Recently, I
read some tweets from a high school teacher. In it she shared her lack of faith
that engagement and choice were important in the classroom. That discussing
classic literature was more important than choice reading, even if students
weren’t engaged. Then, I read an article in The
Atlantic that implied that motivation really doesn’t lead to gains in the
classroom.
To that, I
can simply say, “Really?”
Research is
important, but I think we can find “research” to support almost any claim you
want. There are questions that my friends who read research know to ask – who
performed the research, what was control, how large was the study, was it
unbiased, who funding it, etc. Those questions are important. But I think also
important is what I know in my heart to be true.
Engagement
matters. Choice matters. Motivation matters. I see it every day I teach.
Yesterday,
my student teacher was observed by her university supervisor. She taught a
mini-lesson on inference and then they moved off to read and write
independently. While her supervisor got caught up on notes, I moved around the
room to check-in with kids, ask them what they were reading and writing, and
help a few find books. I then met with her supervisor for a quick meeting
before he met with my student teacher.
In our meeting he asked how I saw the kids applying this lesson in tomorrow’s work. I replied that we didn’t have school Friday or Monday, but where I saw it headed next week. He looked at me in surprise and asked when the end of our school day was. I looked up at the clock and replied that we had about an hour left. He looked puzzled and then made a comment that maybe the kids were trying to quickly finish their homework before break, and that was why they had been so hard at work in the independent work period.
I smiled
and explained that they had no homework. Jackson was writing a song; Andrew and
Isaiah were researching dog breeds; Ethan was working on a poem; Katy, Teya,
Preston, and Cal were discussing a series that they were all in different books
in; and on and on. I hadn’t assigned
any of that. I had simply asked them to read or write what they wanted. So yes, sixty minutes before a four-day break, my
students were hard at work. They were engaged, they had choice, and I know how
much that matters.
On
Wednesday my second period class had the opportunity to Skype with a class of
student teachers at a university in Pennsylvania. We were Skyping in to teach
these students why picture books matter in the upper grades. I had asked my
students for their opinions, we created a top ten list from that, and we began.
I started the Skype visit with a few books I have used lately and why, then we
shared our top ten, and then the students were going to ask my kids questions.
When we
reached that part of the Skype visit, I felt a bit of trepidation. What could
they possibly want to know from this group of fifth graders? They asked some
great questions, but the one that stopped me in my tracks was, “What makes a
great reading teacher?”
My students
shot their hands up.
She surrounds you with books.
She writes.
Book talks.
She doesn’t make you read at just
one level.
She wants you to read whatever you
want.
She cares about what you like to
read and write.
She likes graphic novels.
She knows that graphic novels and picture books are “real reading.”
She gives you choice.
She is a reader too.
My heart
swelled as I listened to these beautiful kids. And then, one of my kids sitting
on the floor by my legs tapped me. I glanced over and she whispered, “She loves
us.”
Oh geez.
Looking at
these two experiences I saw my students through fresh eyes – they eyes of a university
supervisor, and the eyes of these college students. Sometimes it is beneficial
to take a step back, especially at this time of year, and see what you have accomplished.
Maybe The Atlantic doesn’t think
motivation is important. Maybe there are teachers out there who do not believe
that choice or engagement matter in the scheme of things. But watching my
students, I can tell you with my entire heart that I think choice and
engagement are the keys to motivation. And motivation will inspire learning.
(So will relationships, but I digress.) J I wouldn’t want to teach
without these beliefs, and I wouldn’t want my children in a classroom with a
teacher who didn’t believe this either. You can throw all of the research
around that you want, but this I know to be true.
