Saturday, July 30, 2011

Assignment Eight: Reflections for Section Four & Five

Note: These section are packed!!! Pick and choose your discussion points so that the blog doesn't get so overwhelmingly packed with information that everyone won't actually want to read each others' comments. :)

Sections Four and Five- Advocacy Is Also Essential and Teaching In Action: Lesson Essentials

Assignment Eight: Read Writing Essentials Chapters 11-12 and Section Five. Reflect on the comments below and any additional reactions you have after reading these chapters. Post your thoughts to the course blog.Chapter 11: Build on Best Practice and Research• What are some of the key research findings most relevant to writing instruction?
• What are the practices of highly effective teachers?
• How can you be part of the ongoing professional development discussions in your building?
• What about test scores? What are the characteristics of high performing schools?
• Think twice before adopting a “program”

Regie begins this chapter sharing her experiences doing residencies in schools and the surprising (and delightful) discovery that whole school cultures changed during the course of their work improving literacy instruction. As she said, “This is what education should be about…whole schools working together so that all students (can) succeed.” How is the climate/culture in your school? On your team? One reason we continue to look to Regie for inspiration is that we feel she is so practical. There is not one right way or method to teach writing. “That is why formulas, programs and recipes don’t work. Every context, school and person is different and has different needs. Literacy is not a set of acquired or learned skills.”

Chapter 12: Make Every Minute Count• You need to “REDUCE THE PAPER LOAD!!!”
• What can we do that will save us time and allow us to focus more on meaningful instruction?
• Regie states, “Take more time to see the light!” Don’t get bogged down with daily worksheets and isolated exercises.

Though this chapter is short it is full of valuable ideas and reminders! Regie reminds us in this chapter to stop and reflect about what we are doing in the classroom. Ask yourself: Is this the best use of my time? Is what I’m about to do going to help my students become more joyful and accomplished readers, writers and thinkers?

“It might be that the best use of your time is to read a professional book, see a movie, visit with a friend. Sharing your experiences with your students may be a more useful way to get them to think about their writing than marks and comments on a paper.” “It’s hard to come to school all excited about teaching if you’ve spent hours the night before pouring over papers.” It is a disservice to our students and ourselves “if our out-of-school time is all about paperwork.” In fact, “Teachers’ comments on students’ papers do little to improve writing, even if the comments are positive ones. It is far more effective to conference with students and focus on specific writing issues with the student at your side.”

Also “(b)e sure that most of your writing time is devoted to writing, not preparing for writing or doing activities about writing. Safeguard sustained writing time; it’s critical for becoming a writer. Limit take-home work for students too, and place more emphasis on free-choice reading. Having more reading experiences positively impacts growth in writing skills.”

Regie closes this chapter by reminding us to breathe, relax and enjoy writing- and your life! “One way to reduce stress and have more energy for teaching and advocacy is to have a life outside of school. I worry about teachers and principals who work twelve-hour days. I have seen no research that shows educators who work the longest hours get the best results or that longer reading and writing projects teach more about reading and writing. Keep evaluating whether what you’re staying late for-or the hours of work you take home- will help your students become more effective readers and writers.”

9 comments:

  1. The part of these chapters that I focused on was the question, "What are the practices of highly effective teachers?" So many of the suggestions and statements were just said in such a clear and concise way and I felt like there so were so many ideas that I could take away and put them into practice. It also was helpful to look at the lists and almost rate myself and consider how I am currently doing in each of the areas. My list of areas that I need to work on are to have my students write everyday. I tend to have them only write 3 days a week and then do it other quick writes as homework. I want to incorporate more brief writing exercises during the day. Another highly effective practice that stood out to me was to help my students see writing as a process. So many of my kids see it as an end goal, a project and something to get turned in. I think I would see an improvement in their pieces if they viewed it more as a process. The last one that jumped off the page to me was to demonstrate "think alouds" to my students. I do that already but I want to do it more. I also want my students to possibly explain to me after the lesson what I was doing. Maybe have them take notes on what they noticed that I did. I don't know if that will be effective but I want to try it.

