I used to think that teaching students to become great readers meant that I showed them as many reading strategies as I could and then we would practice each one until they could do it practically in their sleep. Connections – check. Predictions – check. Inferring, visualizing, character changes – check, check, check. We had our strategies under control.
I used to think that providing my students with as much time as possible to discuss reading would make them stronger readers. After all, through the talking they would be able to dig deeper into their own process and mimic others.
I used to think that my students constantly had to stop and jot so they could record and prove their thinking on little post-its. That the more post-its they had in a book, the better of a reader they were becoming. I used them for proof that they were growing. I used them for proof that they understood the steps.
I used to think that reading was all about talking. I used to think reading was all about taking it apart. I used to think reading was all about proof.
Now I know that reading should be about reading. That in all of that talking there was very little reading. In all of that jotting there was no room for flow or getting in the zone. That in trying to give the teacher proof that they were reading, they were losing valuable reading time. We stopped all of the time. We lost independent reading minutes because we had to make sure we had something written down.
For students to become better readers, they need time to read. We know that, I know that. Yes, they need strategies, yes, they need to speak about reading, yes they need to think and grow, but what they need most of all is time to read. Every day, any chance, and it needs to be uninterrupted. So now as I plan my days, my sacred 45 minutes I get with every class, 10 of that is dedicated to no-talking, uninterrupted, choice based reading. 10 minutes of quiet in the zone reading where no one tells them what to do. I wish it was more, the students wish it was more, but it is a start. It is their chance to read, everything else comes after. Everything else is less important.
What do you do in your room to preserve independent reading time?
I had meticulously made my lists. I had thoughts of habits, tastes, personalities, reading preferences, pace and yes, even their assessment data. I had scoured the book room, gone book shopping spending my own money and used most of my Scholastic points. More than 50 choices awaited my students, I couldn’t wait to start book clubs.
So when I announced that today was the day they would know their book club groups, I had not planned for the groan of disapproval that met me. The disgusted stares and the change in body language; slumped shoulders, heads down. Clearly, they were not as excited as I was. And so I did what I always do; I asked why. Or more specifically, I mimicked what a student said, which was that book clubs suck, and I asked “Tell me all of the reason why book clubs suck…”
And boy did they ever.
“We hate being forced to read certain books. Sometimes we have read them before, sometimes they are boring, sometimes we cannot relate to them no matter how hard we try. We want choice, we want things that we want to read, we can decide by ourselves.
We hate being told when to read, how many pages, and what we should discuss. Sometimes we want to read only a few pages because we know we are busy, other times we want to read a lot. We want to come up with our own questions and we don’t want a teacher to facilitate. Let us try to navigate it ourselves. Let us try to lead the conversations. Help us when we need it but don’t assume we need it all of the time.
We hate having a book take weeks and weeks to finish. Sometimes we just want to read because it is so good, and what is wrong with that. When it drags on we lose interest. When it drags on we forget what is happening.
We hate being stuck with a book even if we chose it. We hate being placed in groups with students we have nothing in common with. We hate having to keep logs, write reports, and do group work when all we want to do is read and discuss. Don’t you see, we hate book clubs.”
So I listened, and I answered their questions whether they wanted me to or not. Carefully explained my vision for the next few weeks and why. Would there be writing – no, just the thoughts they felt they needed to jot down to facilitate a discussion. Would there be choice – of course, the books were waiting patiently for them and if they found none here then we have a library to go to. They kept asking and I kept explaining, and as we went on their faces changed and the shoulders came back up.
Every class I taught that day went through the same process. I didn’t expect to have those conversation 5 times in a row but that is exactly what happened. Every time I mentioned book clubs, the groan came at me like a wave. And yet, as we discussed I once again learned more about my students and their reading habits. I learned how they want to be independent readers and thinkers, how they want to be able to have choice in everything so that they can invest themselves fully. How it is okay that I put them into groups as long as I explain why those groups were made and that it wasn’t just based on one thing.
I could have ignored their groans, a few years ago I would have, I would have told them to “Suck it up, deal with it and make the best of it.” Yet, I know from experience that if we want book clubs or anything that has to do with reading to work then we have to have these hard conversations. We have to discuss, tear apart, and work through the demons that students carry, those preconceived notions of what is going to happen in the next few weeks, before we ever get an authentic buy-in; a reading experience that matters.
