addition, bookending routines assist large groups of students orientating them in the same direction, towards pace and flow. The habit of bookending can be applied to a single subject block.
Habit of Following Signage (Directional)
Students need to know where they are going. As they come into the school or your classroom, make the entry doors clear. Depending on the age of your students, do they know where to hang up their coats or store their things? This needs to be made clear the first day of school and every semester change. If possible, in addition to your name outside your classroom, add your picture or a fun name for your class-for example, History Lane. We notice the importance of signage in the stores, with organizing customer flow. Signage encourages pace and flow with the provision of nonverbal reminders freeing up the teacher to attend to unexpected emergencies.
Habit of Putting Belongings Away (Directional)
Students need to know where to place their belongings. For some this will be their coats and shoes. In every classroom, students need to know where to put their books and materials. This must be made clear on the first day. It sets the tone and promotes orderliness when dealing with other materials that are used throughout the day Although this seems obvious, if not specified, other materials from daily lessons will end up in disarray, causing unnecessary disruptions to pace and flow.
Habit of Welcoming (Emotional)
This habit is about acknowledgement. The idea that we are welcoming each other, into the room and into the space. “Hi, welcome! How do you feel in this space today?” What can we do as teachers, to increase belonging? At the beginning of the day or block, many teachers stand at their doors, offering students a hug, handshake or high five. This habit supports emotional connection between the teacher and the student. An opportunity to gauge the continuum of emotions that students are feeling and the initial chance to redirect the students if necessary. This habit helps teachers to adjust pace and flow to support individual and group needs before the main lesson begins.
Habit of Reviewing the Schedule (Directional)
Previewing the day, prepares the mind and gets you ready for the day. This can look like a visual schedule, at the front of the room or some students might have a smaller version on their desks. It can also be part of a slide show presentation and projected on to the screen. When students know what is expected, they are more likely to be prepared. It also limits the amount of flow stopping questions like, “What do we do now?” and “When is… (fill in the blank with a subject or break time).
Habit of Affirmations (Emotional)
According to Creswell, Dutcher, Klein, Harris & Levine, (2013) self-affirmations ease stress, when in problem solving situations. This would suggest that students can also use this self-affirmation habit to ease stress that might be brought from experiences at home
Habit of Intention (Emotional/Directional)
An intention is to set forth what is to happen. Intentions set a direction and focus. This can be an emotion or desired feeling; it can be the desire to complete a task. This can be in the form of a learning goal or behavioral goal, co-determined by the teacher. Intentions promote pace and flow by narrowing the focus and lessening the need for further decision making.
Habit of Mise en place (Directional)
Mise en Place is a term that refers to a culinary process, having everything out, organized, and prepared. Similarly, in the classroom, plan for students to have out what they need and the materials available in proximity. The most basic ways we see this lived in the real world is pens attached to clipboards, sink and shower caddies. Also, changing tables, everything within in reach. Habits are built when it becomes impossible to not do the right thing. If we want students to be prepared to learn, then we must help them set up their learning spaces for success.
Habit of Momentum (Directional)
Sometimes, students need motivation to just get going. A clever mantra (Robbins, 2017) is simply to say out loud-in a quiet whisper or in your head, 5-4-3-2-1. This countdown can be added to any habit to get started. The assumption is, once we countdown from 5 to 1, we just “go” when we hit one. We do not reflect whether we want to do something or not. Motivation happens upon action. When we start acting on something, momentum continues. To sit and wait, nothing gets started. This is important for students to understand, is that we often do not feel like doing things, but once active, the momentum carries us through. This habit can be added to the beginning of a routine (habit chain) to get the ball rolling. This habit helps pace and flow by removing a layer of anxiety or doubt.
Habit of Reading (Directional)
Reading is often included as part of a morning routine. Why is that? Centering. It centers the student. Calms them down, brings an inner focus to their work. It is important, to keep the pace and flow, to have the book already chosen the day before and accessible.
Habit of Gratitude Journals (Emotional)
For many of us, writing down our moments of gratitude increases the feel-good endorphins. Endorphins create a feeling that allows more space for learning. When we are positive, we are more likely to be engaged in tasks. The act of expressing gratitude has been known to make a student feel more expansive. We know from experience as teachers that students feeling negative, shut down and the learning shuts down too, reducing the pace and flow in the classroom.
Habit of Putting things Back Where They Go (Directional)
Put things back where they go. This seems obvious but, the materials in your class, need to go back to free up space for other work. When I taught art, all cabinets were labeled. The shared student supplies were numbered. Each student was matched up with a number. In this way you quickly knew which supplies were missing. This also increases the chances of ownership, as in, I know someone, the teacher will be checking.
Habit of Body Breaks (Directional)
Body breaks have become a popular, focusing strategy. Body breaks are like a “focusing” reset. Its almost like cleaning up the mind, putting everything back to start a new task, in a way, it is like preparing for task switching. Imagine shaking an etch-a-sketch, like that, clearing out the cobwebs. Body breaks can be as long or as short as you have time for. This reset aids pace and flow in the classroom by increasing learning energy and reducing the amount of task redirection once learning restarts.
Habit of a Fresh Start (Directional)
Clean up before the day or block is done. This habit is about preparing the workspace for the next day, or the next class. This habit is part of a bookend day. It puts everything in full circle and provides closure. It creates closure for the lesson and sets up the next lesson or day for success.
