Focus on the Good

I think Luke was in first grade when we started, or it could have been even earlier. Luke can tend to focus on the negative. He comes by it honestly, I have to confess. Where I am an eternal optimist, my wonderful husband would absolutely own the fact that he often sees the glass as half empty. (He would also have me point out that he's working on this.) 

At any rate, when Luke came home from school in those first few weeks of first grade and I asked him how his day went, he would begin to list all of the things that happened that were "bad." I would attempt to state that surely something good happened that day, but Luke would grasp on to the negative moments and I began to worry. And so began our tradition of "tell me three." The rule that year became this, whenever I saw Luke (and Liam, who was in preschool and pretty positive, but he was included) after school, they had to tell me three positives about their day. Once that was done, if they had a negative they wanted to share, they were welcome to do so, but the positives had to come first. 

This was not easy at the beginning. Luke would tell me that he couldn't possibly tell me three positive things, nothing positive had happened that day. I'd ask if a friend smiled at him, if he had food to eat, if his teacher was kind, etc. Gradually, it got easier. I'm a firm believer in the notion that negativity or positivity can grow when you give it attention. Luke taught me that and I've never forgotten.

In any given school year this idea is put into practice in my classroom. I can choose to focus on a kid's misbehavior in my room, or I can focus on the good stuff that is happening. Of course, there are some behaviors you cannot ignore when they happen. However, if someone isn't focusing, or turning their work in, or are talking to their neighbor, etc., I try hard not to focus on it. I look for the kids that are always doing the right thing, and there are a heck of a lot of those. I want to make sure they know that I see them. I want to pour as much light into my students, into our classroom. If I believe the class can do good things, if they know I believe it, we can accomplish a hell of a lot more than if I assume it's going to all go south any minute.

We've had more challenging students in the last few years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I want to remind myself on a daily basis to look for the good, to be the good. Environment is critical, morale is critical - for the teachers and the students. So I'm asking you, as I look to continue this work in my class, what do you do at your schools (or have you in the past) that you feel help promote a positive and welcoming learning environment? What do you feel helps boost teacher and/or student morale? 

Thanks for sharing! 

Finding the Positive and Possible Blog Changes

It was a two-day week this week, which one might think would be a breeze. One would be wrong. All things considered, the kids were pretty amazing. And yet, here I sit at 8pm on a Tuesday night after only working for two days and I'm ready to crash. Fascinating. I wanted to share some good stuff from our classroom this week and some possible changes around here, so I figured I'd write quickly before getting back to that crashing and sleeping bit.

Kindness
In regards to my students, most blog readers know I use quick writes on a daily basis in my classroom. Often these quick writes are images, poems, or videos. Many them also serve as what I'd consider life lessons. Today's quick write was on what we put out into the world and what comes back to you. I began with this Twitter post from author Andrew Smith.

The boys in that post are my students. The year has been crazy and I hadn't gotten around to teaching them how to Tweet until Friday. It's always an option, never required, and those two asked to tweet Andrew. There was no way we could have known he was having health issues and the impact their tweet had. Thus, I shared his post and this video today for our quick write.


I want my students to realize the impact of little things in this world. They think that changing someone's day involves huge decisions, but I'm a firm believer in little actions, little bits of positive actions, can make a huge difference in this world. Now I just have to hope that my students absorb it and use this lesson for good.

Blog Changes
In sharing my blog with my seventh grade students this week, one boy pointed out that at the top it still says, "Exploring literacy and reflection in the fifth grade classroom." Well, crap. I haven't taught fifth for three years. As I pondered that, he went on. He asked how my blog would change with this fiction book I'm writing. The kids know it's a romance book for adults, not kids. (And yes, they've asked to read it. And no, I've said absolutely not.) One asked how I would share that side of my writing life with the world. The answer? I have no idea.

While I've been posting here sporadically at best, I still love to blog about my classroom. So that won't be going away. What I don't know is what this blog will look like in a few months. I'm currently around 85,000 words into my book. After doing this much writing, it will absolutely be published in some form one day. Whether that is self-published or traditional, I have no idea. I will need to write about that stuff more as I get to it, and I want to share my publishing journey, as well as my revising journey, I just haven't figured out how that will mesh here. At the bare minimum, the blog needs a bit of a facelift so the "fifth grade" line could be removed. All that will be coming, I just have to find someone that can do it. (The original creator of this design no longer does this work.) If you have any thoughts on any of these topics, please let me know.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday! 

