Student Collaboration… on Autopilot

Posted: 3rd January 2012 by Ms. H in Classroom Management, Pedagogy
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A couple weeks ago, I was focusing on teaching my students to go beyond the literal in their interpretation of literature, both in written form and film. For tenth graders, it is difficult at times to spy symbolic meaning rather than what’s on the surface. On this particular day, I used a film clip of Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet, asking the students to identify elements of the scenery, costumes, colors, music, and casting and the effects that these choices create. After the clip, I did the teacherly thing and stood before them, giving clear instructions about how to take their notes on the film/play and how to form theories about the underlying messages of the text. After giving the instructions and clarifying a couple questions, with 15 minutes left in class, I said (well, I guess “shouted”), “Remember, I’m looking for real critical thinking! See me with questions! Due tomorrow! And… Go!”

Then, something weird happened.

My students all stood up and started moving their desks, forming small groups of 2-3. My knee jerk reaction was to snap into correction mode–something like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa… Where are you guys going?! Did I say to get into groups?! Stay in your seat and get to work!” But, I didn’t. I just frowned a little and watched them. What was going on? Such rebellion!

But as I sat and watched through slightly narrowed and suspicious eyes, I saw what I soon realized to be one of those waking-dream-magical teacher moments. The groups were evenly formed. No one was left out. They were facing their desks together, just as I so often remind them to do. (It’s impossible to collaborate with people whose eyes you can’t see into, I say.) My students were talking at a low volume, but with an excited, nearly conspiratory tone. Listening closely, I heard things like…

*** “Ok, I wrote down something about the designs of the Friar’s tattoos, especially the big cross on his back…”   “Me too! But I’m not sure what it means, other than the obvious religious stuff.”  “Well, he’s not wearing a shirt and we know that he’s like a master of herbs or something, maybe it means that he’s close to nature but also serving religion?”

*** “Did you notice how Romeo and Juliet were in the pool during the balcony scene? I bet that’s related to the fishtank thing we thought of the other day, with the blue and yellow fish mixing for Romeo and Juliet’s families.” “Oh my gosh, you are completely right! Which color was Capulet?” “Blue–they have blue cars… Wait, but Juliet doesn’t wear blue.”  “No, remember, she’s always wearing white to show her innocence and, you know, she’s neutral.” “So… now they are the fish! And they’re not separated by glass anymore! Awwww!”

*** “So, the beach is totally Romeo’s emotions. Sunny when he’s happy, foggy when he’s depressed. It’s like the whole city goes along with what he’s feeling.”  “So that could mean… the peace of Verona depends on him.”

*** “Don’t be SO LITERAL, dude! It’s gotta mean something DEEPER!”

There they were, talking, writing, and trading theories. I just sat at my desk in bliss and did nary a dang thing. I took a deep breath and thought: yes. This is exactly what I have been trying to get them to do ALL YEAR LONG! That’s what mastery looks like. My students were thinking critically, collaborating in a positive, mature way, and totally engaged. Some called me over to check their ideas against my opinion or offered me two options, asking which would be the better interpretation. I had a ridiculous amount of fun discussing it with them.

So what does it say about me as a teacher that my students collaborate automatically? Well, a couple things. Perhaps it does mean that I need to be more direct about my desires when I wish them to work independently. But I hope it also means that I have trained them well to collaborate successfully in an academic context–to use the presence of their peers as an intellectual alliance rather than a simple social opportunity. I hope it means that I’m reinforcing the value of collaboration and “talking out” ideas, and the positive aspects of admitting confusion, taking risks, and watching theories evolve before their eyes.

I’m glad that, at least on this day, I sacrificed my need for management and control in exchange for the gift of seeing my students’ authentic, organic collaboration skills at work. 

A related sample of my students' work, using visual language to portray thematic concepts from Romeo and Juliet

Reflections on NCTE’s Centennial Convention (Chicago, 2011)

Posted: 30th November 2011 by Ms. H in Educational Leadership, Pedagogy, Reflections, Resources for Educators
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I recently was able to participate in the most major professional enrichment adventure of my career so far–the National Council of Teachers of English annual convention, held this year in Chicago, IL at the Chicago Hilton and Palmer House. It was the most gigantic gathering of English educators I’ve ever witnessed, and was a once in a lifetime experience in several ways. Since NCTE ’11 was such a rapid-fire, varied multiday experience, I’ve decided to post about it in a personal journal style, using snippets from my reflection notebook. It is my hope that I can pass on some of the useful ideas, resources, and inspiration gained from this professional adventure, and offer a glance into one teacher’s perspective on the NCTE Centennial Celebration.