Habit of Goodbyes (Emotional)
How do we say goodbye? Exactly, the same way that we say hello. Teachers can stand at the door, at dismissal, again offering a hug, handshake or high five. This brings teachers and students full circle, back together, connecting before they leave, offering an emotional connection that answers the student question, “Why do I want to return to school each day?” When students are along for the ride, there is less chance that teachers need to slow down the classroom pace and flow to instill a connection each day.
Habit of Smooth Transitions (Directional)
Transitions happen during a lesson. They also happen before, between and after lessons. Many books tout “bell ringers” as a place to start. These are activities that are posted when students enter a classroom. Transitions need to be self-directed, practiced so that students know what is expected. Most students can handle a basic entry or subject switch routine. If you have the same students after a natural transition or break, plan for something before they come back so when they return, they can jump right into it. I call this jumping the transition. For example, pre-teach a minilesson, have materials – mise en place, ready to go. I have used a sketchbook to jump the transition. This sketchbook can be as basic as paper inside of a duo tang. A sketchbook is easy to get started, while you can post prompts, most students like free choice. I find this a quiet activity, that gets the students “into the zone” and focused for what is to come. Its easy for them to remember – sketchbook. “Yes, I sit, grab my sketchbook and draw”. This works for all ages. A transition routine saves you time. You are not waiting for the whole group to settle before explaining what to do, so pace and flow are maintained. In addition, it leaves you available to help students who may require extra focusing support.
Conclusion
Habits and routines wrap around the school day like a warm hug. On the path to self-directed learning, teachers need to create an environment that fosters pace and flow. What does it look like altogether? In my writing workshop, this sounded like quiet whispers, with a buzz of light energy. This looked like, students focused, frequent glances at their work, moving their pencils, then stopping, then moving again. Students working in areas of the room that they preferred, clipboard on their laps. Some at a table, surrounded by others in proximity, quietly interacting to get materials. Yes, my clockwork class. They had flow. They had well established habits. They knew what to do and now, you do too!
References
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits. Avery.
Creswell, J.D., Dutcher, J.M., Klein, W.M.P., Harris, P.R., Levine, J.M. (2013). Self-Affirmation Improves Problem-Solving under Stress. PLoS ONE 8(5): e62593. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0062593
Hardy, B. (2018). Willpower Doesn’t Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success. Hachette Books.
Robbins, M. (2017). The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday. A Savio Republic Book.
At the office – I try to make people laugh. Generally, I succeed. It is my gift to the workplace.
Imagine this song – and younger me – roller-skating in an unfinished basement.
Yes! Magical, right?!
So, this week I shared with a co-worker that I use to roller-skate in the unfinished basement of my childhood home.
No internet – not back then – instead records – K-tel records. We had a real old record player – the kind built into a cabinet.
I remember doing cross-overs in the corner and gliding by the furnace to songs such as: Rosanna by Toto, the song from the Star Wars cantina and of course, Nadia’s theme (AKA the Young and the Restless opening song).
My co-worker – said, “Oh I roller-skated back then! We could have been friends.”
Awwww.
Hmmmm… maybe I’ll bring some skates to work – we have some nice hallways!
But wait … what’s my one thing?
During the early parts of the pandemic, I started watching – Today with Willie Geist. It’s a nice start to the week. I skip the heavy events and instead listen to the celeb sit-down, the life well lived spotlight and this weeks ups and downs. My dream is to one day have a bright yellow Sunday Today mug. My dreams – always within reason 🙂
Mike Myers (the actor) was the celeb sit-down. I learned some fabulous tips on story telling.
While this was very interesting, I began poking around the internet and found out that Mike Meyers called his daughter Sunday, because his wife and himself do not like Sundays and they wanted to change that.
And if you didn’t already know – many people don’t like Sundays. There is a term for it – the Sunday Scaries – feeling dread for the work week ahead, on Sunday.
So, this week I will make a suggestion for you – the One thing this week is to find a way to make your Sundays better or share a fun childhood story to make someone laugh on a Sunday.
As usual here are some extra things!
Well, on to your success this week – What is your one thing?
And if you need to catch up. Click on the links below.
Friday morning, I woke up and wanted to write.
My mind, my muse were just so easily accessible. I used to have more time to write, but now I commute earlier in the morning. My choice – it’s faster, quieter and I get more things done.
I sat in that “writing feeling” for a bit and then drove to work. I am a morning person. I could start writing at 4:30 AM – my brain is creative mindstorm.
But you can’t shape your days based on being a writer – unless you are a fortunate soul who pursues the craft full time.
I do look back on my successes, despite being a mom, nurturing a marriage and being a reliable hard-working colleague – I did get an article published during Covid. And, like all writers I keep going. Submitting articles and book proposals, trying to keep my writing dreams alive.
Though every morning, I whisper – Wait for me – to the blank page. Please wait until l return – hold that thought – hold the threadbare attachment to what I was thinking so early in the morning.
So this week, my one thing is to remind myself that writers have time – it’s not a modeling career – as long as my writing is nourished it will continue to grow.
As usual here are some extra things.
1) Sweat the Small Stuff – it matters, like donuts. Donuts were a big hit at work this week. The person who brought them experiences adoration of all co-workers – even those who do not partake. So, never doubt that a baker’s dozen can make someone’s day.
2) Weighted blankets – I put this on my Facebook as a question – Do we like these? Many of my friends said yes! Apparently, they help with insomnia and anxiety. Of course, many of my friends are teachers. It has been really rough these last few years – so much uncertainty. I might give this a go.