NCTE Houston and a Game Changer Giveaway

As I type this I sit in my home in Illinois where the weather has decided that fall was here long enough and winter has entered in with a flourish and a bit of snow. Having just returned from sunny California, this feels like a cruel joke. Originally I had planned on packing today and leaving tomorrow for Houston, NCTE, and a whole lot of friends. Instead after the death of my father-in-law last week, I've cancelled attending NCTE for this year and am choosing to spend time with family instead. It's the right choice, but it didn't come easily. Especially since I was going to be part of three great presentations and one breakfast. Since I can't be there, let me share a little bit about each below in the hopes that those of you attending can go check them out. 

First-Timers' Breakfast - 
Friday morning at 7am Grand Ballroom A
I LOVE that NCTE holds this breakfast each year to give the chance to first time attendees to meet with folks that are veterans of the conference and get some advice on how to make the most out of their time there. I was honored to be asked to host a table and am incredibly sad I won't be there. However, if you are a first time attendee, don't miss this breakfast Friday morning. There are amazing friends hosting each table, as well as Donalyn Miller and Ernest Morrell will be speaking. Check this out! 

My Classroom BookADay Books

C.58 Nerdy Book Club: Building Strong, Inclusive Reading Communities 
Friday  9:30am-10:45am 320 AB
Nerdy Book Club is a group I am beyond honored to be a part of and have been for many years. (FYI - if you want to write for Nerdy, please click HERE.) This year our presentation is on creating reading communities, which is a topic I'm passionate about. I was going to share the following ways I build communities in my classroom including:

• Classroom Book A Day (Jillian Heise created this community, modeled after Donalyn Miller's Book a Day on Twitter. Learn more about it on Jillian's Facebook Page HERE.) My seventh graders consistently list our daily picture book as their favorite part of Language Arts. 
• March Book Madness (nod to Tony Keefer and Scott Jones created this one. Find more about it HERE.) I have participated in this since the first year. My class gets pretty passionate about the brackets each year.
• Picture book 10 for 10 (brainchild of Cathy Mere and Mandy Robek. Find more out about this HERE.) This is an area for me more so than my students - creating a community of educators that I can learn from. 
• Global Read Aloud (Pernille Ripp's creation. Find more HERE.) Bringing the world together around a book is pretty amazing. 
• Mock Newbery and Mock Caldecott's that I've written about here before.
• And the easiest way I create a reading community in my classroom - books. Surrounding kids with books. Talking about books. Crying with them at the end of Andrew Smith's Winger. Debating the merits of the Divergent series. Having hushed conversations about how they've never seen themselves as readers, but the Bone series and the Amulet series has helped them to reshape that idea in seventh grade. Our conversations that move me to tears like this fall when we read Matt de la Pena and Loren Long's Love. A brave seventh grader saw the page with the piano that had the boy and dog under it. He spoke up, stating why that image did indeed show love, as well as the absence of love, and why he understood that. My students astound me on a regular basis.

Our reading community in our classroom makes me want to go to school each day, to talk with these amazing middle school kids, and learn from them. I am certain the roundtables in this Nerdy session will be filled with amazing ideas to enhance the communities you have.

D.30 Developing Identity, Empathy, and Community through Daily Picture Book Read Alouds

Friday 11am-12:15pm Grand Ballroom B

Oh, my heart. I was so excited for this session. Each educator will be paired with a picture book author and will share their experience with picture books and Classroom Book A Day at their tables. I had the honor of being paired with Juana Martinez-Neal and her brilliant book, Alma and How She Got Her Name. I read this book both last year in the spring and this fall, pairing it with THIS video from Hank Green. My favorite line from the video is You make you. I pair that idea with the line in the author note from the book, What is your name? What is your story? In middle school I want to empower my students that if they don't like who they've become, they can change that. They have the power over their actions. Picture books let me have these conversations on a daily basis and I'm beyond grateful to authors like Juana Martinez-Neal for writing books that contribute to that conversation. 

This is my desktop on my laptop, a inspiration board for my book.

F.04 Why Middle Matters: Writing from the Middle Level Classroom: Overcoming the Fear and the Seemingly Impossible

Friday 2pm-3:15pm 320AB

This final sessions taps into a passion of mine that I credit completely to NCTE. It was after returning from my first NCTE that I began writing publicly, starting this blog. I cannot put into words how terrified I was of hitting publish for the longest times. That led to writing for Nerdy Book Club, then several submissions into professional development books, then writing for Choice Literacy. Nonfiction writing led to dipping my toe into trying to write fiction and in April of this year I began writing a romance novel for adults. It was just supposed to be for me, to be fun, and almost 83,000 words later, it absolutely is. Becoming a writer lets me talk to my student writers on a different level. I understand their struggles so much differently. I now have a writing club at lunch on Wednesdays and any student is welcome to come in, bring something they're working on, and eat and write with me. Writing completes me and brings me peace. This roundtable was going to be a chance for anyone who is anywhere in the process of writing to ask questions. If you have any, please send them my way.

