School Year Reflections

As I wrap up my second year as a middle school reading teacher, it's a bittersweet time for me.  I have absolutely loved getting to work with my students over the past year and some of my students have been with me for two years now!  They've continued to teach me how to be a better teacher (I shared some of the lessons they've taught me in this post) and I hope I've been able to help them become better readers. Next year I will be embarking on a new profession: Stay At Home Mom.  While I'm heartbroken about leaving my school "kids,"  I am over the moon about the fact that I will get to stay home with my babies.  

Before I focus all my attention on being a mom, I thought I would reflect on some things I've learned this school year in the hopes that it might help out some of my fellow teachers.   

Be Their Person. 

Since I work with my middle school students in a one-on-one setting, I have the luxury of giving them all my time and attention while they are with me.  That means I get to know them really, really well.  The more I get to know my students, the more comfortable they feel around me and the more they open up to me.  I have found that I have become many of my students' "person."  When they do really well on a social studies test, they come tell me about it.  When their brother gets cancer and has to have his leg amputated, they share it with me.  When they have a problem with another teacher, they talk to me about it.  When they don't understand the directions for an assignment, they come ask me for help.  I feel honored to be their "person."  

I know it's hard to be each kids' "person" when you have a classroom full of 25 elementary students or you are a middle school teacher who sees 100 kids a day.  But finding a minute here or there to check in with the kids who really need a "person"  is something that can and should be done.  If I ever go back to being a classroom teacher, you better believe that I will find the time to give each of my students some individual time and attention.  They will give you so much more effort and respect if you do.     

Show Them Their Reading Data.

I feel like there is this big stigma when it comes to showing kids their reading performance scores.  I understand not wanting to embarrass kids or make them feel defeated, but I think it's important for them to know where they are performing.  Part of my job requires me to be evaluated by my administrators.  If they come into my room to evaluate me, I want to know how they thought I did.  I think kids are no different.  

I've found that kids often don't realize just how low they are performing.  And sometimes it's simply because they aren't trying their best.  I do try to focus on how much growth they are making.  I like to show kids their scores from the beginning of the year and then compare it to where they are now.  It can be either a wake up call to try their best on future tests, or it can serve as proof that they are making progress.  

However, it's important how you share the reading data and the conversations that happen around that data.  You have to take the time to explain what it all means and give them an opportunity to ask questions and share their thoughts about it.  Doing so helps empower kids and gives them more control over their performance.  

Just Shut Up.

I know this sounds kind of rude, but it's so true!  When I ask kids to try something or respond to a question I ask of them, it's really easy to jump in and rescue them if they struggle with it.  But what is that really doing for them?  It's teaching them that if they don't respond, someone will do it for them.  I see this learned helplessness so often.  As teachers, we need to give students the opportunities to think critically and solve problems on their own.  Giving them the chance to wrestle with productive struggle will help them grow and push them to do more thinking on their own.  That's our job.  We want students to leave us feeling confident in themselves and have the skills needed to think for themselves.  

So sometimes, as teachers, we need to just shut up.  We have to be okay with those silences and we have to be okay with repeating our questions.  I'm not going to lie, that was hard for me to do at first.  But now that my kids realize I am not going to give them the answer when they don't know it, they rarely sit there and stare at me like they used to.  They try to answer my questions, even if they aren't entirely sure their answers are correct.  A lot of the time, they end up surprising me.  All students really are capable of some pretty incredible insights if we just give them the opportunity to share.  

Use Fun Pens. 

I am big on annotations.  I want my students to not just read, but I want them to think about what they are reading.  Having my students annotate while they read is one way of encouraging them to think as they read.  I teach my students to write down their thoughts, questions, opinions and connections as they read.  
Believe it or not, but the single easiest way to get them to write more is to let them use fun pens.  This seems ridiculous and unimportant, but I'm telling you.  They will write away if they get to use fun pens.  

When In Doubt, Throw In Some Treats. 