    This year I want to ask myself the questions, "Is this the best use of my time?" and " Is what I'm doing going to make my students more joyful, thoughtful writers?" With those questions as my compass, I think I will be able to "trim the fat" off of the areas that might not be as effective in empowering my students to become better writers.

    In terms of section five, I appreciated the clear, simple layout of the lessons. I also think the way she separated each different lesson by genre is helpful. I'm excited to follow these lessons and try them out on my students this year.

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  2. As I was reading chapters 11 and 12 I reflected a lot about the culture at my school. I think every teacher at my school wants the best for their students. We are all hard workers. The problem I see is that we don’t collaborate much. Once the bell rings and the students leave we do all our own planning. Part of the problem is we have so many meetings that it is difficult to schedule a time to meet as a staff, but like Routman says, you make time for the things you value, so I believe we can make the time to meet and work together.

    Over the weekend I watched “Waiting for Superman.” When it first came out it was very controversial and many teachers I know felt attacked. I thought the movie would depress me so I put off seeing it. Although the movie was depressing in many parts, there were also parts that featured schools where kids were thriving. In schools where students were doing well, the school culture was different. Teachers collaborated and continued growing as professionals so they were confident and effective in the classroom. These schools were inspiring to me and they made me want to bring that culture to my school.

    I think the best way for me to begin collaborating with my staff on a weekly basis is to start small. I work at a k-8 school, so I think if I brought the idea up of meeting weekly at a staff meeting people would feel it was too big a commitment. However, if I start meeting with a few people from my team and we begin having conversations that directly help our students, other teachers at our school will start wanting to be a part of the dialogue. I think more and more teachers will be willing to join when they see a small, committed group of teachers meeting to help our students.

    I love how throughout Routman’s book she stresses the importance for teachers to have a life outside of teaching. The last few years I have devoted a lot of time to writing feedback on my student’s work. This year I want to continue giving feedback, but do it through writing conferences. Students will be more invested in their writing when we talk and think about their writing together. When I wrote lots of feedback to students, I had good intentions, but I wasn’t having students do much talking or thinking about their writing. This year I hope to spend the time I used to devote to writing feedback to meeting with my colleagues to have important conversations about our students and our teaching.

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  3. Regie’s ideas of putting energy and dollars into ongoing professional development and not programs make a lot of sense to me. We haven’t had professional development on writing in years. There hasn’t even been money to go to conferences in years either. The last one I went to was one of Regie’s about 6 years ago. I wish my principal would involve the whole staff, especially at staff meetings on the subject of literacy. We don’t have time to share with each other and this would be a great place to start. My principal didn’t even know who Regie Routman is when I told him I wanted to take this class. That is how out of the loop he is.
    We were told this year by our superintendent to put all of the standards on a map and then decided what strands to put were taught each trimester, month etc. Our first grade team worked hard to complete this with writing and other subject areas. From what I have learned in this class whole-part-whole, I will have to incorporate those pieces into the OLM.
    The Context of Writing and Writing as a Process are something I would like to share with my principal and team. They are great reminders on how to make writing successful with students. The Conventions of Writing gives research why content and authentic writing is important first.
    In chapter 12 Regie has a wonderful list of the top ten suggestions to enjoy writing and fitting it into my day. Some of them I practice on a regular basis. Probably the one that stood out for me is slow down, less is more. I notice when I am up in front of my students at times, it is like a race. When it is time for me to send them back to their seats they are unsure what to do. I need to slow it down, talk through the writing, teach whole-part-whole and have a good time while I am doing it.

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  4. After reading the start of section 4, I realize I am lucky to be in a school where professional development is valued. I never have to think twice about asking to take a class or worry about my principal's support. As I have discussed earlier in the blog, we don’t really have a writing program that we are expected to teach. We do have Lucy Calkins, but many teachers use that as a supplement to support their writing curriculum, not a mandated program. Every couple years we as school approach a different topic, from math to literacy. Two years ago our school focused on literacy throughout the year, and it was relatively successful. I believe for a program or a philosophy to work, we need to give it time. I remember someone once telling me that you may not see true results for seven years. As educators, we rarely have seven years to experiment with a new philosophy or program, but we do need to give it a substantial amount of time. Because we are using tax dollars, and the community supports us, we as educators may find it difficult to continue with something when immediate results are not returned.