So if you are headed to NCTE in Houston, please check out some of these sessions. I know from the planning that they are going to be fabulous. If you have any questions for me, send them my way. Hugs going out to all of my NCTE friends. I'll miss you desperately this year, but can't wait for Baltimore next year. Have a great time, everyone. 

GIVEAWAY - In honor of NCTE and two folks I was looking forward to seeing - Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp - I'd like to giveaway two copies of their new book, Game Changer. This book is so important in our profession right now. It talks about access to books and why it is critical to students. Believe me, you need this book! If you want to be entered in the drawing for a copy, please put your name and email in the Google Form below. I'm honored to have contributed to this and in awe of everything they accomplish with this beautiful book. 

Pillars

It’s been a week. Or a few weeks to be more accurate. As I have done in the past, as I advise my students to do, I’m writing my way out of a time of great upheaval. We have lost one of our pillars.

I think of my parents, of Chris’s parents, as our pillars. The foundation of our family is built upon them. When we first married, there were even more of these pillars holding us up - my grandmothers, Chris’s grandmother, my great-aunt and great-uncle, and a couple that were so ingrained into our family, you wouldn’t know we weren’t actually related. Over the years, we’ve lost most of the pillars of that first layer, my grandparents’ generation. And, last weekend, we lost the first pillar from our parents’ layer.

Chris’s dad found out this fall that he was having some health issues. They progressed far quicker than any of us ever dreamed and, early Saturday morning before heading to watch Luke run State, we got the news we were not prepared to hear.

When I’ve lost someone I’ve loved over the years I’ve often written poems or essays about them, sharing what I’ll miss, what memories I’ll hold close, but right now this is just too fresh and I can’t. I’m not sure when I will be able to.

Len was a pillar of our family and without him, we are all less sturdy than we were just a week ago. The world is a little less colorful because his humor and love of a good pun has gone. He was solid steadfast, and true. Like my own dad, he would absolutely hate anyone being maudlin or overly sentimental in his memory, so I’ll keep this short. The people we love are gone all too soon and often we are unprepared to say goodbye. I’m grateful to have known Len for so many years; grateful Chris got a chance to head to California just over a week ago to see him; grateful for his love of movies, sports, and Frank Sinatra that he passed to Chris who has, in turn, passed on to Luke and Liam.

For those of you I was going to see at NCTE, I apologize in advance, but I’ll be missing you this go around. I’ll be celebrating the great things in education from afar this year. This loss has been hard, but it has also been filled with reminders of how amazing people are - from family who we always love, to kind students and families that have left me sweet messages or more, to an author helping me out with a special gift since I can’t see them, to Southwest Airlines refunding my NCTE ticket cost, to NCTE refunding my registration, to friends understanding why I had to bow out, to...to...to.

Today more than ever, I’m filled with hope. While our foundation has cracked, the people who built that foundation for my family fill me with strength - whether they are still here or have already gone. And while it hurts like hell to lose them, I am grateful for the lessons they taught me while they were here and the lessons I will continue to absorb long after they are gone.

Godspeed, Len. You will be missed.

Juggling

Years ago, when my boys were toddlers, I remember clearly realizing I would never be caught up. I could run ragged all day long - at school and at home - and never would I be able to sit down and say I was done. There was always something.

These days with two teenage sons, it is different. They are not as reliant on me as they once were. For the most part, they can take care of their own needs. And yet, today was a day where I felt like I was juggling and always coming up short, those darn balls dropping on the floor.

There is school with kids in my classes with needs far greater than anything I know what to do with. Kids that I look at with my heart breaking, feeling that I am inadequate to help them find the right path that I know they cannot see, no matter how hard they try. 

There is the constant learning. I mean, this is my twenty-second year in education, how is it we are never done? Today I've spent no less than two hours after school trying to figure out a new app that should save me time on assessment later. I spent another hour trying to learn how to progress monitor students with a new assessment tool. My brain is a noodle and I simply hope I am ready for tomorrow.

There is the fact that my husband is out of town for just over four days. We're almost at the halfway mark and I am once again reminded of how much he does here and how hard it is to be away from someone you've known over half of your life.

There is the non-stop errands - groceries, post office, calls to the orthodontist, etc. The favor from one son to cook dinner for his varsity Cross Country team in a few days time (How much pasta does one make for eight boys? Thoughts?) and a quick text from another telling me he's ran after school and is now headed to see my parents with his friends.

And yet, there are Voxer messages from my friends, texts of a photo from the ocean from Chris, a possible answered prayer, messages of love from students, puppy cuddles, and books to read. Still more balls in the air, but I seem to be breathing a bit easier.

Happy Monday, my friends. And a reminder - I'm leading at online class for Choice Literacy on Student Research Writing. I'd love to see you there. Find out more HERE. 

