Each new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
—Seneca
Beginning Again
On the last day of school our student body planned to meet outside on our field, circling the track, to honor our beloved custodian with cards and signs for his retirement. Moving a student body of almost 700 to the track area can be dicey…Although there are many doors available to exit the building, there is only one opening in the fence to get onto the track. The result is a pretty significant bottleneck that requires patience and grace when we are all making the journey. And although the staff is used to this and navigates it pretty well, it inevitably can cause confusion, especially with our youngest learners.
On this last day of school it was an easier, less hectic transition. Students had a year of experience making this migration for fire drills, the weather was beautiful, and we weren’t rushed to get in place. So I was surprised that when we found our space on the track, quiet little Cindy said, “Mrs. Parks, we’re missing four of our classmates.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Jessica, Amy, Asher, and Lilly went the other way around the track. They confused our class for another. They are over there.” She pointed to the opposite side of the field, and sure enough, I saw the four of them standing together, right in place at the edge of the track, between two other classes, making their own group.
I gestured for them to run across the field to us, but they didn’t see me, so I began the walk across. As I approached, I was struck by the scene. The four students were lined up just as was expected, holding hands, not crying or even looking nervous. They were talking quietly to each other and seemingly waiting for the custodian to come out and for the cheering to begin.
I paused in my walk and took it in. These kids had come so far since September, when they had returned to school for their first in-person school experience. Cindy’s voice speaking up for her lost classmates illustrated the work we had done to learn to advocate, ask questions, and grow as communicators. And the work we had done to learn to accept mistakes and solve problems, to rely on each other and care for one another, was evident in the four students’ placement on the track, holding on to one another. I could see their confidence, independence, and friendship.
Tears came as they often do at the end of a school year, but as I saw the students giggling together, I started giggling too. “You guys!” I called out. They looked toward me, and I motioned them over. Still holding hands they skipped their way toward me and laughed about what had happened. I laughed too. They chattered, skipped, and continued hanging on to each other as we crossed the field to join up with the class. When we reached the other side, their classmates made space for them to join our line, and we waited patiently for the custodian to arrive.
A year of growth in the hardest of times, displayed in a beloved school setting, was the perfect end to a wild year. It also sustains me as I begin again, setting in motion the routines and community that will grow over time.
This week we look at giving students choice and independence in book selection, plus more—as always.
Shine on,
Bitsy Parks
Contributor
When Sara Kajder commits a readerly sin during a curriculum meeting, it opens the floodgate to confessions of other readerly sins among members of the English department, as well as refocuses their attention on practices that invite students to build intentional reading lives. This article was first published in 2021.
Just reading. Pure, unadulterated reading. That’s the reading homework that matters most in the long run. Stephanie Affinito explains why. This article was first published in 2019.
Katie Doherty helps students make choices for independent reading. This article was first published in 2014.
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In Honoring Our Students’ Stories: Building an Intentional and Inclusive Learning Community to Grow Readers and Writers Stella Villalba teaches us how to discover, honor, and share student stories throughout the school year. With special attention to English learners, Stella walks educators through a process to intentionally honor the past and present of all students.
Stella Villalba warmly and directly guides us in opening our minds to a more inclusive classroom community. By sharing current research and practical classroom examples, Stella helps shift paradigms and construct new knowledge.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Christy Rush-Levine guides us to make reading recommendations based on what students enjoy most about a book they recently read. Christy used to make recommendations based on the genre or topic, but she has learned to listen to students to discover the reason they loved a recent read and use this information for recommendations.
Tara Barnett and Kate Mills remind us of the important opportunities offered during book shopping. Giving yourself permission to slow down and see the opportunities that the routines invite for collaboration and reflection will likely make it feel like you’re maximizing your minutes even more.
Download the Partner Baggie Check shared by Tara Barnett and Kate Mills.
Tammy Mulligan shares many video options to launch conversation skills in her primary classroom. This is the first installment of a three-part series about hands-down conversations.
In this encore video, Principal Karen Szymusiak sits in on a discussion of the challenges about helping young readers learn to pick appropriate books independently. This is a five-minute excerpt from a second-grade team meeting.
New members-only content is added each week to the Choice Literacy website. If you’re not yet a member, click here to explore membership options.
Jen Schwanke offers clear and practical steps teachers can take to modernize how to meet the needs of today’s students. Following these steps will help ward off the risk of being too comfortable in old routines.
Rachelle Gabriel suggests three questions school leaders should ask every day to optimize literacy instruction.
In this encore Coaching Minute, Kathy Provost and Heather Fisher share some criteria for selecting books for teachers to open doors and conversations.
Quote It:
You cannot stop you from being who you are.
—Khaled Hosseini
Books are a uniquely portable magic.
—Stephen King
That’s all for this week!