    I loved the “Key Research Findings” section starting on page 263. This is a great, condensed version of many key concepts discussed throughout the book. After reading it through, the thing that really shines through is this: have students write daily, incorporate their own lives and interests, be intentional with lessons, write with students, and use real world social context in their writing. At times I think I over teach writing, and when I do I see my students’ writing suffer. Just like with everything I do, when I enjoy what I am doing, the product I produce tends to be of higher quality. When I am not engaged, no matter how hard I try, I never can get the results I want if I’m not engaged. If students enjoy writing, their writing skills will greatly improve.

    There is a brief section about homework on page 278, and homework is something that I struggle with as a teacher each year. I try not to give too much homework, as I never have seen good results from students, nor have I seen homework help students greatly. Yes, there are some parents that are very involved in their child’s life, and I know that their help at home can benefit the student. But what about the students that don’t have that option? Personally, I would rather students read for pleasure 30 minutes every night, instead of producing some homework assignment. I do give 30 minutes of reading every night for homework, but that usually gets pushed aside with other homework and sports.

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  5. At the beginning of this chapter, she really emphasizes her point about how there is no formula for school improvement, but that meaningful change in the schools takes time and depends on relationships across the school community. I am thrilled about this idea, and think that my school is on board. Like Phil, my school really values professional development and collaboration, so I guess I am lucky. It seems that, despite the number of acronym-laden trainings we have had, that they are all the same and that it takes time for change to develop. What I really loved about this chapter is how she cites all the research that supports different elements to writing in the classroom. Sometimes I am questioned about why I do the things I do, and I will definitely keep a big pink post-it on page 263 so I can point out the research that supports my practice. Lastly, as I examine the practices of highly effective teachers, I realize that I need to engage more subject-specific professional development—classes like this one, professional conferences, and read more books and journal articles about writing and teaching. I am especially interested in researching more about teaching skills in isolation, because while I do recognize that it doesn’t always effectively translate, Reggie has not convinced me to abandon this practice. I don’t do it a lot, and what I do really seems to be effective, so I am curious to learn more.

    I am really glad Reggie included the chapter about making every minute count. I am definitely going to ask myself the “So what?” question this year. In fact, I think I will write it in a very visible place and refer to it often. I am pretty good about not taking work home, but I do get pretty stressed out once in a while about little things that probably don’t really matter. Does whatever I am doing impact student learning? I must ask myself this more often. I would really like to develop more “small” assignments that assess student learning. One-paragraph assignments, for example, allow me to save time, provide timely feedback, and can easily be differentiated for a variety of learners.

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  6. Regina, Molly, Leah, Phil, and Ashley – Thanks for your comments on these packed sections!
    Regina – It’s wonderful that you were able to be so reflective during these chapters. I liked your idea of having the kids explain what you’re doing during think alouds….I think it will make it that much more explicit for them. Good luck as you try out some of the new lesson ideas this coming year.
    Molly – I completely agree with your thoughts on collaborating with colleagues! I think everyone ends up just spinning their wheels. I’ve also put of seeing Waiting for Superman, I saw the other one (which I’m blanking on). I so think that school culture AND professionalism is so important…sometimes I think our Union actually gets in the way of this. Start small as you mentioned, and I think you might be amazed with the spiral effect it could have on your colleagues!
    Leah – Bottom line, teachers just need to be trained to teach…and there’s so much to learn…and research keeps giving us new and better ways to teach…that none of us should ever be done learning how best to meet the needs of our children. Incorporating you standards map into OLM instruction will be key for success…maybe this would be a good place to start conversation with your colleagues.
    Phil – You are so lucky to be in a place that does value PD. You are also right in that it could take 7 years for an instructional change to be working effectively, and unfortunately no one EVER wants to allow it this time. We are trying to launch a true reading/writing workshop in our classrooms, but unfortunately, the district bought a program (Making Meaning) while it’s good, it gives teaching in workshop restrictions. Way to much focus on “the program” and NOT just good instruction. I completely agree with your homework philosophy, especially as a Mom of two myself now, and the busy after school schedule we all have!!!
    Ashley – You are also a lucky one :) It is great though to have research to back up all of you efforts! I’m so glad that reading Regie’s book has allowed you to reflect on your own teaching practices as well as be more curious about others (teaching skills in isolation). Best of luck with your “so what’s?” this coming year!