The day after the conversation, I had them book shop. Every group went from choice to choice and debated the merits of the books laid out before them. Every group weighed their options, and only one group out of about 30 needed my guidance in book choice. Yesterday, as I revealed the books they were going to read, most groups cheered. Some kids asked if they could start right away? Please, because the book looks really good and we are so excited.
Had I not stopped and listened to my students. Had I not stopped the plan of what I was going to do. Had I forged ahead, gone on with our day, there would have been few cheers and instead the next few weeks would have been filled with the passive resignation that middle schoolers do so well. Yeah book clubs suck, but they don’t have to. We have to find a way to talk about it and change the way they are done. And the first place we start is by asking out students why they suck or any other word that may describe their feelings toward them.
I didn’t know I was doing personalized learning when I first changed the way I taught. It wasn’t until I wrote about it in a blog post and someone gave me the name and description that it clicked. It made sense really; I wanted students to have a voice, have choice, and to be re-ignited passionate learners within my classroom, all tenets of the personalized learning philosophy. For me it was a no brainer; why not teach in a such a way that students would want to be part of the learning? Why not teach in such a way that students became experts and have a place alongside the teacher? Yet, wherever I go resistance remains for personalized learning. In fact, some educators or districts are quite against it, but for many different reasons. I cannot be alone in seeing this resistance, so I thought a discussion of what those barriers may be and how you can approach a discussion to work around them would be in order.
Barrier: It’s one more thing to do. We are faced with seemingly more tasks every single year as teachers, from major ones forced upon us to the little ones we cannot wait to do because we were inspired. When will we ever find the time to do personalized learning as well?
Discussion Point: Personalized Learning should not be an add-on but a replacement. So if you are already doing something, change it with a lens of personalized learning. Can you add choice into a pre-existing project? Can students show mastery in a multitude of ways? Embrace personalized learning as a way to become a better educator by sharing more control with the students, keep it manageable for you and integrate in a natural way to alleviate the feeling of one more thing being added to the to-do list.
Barrier: It is overwhelming. It is easy to see why personalized learning can be viewed as overwhelming. Often those who discuss its merits have been doing it for years and has framed their whole classroom around it. Their personalized learning initiatives is a long list of to-done’s.
Discussion Point: One small step at a time. When discussing personalized learning focus on how to start, what to do in the beginning, and the small changes that can make a big difference. Certainly keep the end-point in mind, but don’t worry about it yet. Worry about where you are right now and how you will start your journey, not when you are going to get to the end.
Barrier: It will be chaotic. We often envision chaos when we stop doing a one path to the learning format for students and that when students are given choice they will not know what to do.
Discussion Point: Personalized learning does not mean giving up control, but rather that control is shared with the students. It also means multiple paths to mastery, but these are planned out either by yourself or in conjunction with your students. Yet, you know yourself best; what can you give up control of and what can you not. You are also a member of this learning community so if there are certain things that need to stay in order, such as an assignment being done a certain way, or students sitting in a particular way, it is okay to hold onto that. Find the things that you can let go of, invite student input into the process, and grow together.
Barrier: My subject matter won’t work. Personalized learning means hands-on and project based; how do you do that in English, Spanish or any other class?
Discussion Point: Personalized learning can be implemented into any classroom, the lens just has to switch. I had a lot easier time giving choice in social studies and science because a lot of our learning was hands-on, project based. So when I switched to just teaching English, I had to change my way of thinking. Personalized Learning in my English class means students have choice in how they show mastery (different project choices), when they show mastery (timeline), and often how they work within the classroom (classroom setup/management).
Barrier: It will be replaced with another idea soon. Education is a long list of new ideas and change is the one constant we have.
Discussion Point:Personalized Learning really just means great teaching and great teaching will not be replaced with a new idea. So while new initiatives are bound to come, the ideas of personalized learning helping you be a better teacher remain because it speaks to student autonomy and re-igniting a passion for learning.
Barrier: I don’t want to integrate more technology or don’t have access. Technology inequity is a real problem. So is technology fear. Some teachers want to feel comfortable with the technology they bring in before students use it, and others will never be able to get the things they wish they could.
