In letting go we find strength to begin again.
―Marianne Williamson
What I’ll Keep Doing
The older I get, the more conscious I become of time. My younger self didn’t think much about the years going by, but my older self thinks a great deal about how I want to spend my time. In my personal life, I’m very intentional about prioritizing time with family, friends, and the natural world, as these experiences ground me. And in the classroom, I think this way too.
As sweeping changes move over the educational landscape, I read, watch, learn, and integrate new practices into my repertoire. But, I also remain firm about what I will keep doing—what will remain despite the pressures that feel so powerful. All of these continue to have schools searching for the one right way to help every child learn to read—such a worthy goal, if only it were that simple. I know the complexities of learning are real, and I also know some instructional practices I’ll keep doing despite the pressures of the outside world.
I’ll keep reading aloud. I’ve witnessed firsthand how read aloud changes lives. When a student hears a book and begs to take it home to share it with their family, it matters. When a student hears a read aloud and begs me to get the next book in the series, it matters. Or when a student grabs a book that I read aloud and compares it with a book they are reading, it matters. I will make time in my schedule to read to children every day.
I’ll keep meeting with readers in small groups and one-on-one. Yes, over these past few years, I have expanded the types of assessments I complete, making sure to more frequently assess learners’ phonemic awareness and decoding skills alongside how they read and comprehend authentic texts. But, every day, I’ll spend many moments sidling up to readers to listen to them read, learn about their thinking, and understand what they love. What learners say and do matters, and there are no whole-class lessons that can support all of the students in front of a teacher. I will sit alongside them and listen so I know what to teach next—kid-watching matters.
I’ll keep teaching children how to craft their own writing pieces and let them attempt to bring meaning out on the page, because their ideas matter. No, their spelling won’t be perfect, and they will forget to punctuate, but I’ll let them approximate. Learning is approximating and they need time, space, and teaching to do it. I want each young person in front of me to know that they matter and their ideas matter. Kids need daily opportunities to write from their hearts.
I’ll keep putting beautiful books in children’s hands. I’ll introduce them to children’s book authors, search for series they love, and find books on topics that make them giggle, gasp in amazement, and even cry. Readers definitely have lots of skills to learn, and they need a reason to learn those skills. The urge to learn about a topic and become part of a far-away world can motivate someone to persevere even when learning is hard. Yes—I’ll keep connecting students and books.
We have only 180 days to make a difference in a child’s life. Yes, in those 180 days, I’ll keep teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills, and I’ll keep giving students opportunities to use and practice those skills in meaningful ways. As they practice, I’ll be right there by their side, guiding and coaching as they work. Our job is to create lifelong learners who can pursue their interests, learn independently, and think critically.
Using what we learn to make meaning doesn’t have a fixed starting point that waits for when we know enough skills. For example, it isn’t about a lockstep approach such as, “Oh, now you know your letters, so you are ready to write.”
Learning isn’t one straight path forward, and kids need many opportunities to authentically read, write, listen, and speak so the skills they have learned become tools that help them continue to learn and, more importantly, want to continue to learn.
As you welcome learners into your classroom this year, what will you keep doing? I hope you will keep the reading and writing of books alive in children’s hearts, even when others choose otherwise.
Shine on,
Tammy Mulligan
Teacher
Tammy Mulligan is the author of the upcoming book The Power of Quick and Frequent Practice: Joyful Small Moves with Big Impacts on Elementary Literacy (Stenhouse, 2024). She co-authored It’s All About the Books and Assessment in Perspective. At work, you can find her teaching second graders at the Hanscom Air Force Base Primary School. On other days, she is in her garden, hiking in the woods, or hiding behind a pile of children’s books. Connect with Tammy on X @TammyBMulligan or on Instagram @TammyReadsKidLit.
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Quote It:
Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.
—Dale Turner
That’s all for this week!