One of my biggest goals as a reading teacher is to get my students to enjoy reading.  This involves getting books that my students will actually enjoy into their hands.  This year I tried out a book tasting with the help of my school's librarian.  (Thanks, Karen!)  We worked together to gather books that we love and thought our kids would love.  From there, we set up a book tasting, much like you would a wine tasting.  

The kids loved it!  We set up tables with different book genres.  From there, students had the opportunity to "taste" the books to see if they looked interesting.  We also gave them some treats to taste along with the books, which always ups the interest level in whichever activity is going on.  The students rotated to the different tables and were pretty full of books by the end of the tasting.  It was a hit!

    

Let Them Know You Think About Them Over The Summer. 

At the end of the year last year, I gave each kiddo a note with some personalized book recommendations. Whether or not they actually tried out the recommendations, they understood that I knew enough about them to pick books they might like.  And that says a lot to a kid.  It tells them that I value them.  

I also sent each kiddo a postcard over the summer.  It was just a simple little note that reinforced the idea that I value them.  I plan to do the same this summer.  

I hope some of these ideas can help out my fellow teachers!  I hope the end of the school year goes well and hope my fellow teachers have a wonderful summer!  

What Kids Who Hate to Read Taught Me About Teaching Reading

I realize I don’t typically discuss teaching on this blog, but I know a lot of the friends and family who read this are teachers.  I figured this would be the perfect place to reflect on my first year as a middle school Title I reading teacher and possibly give my fellow teachers some new ideas.  

Let me start by saying how much happiness this job has brought to me this year.  This job came my way when I truly needed something to give me a purpose and help distract me from losing my baby.  I will be forever grateful for this amazing opportunity.  

Being a middle school reading teacher is literally the best gig in education.  I get to convince kids one at time that reading is awesome.  It’s hard work and I haven’t managed to convince all my kids that reading is worth their time.  But it’s so worth it when a middle-schooler tells you they are tired because they stayed up late reading a book that you suggested to them.  

Like any good teacher will tell you, their students tend to teach them more about teaching than any other book, professional development or training ever could.  This is definitely true for me.  When I started the year, I had a group of 40 kids who all hated to read.  One of the first questions I asked them was, “How do you feel about reading?”  Some of them didn’t want to hurt my feelings, so they claimed it was “okay.”  But most of them told me they hated it or it was hard or it made them feel stupid when they had to read in front of people. Heartbreaking, right?  

So, I set out on a mission to help them see that reading can actually be worthwhile, and dare I say, fun!  I learned a lot as I carried out my mission.  Here are some things that might help you if you are in the business of teaching kids reading:

Acknowledge their feelings and build a relationship.  

I have had more success with students when I acknowledge their fear or disgust of reading. I don't tell them they are wrong for feeling the way they do. I just tell them that it's my job to help them realize that reading can actually be enjoyable. I take the pressure of them and put it on me. The kids still have to do the hard work, but they seem to relax a bit when they realize I will help them and don't expect them to do everything themselves.

This is the first step of building a relationship with my students. This is the critical step! Students have to trust you in order to take risks in front of you. I ask my students to do things that are difficult for them. I ask them to read books that challenge them. I ask them to think in ways they haven't ever thought before. I ask them to try strategies that are new to them. They won't be willing to try these things out if they don't trust you. They have to be comfortable enough to fail in front of you before they will try these difficult things.

So I spend a great deal of our short amount of time together building relationships. I get to know them and their families, what they do on the weekends and classes they like. I ask them how their track meet went, how their new puppy is doing and how they did on their latest social studies test. This is time well spent! You will get so much more out of them if they know you care about them. And you have to be genuine with them. Middle-schoolers are great at detecting bullshit. They will know if you aren't honest with them or if you are just pretending to care.  

Don't make them read on a specific level or for a specific amount of time.  

Although there are many teachers and education professionals who would disagree with me, I don't believe middle school kids should read books based on their Lexile or specific reading level. It can be incredibly demeaning, which is a blow to their reading confidence. Typically, if students are reading below grade level, the books on their reading level will not match their interest level. I think it is far more important for kids to find books that are interesting. If kids find a book interesting, they will be far more likely to pick it up on their own and actually read it.  