Discussion Point: Personalized learning is not about the technology. Personalized learning is about creating an education process that takes into account the needs and desires of each child, while still working through the set curriculum. Technology is a tool that can be used in this process but not a central tenet. I started out with 4 computers in my room for 26 students. We naturally did not incorporate a lot of technology and we didn’t need to. Choices involved the things we did have and students bringing in things from home if they wanted to. We made it work with what we had.
Barrier: I won’t be a good teacher. It is hard to change the way we teach because we may already be teaching really well.
Discussion Point: Change is hard for all of us, but modeling risks for students is instrumental in their learning journey. I am uncomfortable every time I make a big decision about the way I teach or something we will do, but I think the discomfort makes me a more thoughtful practitioner. By sharing and modeling this for students, I am showing them that I take risks and that sometimes those risks pay off and other times they don’t. We have to grow to evolve and sometimes that means even leaving behind things that were just fine. Besides, our students change every year, so should we.
Barrier: I have to do the same as all the other teachers in my subject or grade level. We don’t want students to be a part of an educational lottery where the quality of their education hinges on which teacher they get, so sometimes uniformity and in turn, conformity, is preached above all else.
Discussion Point: Have what other teachers do as one of the choices for students. This brilliant idea was shared at the task force meeting I was a part of in my district. Instead of dismissing what other teachers are doing, simply make it on e of the paths that students can take. That way you are also catering to the myriad of ways that students learn. You may learn best in a hands-on project based environment, whereas others may learn best with a read/reflect/discuss with a test at the end pathway. make room for all of your learners and include the ways of other teachers in your room.
Barrier: Parents/administrators/community will be upset. When we are faced with unknowns our first instinct may be to revolt.
Discussion Point: School should look different than when we were students. Yet communication, understanding and examples are vital when integrating more personalized learning into your classroom our school. Any change is hard for parents who want to try to help their children, so make sure you are communicating the why and the how behind your changes whatever they may be. If administration is wary bring them in to see the change, show them other classrooms, and explain your motivation. Tell them you will do a trial period and you can discuss and evaluate. Just like you are asking others to be open to change, be open to frank discussion yourself.
Moving toward personalized learning has been one of the most significant changes I ever did in my educational journey, but it wasn’t always smooth. I have faced many of these barrier myself but now love being in a district that has it as part of its vision. Wherever you are in your journey, or even if you haven’t started, don’t be discouraged by the barriers that may face you. Reach out, connect with others who are on the same journey, and find the support you need to be successful. I am here to help if you need it.
If you want to see 6 things you can change to start your personalized learning journey, read this.
We have all been in the situation it seems; surrounded by negative people whose only joy in life seems to be finding something to complain about. Those teachers that cannot wait to share how terribly a child did, those teachers that cannot wait to discuss how awful a new initiative will be, or even just how overwhelmed they feel. And you know what, at some point we have probably all been one of those teachers, I know I was! And we usually don’t even know it.
So what can we do if we find ourselves surrounded by the negative? How do you move beyond it, inspire change, but not look like you are complaining yourself?
First idea is to reflect; are you adding to the negative? Are you getting sucked into the conversations? Are you adding fuel to the fire? Misery loves company and it is so easy to get wrapped up in a juicy story about a demanding parent or how there was another stupid idea proposed. If you are even a little bit guilty of participating in these conversations, stop. Catch yourself in the act and change your own direction. Change your narrative and share the positive. This doesn’t mean you cannot discuss hard situations, just change the way you phrase them.
Second idea; change the immediate conversation. So if someone starts to complain, see if you can spin it in a positive way. If a child is being discussed, highlight something positive. If you see a conversation turning into something that will not benefit you and you cannot change it, you also have the right to walk away. Even if you like the person speaking, nothing says you have to be a part of it. Sometimes our actions speak louder than words.
Third idea; acknowledge the negative and then try to problem-solve. If the negative continues to surround you, acknowledge it because sometimes people don’t even know they are doing it. This doesn’t mean calling them out in an uncomfortable way, but just acknowledging that what they are saying seems to be bothering them and if they are looking for someone to problem-solve with. We all have days where we need to release some of the energy that seems to be haunting us and sometimes discussing it is our way of reaching out to work through it. So offer to be that person, withhold judgment, and try to alleviate the negative.