DAY ONE (Thursday, 17 Nov 2011)

10:25 am: I am riding in a white behemoth of a van with two of my fellow English teacher coworkers, Ms. D and Mr. M. There is music steadily humming through the speakers and I’m offering  some backseat harmonies to the soft singing-along of my colleagues. It sounds idyllic, because it is–I have (what I know is) the unique luck of having a fantastic, supportive friendship with these two and Ms. J, who is already in the Windy City waiting to meet us! Compound the collegial love with the fact that our stellar principal allowed our voyage to be funded through school, and I feel like the luckiest teacher in the state. So thankful for this opportunity to see some of the best minds in my field do their thing.

2:30 pm: Featured Session, Talking Writer to Writer: Rediscovering the Power of Conferring (Douglas Kaufman, Penny Kittle, and Linda Rief)

This session reaffirms the idea that the most successful writing conferences are often the most natural and the most simple. Sometimes as simple as identifying “This is what I heard/learned from your piece” and “This is what I still want to know about what you’ve written.” This all ties in to a great, prescient quote from Doug–”[Teachers] have to be a part of a small revolution where we go back to our roots and focus on learning events: learning, laughing, and listening with our students, and then acting accordingly.” Indeed, neither conferences nor teaching in general should be formulaic. Sometimes the best teaching naturally flows from our hearts and brains during true, human interactions. No list of questions can ever measure up to that. Also, Penny Kittle seems like someone I’d love to have lunch with! Book to investigate: Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing.

4:30 pm: Speaker Chris Crutcher, author of Whale Talk, and other well-known, well-loved, often censored young adult titles

Before Chris Crutcher takes the stage, there is an announcement about the launch of the National Student Poets Program. It makes me proud of our government to hear about a national step being taken to honor the creative achievements of our young people. It sends an affirming message that, yes, we need poets; they serve a vital purpose in our society that should not be overlooked. Listening to the announcement stirred in me the feeling of wanting to do more as an ambassador for the arts. It made me wonder if I am providing enough space (mentally as well as time-wise) for my students to just create rather than working to achieve the specific skill goals I set for them… In my heart I understand the power of creativity to change lives if it’s given the chance. But I also know that our world largely revolves around performance and evaluations. Art can transcend evaluation. Something to reflect upon…

Chris Crutcher: Chris is an amazing human being, particularly when it comes to thinking, and expressing those thoughts through story. Just listening to him makes my soul reach out like an open hand–it is clear that the man was born a storyteller. I was grateful for his outspoken support for English teachers–our “experts on stories” and those who help resist “creativity being institutionally squelched.” But I was even more grateful for his persistent championing of young adults: in particular, their right to read books that reflect the truth. Chris talked about how those who attempt to keep his books (which often deal with mature or troubling topics) out of schools, calling them “those who want to put philosophy ahead of humanity and think for people they’ve never met before.” He pointed out something that I’ve always believed and fallen back on in the event of a challenge to a controversial text–”When we ban stories where a kid is abused, where a kid is hurting, where a kid strays from the path, we not only ban those stories, but we ban those kids.” A rosy world is not always a realistic world, and believing that ignorance keeps us safe removes a thousand opportunities for growth. When educators acknowledge that through books we offer and ways we teach, we say “You belong here, too” to all students.

8:00 pm: Ms. J, Mr. M, and I found a table in the hotel lobby where we could compare, debate, and clarify our selections for the next day. Despite only being able to find the “wrong” brand of cola (in my opinion), it was a cheery, cooperative, and academic way to end the day, ready for sessions first thing in the morning!

DAY TWO (Friday, 18 Nov 2011)

The second day was an absolute blur, filled with many tidbits of inspiration. Here are the short responses to each of the five sessions I attended…

9:30 am: Session A- Art and Film: Reading Visual Literacy Models (Connie Booth, Jennifer Collison, Nick Kremer)

This presentation was broken into three separate sections, one per presenter, and each was especially eye-catching to me, since my PDP and personal interests tend toward visual literacy. There were some excellent practical ideas offered here–from using classical art of corresponding historical periods along with the teaching of literature to having students use documentary/storyboarding as a vehicle for creative non-fiction writing to teaching students about some of the theory behind comics (a la Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, a fantastic resource for anyone interested in visual literacy) so that they can more consciously use comics as a medium for storytelling, poetry analysis, or any kind of composition! This session rejuvenated my goal to incorporate opportunities for visual interpretation and authorship in my classroom, and provided me with some new outlets to do so.