Again, some teachers and education professionals will disagree with my next statement, but requiring students to read for a specific amount of time or a specific number of pages isn't effective. If students hate reading, assigning them to read for 30 minutes each evening is just setting them up for failure. They won't do it. Instead, help them find books they will like! Once you find a book they like, they will pick it up and read it on their own. Some of my students who described themselves as non-readers at the beginning of the school year now tell me they spend an hour reading at home each night! I didn't tell them to do that, they decided to do that on their own. When you put the power to read back in their hands, they take more ownership of it. Of course, it's super important to celebrate with them when they choose to read on their own.

Read with them and for them.
I just made a big deal about how students will choose to read on their own if they find books that are interesting to them. But guess what? Students who hate reading aren't going to go out of their way to find books that are interesting to them. That's where I (and other reading teachers) come in. It's our job to help them find books. And we can't just offer a few suggestions and give up on them when they turn them all down. 

One of the most knowledgeable, realistic perspectives in reading education (according to me) is Penny Kittle. I use so much of her philosophy when teaching kids to love reading. She is a big proponent of providing kids with meaningful book recommendations. And in order to give a kid a quality book recommendation that they will take seriously, you have to have read the book. So I read a ton! I don't take home any paperwork. I take home books. I read constantly and I listen to audio books while driving to and from school. I ask our school's librarian and other teachers for good books. Because of all the reading I do, I have a pretty big bank of books to draw from when I recommend books to students.

It's also important for me to share the fact that I read for enjoyment and to make myself a better person. I always share my honest opinion about books to my students, too. If I hated a book, I tell them. It's important for them to see that it's okay to abandon a book that doesn't hold their interest. If a kid asks me if I've read a book and I haven't, I tell them. I tell them what books I want to read, as well. One thing Penny Kittle does that I have adopted is to share the book(s) I'm currently reading, what I just finished reading and what I plan to read next with my students. It serves as proof that I actually read and offers instant book recommendations to kids. I have several students that always stop and take a look at the books I'm reading/finished reading/plan to read.  

With some students, I have to take the time to get the kids invested in a book I think they will like. It's not enough just to hand the book to some kids. Quite often, I read the first few pages or chapters with the kids. We get a sense of the story and the characters together. We annotate to get a sense of our feelings and thinking about the book. Once I feel like they have a good grasp of the book, I turn them loose with it. This step is so important for kids who have a hard time getting into a book or understanding what's happening.

Vocabulary is key.

One of the biggest reasons why kids struggle with reading is a lack of vocabulary comprehension. When you constantly try to read words you can't pronounce or words you don't know the meaning of, it's overwhelming and defeating. So kids stop reading, which means their vocabularies stop growing. It becomes this vicious cycle. That's why it is super important to help kids grow their vocabulary bank. When I'm talking with students, I try to throw in new vocabulary. When we are reading together and come across a word I can tell they don't know, we talk about it or look it up on Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary. I also encourage the kids to make vocabulary cards to add to a bulletin board in my room. It's become a resource that all the kids use and take pride in adding to. Some kids even started to ask if they could make a card if they come across a new word on their own. I make it a point to explain how important vocabulary is to reading and it helps them become more active in learning new words.

Play games.

Even middle schoolers like to play games.  6th graders still get really excited at the mention of playing a game. 8th graders aren’t as quick to admit they want to play a game, but they will have a big smile plastered on their face while they are playing.  Trust me.  There are lots of games out there that help develop reading skills and oral expression skills.  A few of my favorites are Taboo, Scattergories and Mad Gab.  Taboo gets kids to think about different ways to describe words, which helps them develop their vocabulary and practice their oral expression.  Scattergories helps kids work on spelling and critical thinking.  Mad Gab helps kids practice their decoding skills.  Just remember to go through the cards in Taboo and Mad Gab ahead of time and remove any that aren’t school appropriate.  You certainly don’t want a 7th grade boy trying to get you to guess the word “lingerie” or “hangover.”