Fourth idea, look for the positive. Sometimes our own perception makes a person seem much more negative than they really are. Are you seeing them as a whole person or just someone who complains? Make sure your own thoughts aren’t clouding a situation.
Fifth idea, get to know them more. We don’t always know what is going on in someones life and sometimes when they are complaining about little things it may be an indicator that their life outside of school is stressful right now. I know I have a much lower tolerance for anything when I am too busy outside of work or not sleeping well because of stress. So if someone seems to take a turn toward the worse, see if you can find out what is going on. Express your concern, be there as a friend, and remember to see them as a human being. We all have bad days. We all have moments where we are at our lowest.
No one comes to work meaning to be the negative force, no one walks into a social situation hoping to change it into a vent fest. Sometimes it just happens, sometimes life gets the better of us and we don’t know that we are “that” person. When all else fails, you just have to shrug it off. Continue to be a positive force for good, continue to keep yourself in check, continue to be aware of what you put out in the world. We are not able to change other people, but we can change the environment we teach in in small ways. What do you do to diffuse the negative?
I have to admit it; I have not loved all of my students in the same way. Not all of my students and I have clicked. Not all of my students and I have had the best relationships. Not for lack of wanting to. Not for lack of trying, but sometimes it seems that bigger things are in play and the universe just doesn’t align. And yet, even if I had a harder time connecting with a child, whatever the reason, I still had to be the very best teacher I could be. So what are some techniques I have used to make sure that I connected on some level, even with the seemingly most challenging students?
Take it personal sometimes. My mantra used to be “don’t take it personal” until I realized that sometimes a poor relationship with a student is indeed a direct reflection to how they feel about me, not what I am doing. So rather than dismiss it, I ask them questions, engage them as an equal to express my concern and then try to reflect on what it is they are reacting to. If it is something I can adapt to or change from, then I do. Other times, I have just had to suck it up and try a different approach.
Speak kindly about them. The quickest way to build personal dislike is to constantly stay focused on the negative attributes of a child; those things that drive you crazy. So turn your thinking around; whenever you feel yourself wanting to say something negative, stop, and find something positive to say instead. Yes, even if it seems contrived, because what you say, you start to believe. So if a child is having a particularly rough day in my classroom or with me, I go out of my way mentally to find something nice to say to others about them. After all, they are running through my mind anyway, why not spread something positive. This doesn’t mean you can’t vent, I think venting about situations can be very powerful, but keep it short and to the point. Prolonged venting only exacerbates the negative emotions already attached to a student or situation.
Find the humor in the situation. Even the kids who have driven me the most crazy can usually make me laugh by now. It wasn’t always that way, but it has become a way for me to create a relationship with someone who I otherwise would probably label as a troublemaker in my mind. So find the funny in the misbehavior, share a funny moment when they are not acting out, use humor as a way to bridge your personalities, even if you still don’t see eye to eye.
Forge a relationship outside of the classroom. Some of my hardest students to teach have also been the ones that I made sure I checked in with outside of school, even if it just meant a casual conversation in the hallway or by the buses. It is a chance for me to see them as kids, not that kid who does everything in their power to disrupt the teaching of others or whatever the situation is inside of class.
Keep digging. I have never met a child who had nothing to like about them, but sometimes you really have to dig for it. Some of my students expect you to hate them when they walk through your doors because that is what they have experienced other times, some of my students hate school so much that they will never love it no matter what we change. Some of my students have to be tough as nails to survive their own lives. Those kids still deserve a teacher that tries to connect with them, even if they rebuff them 100 times, then you try 100 more times, even a little bitty connection is better than giving up.
Treat them as a human being. Too often we start treating them like the label they may have, so a child who is angry becomes known as the angry child, or a student who is disrespectful or disruptive becomes known just for that. Their negative label becomes their identity and nothing else. We cannot let this happen, not in our minds and not in the way we speak of them. They are children, yes, children who seem to have mastered the art of driving you up the wall, but children none the less. And every child deserves to be treated with dignity.