11:00 am: Session B-  Literary Criticism: Tackling Texts from Multiple Angles (Daniella Bonanno, Tim Gillespie, Lisa Mitchell, Jason Parris)

Literary criticism is something I wasn’t even aware of until college, but as soon as I was introduced, I was hooked. For me, it was a sign of meaning within fictional pages, a justification for reading the written word with the passion and voracity that I was compelled by. Reading didn’t just have to be preparing for a quiz. Rather, it was a participation in important metaphysical conversations about power relationships, identity, history, justice, religion, war, and all manner of human concerns. Attending this session provided me with resources and a reminder that the literary lens approach to teaching texts helps to elicit student responses that may never have occured otherwise. It gives students a focus and a point of view that is specific to a task, and it can yield sophisticated, varying interpretations. I’m going to use the handout from this session and revisit some titles from my professional library to brush up: Literary Criticism by Charles Bressler and Critical Encounters in High School English by Deborah Appleman. Maybe the most important thing about literary lenses? Using them gives students authentic preparation for the reading experiences they are likely to encounter in college.

12:30 pm: Session C- Art, World Literature, and Human Rights: A Humanities Journey (Karen Cunningham, Kerry Galson, Nicholas Timmer)

This was my favorite session. It was one that truly spoke to things that I feel are important. The presenters were the creators of an English class where students study English/Humanitites through a reflective, demanding curriculum that highlights human rights issues, activism, creativity, and world cultures along the way. I was so grateful to receive a thick packet that outlines the course syllabus, bibliography (including articles, short films, poems, and short stories in addition to books), and handouts for major projects. I found nearly everything about this presentation fascinating and unique. Major things I was intrigued by: *A response sketchbook in which students keep annotations, notes, and writing (but also sketches, collages, and visual experiements).   *A project that asks students to truly research, comment upon, and shape their own educational experiences.   *Literature circle discussions surrounding social justice including action components related to the reading.  *A fantastic set of guiding questions for the entire year to prompt student thinking.  *Manifold opportunities for students to express and create in a focused but unconfined way. I expect to be blogging more about these ideas as I try them out in my own classroom.

2:30 pm: Session D- The Multigenre Approach to Research and Composition (Tanya Sepela and Kate Shanklin)

Mr. M and I are planning to do a multigenre approach to teaching Shakespeare this semester. How perfect, then, that we stumbled into this session after being turned away from the filled-to-capacity “Zapping Apathy” session! We walked away with some practical examples of implementing multigenre projects as a way to assess reading comprehension, extraction and application of theme, writing in different modes, research skills, and critical thinking in a way that’s fun for all. The secret ingredient seems to be choice amidst variety–students get to self-direct, leading to higher motivation and achievement. Meanwhile, teachers get to guide writing instruction at a variety of levels in a way that’s tailored to each student. Especially interesting was the implementation of endnotes and annotated bilbliography to a multigenre project. This keeps things academic and rigorous, even when students are having fun imagining journal entries, eulogies, or recipes related to their topic.

4:00 pm: Session E- The Neglected Rhetoric: Discovering and Developing Humor in Writing (Kaye and Terry Hagler)

Let’s face it: the classical literature that so many of us immerse our students in is… well… depressing, sometimes. These presenters reminded us that humor is a crucial and perhaps underutilized aspect of rhetoric that deserves to be privileged right along with tragedy. There wasn’t much new information here, but it still prompted an idea pathway regarding text selection and the goal of making reading and writing enjoyable through humor when possible and appropriate. (Personally, I feel that humor is one of the best natural things that happens during teaching when one is doing it well. A classroom without laughter won’t bond or achieve in the way that a classroom with laughter will. That’s something that remains despite new standards and new expectations.)

All in all, the convention experience was wonderful and eye-opening. Just the experience of being in the city along with so many likeminded souls was rejuvenating. My mind is baffled and my heart is humbled when I think about number of smart English teachers across the country that will be, just like me, unlocking their classroom doors tomorrow morning. There are so many of us, and so many who aspire to be great educators, who look forward to the possibilities of each day. Teachers are always becoming and building. That’s what makes this career exciting. I can’t wait to start incorporating some of the new ideas sparked by NCTE 2011. Some of that work was already starting as we busily chatted our way back northward in the big white van!

