I did a crazy thing the other day: I started a countdown to school on iGoogle. For those of you who want to know: 23 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes, 53 seconds, and ticking. It was probably the wrong thing to do for a million reasons, but I did it. Maybe it was because I saw the large word AUGUST looming ahead on the calendar, or because I saw the back-to-school sales begin. Maybe it was because I’m starting to miss first graders. Was it a full moon or the discovery of iGoogle widgets?
Whatever the reason, I found the results weren’t as shocking as I’d expected. Looking at the countdown I realized there was still plenty of time to relax, to think about my coming year, to catch up on my professional reading, and to discover more gems in the world of technology.
It’s more than the turning of the calendar page that has me in professional mode. This is a great time. One of my favorite things about teaching is this opportunity for renewal. This is the time to look forward by looking back. What did I do last year that really worked? What do I want to do better? And most important for me, what did my students teach me last year that I want to remember this year?
What I value in the classroom comes to life in the individual encounters, day by day, with children. The voices of my students over the years have brought me to this time and bring me much to reflect on. But this year, the recent lessons from Kylie, Takuma, Brandon, and Amanda are what I will use as a compass for starting the year strong.
Kylie and the Value of Conversations with Peers Every Day
Students like Kylie remind me of the importance of starting conversations the very first day of school. Kylie was a student with many gifts. She came ready for first grade. She was eager to learn and took school very seriously. Kylie was incredibly kind and thoughtful, but she struggled with confidence. She wanted to please everyone, and was worried about trying new ideas. Her familiarity with stories, likely from years of being read to at home, helped to support her in her own reading and writing.
The time to have common conversations with her peers, to see examples of the work of her friends, and to be able to try to read and write in new ways was imperative for her to find herself. Next year will bring new Kylies, needing this same time to learn and grow.
Takuma and the Value of Purposeful Assessment
Ongoing assessment defines the work I will do with students every day. Keeping a spiral with notes from conferences, using class grids to record assessment data for “at a glance” decision-making, taking time for quick-writes, recording snippets of conversations and learning evidence, as well as taking time to reflect on all of these pieces of student learning across our day helps me create stories of the learners in my classroom.
Students like Takuma need me to continuously assess, reflect, and adjust my instruction. Takuma was a second-language learner in my classroom. He was extremely quiet at the beginning of the year, and I wasn’t always sure he understood the concepts we were learning and discussing. He didn’t really add to conversations, and when conferring with him I knew he was working hard to find the words to express his understanding.
However, Takuma’s work told the story of what he knew. I noticed he tried many of the things we talked about in focus lessons. When we discussed the way writers use repeating lines to help tell their stories, he gave it a try. When we learned to ask questions as we read, Takuma would write questions on sticky notes and place them in his reading. By watching carefully I realized all that Takuma understood, and provided support accordingly. I placed him in small groups of learners where he would have language models, and it wasn’t long until his ability to participate in discussions improved. Takuma needed me to provide multiple opportunities for him to demonstrate his understanding of concepts.
Brandon and the Value of Student Goal Setting
First graders are amazing. I’m always afraid to say they are too young to do something, because they usually prove me wrong. This was the case with goal setting. In the last few years, I have played a lot with having my students reflect on their own work and set their own goals. I’m impressed by how accurately they see themselves as learners.
Brandon reminded me of the power in having students set their own goals. He could write three stories in a workshop. He wrote quickly, racing through each piece. I talked to him often about slowing down, connecting his story ideas, and developing his stories for his readers. He’d listen to me in conferences, but I really didn’t see his writing change as a result of them.
When we began using student goal sheets to reflect on learning and set new goals, I finally saw shifts in Brandon’s work. As soon as HE wrote, “Slow down,” he did it. As soon as HE wrote, “Add more to my story,” he did it. Having self-selected goals can guide conversations with readers and writers. Sitting beside students, I can pull out the goal sheet and have them show me places they’ve been trying, or need help with, this new learning. There is something about having ownership of a goal that commits students to change.
Amanda and the Value of Read Aloud All Day Long
I think I’ve saved the best for last. I love to listen to Lester Laminack speak. There is something so simple, yet true, about his advice. I’m going to oversimplify his wisdom, but this is what I hear him saying: Read to children every day, all the time, and the rest will fall into place.
Amanda reminded me of the importance of helping students fall in love with reading. Amanda came into my classroom last fall and wouldn’t hesitate to tell me (in these exact words), “I don’t like reading.” The quiet after her comment each time she made it was indescribable. I’m sure my students were waiting for me to either cry or stand on a chair shouting my disbelief, but I didn’t. I somehow kept my head, took a deep breath, and thought, Oh, I’m going to change that!
Thanks to read aloud I soon figured out Amanda had a few weaknesses in her armor: She loved to talk, had a rich background of personal experiences, and had a fun wit about her. With some thoughtful book choices, I soon had her laughing and chatting in read aloud. Through the time provided in workshops, I was able to slowly bring her to the dark side. When I see her in August and ask her about books, I’ll know for sure, but I think I won. Amanda reminded me that more than indicators, more than assessments, more than anything, falling in love with books is most important.
The calendar has turned to August. I find myself making lists, shopping at back-to-school sales, and making plans for the new school year. Excitedly I look forward to the end of this month when a new group of students will walk through my door. We’ll begin to build our community with the lessons from the past and the potential of the days ahead. When these new students arrive, I know there are transformations I want to make in my teaching.
Looking back, I will use the things I have learned from previous students to accomplish this. With this new group I will move forward as they remind me, and each other, of what we value most in our classroom. The large AUGUST reminds me it is my opportunity to start anew. As you begin your own countdown to greet your students, I hope you’ll savor the lessons from last year’s students—it’s probably the gift I prize most as a teacher.