Also, planning ahead to NCTE, I'll be hosting a table at the First Time Attendee Breakfast and presenting at the following times all on Friday. If you're going to be there, please let me know! 

Have a great week!

• 9:30-10:45

 

11-12:15

• 2-3:15

Online Course on Student Research Writing and an Update

First, a quick update. Apologies on the lack of blogging. I promise, it does not mean a lack of writing on my part. I'm completely submerged in the fiction romance story I've been writing. While I can't promise that it's great, it is a whole lot of fun to write. This past weekend I crossed the 77,000 word mark and I still think there is about a third of the story yet to be told. Once I finally finish, then I'll be printing it off to begin revisions. It is sad how excited that makes me.

Beyond that, I've been consumed with teaching, my boys, watching said boys run for Cross Country (middle schooler is done, high schooler is entering the end of the season), and various other things have filled up my time. Oh, and I've decided I want to learn to knit. Please feel free to send any advice in that regard my way.

However, I wanted to pop on here and let you all know about a cool thing Brenda Power over at Choice Literacy is doing. She's had a bunch of us create online courses. If you enroll in one you will be taken through a twelve day course with that instructor. You will be able to access the course for two additional months and you are given a membership to Choice Literacy and Lead Literacy for three months to access all of their videos and articles. I think it is an extremely cool idea and I'd love to have you join me or one of the other amazing courses they are offering.

To find out more about what the actual structure of the courses would be look HERE.

To see the courses currently being offered, click HERE.

I hope you are all well! I apologize for being so absent from this space. My school year is off to a terrific start with a great bunch of kids. I hope to be back soon to share what we're doing. Hope your fall is gorgeous and relaxing! 

Thinking About Motivation

It's the start of the year and I have a whole new group of students for the first time in three years. Moving from fifth to seventh grade in my district allowed the chance to reconnect for the past two school years with the majority of my former students. This year? This year has been a chance to start fresh. At the same time I cherish that feeling and despair because I'm getting to know so many readers all at once and, quite frankly, they're all over the place. This past week during my final class of the day I reflected on our time of independent reading to start the class. It's only ten minutes, but in the first ten days of the year so many of them didn't have the stamina to make it that ten minutes. On Thursday? Day eleven? The ten minutes flew. The room was silent, save for my conferences, and a few kids even groaned when I asked them to come to a stopping spot. I cheered internally. 

As we came together for the mini-lesson I pointed out what I had noticed. Wondering how honest we'd be this early in the year, I asked what had changed for them already. Hands shot up and their answers varied from: 

• I hadn't read all summer
• It was hot before
• I like this book

Finally ending on...

• You help me find good books 

And...

• It's easy to read in this room.

I groaned inwardly. See, I fear those last two responses because they make me, or the room, contingent for creating the desire to read. This happens each year - kids read an insane amount with me, but can I insure it happens when they leave me? Well, in twenty-two years, I haven't found the foolproof answer. Donalyn Miller writes about this in Reading in the Wild and through her suggestions, my kids being readers once they leave me has become more likely, but still not 100%.

I want 100%.

What I've come to realize is that I might not ever get 100%. Or maybe I'll lay the ground work, but another teacher will help that child get there. I need to be ok with that and move on. 

Internal motivation to me is so important. I work all year on reflection, goal setting, drive. I look at my students and know I need to teach them Language Arts, but I'm also constantly trying to help them become their best selves, to learn how to dig deep. Moving to middle school taught me that they are farther along their path and sometimes that scares me. 

I want to help them find the right path.

Lately I've been thinking about why kids push themselves. My boys are in Cross Country, as I may have mentioned a time or two. They've pushed through injury after injury, training in the early hours of the morning into the late hours of the evening. I think most sports are similar. What is different, however, is that when I go to their meets, the spectators are family members. That's it. There is not a student section rooting them on, the town isn't turning out to cheer for them. Family members - and not even grandparents, frequently. Mom, or Dad. Maybe a sibling or two. The kids don't get down about that, they aren't jealous of other sports. They succeed - and they are one of the most successful programs at our school - because it matters to them. The fact that most people in town have no idea what they've accomplished does not factor into their drive. They do this for themselves. 

They aren't alone. Luke recently went to a volleyball game. I asked who was in the crowd. Again, most spectators are family. Same for girls basketball, often true for track. I'd guess similar results for softball and baseball. So kids have the potential for internal motivation, right? How can we translate that into the classroom? I think about it all of the time.

Twenty-three years in and I don't have all of the answers. I think if a time ever comes that I believe I do, I should probably leave the profession because then I will have lost all reflective qualities that I know to be important. Until then, I'll keep striving for 100%. I'll keep buying books. (Sorry, Chris.) And I'll celebrate small successes like a student being on book four of Amulet in eleven days after telling me he hates reading. Small successes pave the way.