Dreaming

If you could build an elementary school, without constraints or demands from the powers that be, what would it look like?  What would be the foundation?  Lately I've been thinking of my "dream school" and what it would consist of. 

Let's dream a bit.....

Image Credit: Peter Reynolds

1. Kid-Centered   - You're probably thinking duh, but I honestly think that often times we forget that we are educating little people, ages 5-11.  They are not adults and often times the decisions made don't have what is best for kids (age appropriateness, developmental appropriateness) in mind.  My dream school would always think about what is best for KIDS, remembering that they are little humans.
2. Multi-Age - I had the opportunity to teach a K-1 multi-age for 2 years.  Oh my goodness, so cool.  The benefits of "kids learning from kids" is incredible.  The "youngers" rise to the occasion and push themselves (in a healthy way of course) to learn, and the "olders" become leaders and role models, while of course learning and growing at the same time! 
3. Inquiry-Based - What does this truly mean?  We hear inquiry-based often, and sometimes it's tossed around when describing curricula by publishers, but what would this look like in a school, where the entire foundation is built upon inquiry?  To me, it means that the wonderings/curiosities/interests of each child are valued, and used as a tool to learn and grow.  Time is set aside to investigate and explore these wonderings.  It can be set up in various ways, but the overarching idea is that kids drive their own learning.  They are highly motivated and engaged as a result of choice.
4. The Arts - This dream school will include opportunities for children to express themselves artistically in a multitude of ways.  The arts will be woven into the curriculum, not as an after thought, but as in integral piece.
5. Natural World - Kids need to see, touch, smell, hear (and even taste!) the incredible natural world that surrounds them.  They need to dig in dirt, splash in water and get DIRTY!  Not all children are able to do this at home.  Today, kids are in front of screens, and not spending time outside like previous generations.  A dream school would bring the natural world to children, in AND outside the classroom.  Exploration areas would be set up in classrooms for kids to explore and get their hands on nature, but field trips and excursions would be built-in to the school year to explore the natural world as well.  This dream school would also include a child-created and maintained garden, greenhouse and composting. :)
6. Play - Kids need time to be kids!  Even 11 year olds want to build, construct, create, dramatize, etc.  My dream school will include time for this, with thoughtful, intentional "invitations" to play set-up.  For example, a block area with natural or recycled items to incorporate in their creations.  (tubing, wires, paper towel tubes, etc)  A drawing/watercolor center, with a piece of fruit sliced in half to invite kids to draw/paint a still life. :) 
7. Family Partnerships - I love the idea of utilizing and learning from the "talents of all" in the community.  We often don't know the amazing treasures that are right under our noses!  I had a parent not long ago that was an opera singer!  How cool is that?  Inviting parents and family members into the school to share their talents and knowledge is such a powerful thing.

Now, of course a literacy rich environment is a given, where reading, writing, speaking, listening and above all THINKING in authentic ways is a cornerstone.  And don't forget math....a well-balanced approach that helps kids develop conceptual understanding, in real-life ENGAGING ways.

Ok, I'm sure I'm forgetting something huge, but this is a working document! :)  And dreams can be revised, right?

J is for Jake

There is nothing sweeter than a first grader with no front teeth.  I melt each time I see one of their toothless smiles.  It's a sign of pure innocence.  I wish we could freeze this smile for longer than it actually lasts, before those "grown up teeth" make their way in.
Addison is wiggling away at her front teeth, and they will surely fall out in the coming months. :)

Why am I writing a blog post about missing teeth?

It's because I'm saddened by how our children are being hurried along.  It's been bothering me ever since I returned from Reggio Emilia last fall.  Why are we trying to grow them up so fast?  There's plenty of time to be old and do the things that old people do.

Like writing your letters "walking forward."  Yes, we all learn to write our letters correctly at some point in time, usually by the end of 2nd grade, things are looking pretty legible.  That's the point, right?  Legibility.  Kids in K, 1st, 2nd grades notoriously flip their letters and numbers backwards.  Especially b's and d's, 6 and 9, etc.  No matter how many times a teacher might remind children who flip their letters to make them "walk forward," they will still flip them.  When you point it out, they notice, but when they are in the midst of writing, they'll still flip.  There is some sort of switch that goes off in their brains, and suddenly everything walks forward.  It's like magic.  It's not because I've told them to flip their letters.  It's because they were ready to do it, on their own time line.