There are lots of other things you can call a “game” which will trick kids into working on reading skills.  Mad Libs is great if you are working on grammar or sentence structure.  I have the book Bananagrams for Kids, which is chalk full of word riddles, which helps with critical thinking skills and spelling.  It’s all in how you present the activity.  If you call it a “game,” they’ll automatically get excited about it.    

I could go on and on about all the things my students have taught me this year, but I'm sure you are tired of scrolling down. These are my best tips. Happy summer to all you teachers out there! And happy reading!

Classroom Tour

As much as I've missed teaching these past two years, I think I've missed setting up a classroom just as much! There's just something about creating a space that's all about growing a community of learners.  I'm a big believer in your environment affecting you and your productivity.  And I believe a productive classroom environment is pivotal in helping students learn.  

I had several goals for my classroom.  I wanted it to feel homey and welcoming.  I want my students to want to come to my classroom and feel like it is just as much their space as it is mine.  I wanted to reflect the wonder and whimsy that comes from reading, since I will be teaching reading this year.  And I didn't want to spend a lot of money.  Let me tell you, it is very easy to rack up the expenses when you're not careful about your classroom budget!

And so, without further ado, here's the classroom tour!  

I tried to create several different spaces or nooks within the classroom.  I have a storage nook that houses a closet and four filing cabinets.  The closet was red and didn't match anything else in the room, so I covered it with bulletin board paper and leftover border.

The next nook is what I like to call the family room nook.  It has on old couch that I covered with a new slipcover, a $5 side table (thanks, Mom!) and a $20 Walmart rug (thanks again, Mom!).  I envision kids enjoying some independent reading on the couch.  

Then there's the library nook.  This area has book shelves and reading pillows.  It also has the $20 Craigslist table that Adam refinished for me.  I'm so lucky he's so handy and so willing to do projects for my classroom for me.    

Off to the side is my desk area.  I found a $6 outdoor rug from Big Lots that I put in front of the desk and the tray I made over is sitting on the corner of the desk.    

Throughout the room I put up quotes from books.  It was free to do since I used paper that the school supplied.  It's a great way to encourage kids to read books and to cover up any unsightly spots on the wall. I also used some cute $3 wrapping paper that I found at TJ Maxx to cut out polka dots from and put around the room on the walls.  I also used the same wrapping paper as a bulletin board backdrop.       

The front of the room has a tree I decorated with Christmas lights.  Since Hobby Lobby has their Christmas decorations out, it was easy to find some.  The book page banner also hangs across the front wall.

And then there's all the little details.  Like the tins of supplies...

...and the chalkboard clothespin labels (thanks, yet again, Mom!)...

...and the chalkboard sign I found at The Dollar Spot at Target.

I can't wait to share this room with my students!  

Happy Back-to-School!  

Classroom Design Plans

I can start putting my classroom together soon and I couldn't be more excited!  My mind is swirling with ideas!  

I have several parameters that I can't change, like the paint color of one of the walls.  It is far from the color I would choose, but it's something I can work with: sage green.  The other three walls are white. After some research on Pinterest, I have decided to go with a sage green and navy theme.

My goal for my classroom is to make it warm and inviting.  I want it to be a place where the kids want to be.  I want it to feel homey, like a family room.  

I've already started gathering furniture and decor.  I bought a sage green slipcover for the old, frumpy couch that came with the classroom.  I dug out the navy curtains that hung in my old classroom from the basement.  And my mom and I found a cute side table at a thrift store for just $5!

There's also the $20 Craigslist table that Adam is refinishing for me.  Best. Husband. Ever. 

I also plan to make some cute diy decorations to help jazz up the place.  I'll be sure to share the projects in a future post.  Let the decorating begin!   
     
   

A Craigslist Adventure

Adam and I have used Craigslist to buy and sell several different things.  We've always had pretty good luck.  The table in our entryway is an old telephone table.  We bought it on Craigslist, repainted it and added new hardware.  It turned out pretty cute and it means more to us because we created it together.  