Know when to admit defeat, but not out loud. Sometimes no matter how hard we try, how much we change, how much we reflect and think and do; that child still hates it, that child still hates us. Then our job becomes not to give up but to find another ally for them, to find another adult that can have a great relationship with them and for us not to get in the way. No, that doesn’t mean asking for them to be transferred from our class, but instead allowing for opportunities where they can possibly forge a relationship with another educator or person in your building. Every child deserves someone that will see the good in them, even if you can’t.
PS: A few notes since this post was published a few days ago. I tweaked the title to include the world almost because I don’t think we ever truly give up on child, even if we cannot forge a strong connection with them. We still keep them in our hearts, they still wake us up at night, we still keep trying even when we feel like giving up. That’s what teachers do. Another note is the little bit of wondering there has been on knowing when to admit defeat, some people have viewed this as giving up and that is far from my intent. Admitting defeat to me is humbling because it involves us realizing that we are humans and not every kid will like us. Sometimes a child naturally connects with another adult in our building and rather than get jealous, which yes, can happen, we need to help foster that relationship. I hope this clears everything up a bit.
With a cold day declared today, I found myself at the local coffee shop furiously trying to prepare for the conferences I am lucky enough to present at this spring. I have never been invited to speak at conferences before this year, so the pressure I feel is mounting. I want people to be inspired. I want people to feel it was worth their time. And most importantly, I want people to leave with ideas that they can implement the next day, not just the next school year. I don’t know why I find it so nerve wracking to speak to other educators when I teach students every day, and yet it is exactly those experiences I need to rely on. I would never lecture for 45 minutes or longer to my students, so why would I do it to adults?
To make sure I was on the right track, I tweeted out the following
As always, I was not disappointed. There seemed to be several themes that immediately jumped out at me, and it turns outI was right, people attending conferences do not want just to sit and get, they have very big desires for what they will leave with.
So for all of us gearing up for spring workshops/presentations or any kind of professional learning opportunity, listen to what educators around the world had to say.
They want choice! No more forced professional development with only one choice, with in-district experts there is no reason to limit the day. Sure, bring in outside speakers, but don’t forget about your local talent; those teachers within your district that know a lot too. Get as many sessions as you can muster and offer a wide variety so that all minds can be at least somewhat satisfied.
They want to connect! Sitting in a room with like-minded people and just speaking to them is not something we get to do very often. So please offer time to discuss, share ideas, and inspire each other. As one teacher wrote, “Allow more time for me to talk with other attendees.” Offer them a chance to become connected educators. Brilliant.
They want to be acknowledged as experts too! We tend to elevate the speaker to the one with the most knowledge, and while this sometimes is true, we can never forget about all of the knowledge there is in the room. So find a way for others to share what they know and acknowledge their expertise. No one wants to feel inferior or that there experience doesn’t have merit just because they are not the presenter.
They want practical ideas! They want something they can go and try the very next day in school without a lot of preparation or extra stuff needed. They also want long-term ideas that they can implement over time. So make sure to offer a mixture of both.
They also want to be inspired! We go to conferences to become better, so being inspired and having our passion re-ignited is vital. Use the opportunity to lift up rather than break down, there are indeed many things that should be changed in education but don’t forget about all of the good. I would rather start from a place of hope than a place of fear or anger any day.
They want the focus to be on students! As presenters we shouldn’t be there to just highlight the work we do, but rather keep the focus on the students. What we are doing, after all, is to make the lives of our students better. So make sure your presentation discusses the way students have gained from whatever topic and share their voice through quotes, video, pictures or even bringing a real live student in. They are in the end why we teach.
They want it to be fun! I learned a long time ago in my classroom to have fun with my students as a way to get the learning across, yet I tend to forget this in my presentations, I get too nervous I suppose. Yet professional development needs to be fun, energetic, passionate, and exciting. Find a way to lighten up the learning a bit, this also allows you to offer participants a way to get more hands on with things.
Once again, the people I connected to helped me push through and really sharpen the focus of my upcoming presentations. The next month will allow me to hopefully create an experience for all the people I am lucky enough to work with in the coming months. If you are interested in seeing where I will be or having me speak, please go here.
And now it is your turn. Please finish the sentence…Every workshop I attend should….
Pernille Ripp 