Time to Reflect

After reading  Pernille Ripp’s blog on reflection, I decided to be vulnerable myself and have my students complete a reflection. It’s not easy to open up your heart for feedback from kids, but it’s important. Since the beginning of the year I made a point to continuously tell both my students and parents that their voice matters in my classroom and our classroom will always be centered around the student’s voice. However, without including them in the conversations was I really inviting student voice.

From day one with Flexible Seating and the talk of having no reading levels or restrictions on which independent books students would be allowed to read, I noticed my students were unfamiliar with having their voice heard. My students faces were filled with nervous looks and in a bit of shock. Day one talks started with kids asking, how will I know what books to read? Will there be letters on the bins? Am I really allowed to choose ANY seat I want to sit in? How will I know where to sit? Why are there no “rules” in the classroom, other than the expectation that we respect ourselves and others?

Their questions reinforced why our classroom would be this way. My students are 9 years old and some didn’t know yet how to make choices for themselves. By 4th grade I truly believe kids need to be more independent in the choices they make. In fact, I feel the first time they are allowed to make choices that affect their learning, shouldn’t be in 4th grade. I often think about how many choices are made for kids in a school setting and how often they are not only told what to do, but how. This comes down to every reward, consequence, assignment, graphic organizer, worksheet, seat arrangement, etc. How often are we giving kids the opportunity to reflect on their learning and the classroom environment? How often are we providing kids with the opportunity to make their own decisions? Too often I hear, my kids can’t do that, they are too young, distracting, easy distracted, talkative, fill in the blank with any other reason. In reality, it’s easier to not give kids ownership over their learning or books choices. Control is always easier, but there is no growth that comes out of easy.  In the end if we continue controlling, the result will be about complacency and not growth. As time goes on, we will need to do more and more for kids, because they aren’t learning how to think for themselves.

After several honest talks, I was ready to hear their feedback on the reflections. As I sat down and read through, I noticed a common theme was distractions during reading and writing time, math being too long, and students noticing other students not being respectful. The first two I was able to take in, the last common theme, I had a bit of a harder time swallowing. My first knee jerk reaction was to think if students are noticing others not being respectful, I must being doing something wrong, and maybe I need to enforce more rules, in order to gain back more respect. Then I reminded myself doing so would be an easy fix and didn’t fit in with my ultimate goal of student voice and advocacy.

Instead we sat down ready to embark on our discussion of how to make our classroom setting more comfortable for all. I went into the discussion with the mindset that if these were issues they were concerned with, it also meant that they valued their reading, writing, and math time, by wanting it to be more focused. I also try to always reflect on the ideas that behaviors are kids ways of telling me something, not a sign of disrespect. With their help, we needed to dig deeper.

We started off our discussion with reading “Most People”. We talk about how “most people” in our classroom are doing the right thing and make good choices, however a few students not making the right choices can affect others learning. Then I wrote the first problem on a piece of chart paper, students are being distracted during reading and writing time during independent work and we discussed solutions.

This is the part where I was taken a little aback. Several students talked about assigned seats, rewards, consequences, and me making tallies for the kids who distract others or constantly go to the bathroom to keep track. This is what they are used to. At this point I had to take a moment to wonder if kids needed these types of interventions and them making choices on their own is not something they are capable of yet. Again, I reminded myself of my end goal, students who CAN make choices for themselves and take ownership of their learning.

We then talked as a class about who is doing the hard work when those types of interventions are in place. I told them that in the past I would sit down with my class list and it would take me a long time to make the “perfect” tables. Who can sit next to each other, who needs to be separated, where will each kid learn best. Looking back I was doing all the hard work and ultimately the kids weren’t learning anything about themselves as learners. I also was not learning about them because I was controlling the learning and making decisions without their involvement.

Our conversation then shifted to how they can make better choices for themselves and also reflect on why they are making their current choices. We talked about choosing just right books on interest in order to be more engaged in our books, quiet ways to take mental breaks without distracting the class, having a non working snack right before reading and writing to help us set up and allow for a mental break, choosing seats that are more spread out, and finally holding ourselves and others accountable.

I told them that as an adult, I have to do this and I wish I had learned strategies when I was younger. They know I am currently a SoulCycle addict. I often bring what I learn there into my classroom. I told my kids that on days I don’t feel like working out, I’ll choose a front row seat because I know that will hold me more accountable. Or at times when I don’t feel up to doing my personal best I’ll remind myself that I showed up and any less would be a waste of my time. The reward in the end is not an incentive from SoulCycle but making myself proud, for myself. I want my kids to to be more intrinsically motivated.