So this brings me to sweet Jake.  Jake is a first grader in my class this year.  He's an August birthday boy, and as precious as they come.  Full of energy, loves life, and cutest smile you've ever seen.  Jake writes his name (often) with a flipped J.  I could hover over him, reminding him each time he writes his name that his J needs to be walking forward.  I could send home handwriting practice, and stress that his J needs to be flipped.  Or.....I could  just let him be.  In the grand scheme of things, is this something to stress him out about?  Nope.

I take that back, there is something cuter than a first grader with no front teeth.  A first grader with no teeth and a backwards J.

He'll fix it eventually.  But for now, I'm going to let him be 6.

A Place For Wonder

My first grade teammate turned me onto a book by Georgia Heard that I didn't know about called A Place for Wonder.  Thanks, Karen! :)  Oh my. I've only read the first two chapters, and of course I'm already completely inspired and want to transform my room into a Reggio wonderland.  As if being in Reggio Emilia wasn't enough! 

This book and the dreams of my trip to Reggio Emilia couldn't come at a better time.  The pressures being put on teachers to assess our sweet babies is starting to spiral out of control.  If I followed the district curriculum as is, without making teacher judgment calls, I could feasibly test my first graders on SOMETHING every day of the week.  There are weekly tests for our new literacy adoption (which I don't give) plus daily "checks" for our math program (which I don't give) so technically a teacher could test her kids multiple times per day.  Um, no thank you. 6 and 7 year olds should NOT be filling in bubbles.  I saw this great sign on Facebook recently: I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

 

Stay tuned for more thoughts about A Place For Wonder, my new obsession.  I'm hosting a book club in my district on this book later this fall.  More to come...for now, we're heading outside to blow some bubbles. ;)



Holding True

A recent post by Renee Dinnerstein has made me reflect on the behavior management system I've had in place for the past 3 years.  When my teaching partner and I first instigated this system, (found on the many teacher blogs) it sounded like a wonderful way to praise kids for positive behavior, instead of always focusing on the negative. 

Imagine clothespins on either side of the Ready to Learn section.  This chart hangs publicly on a cupboard door in my classroom.

Each child has a clothespin with his/her class number written on it, and they all start off on "Ready to Learn" each day.  They can move up and down the chart depending on their positive (or negative) behaviors.  If they reach the top of the chart in one day, they receive the infamous "jewel" to add to their clip.  However, in reality, I wasn't consistent with "moving kids up" and it turned into more of a burden for me.  I have my days of forgetfulness, too much on my plate, mommy-brain, which I'm not especially proud of!  Aside from not being consistent, the bigger question is What message am I sending to my students?  Are kids' positive behavior choices a result of them trying to move up for the "jewel" or were they truly making positive choices because it's the right thing to do?  Some kids are oblivious to it, and they are who they are.  They are going to help a friend in need, regardless if there is a behavior chart in place.  Others were motivated by the chart, being sure to tell me about their heroic actions at recess, or how they shared a marker with a friend.  The question is:  Would these kids do the same thing without the chart? 

The answer is YES.  A chart is not needed to create a caring classroom community.  I plan to ditch this system and go back to what I know best.  It starts with class conversations about what it means to be friendly, caring, empathetic, cooperative, responsible, curious, etc.  It also means ME being a good listener and actively listening to the millions of stories and experiences of my students, albeit sometimes they can be never ending!  I'm not saying there will not be consequences for not-so-good choices, such as taking a breather during an activity, etc. but having a publicly displayed chart that points out who is behaving in a certain way, this is a practice that will disappear in my room this fall.

My teammates and I have started a "Virtue of the Month" character project that is also a wonderful way to highlight the beauty of human nature in meaningful ways.  We read books that have the virtue tucked into the meaning/lesson of the book, and fantastic conversations are sparked as a result.

I've learned that I need to trust my instincts, and not get caught up in the latest trends.  I knew deep down that something was off with the system but I didn't put the breaks on.  It sometimes takes someone to gently spell it out, (Thanks, Renee!) to remind you of what you already hold to be true.  I'm anticipating some nauseating feelings are ahead of me with the Common Core State Standards and trends that go along with the CCSS,  but I'm ready with my sword, shield and a bottle of Tums. :)
 

Why Choice Time?