3) A few weeks ago, I pulled a neck muscle trying to pull off a Linda Hamilton type exercise. The chiropractor worked it though over three sessions. He suggested some exercises for tight shoulders. I told him about my driving and stress in general. I mentioned that in March 2020 – when everyone stayed home – I was at my best health. I rarely drove and I walked three times a day. My chiro said, “At least you know what works.” Which is so funny, right because the best conditions for me are extreme – but it does make me think, could I at least walk more often? Yes, maybe I can at least do that.
Well, on to your success this week – What is your one thing?
And if you need to catch up. Click on the links below.
What a week!
Last week was a WEEK!!!
So much going on – everything seemed off – including the chicken burgers.
Chicken burgers?
Yes, the chicken burgers – got me feeling fowl.
We have a family of 4. I specifically bought the package of 8 chicken burgers.
Why? Two meals! (With side dishes)
When I opened the sealed package, there were just 7.
“SEVEN!” I might have yelled a little loud.
“Mom, what’s happening?” my teen daughter asked – I explained.
I said – “Do you think there is a package out there with 9?”
She said – “Maybe one is doubled up?”
This makes sense – birds of a feather, stick together.
But No.
Still just 7.
I sighed a massive sigh – cooked the 7.
The next day, hubby had the leftover chili. He’s a really nice guy!
But, why is this so annoying?
Because I thought I was proactive and prepared.
In these Covid-y years it’s nice to think you can control some things.
So, I was more than a little irritated that I couldn’t count on the chicken burgers.
Maybe I could blame it on the rain, cause the rain don’t care, and the rain don’t mind…
Anyway…
My one thing this week – just be prepared anyway – despite the fact that I can’t really be 100% prepared in the ways I hope for and just be okay with it.
As usual here are some extra things.
Well, on to your success this week – What is your one thing?
And if you need to catch up. Click on the links below.
At one point in the last school year, I had three roles.
To keep my mind straight, I wore different outfits depending on my role each day.
I dressed fancy for Assistant Principal, less fancy for Learning Coach and much more casual for online learning.
One day I welcomed my online students, wearing… lipstick.
I heard a gasp.
“Mrs. Clark, you’re beautiful! BUT…you’re NOT beautiful?”
In his defense, he usually saw my online teacher outfit. I laughed. I knew exactly what he meant. I had glammed up, even subtly. How was it possible I could look this nice?
This was the theme of last year- confusing and full of contrasts.
In person – working in a school – it was full of temporary situations. At any time, someone or some class could be sent home.
Online – life just continued, unchanged.
It was my online world – although more work than you can imagine – that kept me grounded and joyful.
My online students were so patient, resilient, and funny!
On days when I had in person practice fire drills, my students would ask, “Should we practice too? Line up outside of our homes?”
Some would pretend to pass me snacks through the web cam.
One student decided to show us sledding in her backyard – live on TEAMS.
They all tried to have perfect attendance – tuning in from other places, such as their cars – going to pick up a parent at work and even tuning in “live” from the mountains on a quick family get away.
We made the best of virtual classroom experience. Always making time for jokes, riddles and sharing.
One week, when I was teaching from home, the students met my Pug. “Mrs. Clark, he snores louder than my dad!”
It was, as I said, my joy, my constant.
When school was done for the year at noon, most students left the TEAMS chat, but a few remained.
Unexpectedly, a student who, until recently had been more reserved expressed his emotions in such a beautiful way.
“Mrs. Clark, my eyes are wet. Is it allergies? Or am I sad? Maybe it’s both?”
“Yah,” I said, “both.”
As I write this, I miss all of them. Our experience was something special. Something that we all worked together to make work and thrive. At the start of last September, I never thought I would make it through, it was so different. But I learned more than I ever imagined, and these kids stole my heart.
The great Maya Angelou said, “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” As an educator, making sure my students are okay, guides everything else that I do. In the Fall of 2020, I was assigned to teach online. For me, this was new territory. The expectations higher than the stay-at-home orders from the Spring of 2020. As a collective, educators knew we had to make every learning situation work. I found myself teaching an online class of fourth graders, some I met previously in passing, the rest coming from two separate schools, in general this was a fresh experience for all of us. I was handed the class profile, a collage of pictures, fresh faced students, photos already a year old. Would they still be this eager? Most teachers hear the adage – no smiling before December. I have never subscribed to this. Besides whom can wait until December to build a relationship? I wanted the students to feel noticed and cared for. I wondered, do the same tools from in person teaching apply to an online learning situation? How do you build this relationship on screen?
On the first day, as the students popped on, revealing themselves on webcam, I saw tiny eager faces waiting for an adventure. How could I keep them engaged? Motivated? Many websites declare, “here are some fun lessons to engage students in all curriculum areas”. However, from all my years of teaching it is not just an engaging task, but an engaging person that keeps students returning to school. This attachment to the teacher forms over the early weeks when students are remembering their prior year and wondering if they can trust that you will connect with them too. Teachers are in the same situation; will these students trust and respond to me like the last group? Can I successfully keep all these students with me? What will it take for me to engage and motivate them? Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) suggests that individuals are motivated to act based on how they experience three conditions – autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Relatedness refers to the need to be cared for and care for others. As an educator, in person or online, you can specifically enhance relatedness through, three actions – the power of objects, the power of story and the power of ritual.
