Yes, I know I am a teacher and I am beyond lucky at my vacation schedule. NO TEACHER in the world should argue the fact that we are lucky to have three week-long vacations, as well as July AND August off. I will absolutely agree with you. I know I am a better educator because of these days, and often wonder why other professions don't follow a similar path.
Snow days?! I will promise you that we love those days as much, if not more, than the kids. Sorry. I know that as parents you hate those days - childcare, snow, screaming children, ice, screaming children, sledding, snow, screaming children... I don't argue that you are amazing people as parents. As I am in the safe comfort of my home, cleaning my floors, catching up on my laundry, or snuggling with my dog I do think of you and your children. (90% serious, 10% gloating)
More important than snow days, though, are these sporadic vacations. No, these are not important because I get time away from your children, and away from my job. Because if you really know a teacher, you know that they are NEVER really away from their job. You know that we wake up dreaming about lessons, and students. You know that hugs from your children are as significant as those from our own family. You know that we are grading and/or planning at almost all times, if not in person than in our heads. And yet, the importance of vacation IS about time. It is about the space from chaos to clear my head of the minutia. It is about taking the time to figure out what I can do to make myself a better teacher, and a better person. It is about reflecting on what I have already taught, what has worked well, and what I can alter in the future. Vacations allow me time to sit and think about how to help "Bobby" because what I am doing is not working, and that is not an option for me. That time is not given during the school day, and amazingly enough, life is in full swing when any teacher gets home. I do not mean, for an instant, that you do not have these same issues in your career. You have a work problem that you are focused on while you sit at dinner with your children chattering on... You have an argument with your spouse that really stems from aggravation at work. Teachers are no different than others, except that, we are.
We are different because we work with your children each day. We are different because we have to be so careful with our language, because young learners will easily become unmotivated and shut down in learning. When children shut down on learning, we shut down OUR future. We are different because what we do each day, with each student, will affect who they are in their future. We are different because we have to teach them to read, be kind, write, use your manners, math, compassion, science, respect, history, perseverance, etc. We are different because we are teaching future doctors, custodians, servers, philanthropists, lawyers, teachers, criminals, and so much more.
We are different because we often cry with your children, when you don't even know they are crying.
Before you sit and judge teachers for their time off, think of the benefits of giving teachers these sporadic vacations. After ten years of teaching, I came back from Christmas vacation more rejuvenated than ever about a new unit - Activism - for my students. I needed the time and space to reflect and research this topic (and it took me a full two weeks). My students came back and worked harder than ever. I learned from this unit that I had been underestimating them for quite some time. During this most recent vacation I got to visit my parents. I will be a better teacher because I had the time and space to be grounded with those that first taught me strength, morals, and hard work. I watched my retired father work endless hours (including traveling for 4 days) to improve the healthcare system. I was reminded that no matter what stage of life, you are never done learning and working towards your true passions. I watched as my mother doted on me, and took care of me as only a mother can. I was reminded of how much love you each have for your children. Thank you for trusting me with them each and every day.
As this vacation comes to an end, I am eager to see my students. I missed laughing with my students, watching the light bulb go off, and those moments of genuine caring. This point in the year is one of my favorites - my sixth graders begin to prepare themselves for seventh grade, and yet they hold onto us tighter than ever. I have missed my students and will be a better teacher because of my week off.
On Monday I will enter my classroom, and take a deep breath, feeling a place of comfort, safety, and home. How many of you can say that after a week off from work?
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Variance In The Philosophy Of The Teaching Of Writing
From a young age we are taught to "do as we say". I don't have my own children, but I watched my parents and now my siblings, set the examples as members of positive and functioning members of society. It was in these moments I learned forgiveness, patience, strength, courage, and the kindness of our words - through watching their practice. It was then that I learned that to teach, I had to practice.
The teaching of writing in this country has always baffled me - in so many ways that a singular blog entry post does not apply, nor does it give it justice. One of the most intriguing ways, however, is the philosophy of writing as educators. As an elementary teacher, I have the overhwhelming priviledge of teaching students in several content areas. I currently teach reading, writing, and mathematics. This is fascinating to me for two reasons: 1.) Seeing students' brains function in different capacities, with different strengths and 2.) Reflecting on the practice of teaching, different content, in very different ways.