My colleague, Renee Dinnerstein, recently wrote about the ways that the Common Core are being interpreted in Kindergarten classrooms.  Bottom line:  Don't mess with Choice Time.  When teachers start putting stipulations on how to make choices, what to imagine, what to think....it takes away the spirit of wonder and inquiry in children.

http://investigatingchoicetime.com/?p=614

Believe it or not, choice time in first grade is pretty unheard of.  My first grade classroom (along with a couple of my teammates) is not the norm.  I'm working on spreading the "choice time word."

I'm wondering...

Long time, no posts!  I've been immersed in life with my own budding bambini, and my 19 other precious souls in my care.  Spring is in the air, and I'm ready for some sunshine filled days!  We're expecting a stretch of beautiful weather here in Seattle for the next few days....woo hoo!
I'm facilitating a book study/Reggio Emilia workshop, starting this Thursday at a local elementary, and I'm pumped for it!  We'll be studying Matt Glover's book Projecting Possibilities for Writers: The How, What and Why of Designing Units of Study, K-5.  We'll also look closely at the Reggio Emilia philosophy of education, hopefully allowing teachers to see the connections between the workshop approach to teaching reading and writing, and Reggio.  I'm hoping to light an "inquiry fire" in the participants!

On another note, our local literacy council (IRA) hosted Stephanie Harvey for a Saturday workshop last weekend, and what an inspiration she was!  The entire first half of her talk was a call for bringing back WONDER and CURIOSITY to education.  She even showed photos of kids at "Reggio Inspired" schools....so affirming! 
More later on wonder and curiosity... ;)

Voices

Goosebumps.  I have them because of this speech.  Please read it, you will be inspired.  I agree with Diane Ravitch, where is the media attention for this superintendent, when people like Michelle Rhee get tons of air time?   We need more people like John Kuhn advocating for educators and kids.  His voice represents what so many of us believe and don't have the courage or the eloquence to say.  Thank you, Superintendent John Kuhn!

The Imagination Tree

Oh my goodness, I'm in love with this blog: The Imagination Tree  If you are looking for ways to invite your children to discover and play in oh-so-many ways, this woman (her name is Anna, ironic, huh?) has a knack for putting together the most incredible play settings.  My favorite idea (so far!) is her "Small World Play Scenes."  Check out this pirate scene!   Or another one of my favorites, the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Play Dough.  Are you kidding me?  I'm giddy right now!  Let the play dough making begin!  One is NEVER too old for play dough. :)

Reggio Inspired in 1st

As a first grade teacher, my mind has been spinning, wondering "How can I bring some Reggio elements into my classroom?"  Especially with the mandates and fast-paced atmosphere that many of us are experiencing.  I need to bring some natural wonder back into the classroom!  They're 6 years old, for heaven's sake!  Of course,  I can bring materials in, (and prune some current ones) but bringing in Reggio is much more than "stuff."  It's how you put that stuff to use.  It's about taking a step back and trusting my first graders.  We've been so hung up on learning targets, teaching points and demonstrating EVERYTHING, that we've lost sight of letting kids do what they do best, discover!  I've been making a conscience effort to be even MORE intentional with my questioning and how I present new concepts and ideas.

I've been reading a lot of Katie Ray lately, and her book Study Driven screams Reggio to me! (Matt Glover, an author/consultant and colleague of Katie's, organized my trip to Italy)  Katie makes the case for a true "Study" in the writing workshop, where children are immersed in the kind of writing we're inviting them to do, digging deep into the craft, and structure of a particular form of writing.  The teacher learns alongside the children, doesn't have all of the answers, and allows the children to make the discoveries.  Of course, the teacher has an idea of where she wants to take them, and there is structure to it, but this inquiry focus is a different pathway from what many of us are comfortable with.  This is opposed to the pre-planned Units of Study where every single mini-lesson is already outlined and sometimes scripted.  I must admit, I'm a planner and I like to know what it is I'm teaching and when.  This inquiry stance has turned my thinking upside down!  Seeing it in Italy in a early childhood environment, has made me step back and reflect on how I have been handing curriculum to my children on a shiny platter.  My first graders are still learning and loving school, however, could it be more meaningful for them if I stop being so explicit?  There is definitely a time and place for being explicit, however are we being TOO explicit and not letting our children discover some things for themselves?  Instead, I must be ultra-uber intentional, in how I invite the children to learn.  It's all about setting up "Invitations" to learn.

I'll go deeper into "Invitations" in another post.  Meanwhile, here are some pictures of my latest attempts to improve my choice time areas in the classroom.... a light table and new blocks!  Space is still an issue....ugh.