The Power of Objects
“That’s a big hat!”
An oversized foam cowboy hat, emblazoned with a Texas star, sat on my head. A novelty item, carried lovingly across the Canadian border, by colleagues, attending an ASCD conference in San Antonio. This hat, meant to be a consolation prize for missing a trip, ended up being my best conversation starter, a fan favorite on Hat Day and a general way to gain instant attention at school. On this day, we happened to be talking about immigration. One of my students announced that he was originally from Texas. I responded, “Texas, did I ever show you all my hat from Texas!” On pops the hat, the students laugh and say, “that’s a big hat!” Often, it is those little-big things that make all the difference-changing mood, increasing focus and sustaining attention- in an instant. In the classroom, we bring in objects for kids to study – we let them use objects as they learn – and objects to create magic. Objects ground us in the moment, they keep us going- the special desk of the day where a student does their best work, the glitter glue that keeps a student committed to a challenging art project or a special book that sets students on a reading journey for life.
The Power of Stories
“Thunder? No that’s just dinosaurs running past the house.”
A storm had descended during the morning, making a typical day of online school, darker than normal. “Do you want to see how dark it is, inside my house?” Physically, my students were in three corners of the city. The weather became increasingly distracting, the lightning, the thunder and the impossibly fast winds. “I heard the thunder, Mrs. Clark.” Not seeing all their faces on screen, I was not sure how all my students were feeling. Not being physically in proximity to reassure them, I was hoping to distract them through story. “Did I ever tell you about the time, my own kids heard thunder. They asked what it was, and I said, ‘Oh, just some dinosaurs running past the house.’ As I expanded on the story, I mentioned that it was not the best thing to tell them and they would not settle, so we made hotdogs. The students laughed either from the dinosaurs or making hot dogs for no reason. Yet at the end of the story, the storm was less scary and diminished before long. It is story that connects us all. There is always a story that can connect everyone and get them talking. It is about sharing and building commonalities. In addition to personal stories, I often use the news to connect and relate to each other. This past year there seemed to be several stories of animals in evergreen trees, trees that were destined for Time’s Square or the living room of a family home. Students mentioned their own tree stories, about their own pets climbing trees. Stories calm us, settle us down, and prepare our minds for the difficult learning. It is akin to getting all students minds in one direction to move forward together.
The Power of Rituals
“He must be skiing in Jasper.”
Attendance tends to waver online. Students’ login and you hope that they stay within ears reach. In our class, sometimes a student would not respond to my question “Good morning, (name) are you here?”, and I would say, “(name) must be skiing in Jasper.” Imagining nine-year-old ditching class for a trip to the mountains, became the answer to everything, even as the weather turned warm for Spring. It was these common jokes and rituals that brought our class together. A consistent humorous phrase bringing some lightness to an otherwise challenging Pandemic, one in which some of my students were not ever leaving their homes. You build relationship through humor, through – through lines. This happens in person school too, common ways of greeting, songs that are sung and games that are played. It is the ‘way our class celebrates this’. Online, one of our rituals was – show and tell or otherwise called, “Mrs. Clark, can I show you something?” students showing their pets, their younger siblings, and their snacks. In the end, we related as a group because of the opportunities to bring ourselves and our connections to predictable situations and events. We cannot forget the human framework to learning situations. Yes, we have so much content to get through in day, but we cannot get there if we all feel like we sit in separate corners, silos, or web screens. Homrich-Knieling (2019) mentions that his daily check ins has led to students feeling connected, supported, and comfortable in class. If we take some time to check in, the rest of the learning can move faster – essentially – slowing down, in order to speed up.
Conclusion
Relatedness – through the power of objects, stories, and rituals. We must continue to engage with our students and with whatever relatedness tools that foster connection and community. That angler fish that appears on a California beach, talk about it. It might be the topic that finally brings a student out of their own separateness. A famous sandwich making its way around the internet- made of a pickle top and bottom. Who wants to eat it? It’s surprising what a big “dill” that random topic can be. We discover as educators that in person or online – students can be reached. It is through the power of objects, the power of story and the power of ritual that connect us. On the last day of school, I challenged my students to a “How Well Did You Know Our Class” quiz. Hotly anticipated, the quiz was full of references to the year, such as the sledding incident (a student took us outside with their iPad to demonstrate their sledding techniques), the sounds heard while teaching online (animals snoring, toilets flushing, power drills) and of course the homemade – garbage bag costume competition. As the last few minutes edged towards the end of our final online class, students began to show all their faces on the webcam, many for the first time in a while. I knew this would be an emotional day, maybe even more so online than in person. Four students remained online, long after the official year ended. I looked at all of them, wondering what to do, I knew they would be happy to stay on for some time. If it does not end there is no need for goodbye. One student broke the silence, “Mrs. Clark, I don’t know if my eyes are wet because I have been staring at the screen too long, or because I am sad.” Then he paused, smiled slightly, and said, “maybe both.” This ending, though sad in some ways, erased any concern I had about online teaching, we persevered together. We were always in different physical spaces but somehow, we ended connected, related, emotionally as one. It honestly cannot get any better than that.
References
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self- determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.
Homrich-Knieling, M. (2019). From Rapport to Relationships: Shifting our Practice from Classroom Management to Community. Voices from the Middle, 27(1), 58-61.
Note: This article was cross-posted on LinkedIn.