P.s. With this being my first convention on the national level, I do have to say that the annual state convention here in Wisconsin stands up very well in comparison. I highly recommend that Wisconsinite teachers check out the WCTE convention next year. I’ve gone twice, and I have learned many very eye-opening things here in our very own cheese state. :)

The Writing and Teaching Collaborative: A bite-size variation on the National Writing Project theme

Posted: 24th November 2011 by Ms. H in Educational Leadership, Reflections
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I am thankful–so thankful–for the giant compliation of amazing professional opportunities I’ve had which have allowed me to grow as an educator. One of those experiences, though, as I’ve written before, stands out among the others. That experience was my participation in the 2010 Invitational Summer Institute with the UW-Milwaukee site of the National Writing Project. It was such a powerful experience for so many reasons. Some of the notable ones: It forced me to accomplish work of a greater quantity and better quality than one would have thought possible. It inspired me to look at my classroom in new ways. It required professionalism and leadership. It was the elusive, the fantastic–meaningful professional development. I’ve stayed involved in Writing Project activities since that summer as much as possible, and I even peer pressured my colleague Ms. J into participating in the summer of 2011. As my place of employment gained its second Writing Project alum, we started (loudly) spreading the word about our experience. Our superintendent, whom we are lucky to share the same building with, caught on. She asked us if it would be possible to do “something like that” in our district. We looked at each other, looked back at her at said, “Yes.”

In order to get the ball rolling, we had to approach our principal, as well as middle school and grade school principals and curriculum director about the possiblity of using some of the district common planning time once a month to host a professional learning community. Lucky for us, administation was wonderfully supportive. We sent out an invitation to all district teachers via email. The text of that invitation, with specific names/details removed, was as follows. This, in so many words, will describe what we’re trying to do. Also, I’m hoping that it will provide a model to those who may want to do something similar:

OPEN INVITATION TO TEACHERS, from any content area or grade level, who are
interested in investigating effective practices in the teaching of writing!

Dear colleagues,

We are forming a professional
learning community that will allow teachers from many different disciplines and
experiences to come together once a month in order to work toward the goal of
improving our teaching of writing district-wide. The innovative,
teacher-centered, research-oriented approach used by the National Writing
Project serves as our model for this new district team—the SF
Writing and Teaching Collaborative (SFWTC).

WHO: Meetings will be facilitated by SFHS teachers [Ms. H]
and [Ms. J], both recent participants in National Writing
Project summer institutes. SFTWC participants will be
teachers from our district who are interested in the teaching of writing within
their discipline/grade level.

WHEN/WHERE: Administration in each building has approved the
use of Wednesday collaboration time during the second Wednesday of each month
for SFWTC meetings, as our initiative is closely aligned with our district
professional development goals. We hope to meet at an outside location, such as
the Community Room at Community Bank, as long as participants are in agreement.
Otherwise, a rotating building schedule may determine our location.

HOW: Each participant and facilitator will select an
inquiry question regarding an aspect of writing instruction. We’ll spend our
time reading, sharing ideas, gathering information, doing action research in
our classrooms, and even doing some writing of our own. The goal is to
research, develop, and eventually present our new findings about practical
classroom applications that support student success in writing.

WHY:  We believe it is important to create our own local opportunity to encourage not only our
students’ progress in writing, but also our own professional knowledge and
leadership potential. This is a place for discovery and positivity surrounding
our roles as professional educators.

Interested in participating this year? Please reply to this e-mail by October 15th with a brief message indicating your interest, and we’ll
promptly send you more details. Once we gather some names of those who are interested, we
can move forward in time for our first meeting in November! We are looking
forward to starting this new journey with you.

We sent out our invitation with a shrug and a smile. To our delight, we got a fair amount of interest, from several subject areas and grade levels. Once we had our group tentatively established, we sent out a welcome and “more information” message in preparation for the first meeting:

SFWTC Colleagues:

Thank you so much for
showing interest in joining the SF Writing and Teaching
Collaborative! For us, the experience of the Writing Project was a positive,
transformative one, and we are excited to begin a new journey of reflecting,
writing, and researching together with all of you in the same spirit! The purpose of this email is
to let you know a little more about what to expect, as well as to define some
particulars about our first collaboration.

At our first meeting (on [date, time, place] ), we
will begin to get to know one another as well as work together to define our
goals for this experience. Here’s how you can prepare for the meeting:

*Bring your writing gear! Whatever that means to you is great; it may be in the form of a
laptop or in the form of a notebook and pen or pencil. At times, we will be
using writing as a means to discover and communicate.

*Sometime before the meeting, please reflect on the following ideas.

(1) What does writing instruction currently look like for your students?

(This may be overall, or in specific scenarios.)

