So Long...

...has many meanings!

When I titled today's thinking, I really believed my words were going to be about how long it has been since I have taken time to blog.  It's not that I haven't thought about it, but I've had some changes in my work (and therefore my whole life) and not really sure how to frame things.  So..."So long" doesn't just mean a measure of time for this post, but also some things I've said good bye to recently.

So long to those unhealthy days that kept me in bed for sometimes 12+ hours a day.  Although just a minor health concern, when something like that drags on for ten months, you start to lose sight of who you once were.  Thankfully, those days are behind me, and I am so appreciative of my doctor, friends, and family for their help and patience.

So long to my job as a district coordinator for kindergarten interventions. Spending the last four years working with at-risk students, as well as training tutors and working alongside teachers to make sure students got what they needed was challenging and such an opportunity for teaching and learning.  It was such an emotional summer for me as I said good bye to this position and made my first move from teaching students everyday to an Internal Assessment Specialist.  What is that you wonder?  Well that is a post for another time.  It was an emotional summer closing the door on something that I was able to develop with great guidance from my mentor, but no regrets.  I am always looking forward to something new and challenging my professional growth.

I can say that I am enjoying everyday of my new position.  Although I do at times miss having students, I am so thrilled to be a part of this new and exciting team.  I am learning so much and am so impressed with the brilliance of my team members. 

For now...all I can say is...  I am planning to post more frequently now that I am getting my bearings on all that is new.  Some may think of "good byes" as a negative, but by faith I have always believed in walking toward the open door to see what opportunity awaits for me to continue to be a better teacher, leader and human.

until later~

b~

Love...

...everyday with kindergartners!

This year has brought so many challenges, but many, many successes.  I have so many goals for my students, but if they leave my classroom with a love for books and viewing themselves as readers than I have done my job.

It is that time of year when students begin to really shine.  They have mastered so many things and are confident to delve into books of their choice and use the reading and writing strategies that we have been scaffolding throughout the year. 

So glad to do the work I do and meet students where they're at and take them into the wonderful world of reading.

until later~

b~

Read Aloud...

..... one of the most important parts of our kindergarten day!

Every minute of the kindergarten day is important - like snapshots of learning throughout the morning and afternoon.  I work very hard to  keep instruction fluid, and concise and build a flow throughout that day that connects the learning.  I teach small group interventions that are targeted to the specific needs of my students, but everyday...more than once usually...we take time to share text together when we all come together to listen to the Read Aloud selection of the day.

Recently, we have been reading books written and illustrated by Mo Willems.  My students and I especially love the Gerald and Piggie books. 

Last week we read We Are In a Book!  It was such a magical moment.  My students come from many different literacy experiences and language backgrounds, but as we read this book, everyone giggled. I am so blessed to get to do this job everyday.  I have learned so much from them.  Mainly, as I watch each one do the hard work that it takes to be a reader, we are also all reminded about how much fun it is to learn to read.

Everyone...no matter their backgrounds...found joy in this book...and unity was apparent in our thinking and love of reading.

until later~

b~

Obvious to you....

...amazing to others!


I love this perspective.  It's just normal for everyone to believe that their thinking isn't really anything special.  Hmmm...how do we help change that for these little people who are going to change our tomorrow?

until later~

b~

Kids can sometimes surprise you...

...and they usually do :)

I have a unique program in that students transition into the foundations tier 3 intervention when their struggle with literacy becomes significant enough, that we see their needs can be best met by another half day of school.

We are continually monitoring students progress across the district and teachers contact me when they get new students who may need a quick assessment or need intervention.

So last week, I got this phone call from a teacher about a new student in her classroom. After meeting with a teacher, and the other resource support teachers who were also working with this student, it was decided that the child would be placed in my program. Those who currently were working with this student had some big concerns... mainly with motivation. Their perspective was that this learner didn't connect with other students and was not interested in their help. I have to admit that set my mind to thinking, and  I attempted to establish a plan to engage this student in learning the letters, sounds and, most importantly, the importance of taking the opportunity to hear others and be heard within our literacy setting.

I titled this blog..."Kids can sometimes surprise you..." because this new friend did. When this student arrived the first day on the bus, the student was hesitant, but engaged. This child is just completing their second day in my setting and is talking with the other students, making friends, reading during read-to-self time, participating in whole class activities and seems extremely content to try things and ask questions.

Sometimes it takes a little time for kids to understand that when their parents tell them they are starting in a new classroom and they are going there everyday...they meant it. New school environments can be daunting for anyone. Perhaps these few weeks in a new classroom in the home school was just the time needed to observe the lay of the land before jumping into the learning.

I am so excited to be working with this early learner and to help this child see them self as a reader and writer.

until later~

b~

Kids are Meant to Create

...if the environment is set for it!

Coolest thing happened the other day.  We have been reading all of Mo Willem's Pigeon books...you know..."Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus", "The Pigeon Wants a Puppy", "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late", "The Pigeon Loves Things That Go".  Oh...so many great stories that are perfect for kindergartners!  Anyway, we were talking about all the character traits of the pigeon.  How he is a little selfish, and doesn't like to share.  He throws a lot of tantrums (our new vocabulary word)...almost one in every story.  He makes a lot of promises we aren't sure that he will keep.

Before we finished our discussion, I drew a picture of the pigeon on the board, showing the kids the simple shapes that Mo Willems uses to draw his characters and the talking bubbles that capture their thoughts and words.  After we finished our discussion, the kids collected their books and spread out to read-to-self while I worked with a small group. 