Reading comprehension requires a little background knowledge, and sometimes a lot of background knowledge to fully understand the topic you are reading.*
Background or prior knowledge is built through life experience, first hand or second hand. We have access to second hand knowledge; the internet it is never ending. Yet, students tend to stay in their “knowledge lane” so to speak, without intentional exposure to other ideas and topics, they stay with and explore what they already know.
Through our other subjects, such as science and social studies, we can help them build background knowledge. This is a start, but much of the text that they are exposed to is not found in their required subjects areas. Thus, the importance of being a connector to bring a variety of ideas and information to students.
Part of our job, as educators, is to connect new ideas and topics with our students. For example:
As teachers, we need to remind ourselves that no topic can be taken for granted. Even a visit to the farm, is not a common part of a North American childhood.
Part of our job, as educators, is to extend ideas and topics with our students. For example:
Extend topics through video explanations: When I use Leveled Literacy Intervention, I often supplemented our reading by looking for related videos on the topic. For example The Fun Club Goes to the Dairy Farm, I showed the students a cartoon video about a cow’s stomach.
Extend topics by exploring maps and images: When my students and I were reading the Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, I showed them on a map where the main character lived in relation to the location of other adventures in the novel. Also, we would look up definitions or images that might be confusing such as saddle shoes and monorail.
Extend topics by linking to pop culture: When my students were reading about celebrations and traditions in social studies, specifically how celebrations and traditions connect you to your family in the past and present, I used the ofrenda clip from the movie Coco. This clip literally showed a tradition that connected relatives to their past and to their present.
Other ideas to consider – extend topics through hands on work, experiments, dramatizations and simulations.
You cannot assume that students know enough about a text, to approach it blind. Always check in with students by encouraging pre-reading activities such as making predictions and anticipation guides.
Hopefully this is enough to get you started. If not, let me know.
Until Next Time,
Coach Clark
Related Posts
Diving Into the Reading Research: Post One -Be a Centrist
*From the “The Act of Reading Instructional Foundations and Policy Guidelines” – Date: December 5, 2019 one of the reading recommendations is to – Help students build background knowledge of topics and language that enables students to understand what they read.
We are living in unprecedented times.
All learners had their education interrupted, especially our youngest readers.
Do we despair, or repair?
To despair is to blame everything.
To repair is to move forward.
Moving forward means considering the context of our current situation and our hopeful future when it’s safer to be together.
What can work, is not absolute.
“… when it comes to reading instruction, absolutes pose more problems than solutions. Most teachers learn early on in their careers that what works with one child does not always work with another. If the path I prefer isn’t successful with a student, my preference becomes irrelevant, and it’s time to seek an alternative that will get the desired results. So I fit the program to the child, not the other way around.” Sam Bommarito*
We need to look at the Science of Reading with a keen eye and an open heart. Approach reading research with the intention to discover what might crack the case in your circumstance not to confirm a hard and fast reading stance.
Be a centrist as Sam Bommarito suggests in his article,
“I consider myself a centrist, one who doesn’t fit neatly into a category. I like to follow the research and use what I learn to guide my instruction.” p.21
So, try that, be a centrist, one that looks at all possibilities.
Repairing and perhaps forging new roads as we dive into the reading research together.
Until Next Time,
Coach Clark
*Article reference: “Argue Less, Talk More: Engaging in productive conversations on social media” September/October 2020 | LITERACY TODAY (p. 20-22)
Talking moistly, it happens.
True story.
I was talking to a friend outside, socially distant. I took a slurp of my latte, begin talking, and to my horror, spoke moistly. I, like most of Canada, had a chuckle when our Prime Minister Trudeau mentioned “speaking moistly”. As we move back into classrooms, speaking moistly, is a real obstacle, and a threat to safety. In our province, students in Grades 4 to 12 will have masks, the students in grades K to 3 will not.
Yet, I have a moistly solution!
Pulled from my teacher toolbox, back in the old days.
Ready for it?
SIGN LANGUAGE
I took sign language, level 1, right out of university. My friend and I had minored in special education and figured that this skill would be good to have.
Flash forward, several years later, I was teaching grade 2 and decided that basic signs, legitimate ones and signs co-invented as a class, would help to reduce the amount of unnecessary talking and assist with learning flow. Using signs helped to manage students’ conversations during independent work time, whole group instruction and larger assemblies.
The first signs, were yes and no. The class also created signs for, fill water bottle (pretending to drink out of hand), bathroom (hand with one finger pointing, straight up) get a book (both hands moving together and apart, like a book opening and closing), We also had signs for question (a hooked finger) and a give me five hand open for “answer the question.”
These signs worked great, and many other signs developed over the year to limit interrupting conversations and increase independent working flow. For example, if we were sitting at the classroom meeting rug and I asked a question. If a student had to use the bathroom and indicated this (1 finger pointing straight up). I could quietly use my hand signals for yes or no. Quick, easy, no interrupted thinking or flow that happens with the usual “Can I go to the bathroom?” At assemblies’ this worked well too, as the students and I could communicate without anyone leaving their spots.
The privacy that signs lend themselves to, also help with instruction, assessment and feedback. A student can hold their hand close to their chest to sign no or yes and their peers won’t see. For example, “is everyone ready to start writing?” A child can quietly let you know or “Does everyone understand the steps to the math problem, I just showed you?”