(2) If you could change or develop how writing looks for your students, how would it be and why? At the first meeting, we’ll use these initial
thoughts to develop individual inquiry questions. These questions will become
the core of our research, as we seek to find answers to our own individual
teaching goals.

Meeting agenda:

-Welcome/Introductory writing

-Brief overview of research model

-Discussion/development of inquiry questions

-Discuss goals for final product, plan for next meeting

Again, thanks so much for joining us. We know this is going to be a supportive and inspiring
professional community. Please feel free to contact us via email with any
follow up questions you may have. Otherwise, see you then!

Our first meeting set an excellent precedent for the year to come. We started many important conversations and, if all goes to plan, we’ll be having pertinent, powerful discussions with a powerhouse group of teacher leaders in our district. This will enable us to improve writing instruction, teacher collaboration, and curriculum continuity throughout our students’ years in school. We’re looking forward with optimism to the possiblities ahead!

Sharing the Process: a (literally) hands-on approach to the literary essay

Posted: 3rd November 2011 by Ms. H in Literature, Pedagogy, Writing
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I’ve been working a lot with my AP Literature and Composition students on their writing skills. Writing about literature has many aspects that can be troublesome for student writers. One of the most difficult parts for my students has been learning to formulate an argument about a fictional work, and–in particular–using quotes in order to further the argument that they create, instead of inserting irrelevant narrative quotes to illustrate a glorified summary. Part of this, I think, has been due to their tendency to write an essay without quotes first, before going back and trying to “plug in” a quotation here and there. When done right, quotations should be the framework of the piece, upholding and elaborating the claims of the student writer.

So how does one achieve the incorporation of quotes that are an integral part of an essay’s structure? Sometimes you’ve got to start with the quotes themselves. There are various ways to begin composing a literary essay, but I have a tried and true method that has worked for me in my own writing since the idea came to me in high school on an impulse. It’s the Ms. H Method for Planning the Ultimate Literature Essay!  I created a small comic to guide my students through this process, so that they can try it out to see if it works for them (click on the image to make it bigger):

I love this technique because it’s very visual and very hands-on. Rather than overloading the mental circuitry by trying to envision an entire paper at a single go, using the quotation slips allow the writer to manually rearrange, organize, and experiment with ideas before a word even hits the page. For me, this kind of thing really makes me feel like I know where I’m headed from the moment I write the first sentence. Also, it ensures that my use of quotations is crafted and purposeful.

Every writer’s process is different, but whenever possible I like to share mine with my students. For some, it may provide a new, helpful technique. For others, it might inspire a different approach. For everybody, it shows that I am a writer, too–an important thing for teachers of English (and all teachers, really) to share with their students. All writers struggle, and all writers create. I think when students view us as fellow strugglers/creators, they respect our feedback more, find it easier to approach us for help, and more willingly see us as collaborators in the experience of learning to write, rather than omnipotent, wrathful red pens. Sharing aspects of myself as a writer reminds me that I was once much like my students, and consequently helps me better adapt to what they need as growing analysts and philosophers.

Invisible Targets

Posted: 31st October 2011 by Ms. H in Issues in Education, Pedagogy, Reflections
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Objective-based teaching is something I’ve internalized. Students need to know the desired outcome and how to get there before we can expect them to perform. Whether we call them learning objectives, learning goals, or (now, apparently), learning targets, these roadmaps for students are a crucial part of learning.

But are they the only part? German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer wrote, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see.” It makes me wonder a certain wondering that has been creeping around my brain for some time now…. If we make learning targets too simplistic and explicit, are we drawing students away from those invisible targets that lead to true innovative thought? Is there room in a learning target for experimentation? For discovery? I think there can be, if one writes and explains the target with care and intention. But I also think that there is more to learning than “hitting targets,” and there’s more to understanding than performing a certain skill like a circus pony pawing the air for a sugar lump. I tell my students, “You are not a parrot. Don’t just say what I say and do what I do. Show me something that is 100% you.”  It can be frustrating to attempt to nourish 21st Century skills such as creativity and adapatability while simultaneously breaking lessons down into dry, compartmentalized goals of various sizes.

This whole conundrum prompted some off the clock thinking. As teachers, we are trained to ask ourselves “What do I want my students to learn?” as a starting point when crafting objectives/goals/targets. So I sat and asked myself, “What do I *really* want my students to learn? What do I wish for them, to be able to do by the time they leave my class for the year?” I came up with the following list.