When we talked about math time, they expressed that there are too many math problems to be completed. They also said that sitting through homework review, wasn’t effective because some of them didn’t get any questions wrong, therefore sitting through an extra 10 minutes or so. A few solutions we brainstormed were small group instruction, following the reading and writing workshop model, picking helpful partners to work with, completing fewer problems, and playing more math games to help with engagement.

Next came the talk of kids feeling others weren’t being respectful. We talked about what it means to be respectful to others and ourselves. I wanted to make sure kids truly understood this word and what is being asked of them. I wanted them to know that being respectful didn’t mean being complacent. We discussed whether kids are really being disrespectful or are they exploring a little bit more freedom and advocating for themselves when things aren’t going right for them. Most agreed that we would like to believe it is the latter and we will continue to work on our student voice and  advocating for ourselves in respectful ways.

The last part of their reflections was extremely important and it gave me the opportunity to reflect on myself. This is where I had kids fill in the sentence, I wish my teacher knew/noticed. This sentence starter idea came from both Tara Martin and a session on Kyle Schwartz book “I Wish My Teacher Knew”, that I attended at #nerdcampLI. Some responses included, I wish my teacher noticed I was a good writer… a hard worker… trying my best… I love reading… school can be hard for me. All of their responses showed me that they needed to feel validated and for me to acknowledge their dedication. I noticed it on a daily basis, but I wasn’t telling each student this. In order to work on this, I took on Lynda Mullaly Hunt challenge #TellThemTheyMatter. I’ve already handed out to two notes and their smiles were priceless. I look forward to giving out more!

When we provide kids (and ourselves) with the opportunity to reflect on their learning and happenings in the classroom, we are giving them the opportunity to also grow and learn more about themselves and their classmates. We are helping them learn their true potential. I truly believe that ALL kids are capable of doing this challenging work with our guidance. Providing opportunities for student voice and advocacy in our day, will in turn build a classroom built on community and trust. It may not be easy, but it will be rewarding for both myself and the kids.

Count Me In

With 20 days left of school, it’s only natural to get the summer bug and urge to countdown the days till Summer break. For me a countdown has never been my thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to beach days, more time to read, flexible schedules, naps, late Summer nights, and all the fun that comes with Summer. But, on the other hand, at the end of every school year, I get sad to leave my current class. The students who have become a family, each one with their own special touch. I’m also highly sensitive to the energy that a countdown brings to the classroom. I never want my kids to think I’m counting days until I will no longer be their teacher. I also feel countdowns can devalue the time left we do have together.

In order to try and shift this thinking, along with keeping my class engaged, my class is participating in “Count Me In”. For the next 20 days, I will be proposing activities, that I can “count on” my students to be a part of. I want my students to be excited for each and every day. They are all aware that my favorite quote is, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” The days we have left together are part of this school years journey. My hope is these ideas and many more not listed will add value to the culminating our school year together.

1. A-Z activities- As a class we came up with fun activities for each letter of the alphabet. Some activities they can’t wait for are the Heritage Day, Outside Day, and the Reading Book Swap.
2. Rock Ceremony- Last year we had a Rock Ceremony, which ended up being my most favorite memory of the entire year. Each child painted a rock with their name on it and a favorite quality about themselves. Every child also received a spreadsheet with their classmates name and a space to fill in a comment about that classmate. The comment could be about a special memory, a quality they appreciate, and/or a reason why they are special to our class. On the day of the Rock Ceremony we sat in a circle and passed one rock around at a time. As the rock was being passed around, the child holding the rock would read their comment about that classmate. The Rock Ceremony showed the students how much they are appreciated by their peers and their worth in our classroom. I can’t wait for this special day!
3. Reading- With 4 full weeks left of school I want to “Count On” my kids to a book challenge. 4 weeks means they can read at least 4 more books before diving into their Summer reading. 4 more weeks means I have the time to still hook readers onto a favorite series and/or author! 4 more weeks means 20 more #classroombookaday books!
4. Book Swap- Each student will bring in a gently used book from home to book talk to the class and swap with a classmate.
5. Summer Book Expeditions- Over the next several weeks I will be book talking books for my readers to sign up for their Summer reading. Similar to how #bookexpedition works, readers will be given a Google Doc sign up sheet. They will read the book, include post its, and then pass the book onto the next reader!
6. Multiplication and Division Practice- We will be participating in kickball games against other classes using the concept of the math game Around the World.
7. Summer Reading Lists- Through student book talks and Miss. Niki’s awesome author FlipGrid, students will create Summer TBR lists. I want to send the kids off into Summer with a list of books that they will be begging their parents to go to the library and take out!
8. FlipGrid- FlipGrid will be a great way to reflect on the year. Students will create FlipGrid videos in various topics such as, a video to incoming 4th graders, a video to themselves in 5th grade, speaking about goals and hopes for 5th grade. They will also be asked to create a video introducing themselves to the future 5th grade teachers.
9. Parent FlipGrids- Parents will be given a FlipGrid code where they will be asked to make a video for their child. In this video they can speak about their child’s accomplishments, reasons why they are proud of them, and their ways they will continue to support their child. I did this last year and it was a HUGE success! The kids faces were priceless as they watched the videos!
10. #classroombookaday- We did it!!! We read a picture book EVERY single day of the year! To celebrate, each student will be given a colored copy of all the Classroom Book a Day covers. Together, we will Modge Podge the book covers onto individual clipboards for them to take home as a keepsake.