About five minutes after we had settled in, I noticed Sarai drawing on the board.  I guess she had been intrigued and wanted to try her hand at drawing her own pigeon.  She took her time.  Carefully drew her depiction of the bird and then settle back into reading her books.  Without a word, Morgan went to the board, and she drew her best pigeon, the talking bubble and copied the word "Bus".  She finished her drawing and then went back to her reading.

Sometimes kids just need the chance to get their thinking out or to solidify the learning.  This was their process, and I was so proud that my teacher self didn't interrupt something so beautiful.  Later, Sarai took that thinking and created her own book with the pigeon as her main character.

I know I am their teacher, but they are teaching me how they learn everyday.

until later~

b~

Collaborative, Comfortable and Engaged

Collaboration is key!

I think one of my biggest goals this year is to really focus on providing more collaboration time for my students.  When you collaborate with someone else, you learn so many things...listening skills, appropriate ways to share thinking, compromise, and so much more!

Over and over I hear the concerns of other primary teachers that kids no longer have time for "play" to learn those important social skills necessary to be successful.  Even worse, some use a great deal of their day incorporating play, but are not really facilitating that social learning unless there is conflict.  We haven't abandoned the social emotional goals.  Kids don't have to be playing with Lincoln Logs to demonstrate their understanding of those social emotional goals.  Even more often kids who are five are still very independent in their play.  All the boys may be circled around the Lego table, but they are all building their own creations.  Independent within the crowd. 

It takes a plan and some practice to help kids collaborate.  We establish some rules and practice them.  Some kids are masters at collaboration from the start and others need continued review of the steps every time. The conversations I get to listen in on from my students as they brainstorm together and develop writing ideas or share books together can be very sophisticated.  They are taking time to get to know each other, building friendships and usually producing some kind of product that they are proud of TOGETHER!

We have been studying Mo Willems this month and really using our investigative skills to study the characters he has developed, build our vocabulary, and ask questions.  This week the students are going to be collaborating on a project that will allow them to collaborate and create.  I am so excited to see and experience their learning. 

I read a quote this week over and over on twitter from the Learning Without Frontiers 2012 speaker Noam Chomsky..."It's not what you cover, but what you discover."  I am excited to see what we all discover this week in kindergarten foundations.

Until later~

b~

When you ask a Question...

.... you never know what your gonna get!

Today, my afternoon students had just arrived from their home schools and were getting ready to go to lunch. As one of my students took off his coat, he was proudly wearing this little plastic badge on his knit turtleneck that spelled "Batavia" on it.  Batavia is our neighboring town very close to Geneva.  I complimented him on such a cool badge and asked him if a police officer from the Batavia Police Department had visited his kindergarten classroom. He said "No." "Well then," I said, "where did you get such an awesome badge." He told me that the policeman gave it to him when he stopped to talk to his mom on the way to school. 

Awe...Alexander had no idea that his mom might possibly be in trouble in this situation.  I don't know what totally transpired during that encounter at the side of the road, but I'd like to think that this police officer handled the situation the same way I do when kids are making bad choices in my classroom.  It's a gentle conversation.  A discussion about choices and then helping students help to set a plan to make a better choice the next time. It was so cool to know that Alexander came away from that experience feeling safe and proud of his new badge.  We all need some reminders sometimes to "slow down" and make better choices.  It's great when the reminder can be a gentle one.

Thank you Batavia Police Department for making a negative into a positive!!

until later~

b~

choice words...


...It is totally your choice!

I have been flipping through the pages, once again, of a book I think is one of the most powerful books written...one that has changed my entire teaching life...Choice Words by Peter Johnston. The power of words is compelling.  Words can build up, motivate, encourage, broaden perspectives, as well as provide the exact opposite.  I think almost everyone can remember a time when someone used specific words as weapons to break down the power that drives you.  Whether spoken intentionally or unintentionally, we still play those same words over in our minds and wonder why they said it that way. 

The book, Choice Words, helps me to keep my specific language with students, and well, everyone at the forefront of my thinking.  I am careful how I use my words. It takes careful planning, thoughtfulness, and reflection, but soon those choice words start to become habit. 

I am thrilled at the growth this book has provided me in the past few years.  Colleagues have commented on the ways that I positively phrase things with students or hold back language and allow for students own decision-making process to take over. 

I love keeping up with what is current professional reading in leadership and the reading world, but revisiting some powerful past reads is important as well.

until later~

b~

Growing Readers

Growing Kindergarten Readers

So glad to be back to school after such a long break.  The kids are amazing (as usual) and so many have grown as readers since they left me at the end of December.  How does that happen?  I am so committed to the direct, explicit instruction so necessary for these early emerging readers, but their eagerness to learn... and observe... and notice...and discover...keeps me on my toes as to the needs of each learner.  In the past, I took such pride in my long-term plans and the weekly layout, but I am rediscovering at this time every year that the day-to-day planning is what is required.

My biggest goal for my students is that they see themselves as readers...and now they all do!  They have favorites and they retell them to me and others.  They are extremely excited about ANY new book that enters the room.  And mostly, they are discovering that they can now read the text of many of their choices.  If this was as far as they progressed this year as readers, I would consider the year a success.

until later~

b~

a whole new year

I am excited about the thought of a new year and what a fresh start can provide. The year, 2012, will bring some great accomplishments as well as some new challenges.  I have been reading and watching as people everywhere set their resolutions or goals for the new year.  I want to push myself in every way...read more, learn more...perhaps a possible career change...but most importantly....I will spend more time with those I care about.  Only eight more weeks until my Masters in Educational Leadership is complete...which is a great accomplishment alone for me.  I am planning on using that additional time each week for those most important to me.  I am looking forward to setting some additional goals this month, but keeping this one in the forefront!!

until later~

b~