Things I Wish for My Students, for Them to Be Able to Do

Notice details.     Write outside of class, to express and discover.     Extract thematic ideas from texts–ideas that are unique and insightful.     Observe life and share realizations about it.     Stand up straight and speak out.

Bring things in to class that relate to what we’re learning.     Revise–truly revise–their own writing with a ruthless pen in search of perfection.     Use language that is fluent, beautiful, and complex.

See education for the true opportunity that it is.     Become comfortable with quiet and solitude.     Search for truth.     Be able to adapt to an ever-changing world.     Think with fierce independence.

Know what CREATIVE is/be it.     Get past the “right” answer.     Put their energy to use.     Tell stories.     Ackowledge the beauty, genius, and talent in one another.     Fight for the changes they want to see in the world.

Believe in their own power.     Overachieve.     Push themselves.

Know, as Tolkien did, that not all who wander are lost.

All of this is my target, really. This, and a whole expansive field teeming with invisible ones. I just hope that I manage to express this to my students, alongside the daily learning targets we shoot for together.    

Sophomores and the Amazing Technicolor Literary Analysis

Posted: 27th October 2011 by Ms. H in Literature, Poetry, Resources for Educators, Writing
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Writing in a fluent, thoughful way is such a crucial thing to teach students. Teaching writing is my favorite thing to do as a teacher–I just love watching students work through their own ideas, seeing them put an assertion down on paper that is theirs and theirs alone. Literary analysis is one form of writing that I focus on with my sophomores in particular, as they realize the potential of fiction and poetry to state underlying truths through symbolism and figurative language. It is an awesome thing, but that does not mean it’s an easy thing. Weeks need to be spent building scaffolding that helps students learn to interpret, extract themes, and form opinions about texts on their own. All along the way, I have them continually write short analyses. Of course, my expectations for the very first one are extra simple (the student went beyond mere summary and used some type of textual evidence–great!), and continue to become more extensive as time goes on (for their final assignment, they are expected to do a double analysis and comparison piece on a classical poem and lyrics from a contemporary song, and are expected to have developed insights as well as the ability to explicate examples of figurative language and the rhetorical effects upon the reader… Whew!). On the earlier assignments, I give students a lot of descriptive feedback to help them learn which steps of this new thinking task they need to develop.

There’s just a couple problems with feedback, though–   A. Sometimes, students merely gloss over it and/or don’t understand it.    B. It. Takes. FOREVER! I have four classes of sophomores. That’s a lot of essays. If I take just five minutes (which I’ve learned is fairly impossible) on each student’s assignment, it still amounts to a total  of seven and a half HOURS to give feedback on a single paper. While I’m willing to devote that time at the outset, when students are still floundering around in a sea of new expectations, I just can’t sacrifice that type of time once my students start gaining independence in their knowledge of how to analyze. At that point, it becomes their job as well to keep track of how they are progressing toward mastery. So how do I make sure I’m giving adequate formative assessment, my students know what they need to do to reach their learning objectives, and I don’t need to be committed to an insane asylum after days and days of reading beginner literary analyses? The answer is colors!

I got this fantastic idea from a very wise co-worker of mine, Ms. J. Last year during this unit, she created a step-by-step chart that asked students to outline various required features of an essay using specific colors to indicate specific things. I modified it slightly to fit a new assignment, and turned it into a PowerPoint that I had my students follow step by step. (You can see/download that very PowerPoint by clicking [here].) This activity–essentially a self-evalutation workshop–is wonderful for many reasons, which I’ll here expound:

-This kind of thing is deceptively fun. Once colored pencils/markers are involved, happy kindergarten memories come back and students feel at ease rather than intimidated by the complicated thinking they’re being asked to do. Also, they actually take deliberate time to search for each element so that they can color as much as possible.

-Colors make things as clear as day. Ask a student “Did you identify any literary devices?” and they may say, “Uhhhhhhhh….” However, after they’ve been given time to look for and color code the spots where they’ve identified literary devices, it’s easy to ask and definitively answer, ”Do you have any green on that paper? Where? How much?”

-At a glance, students can see how different elements of writing, such as context, a thesis statement, and textual evidence go together. It’s no longer a big glom of words on the page–it’s a transparent, intentional thought process on paper. Also, when it comes time for grading, the teacher can also see instantaneously if the patterns are looking good or not so good. Grading of each paper has been reduced to half a minute rather than five-ten minutes.

-Students are assessing themselves. They are looking at each individual requirement/expectation/goal that pertains to the task and are asking themselves “Did I reach this goal? If so, where? If not, what do I need to do to get there?” I required a short written reflection along with this activity–it sets up self-reflection perfectly.