Now that we are returning to school during Covid, your class might want to come up with their own signs for new safety reminders like, “too close” or “stay on the circle or line”. I was thinking maybe there will be a need for wellness signs, like “I am feeling stressed” or “I feel sick”.
Give it a try! Make some fun ones up. Whatever works, just remember, speaking moistly, it can happen to you, it’s the sign of the times. (Do you get what I did there?)
Until Next Time,
Love Coach Clark
What? A Sweet Valley High Vocabulary Attainment Reading Strategy!
WOW!
Right! That’s what I thought!
So, I was researching various things when I came across a research article from 1994!
At that time, which is actually still a concern now is how can you get English Language Learners to read more and acquire more vocabulary.
In particular, the subjects were adult ELLs but let’s extrapolate across all ages of ELLs and non ELLs, shall we?
We shall!
The researchers were particulary testing the effects of free reading, which we now call independent reading. They found there were three reasons ELLs were not free reading.
The researchers decided to test a theory that if their subjects (four adult women, second language students and recent immigrants to the United States) were given enjoyable texts, they would read more and learn more vocabulary.
The full article is here. But this is what they found….
All four women became enthusiastic readers, vocabulary acquisition improved, and although it was not formally tested, their English speaking had noticeably improved.
This study “…supports the value of “narrow” reading – reading texts in only one genre or by only one author-for promoting literacy development. (Krashen, 1985). Narrow reading allows the reader to take full advantage of the knowledge gained in previously read text.”
The researchers noticed that narrow reading often leads to wide reading – other series and other genres.
So, what can we extrapolate?
We should encourage all students to read a series. The commonalities between books will support comprehension and decoding and vocabulary acquisition.
We all remember powering through a series! It did create momentum, anticipation and lessened the decision making of “what will I read next?”
PLUS! It was fun to share books with friends and discuss the story lines. And yes it does increase vocabulary, even ‘made-up’ vocabulary – like quidditch, muggle and horcrux.
So next time, any kid, any age, is having some resistance to reading or struggling for a next read ask them “have you considered a series?”
I was just thinking, you know what would be a good pairing, no not wine, an alphabox or a personal dictionary to collect new words, character names etc. This is optional! If the reader is particularly resistant I never want writing to interfere with reading. Baby steps!!!
Anyway!
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
Love Coach Clark
I was the type of kid who read everything, from cereal boxes to shampoo bottles. I read the backs of hockey cards. I read signs and everything and anything I could get my “eyes” on.
Summer is coming. Can reading continue?
Yes!
Read with your kids.
BUT read what they want!
I was reminded of this while watching Overboard. The movie with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.
The youngest child is struggling with reading. Without school resources on hand (ie. leveled books, RAZkids, library books) they begin reading a comic together.
This is important.
Yes, kids need to practice reading books independently.
But sometimes these books are not interesting.
Reading is highly motivating when the book is interesting.
I’ve noticed many young readers will try to read a Harry Potter book.
They can’t read it. But they want to.
So, help them. Bridge that gap. The closeness is worth it. The comprehension is worth it.
Reading is worth it.
Here is the scene I was talking about. Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
Love Coach Clark!
Mr. Rogers said, “In times of remote learning, look for the “helping” verbs!”
Okay, he didn’t say that… exactly!
But verbs with the addition of “I can” (which is a helping verb) do anchor our outcomes and appear cross-curricular.
For example, here are some outcomes from the grade 2 program of studies that use the verbs – compare and contrast – sequencing (order)
SOCIAL – Grade 2
I can compare and contrast information from similar types of electronic sources, such as information collected on the Internet. (Social Studies grade 2 – 2.S.1)
I can arrange events, facts and/or ideas in sequence (Social Studies grade 2 – 2.S.2)
SCIENCE – Grade 2
I can compare and contrast small animals that are found in the local environment. These animals should include at least three invertebrates—that is, animals such as insects, spiders, centipedes, slugs, worms. (Science – Topic E – outcome 2.)
MATH – Grade 2
I can compare and order numbers up to 100. (Math grade 2 – Number – outcome 5)
I can gather and record data about self and others to answer questions (Stats and Probability)
I can construct and interpret concrete graphs and pictographs to solve problems. (Stats and Probability)
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS – Grade 2
I can retell the events portrayed in oral, print and other media texts in sequence (2.2 Respond to Texts
I can categorize related ideas and information, using a variety of strategies, such as finding significant details and sequencing events in logical order (3.3 Organize, Record and Evaluate)
What I want you to notice and to focus on, is the verbs!
Here are some guiding questions:
How can you have students practice these verbs at home?
What data can they collect at home? (inside/outside)
What data can they order and sequence?
What data can they compare and contrast?
Is their data from previous learning/readings?
Is their data from an online story or factual video?
Can they use hands on material to build graphs from their data? (like lego blocks, toy cars, etc)
Can the data be pre-gathered and supplied by the teacher? (Students will be asked to order or sequence the data).
Is their data coming from Social Studies content?
Is their data coming from Science content?
What have you used to teach sequencing this year? (Have the students wrote narratives or “how to’s”?)
What organizers have your students used this year and are familiar with? (With the current situation, do not introduce a new organizer. Here are some examples.)
Would it be reasonable to have students view two stories and compare/contrast them?
Or choose one story and sequence it?
How will the students know they have been successful? (Have you provided an example/sample and success criteria?)
Could you provide an example of a sequence for one story and then ask them to apply the skill to the other story?
Again, like I said, it is important to consider how you can engage them in these verbs in a practical way, easily accommodated in my households.
