I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March.  You should do it too! Check it out here. Thank you,  Two Writing Teachers! 

State tests are coming next week. Last week we went over testing tips – general things like “pace yourself” and “It’s just one test.” We were creating a foldable that I made from an idea I saw here. In general, I am not a big proponent of  devoting tons of time to”test prep.” I think my job is to teach 6th grade students to be the best readers and writers and mathematicians and historians (and until this year, scientists too). I believe that all we do in school (especially choice reading!) will help them in life, and as a side benefit, it will help them on standardized tests. We spend time looking at test prep questions almost as a genre study, so that they won’t come as a surprise during the tests.

But this is the kind of test prep I can appreciate – It says to the kids: you’ve got this, you know this, chill out and do your best. I owe it to my students to remind them that they are not only more than a test but can also be successful on the test.

One of my students asked me if they could keep the foldable with them during the test. I had to tell him “No.”

“Why?”

That’s the big question, isn’t it? I explained to my class that the test was standardized, that everyone’s testing experience across the state needed to be controlled, and that the state had decided that no other reference materials were allowed.

But I cringed inside as I said it.

When else in life are we allowed no references, no resources? My colleagues and I wondered about this in the hallway after school…I am still wondering.

So I will cover my word wall, my anchor charts, my posters.  I will put up privacy walls between my students, and I will follow the testing code that I promised to follow.  Then when this year’s tests are finished, I will uncover my walls.  We will be a community of learners again, and I think we’ll use extra resources that next week. . . just because we can. Off to write a lesson where students collaborate in groups, and need a dictionary, thesaurus, online encyclopedia, almanac, and the teacher’s help…. 

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March.  You should do it too! Check it out here. Thank you,  Two Writing Teachers! 

The scholastic box came today. We have been waiting and waiting. . . forever it seems, with spring break in the mix. What is it about a box of new books? My favorite thing is to unpack the books with the kids, and savor the excitement. Today I had to unpack the box without them, so I left the stack on my table and realized a stack of books might be even better than a box. I enjoyed the questioning eyes, the pointing, the asking, “Are these books for us?”

Each time students asked me about the books, I pretended to think about it for a moment, but couldn’t let them worry about it for long. Yes! Yes the books are for you.

One lucky girl caught me before lunch, and asked for a copy of  Counting by 7s, but the rest of the students have to wait until tomorrow when we will look at all the new titles together and settle on our lists of who gets the books. Tomorrow we will also choose our next read aloud. It will be a day of reading choices: My favorite kind of day.

But today was good too: A day for browsing and grabbing and previewing. Students came up at the end of the day to take a look at what their next book might be, ask to be first on the list, and recommend books from the pile to others.

I find it hard to describe, this feeling of joy while I listen to my students’ excitement over new books. My smile is hard to contain, and I love to listen in.

As I was reflecting on this time we spend in our classroom enjoying reading, I wondered if people might consider it wasted time. After all, “choosing books” is probably not a question on the state tests. (Although, I wouldn’t know since I’m not allowed to see the tests…)  Yesterday I got a parent email that I think answers that question. The parent wrote “… she has finally and surprisingly become a lover of reading — thanks to your own love of reading and your great book suggestions. I want to thank you for the personal attentions that have helped her gain confidence. I am sure that she will be reflecting on your gentle and powerful influence for many years to come.”

I think she is most likely exaggerating my influence – her daughter is a reader and became one for many reasons.  But, I like to think that the time we spend loving books, reading books, talking about books… and enjoying stories makes a difference to these kids.

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March.  You should do it too! Check it out here. Thank you,  Two Writing Teachers! 

I remember this, when school is quiet in the early morning. I’m the only one in the parking lot, in the hallway. Before I was a mom, I started most days arriving at school before 7:00. Often walking in the dark morning to the door. I’d sit at my desk with my coffee and finish waking up in my classroom, as I put the finishing touches on the days plans. Mornings were the time when I would make last minute copies, anchor charts, straighten up my classroom, and grade papers I hadn’t gotten to the night before.

Now I have 3 children, so my mornings are spent at home getting everyone ready – and there’s rarely a time I get to school early. Usually I’m here just in time.

Sure, today it was still not dawn when I left home only because we recently changed the clocks and nobody is at school yet because it’s an inservice day. I have no last minute plans to do because the students aren’t here today. But it still feels good. It feels good to sit at my desk, and think about the day ahead, to not only have had time to stop at starbucks, but to sit and drink it.

I’m ready for the day!

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March.  You should do it too! Check it out here. Thank you,  Two Writing Teachers! 

I miss my classroom couch.
It was pink and curved like a wide C
My students sank in
to read
to talk
to listen
to watch
to sew
        yes we had sewing circles on that couch

If you haven’t spent your days
in a
       windowless
classroom
you may not understand

I miss my arm chair.
It was old and creaky but soft
and perfect 
for read aloud and mini lessons and deep conversations

If you aren’t
11 or 12
in body or mind 
you may not understand 

I miss my soft rug.
It was huge and it fit a large circle of 25 
sixth graders
and a couple of teachers
greeting each other every morning
and learning together all day

If you haven’t tried to sit quietly and read
and work
or listen 
   and listen 
       and listen 
on a hard chair or floor
you may not understand

that community can be built 

with a couch, a chair and a rug
for workshops
for discussions
for relaxing
             gasp! 
for reading 
for writing
for math
for learning

I miss my couch
                  They made me throw it away
I miss my arm chair
                  They made me throw it away
I miss my rug
                  It disappeared one day

I am participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge: A slice a day for all of March.  You should do it too! Check it out here. Thank you,  Two Writing Teachers! 

“I sat in a stool yesterday!”

“I’ve been in a stool for a week!”

“Did you change the chart? I was in this chair yesterday.”

This is how literacy began today. Students were so angry about their seating plan. Their anger made me angry at first. After all, I had finally made the new special seat chart because we all felt that it would be more fair than leaving it up to chance and fate. Up until recently, we had an honor system of sitting somewhere you hadn’t sat recently. That “system” didn’t work, and we all decided that we needed something more formal.

Yesterday I asked them if they wanted me to order the chart differently so they didn’t have a stool for several days in a row as we moved our class numbers through the chart, and they said no. But today, today they were unhappy.

All of these recent events and decisions swirled in my mind, as did the literacy plans I had ready to go… and I started my conversation more sharply than necessary. I was annoyed to take this time.

“Tell me what else I can do?” I said with an edge to my voice. And I repeated all that I had done thus far to help them with the fairness of the chart.

Then a hand went up with a suggestion. A good suggestion. I felt my attitude shift. I took a mindful deep breath – and I listened. I listened and we tried the idea. Then another student added an idea, and we tried that. We cut the chart apart, and moved it around the board.  More students got involved in the conversation, and the magnet moving. The class nodded in agreement with our work. We had a chart to work with that honestly was better than before.

“We’ve lost all the spots people were in before,” I started, “and if I put these magnets up I’m afraid people will be upset that they have a stool again, or the same chair again. The only way to do this is to randomly place them.”

“It’s okay!”

“We won’t say anything. Just put them up and that’s where we’ll sit.”

“We won’t complain!”

It was startling how our attitudes had shifted. Student complaints fed my annoyance – and when a student was willing to engage in the real task at hand,  I was able to break away from my annoyance, and take the edge out of my voice. We found our new chairs, and got down to the business of reading.