-Colors are not for analysis writing alone. Just match up each category of your rubric with its own color and shazam! You’ve got an activity that is engaging, useful for formative assessment/self-assessment, makes kids think, saves you time, and makes the world a little more colorful. What’s not to love?

It’s continually astonishing to me how the power of visual elements in teaching can spur excellent thinking, reading, and writing. Try out this method in your own classroom, and post how it goes over. Also, if you can think of any additional modifications, please share them as well! (P.s. Write yourself a Post-It right now to add colored pencils to next year’s required supply list.)

Church and State: Teaching students to discuss religion in an academic context

Posted: 29th September 2011 by Ms. H in Classroom Management, Issues in Education, Resources for Educators
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As part of my syllabus for AP Literature and Composition, I am teaching The Divine Comedy (otherwise affectionately known as Dante’s Inferno). It’s an amazing work of literature, widely considered to be one of the major literary works of all time. It provides a veritable playground of imagery, figurative language, allusion, and tone for my literature students to analyze, and gives them experience grappling with interpreting a difficult text. It’s definitely AP material. However, as my unit approached, I wondered about the entrenchment of this text within the Catholic, Christian tradition.  I mean, let’s face it–this piece creates a layout of  hell (as imagined by Dante, informed by his religious beliefs) that straight out condemns certain people and behavior based upon very religiously saturated reasons and examples. The entire piece, down to its terza rima structure, is reflective of a Christian worldview. As I began to envision our classroom discussions, I wondered about my students’ ability to talk about religion in the context of literature. Would they be able to delve into ideas about the novel without turning the class into a “whose religion is right?” type of fiasco? Would they become confused and think that I was teaching The Inferno as a sacred text? I didn’t want to shy away from discussing the text, I wanted to have quality discussions that included religion, and I wanted to address my students’ lack of experience in this department. (My situation is also exacerbated by the fact that my students come from a small town where religious diversity is largely overlooked or even feared. They are, generally speaking, uncomfortable talking about difference in religious beliefs, even between Christian denominations.)
With all that in mind, I dedicated a portion of one of my introductory lessons to talking about how religion plays a part in academia, particularly in the humanities. A part of this was instruction on how to participate in an academic discussion where religion features prominently.  I created the following list to help manage our discussions, and my students have responded well so far.
STUDENT DISCUSSION GUIDE
Things to adhere to when discussing religion in an academic context:

žBring your beliefs, but treat their discussion as an intellectual exercise. Detach from extreme spiritual passion in this context.

žExhibit tolerance, respect, and curiosity regarding the beliefs of others.

žRefer to a religious belief/worldview as a belief, worldview, tradition, cultural stance, etc., rather than The Truth. (It may be YOUR truth, but it may not be the truth for others.)

žDo not openly react to a belief-oriented comment which offends you.

žDo not try to convert others to your point of view, or condemn your classmates.

žSeek commonalities between traditions.

žDescribe cultural impact of religious traditions.

žBe able to have discussions on ethics/morality that stand upon foundations other than that of religious tenets.

A public school classroom is the State, and not the Church, without a doubt. However, as I tell my students, intelligent people understand that these two entities profoundly impact one another in an interdependent way. Religion is powerful, and to shy away from discussing it is to water down our understanding of the world, of culture, of ourselves. Students bring their beliefs to class every day. While we don’t, as public school teachers, teach in terms of faith, we do owe it to our students to allow this part of their culture to be recognized as a part of who they are. Discussing religious themes (whether Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or agnostic in nature) can be sticky, but when done appropriately it provides a deep look into human nature and motivation that, in my opinion, composes much of what literature, humanity, and truth is all about.

When Etiquette and Education Collide: “Good Afternoon!”

Posted: 26th September 2011 by Ms. H in Classroom Management, Speaking
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I’m one of those teachers who is committed to standing outside the door of my classroom each period, every day, as students enter my classroom. It’s a great opportunity to monitor the mood and energy level of each student before class begins, catch a student for a quick chat about an absence or assignment, and to confiscate the occasional distracting item before it crosses the threshold. But mostly, standing at the door is just to say “hi”—to take a brief moment to connect with students in an interpersonal way, outside of any academic context, to send the message “I notice you are here, and I’m glad to see you.” Taking the time to do that is important. The accumulation of all those two-second greetings can add up to a valuable relationship with each and every student.