How can they show you what they know? (Flipgrid, an uploaded picture or drawing)
I hope this has helped you with your planning.
Any questions? Please ask!
Until Next Time,
Love Coach Clark
“10 pillars? Coach Clark what are your talking about? There are five!”
Let me explain! In 2000, the National Reading Panel came out with the five pillars of reading instruction.
They are as follows:
Although it has been 20 years, these five pillars continue to be the basis for effective reading programs.
It was interesting then to find an article by Richard Allington suggesting another five pillars to support our readers. He states, “I believe there are at least 10 pillars of effective reading instructional design. There likely are even more, but I’m going to suggest five additional pillars for which there exists a substantial body of experimental research.”
The five additional pillars the Richard Allington suggests are as follows:
“Effective reading instruction provides a balance of whole group, small-group, and side-by-side lessons every day.” (Allington, 2005)
I would add classroom management to this section. Our classrooms are increasingly diverse and creating a management system that supports whole group, small-group and side-by-side lessons, is a must!
2. Matching Pupils and Text
“…effective reading instruction provides differentiated instruction.” (Allington, 2005)
“Because children differ, no single text nor any single task can be appropriate for all children in a classroom—much less a grade level.” (Allington, 2005)
I would add digital texts to this section. Digital texts should be considered in a balanced reading diet, in addition to add-ons such as ReadWriteGoogle that allow students to access text that is above their decoding level, but at their comprehension level.
3. Access to interesting texts, choice and collaboration
Allington refers to a meta-analysis by Guthrie and Humenick that looked at the impact of several features of lesson design on outcomes. Allington (2005) said, “Each of the factors they studied—easy access to an array of interesting texts, providing students choices about what to read, and allowing for opportunities to collaborate with other children while reading—produced impacts that were larger than those reported by the National Reading Panel for the presence of systematic phonics instruction.”
I would add nonfiction texts to this section. I love reading nonfiction and writing nonfiction. I have found that our most reluctant readers and writers can be transformed by zeroing in on their most passionate subject matter. I have found that when students work together through texts, whether reading or writing, there is more engagement and higher levels of motivation.
4. Writing and Reading
“…reading and writing have reciprocal relationships with each other. Composing can enhance comprehension. Spelling can facilitate decoding. And so on.” (Allington, 2005)
I would add annotation to this section. I worked with students as young as grade one demonstrating the importance of “reading with a pencil”. We need to show students how to record the “tracks of their thinking.”
5. Expert tutoring
“Struggling readers benefit enormously from access to tutoring.” (Allington, 2005)
I would add small group intervention to this section. I know that one-to-one intervention is challenging to provide in most schools. I do believe in some type of small group intervention. Leveled Literacy Intervention has proved impactful at my last three schools. Recently, our school division piloted a grade one reading project focused on developing phonemic awareness skills. Due to Covid, the project ended but there was noticeable improvement with the students in my small groups.
Richard Allington (2005) ends the article stating, “Any design that fails to attend to these 10 pillars of effective reading cannot truly be called research based. I don’t think any reading program design that ignores or under emphasizes any of the 10 pillars can be expected to develop the reading proficiencies of all students, especially the reading of struggling readers.”
What are your thoughts? When you examine your teaching experience is there one or more pillars that you would like to develop further?
It is definitely something to think about. 🙂
Until Next Time,
Love Coach Clark
Reference
Allington, R. (2005). The Other Five Pillar’s of Effective Reading Instruction. Reading Today. 22(6), 3
The Alberta Education Program of Studies includes grade level outcomes and the illustrative outcomes. The illustrative outcomes are examples of how the grade level outcomes manifest in the classroom setting.
The illustrative outcomes are found at this links.
For today, let’s look at an example from Kindergarten. (Note this process is the same for all grades – find the outcome – unpack the illustrative outcome.)
Here is an outcome from:
2.3 Understand Forms, Elements and Techniques
The outcome:
experience a variety of oral, print and other media texts (2.3)
The illustrative outcome:
So, let us unpack this illustrative outcome.
How can you live this outcome out through online learning? Note this would not be a lesson for one day, instead it should be divided up over 4-5 days.
1. Have students view The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin on video.
2. Find other two other videos on the topic of Penguins for students to view.
3. Suggest that the parents use these questions-to have a discussion with their child. What do they eat? What do they do?, Where do they live? How they care for their babies?
Response options:
There are many response options. Here are some ideas. (For more, search: reader response ideas for kindergarten-insert any grade)
No tech:
Parents record information in a chart for their child.
Children draw a penguin picture and their parents label the drawing.
Tech:
Students use the Paint program to make a picture.
Students use a google doc and make a penguin collage using pictures that match to the information they gathered.
Students use an app like Flipgrid to record their response.
I hope this post has been helpful to you!
Please let me know what you think!
Continue reading if you would like some extra information about “text sets.”
EXTRA INFORMATION to develop similar lessons
NOTE: This illustrative example unpacked in this post, is alluding to “text sets”. That is, the same topic – penguins – explored with a variety of texts. In this example, a video is mentioned, nonfiction books and a nonfiction video.
I have used text sets in the classroom before by pairing a nonfiction book with a fiction book on the same topic. This is the same set up for BookFlix, where a fiction book is paired up with a nonfiction book.
Teachers have free access to BookFlix through Learn Alberta.