Ask most people in this region if they are a reader, and you will get a variety of answers. Many will say something like, "I don't read often, but I certainly can read and understand". A few might say, "I read everything I can get my hands on... If it's of interest to me" or a resounding, "Yes!" And a smaller few may admit to not being a reader in "any capacity". When you look at teachers, however, this is different. Most teachers are in the previous groupings. They read - many genres, and often. But most importantly they read their content. They do not assign a new text without thinking and analyzing the piece, much like a science teacher doesn't assign a lab without practicing the lab on their own; much like a math teacher doesn't begin teaching without refreshing their minds, and practicing statistics.
That thinking always leads me into the area of writing. The area that is most contradicting to all other practices. Why is it that we, as educators and a society, are willing to challenge ourselves to read, to solve a math problem, to analyze social nuances, and yet we are unwilling to challenge ourselves to write. Teachers of writing have actually defined themselves as "non-writers", or "scared to write".
When I plan for math I very often have to analyze each problem. Which ones apply? Which ones can I skip? Which ones will I have to slow down and work through step-by-step? And the most challenging questioning of - The HOW? I have to anticipate every step. And yet, if you are not a practicing "writer", how do you truly know which skills really apply to that writing assignment, beyond your assumptions? Which ones were challenging? Where did you get those resources? Where will students stumble? And once again - The HOW?
My life changed as a person and, more importantly, as an educator in September 2008. I came off of a summer spent with other educators analyzing teaching, but more importantly writing. I sat in a group, of which originated as strangers, and shared through written word my deepest secrets and inner-most thoughts. It was in those moments that I learned how truly vulnerable writing was; and how often I was asking my students to be vulnerable, without ever putting myself out in return. It was my first step in understanding that I can't ask my students to do something that I am unwilling to practice myself. I was then reminded - "do as you say."
As we embarked into the chaos of September 2008 and a couple of years after, I accepted the inner challenge of writing every single time my students were writing. While I soon realized that this was impractical because I was struggling to evaluate each students' understanding of the written word, I did develop a classroom of writers. They came into my room and expected that I would write, and so they wrote. They knew it was valued, and they knew it was expected. They knew that to write you had to be brave, and that writing was an experience in and of itself - an experience that changed you and your thinking.
In the most recent years, my teaching has had to change and adapt, but my philosophy of writing has remained the same. With the Common Core Standards, this has been a struggle, but I refuse to let my standards and philosophy of teaching little people change... People of all sizes need to learn and think through writing. All of us need to define ourselves as "readers" and as "writers."
My philosophy as a teacher of writing, and I challenge you to join me, is to "teach as you say". My Standards: 1.) Before you challenge your students to an assignment and project, practice it yourself. Hurdle through the unexpected easier times, and struggle through the hard times. See how long it takes you, as an educated adult, and multiply that - BY A LOT (your struggling students will appreciate that moment more than any other). 2.) If you reach the point in an assignment or project where you have lost stamina - assume that your students will too. Either adapt your teaching, or change the assignment.
I guarantee you will not have a true understanding of what is difficult or challenging for a student until you make that practice yourself, and you will know how to help them because you have struggled through it on your own. You will not understand true vulnerability until you have given yourself, and your thinking, to your students. I do guarantee that your teaching will change, and your classroom community will shift, when you "practice what you preach" and "do as you say." My favorite quote last week was, "Miss Sisto, what are you doing your project on?" Not only were they curious, but they knew I was teaching and learning along them on the journey.
The teaching of writing in this country has always baffled me - in so many ways that a singular blog entry post does not apply, nor does it give it justice. One of the most intriguing ways, however, is the philosophy of writing as educators. As an elementary teacher, I have the overhwhelming priviledge of teaching students in several content areas. I currently teach reading, writing, and mathematics. This is fascinating to me for two reasons: 1.) Seeing students' brains function in different capacities, with different strengths and 2.) Reflecting on the practice of teaching, different content, in very different ways.