We've also sold several items on Craigslist.  Most recently, we sold a glass coffee table that didn't sell at our garage sale.  It's a great way to get rid of stuff you don't need and to make a little extra cash.  

I have been scouring Craigslist every day this summer in search of a table and chairs for my new classroom.  I had very specific criteria.  I wanted it to be solid wood so I could easily refinish it.  I wanted it to have four chairs.  I wanted the table to be big enough, but not too big.  And I didn't want to spend more that $40.

I finally found the perfect table and chairs and the owner was only asking $20!  So, Adam and I went to pick it up and it turned into quite the adventure.  We had to drive to Kansas City to pick it up.  Once we got to the neighborhood, we were pleased to see it wasn't too sketchy.  There were, however, lots of cats roaming around the neighborhood.  Lots and lots of cats.  

We found the house and made our way to the door.  The lady next door was feeding, like, 8 cats on her porch.  Yikes.  When the seller opened the door, there were more cats inside.  They welcomed us in and as Adam was walking through the door, one of the cats dashed out the door.  Oops.  The owner didn't seem too concerned.  They said, "Oh, he'll probably come back."  Adam did go back outside to look for the cat, while I stayed inside and made awkward small talk with the owner.  I chatted with them while they took a bunch of crap off the table, which was odd.  Usually when people are planning to sell something, they don't have all their belongings piled on top of it.  

Adam came back, sans cat.  The owner said, "That's okay.  It can just be an outdoor cat."  Well, okay then.  Adam started to take the legs off so it would fit in our car.  We didn't have the right tools, so I suggested we see if it would fit without taking the legs off.  We brought it outside and Adam wiped off all the cat hair.  It didn't quite fit, so he got back to work on the legs.  Adam was able to get the legs off once he was outside because he "could breath now that there was not the overwhelming stench of cats."

Once the table was in the car, Adam started wiping down the chairs.  I guarded the car so none of the neighborhood cats climbed in and came home with us.  I don't think any got inside.  I haven't found any if they did.  

As we were driving home, Adam kept talking about "the woman" we bought the table from.  I had to set Adam straight and let him know we bought the table from a man.  Adam's response: "Either way, they were nice."  Very true.  

The table and chairs are a bit rough around the edges.  It will need to be wiped down with vinegar, sanded and primed with Kilz primer to get rid of any lingering cat smells.  Then, it will just need a coat of navy paint and it will be ready for my classroom.  

We got a table and an adventure out of the deal.       

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

I have some exciting changes coming up in my life for the upcoming school year...I am going to teach again!  My official title is Title I Reading Interventionist.  Basically, I get to work with 6th, 7th and 8th grade students who struggle with reading.  It's the perfect gig.  I get to focus solely on reading with individual students or small groups of students.

Reading has always been my favorite subject to teach, mainly because I love reading so much.  I was the kid who brought a book to read when my family would go out to eat at restaurants.  I used to put my pillow at the bottom of my door, turn on my light and stay up late reading as a kid.  Now you know all my secrets, Mom.  

There's nothing more rewarding than seeing a student get excited about a book.  My favorite part of teaching fourth grade was our read aloud time.  Especially when our time would be up and the kids would beg to hear more of the story.  Reading is such a joy and I am so excited to get the opportunity to help kids realize that joy.  

I've been busy going through my books and pulling out titles that middle schoolers will enjoy.  It's been quite a chore seeing as how I have box after box of books in our basement.  Just ask Adam.  He got to drag them all downstairs and will get to drag them back upstairs to my new classroom.  I love you, Adam!   

This doesn't mean I am giving up on my dream of being a stay at home mom.  If I am lucky enough to get pregnant soon, I will still be able to finish out the school year.  I think being able to teach will help my state of mind.  I will get to do something I love and feel like I am contributing to the world.  I talked about my struggle with not teaching here.  Now, I'll be proud to tell people what I do for a living.      

I'm excited to see what this school year will bring...and to decorate my classroom. :)