It is my hope that instead of having a countdown, I can count on my students and they can count on me! What ideas do you have planned for the end of the school year? Please share them in the comments here or on Twitter using JoEllen McCarthy’s hashtag #CountOnNotDown!

Count On Me

Kids Can Teach Us

Have you ever found that your heart and soul find the people who are meant to be in your life? When I first started on Twitter, introduced to me by Dr. Tony Sinanis,  I didn't know what Twitter was all about. Fast forward 1.5 year later, I've met some of my favorite people on Twitter. People who enhance my instruction, my well-being and my way of life. Liv from @thelivbits is one of these people. From the first tweet that I read of hers, I had #heartbeeps, as Liv calls them. I knew that Liv was destined to be in my life. I also knew I had to meet her.  

When I was asked for suggestions for PARP 2018, I was certain Liv had to be a part of it. If there was anyone who could talk books with kids, it was Liv! If there was anyone who could teach kids that the books they read, connects them to a wider world, it was Liv! I
f there was anyone who could teach, inspire, and motivate children to have a voice in our world, to do a greater good, it was Liv!

Going into the day with Liv I had high expectations. She met those expectations and more! When I met Liv on Sunday night at dinner, with her mom, my colleague, and my daughter, I was in awe. I was so impressed by her poise, her respectful manner, and her adorable personality. She immediately became buddies with my daughter and made her feel comfortable. I knew in that moment that the day at Schwarting was going to be the best day ever! At dinner I learned even more about Liv then I had known through her Twitter tweets and our conversations. Did you know that she has been to over 14 states sharing her work? Did you know that her work is international (she left dinner for a conference call with China!)? Did you know that her goal is to spread her voice and teach kids and teachers that kids have a voice and they can teach us? Did you know that she goes to school full time, participates in Twitter Chats, created digital book clubs and challenges with authors, and corresponds with a teacher across the country through SeeSaw, in order to challenge her Coding skills! Liv is incredible, gifted, and talented on all levels! Liv’s work is not only centered around digital citizenship but she teaches about life. She teaches about love. She teaches about #heartbeeps. She is everything we want our children, students, and adults to be in this world.

The next day when it was time for me to introduce Liv to the school, I was nervous, as I had never done this before. Liv knew I needed calming down. She looked me in the eyes and told me to read and practice my speech in front of her. She then said that she's a 10 year old girl about to give a Keynote speech, there's no reason why I can't get up there and say a little introduction. I looked at her and thought, wow she is powerful. When Liv spoke to the kids, Kindergarten through Fifth grade, they didn’t blink. Their eyes were glued to her and her message. She spoke about using her words for the good. She spoke about kids having the chance to teach us. She spoke about teachers allowing the children to have a voice and follow their passions. She spoke about spreading positivity in the world and digital citizenship. She was a natural!

When it was time for a dance party in the middle of the Keynote, kids got up, danced their hearts out and then immediately sat down for the next bit of inspiration she had to say. Her words had that much power over them, they didn't want to miss a second. The day continued just as spirited as the morning Keynote. She went from grade to grade in different sessions, teaching about blogging, LivBits, book love, and kids teaching kids. Just like the keynote the kids were enthralled. They listened to her every word and asked questions that demonstrated they were intrigued and wanted to learn more.