Ask most people in this region if they are a reader, and you will get a variety of answers. Many will say something like, "I don't read often, but I certainly can read and understand". A few might say, "I read everything I can get my hands on... If it's of interest to me" or a resounding, "Yes!" And a smaller few may admit to not being a reader in "any capacity". When you look at teachers, however, this is different. Most teachers are in the previous groupings. They read - many genres, and often. But most importantly they read their content. They do not assign a new text without thinking and analyzing the piece, much like a science teacher doesn't assign a lab without practicing the lab on their own; much like a math teacher doesn't begin teaching without refreshing their minds, and practicing statistics.
That thinking always leads me into the area of writing. The area that is most contradicting to all other practices. Why is it that we, as educators and a society, are willing to challenge ourselves to read, to solve a math problem, to analyze social nuances, and yet we are unwilling to challenge ourselves to write. Teachers of writing have actually defined themselves as "non-writers", or "scared to write".
When I plan for math I very often have to analyze each problem. Which ones apply? Which ones can I skip? Which ones will I have to slow down and work through step-by-step? And the most challenging questioning of - The HOW? I have to anticipate every step. And yet, if you are not a practicing "writer", how do you truly know which skills really apply to that writing assignment, beyond your assumptions? Which ones were challenging? Where did you get those resources? Where will students stumble? And once again - The HOW?
My life changed as a person and, more importantly, as an educator in September 2008. I came off of a summer spent with other educators analyzing teaching, but more importantly writing. I sat in a group, of which originated as strangers, and shared through written word my deepest secrets and inner-most thoughts. It was in those moments that I learned how truly vulnerable writing was; and how often I was asking my students to be vulnerable, without ever putting myself out in return. It was my first step in understanding that I can't ask my students to do something that I am unwilling to practice myself. I was then reminded - "do as you say."
As we embarked into the chaos of September 2008 and a couple of years after, I accepted the inner challenge of writing every single time my students were writing. While I soon realized that this was impractical because I was struggling to evaluate each students' understanding of the written word, I did develop a classroom of writers. They came into my room and expected that I would write, and so they wrote. They knew it was valued, and they knew it was expected. They knew that to write you had to be brave, and that writing was an experience in and of itself - an experience that changed you and your thinking.
In the most recent years, my teaching has had to change and adapt, but my philosophy of writing has remained the same. With the Common Core Standards, this has been a struggle, but I refuse to let my standards and philosophy of teaching little people change... People of all sizes need to learn and think through writing. All of us need to define ourselves as "readers" and as "writers."
My philosophy as a teacher of writing, and I challenge you to join me, is to "teach as you say". My Standards: 1.) Before you challenge your students to an assignment and project, practice it yourself. Hurdle through the unexpected easier times, and struggle through the hard times. See how long it takes you, as an educated adult, and multiply that - BY A LOT (your struggling students will appreciate that moment more than any other). 2.) If you reach the point in an assignment or project where you have lost stamina - assume that your students will too. Either adapt your teaching, or change the assignment.
I guarantee you will not have a true understanding of what is difficult or challenging for a student until you make that practice yourself, and you will know how to help them because you have struggled through it on your own. You will not understand true vulnerability until you have given yourself, and your thinking, to your students. I do guarantee that your teaching will change, and your classroom community will shift, when you "practice what you preach" and "do as you say." My favorite quote last week was, "Miss Sisto, what are you doing your project on?" Not only were they curious, but they knew I was teaching and learning along them on the journey.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Unseen, She Stood Beside Me
I sat, over Christmas break, completely baffled about what to do with my sixth grade writers when we returned in January. It wasn't just one sitting that I contemplated and analyzed this concept. It had been prior to vacation, and all throughout. We had just finished a fiction unit - the one unit 95% are most eager to participate in due to their love of fantasy, mystery, and/or drama. But now I was stuck... How could I get them as excited about any other piece of writing as they were about the genre of Fiction? Sitting in the sushi restaurant where I do my planning (yes, I find that lesson plans over sushi is much easier than planning at home), I had an instinct that spoke to me louder than ever about where to find my answer. The National Writing Project. Of course. How could I not have gone there two weeks ago when I was stuck? It is the place of endless creative ideas. It is the place of security, and like-minded people. I can't tell you what I searched, but within moments I had the emotional connection I was looking for in my teaching. I read of a high school student whom had written a report on eating disorders because she wanted to change the world, and ensure that no other young woman or man encountered the same debilitating disease she had been suffering with for years. At the end of her research, she checked herself into a hospital-setting for rehabilitation. She had begun changing the world by educating herself. I knew my students were capable of the same.