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  7. I really appreciated that Regie gives us a license to live our lives. It is important on so many levels that we take care of ourselves. Sometimes I feel as if there is a silent competition among teachers - who can be the biggest martyr? I understand that we all make different choices. My dear sister spends MANY hours helping students and prepping after school. But I don't think that she is a better person because she stays late. I really dislike it when people seem to look down at others when they leave on time or don't show up early. It doesn't make for a collegial environment. As I became a mother I realized that it was more important than ever before to take time for myself and my family. For me that is what makes me a better teacher. I am more refreshed and excited about teaching if I am relaxed.

    I would really love to develop a school-wide vision around literacy. This may be a challenge as our change in leadership last year has shaken the foundation of our building. Doors are closing, things are being done "just to be done" and there is not a feeling of safety with our principal. People are not willing to be vulnerable and speak up even when they know they should because it would be best for the students. Maybe Leah and I will need to start small and work closely with our grade level team to create a vision.

    I really loved Regie's list of key research findings. Those will be so helpful to reference. I especially like the point "Provide caring teachers." It is imperative that students bond with the teacher (and each other) if they are to take risks and learn effectively. This is really important for our students, especially those in poverty, of minority cultures and English Language Learners.

    I also love the Ask So What? I try to do that more and more in all aspects of my life. I try to figure out the purpose for my words and actions. Once I have identified the purpose I can decide if it is really worth it to do, say or spend time/money on something.

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  8. Our students gain confidence in their abilities as readers and writers when we make literacy a central part of our classrooms. With that confidence comes the ability and willingness to share ideas and experiment with new ideas. Best practices in teaching writing are similar to best practices in teaching any subject: guided study, demonstration, and practice lead to autonomy. Modeling is an important aspect of writing. Students need to see how the writing process works. We want to empower our students.

    Providing students with opportunities to gain confidence in their abilities and not be afraid to share or try new ideas should be a central goal of our literacy plans. We must then teach with purpose. When we are confident that how and what we teach will lead to literacy independence, we inspire our students. To make sure we are providing our students with the best use of our time, we must assess the time spent in the classroom: is it beneficial to the education of the students? Instead of finding strength in the raising of test scores, we should be teaching students to love and be passionate about writing and providing them with daily inspiration.

    It isn't enough to talk about making changes in our writing curriculum: we have to take action. Discussions about writing beliefs and goals must be started between colleagues. We must ask: how can we achieve literacy for all our students? These professional interactions will provide support, encourage community, and spark lasting changes. We cannot do it alone; our schools must be dedicated to change and willing to take the first steps to making literacy a real priority.

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  9. Thanks Allison and Mariah for sharing your reflections on this invaluable section.
    Allison – I’ve learned as a Mom myself where to place my priorities….although there are still weeks where my husband will throw out some gentle reminders :) I’ve also come to realize that everyone just puts their time in differently…it doesn’t mean that you need to be staying for hours before or after school to be a dedicated teachers. You just need to be thoughtful in your instruction!!! That’s too bad about your new leadership in the building…I think it’s a great idea for you and Leah to build up your grade level and support each other!
    Mariah – You are exactly right…best practices in all subject areas should include the gradual release of responsibility, or the OLM. Building that positive classroom environment is also so important to students being able to learn! Sounds like you need to be getting a permanent position and start getting out there promoting change!

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