A text set can also be a nonfiction book and a nonfiction movie. This is how Truelflix is set up
Teachers have free access to Trueflix through Learn Alberta.
Text sets can also be multiple formats and multiple reading levels. Here is more information about text sets.
That’s all for now!
Please let me know what you think!
Love
Coach Clark 🙂
“They were so engaged!” I heard this on a Monday and a Friday. The lessons worked!
All of the students – all in!
So what happened, what did I do?
Here it is, I can’t wait to explain my two lessons this week. I am telling you. It was what I needed to know and hear right now.
Flashback, a few weeks ago.
My consultant job allows time for me to work directly in teacher’s classrooms. This is my favourite part of the job. Especially when teachers call me and say, “I want to try something different, what can we do?”
This time the request was reading poetry and inference.
I said, “Riddles, can I do riddles with them? Annotate and all that!”
“Yes,” she said, “anything that gets them to understand inference applied to poetry.”
As we all know, I have been talking feverishly about the reading and writing connection.
I said, “Can we write riddles on another day?”
She said, “Yes, I know the other teacher would be all over that.” (Two teachers share this grade 3 classroom)
I said, “See you on the 12th at 9 AM.”
Years ago…
I had this lesson I would do in schools, during my first round of consulting (2007-2015) with the book Riddles Come Rumbling. I was beyond excited to try this throw-back lesson. I ordered the book, received it in short order and set to work.
I was excited about this reading/writing experiment.
I went into this classroom with a handful of mentor texts and paper, big chart paper. That’s it. That’s all. Oh and ENTHUSIASM and JOY! I bring that in large doses.
Here’s the recipe.
Lesson 1:
I said hello to the teacher. We used to work together. We reminisced in lightning speed.
First, I refreshed students on inference. What does it mean? How do we use it to read a wordless book? I reviewed inference through the book Chalk. The students had a good time unpacking that book and we talked about how inference has a lot to do with our background knowledge and what we know about a topic in order to make meaning. We had a great discussion, I knew they were ready.
I took a riddle and annotated it on chart paper, adhered to the front board with magnets. I read it, and modeled my thinking as I underlined words, drew pictures and wrote my thoughts down. They understood what I was doing. I invited them to help with their ideas. We figured out the riddle and matched the answer to the clues.
“Now it’s your turn. It’s the thinking I am looking for. You will find the answer but when you present to the class, you will be presenting your thinking.”
They gathered in mixed ability groupings, three per group. All groups were given an enlarged riddle glued to chart paper. All riddles were different.
“All of your bring a pen, color, pencil, whatever you would like. Though not yellow. Yellow is hard to see.” Choice of writing utensil is a game-changer for students. Also, all students could write and participate, this was not a share the pen situation.
The teacher and I walked from group to group, students were reading and rereading. You know how hard it is normally to get students to reread but they had a purpose, a mission. Students were underlining, drawing, connecting thoughts. Everyone, was working, engaged, on task. You could feel excitement and joy. They worked hard to figure out the riddles, though the power of group thinking and through our gentle nudges, “Have you considered this word?” “What are you thinking?” “What else could this part mean?”
Eventually, they were all done. Choruses of “Can our group present first?”. I loved hearing the excited voices!
They gathered at the front of the room in groups to share their thinking. Then they asked for classmates to volunteer answers. Eager hands shot up. All students listened. All students invested.
At the end the teacher said, “They were all engaged! I noticed the students who tended to disengage, did not. Students who tended to struggle with learning, did not.”
Win – Win!
I left telling the students that I would return on Friday to write riddles.
“Yay!” they said.
On Friday morning, I told my daughter about what lesson I was heading in to do.
“Mom, why don’t you dress as the Riddler?”
Of course, like any family we have a Riddler costume.
Unfortunately, it was not to be found in time when I left that morning.
Next time, there is always next time.
Lesson 2
Again. I said hello to the teacher. We used to work together, too. We reminisced in lightning speed.
First, I refreshed students on inference, again. This time I used the book, Rhyme Crime. We had a great discussion. They were warmed up and ready to go.
This time we needed to create a riddle. I told them they needed to choose an object, a person, an animal a place that all students could guess, that students would know about.
I used the Canadian Flag as our model. We brainstormed a list – red and white, shaped like a rectangle, represents a place, hangs up high outside, waves at me, maple leaf on it etc.
We talked about how some clues were more general – could be many things, like red and white, that can be first in the riddle. A maple leaf was more specific, that should go last. We reordered the clues. When it was done, we had a student from the other class come and guess our riddle. The anticipation was real! When the student guessed the riddle after some waiting time, we were thrilled. It was solved and not too fast.
They were ready to go write. Back into the same groups from Monday, the students brainstormed to come up with ideas. It did not take them long. They got down to work listing clues and then reordering them before a final draft. The teacher and I checked in with groups, all were on task and needed little support. The groups they were in provided most of the support they needed. Our roles were more helpful writing peers and eyes to review their work. All of this writing and thinking took about 20 minutes.
They were visibly proud as they shared their own riddles. So much fun listening to their discussions and guesses.
The best part of this experience was the joy I felt in myself, from the teachers and the students. It was fun, light and so useful for future learning and projects.
Extension Ideas
So why do this work so well?
Why it worked!
I left that school at the end of the week feeling like the ending scene from The Breakfast Club.
I can’t wait to continue this discussion.
Until Next Time,
The Lit Maven 🙂
(Picture credit: David Rock Design)