Throughout the day, several teachers approached Liv, saying their own children had been or are being bullied in school. They told her that after the day with her, they are certain their son and/or daughter will be okay. She gave them the strength (LivBits started after Liv encountered bullying in scecond grade). That night I had parent teacher conferences. Parents of my students and my colleagues had conversations of their children coming home from school inspired to read more and use their voice. One student the next day came running into school excited to show me a video she made. The video was of a song she had created for Liv, the words were filled with positive quotes. She told me she was nervous to post it on SeeSaw, but then stopped herself and said, “You can post it. I’m nervous about what other people may think, but Liv inspired me to be me.” The amount of lives that were touched in the short period of time spent with Liv is outstanding. 

After spending the day with Liv and knowing the power of kids teaching us, I would be remiss to not share one story that stuck with me. Earlier in the year, after days of traveling and spreading her book love in Keynote speeches and school visits, Liv returned back to school, only to be held in for recess for not completing a reading log. Pause a moment and let that sink in! Liv is a walking, breathing, living, reading log and she got "punished" for not complying to school expectations. The decision to hold her in for recess makes no sense to me. I would challenge that decision and ask, why?! I personally know that if I believed children should all be help to the same expectations, I wouldn't have many of my own student success stories that make me so proud. Every child should be held to their own individual standards and capabilities and then be empowered to move and grow from there. Every student in your class learns differently. Every student's fire is fueled in a different way. In my mind holding Liv in for recess set the tone that school is about compliance and if a student thinks or demonstrates their learning in an alternative way, it will not be accepted and fostered. Thank goodness this experience did not stop Liv and she still believes in herself and all she has to offer. This story leaves me and I hope my readers with the question of, are we as educators teaching for compliance or empowerment? If you are looking to have more "Livs" in your class, more students who own their learning, and more students who are passionate, then I urge you to honestly reflect on your current classroom practices and read the book Empower by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani. 

In reflecting on my day with Liv and this story, I needed to stop and think how I've been influenced and how my teaching will be changed. I was left with the impression that every child in my class has a voice, every child in my class has a passion, every child in my class has something to offer this world. It is my job to be there for every student and help them find their voice. It is my job as a teacher to teach them and enrich their lives and their passion. They need me to show them that I care and to show them I respect their voices. I need their voices, the world needs their voices. The children in our classes are our future. They can all be "Liv's" with the right amount of empowerment. 

Power of #classroombookaday

I'm feeling lost, angry, scared, and so many other emotions, as I'm sure so many of you are as well in the wakes of the Parkland tragedy. This morning I opened Twitter and started to read and learn about the teenagers who are bravely fighting. My heart started to open up. Only a mere few days after they have lost friends, teachers, and siblings, they are not giving up hope. Within the articles and tweets I read, there were also comments that praised the teens but at the same time made mention to the kids doing what adults should have done in the first place. Then plenty of other posts that spoke to these teenagers changing history.

Reading these articles and comments bring me back to the importance of #classroombookaday and my role as an educator. Every time I close, a #classroombookaday book, I hear myself saying or thinking the words, history repeats itself and you boys and girls are part of the change. You all have the power! Every moment, of every day, you children, have the power to make a difference. Even if it’s through a simple gesture, smile, or invitation to be included.

It's in times like this tragedy, that I am reminded of the deep discussions my classroom had, when we read books like, “The Youngest Marcher”, “Let the Children March”, “The Other Side”, “Wishtree” “Shaking Things Up”, “The Story of Ruby Bridges” and so many more powerful titles. I am reminded of the difficult discussions had with the children in my classroom, about the strength of the children who fought, marched, and some who took on the roles of the adults. The bravery of the children who stood with or up to the adults and said we are innocent and can and will fight for our own beliefs and rights. Each #classroombookaday book leads us to discussions about kindness, including others, and how the books messages make us better children and adults. After every book is closed, I feel a little bit better in the fact that I and these books are making a difference.

The teenagers in Parkland need us to support them, believe in them, and show them that their fights can and will make a difference. Because history repeats itself, and as we have seen in our many #classroombookaday books, children do have the power to make a difference!

I encourage you to learn more about #classroombookaday from the brilliant Jillian Heise. Her website is classroombookaday.com. Thank you Jillian for introducing #classroombookaday to classrooms all over the world!