Activism. I was going to challenge my students, and myself, to change the world with knowledge and passion. This was not an easy task since they are 11 and 12 years old. Knowing full well my school librarian would be eager to participate, I began to brainstorm what this would look like as a teacher, and as a student. After a few lessons of listing and writing what makes you angry, what needs to change, what makes you sad, who is an activist from history/in your life, and how to create a strong angle the students picked their topics and we headed to the library. The librarian had taught them several lessons about databases, and safe searching, and was eager to collaborate with me on this unit.
It was during my second class that I looked around and had a deep feeling of familiarity. Despite having never done this assignment, the enthusiasm and passion from my students made me feel that I had been here before, and yet I hadn't. And then I had my flashback.
I was sitting in Provence with my still intact writing group - PWC (Professional Writing Cohort). Each of us were sharing what we most wanted to explore and learn about as educators. Kathryn expressed a great desire to share with her students the need to delve into information, research, to learn more about a given topic. "I want my students to WANT to learn more about the world around them... I want to say we are going to do research, and watch their eyes light up, rather than the groans heard around the room. They need to know that it is important to want to learn more and go deeper with your thinking. I am going to spend this time writing and reflecting on different strategies to motive students as researchers, learners, and writers." It was in that moment that Kathryn was in my teaching.
See, Kathryn passed a mere 8-months after this conversation. It was truly a devastating to blow to our writing group. She didn't have ample time to delve into this critical area of teaching and learning. We as a writing group didn't have ample time to have her depth of thinking and questioning. But as I stood in the library, watching my students, I felt her standing beside me, nodding her head, and telling me we were onto something, and pushing me to keep going. Kathryn may be gone from our physical world, but her dreams and lessons continue to live on in the world of teaching.
Activism. I was going to challenge my students, and myself, to change the world with knowledge and passion. This was not an easy task since they are 11 and 12 years old. Knowing full well my school librarian would be eager to participate, I began to brainstorm what this would look like as a teacher, and as a student. After a few lessons of listing and writing what makes you angry, what needs to change, what makes you sad, who is an activist from history/in your life, and how to create a strong angle the students picked their topics and we headed to the library. The librarian had taught them several lessons about databases, and safe searching, and was eager to collaborate with me on this unit.
It was during my second class that I looked around and had a deep feeling of familiarity. Despite having never done this assignment, the enthusiasm and passion from my students made me feel that I had been here before, and yet I hadn't. And then I had my flashback.
I was sitting in Provence with my still intact writing group - PWC (Professional Writing Cohort). Each of us were sharing what we most wanted to explore and learn about as educators. Kathryn expressed a great desire to share with her students the need to delve into information, research, to learn more about a given topic. "I want my students to WANT to learn more about the world around them... I want to say we are going to do research, and watch their eyes light up, rather than the groans heard around the room. They need to know that it is important to want to learn more and go deeper with your thinking. I am going to spend this time writing and reflecting on different strategies to motive students as researchers, learners, and writers." It was in that moment that Kathryn was in my teaching.
See, Kathryn passed a mere 8-months after this conversation. It was truly a devastating to blow to our writing group. She didn't have ample time to delve into this critical area of teaching and learning. We as a writing group didn't have ample time to have her depth of thinking and questioning. But as I stood in the library, watching my students, I felt her standing beside me, nodding her head, and telling me we were onto something, and pushing me to keep going. Kathryn may be gone from our physical world, but her dreams and lessons continue to live on in the world of teaching.
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