That being said, the students aren’t always as enthusiastic about saying “hi” as I am. Maybe they’re not used to adults addressing them. Maybe they hate English class. Maybe they have hearing loss. Whatever the underlying cause, year after year, at least half of my students just walk past as I greet them, staring straight ahead, scowls or blank looks on their faces, completely unresponsive even when I greet them by name. All year long, I say hello. All year long, some will continue to ignore it with all the aloofness of an irritated retail customer. In the past, I’ve simply accepted this behavior as a manifestation of adolescent apathy that was beyond my control. Not anymore.

As the school year began and I again started to experience the Good Morning!/[No Response] Phenomenon, I thought back to a book that I read as an undergrad called The Essential 55: An Award Winning Educator’s Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child. The book, often more geared toward elementary teaching, uses manners and etiquette as a platform for student achievement. When I read it (and I would still maintain this), some of the 55 rules seemed a bit too picky, superficial, and difficult to enforce; the link between manners and ability to learn sounded a bit sketchy. However, I did recall that one of the rules addressed the situation of an adult greeting a student. Clark required his students to consistently make eye contact and greet adults pleasantly throughout the school day, especially if they were greeted first. This is an essential skill, no doubt. And it was, I felt, an important part of helping my students allow me to establish a relationship with them. So, I decided to go Ron Clark on them.

Sixth hour was the experimental group. As always, I said “Good afternoon” cordially to each student, meanwhile carefully observing their responses. It was as usual. As I started class, I told the students that I had something important and honest to share with them. I asked for a volunteer. A redhead with a goofy grin hopped up and came to the front of the classroom. “All right,” I told him. “You are going to play me. I am going to play a couple of different students. I’m going to walk toward you a few times. All you have to do is smile at me and say ‘Good Afternoon’.” He obliged.

“Every day when I greet you at the door, about a third of you do this,” I said. I walked past, blatantly ignoring the personal greeting and mumbling something like “buhhhh” as I stared like a slack-jawed idiot.

“And about a third of you do this,”I said. Shortly after, I blurted out “DO WE NEED OUR BOOK TODAY?” about three inches from my poor volunteer’s face before he could even finish the “good” of “good afternoon.”

“And… about a third of you do this.” This time I gave a polite smile, a nod, and an enthusiastic reply of “good afternoon!” I finished up the exercise by saying some persuasive things about the importance of courtesy and collegiality in the professional world along with a fair amount of pathos regarding my own hurt feelings at not being greeted in return!

To my surprise and delight, my students responded resoundingly to this demo. I now have a 100% rate of students smiling and greeting me at the door. Many of them now say hello even when they’re on their way to a different class. Success.

It may seem like a small detail, but it has resulted in easier classroom management, increased class participation, and more positive attitudes about English class (and the English teacher herself, I suppose). While this small expectation alone does not create success, it certainly sets students up for it.

Building a Professional Support Network: Who is supporting you?

Posted: 2nd August 2011 by Ms. H in Issues in Education, Resources for Educators
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Teachers don’t always stay teachers for very long. Our profession has a huge turnover rate, particularly among those in their first five years. This is a topic I’ve been interested in since my undergraduate days–what can we do to make talented teachers stay, despite the well-documented factors that prompt so many to search for careers in other fields?  I’ve been reading studies on teacher retention and attrition, and most research seems to agree that a teacher’s feeling of support (or lack thereof) can make or break a decision to stay in the field.  I strongly feel that the support network I’ve been able to build, composed of colleagues from many different places and at many different points in their careers, have contributed to my decision to stay in teaching. Seeing other leadership inspires me to be a leader. Sharing ideas expands my teaching repertoire. Emotional support helps me resolve the daily and perennial challenges of being a teacher. My network makes me better. It’s nearly impossible to be a satisfied, effective teacher in isolation. But with supportive networks, we make each other stronger.

Participating in your professional support network

Networking means reaching out and making connections. In person, online, over the phone, however: share your ponderings, frustrations, epiphanies, quandaries, excitements, goals, and philosophies out loud with other teachers. Be on the lookout for other teachers who share something with you. Maybe they’re at the same point in their career. Maybe they teach the same subject. Maybe they have similar ideas about what education should mean. Any point of connection you share–sometimes just the fact that you are also a teacher–is a reason to get the conversation started. Go out for coffee together. Follow each other on Twitter/Facebook/Google+. Send links to articles. Just stop in the hallway to talk. It takes a bit of effort, and a bit of time, but it’s worth it. Every time we take a moment to strengthen the bonds between ourselves and others in our professional family, we get to share the experience of teaching in a meaningful way. Being open about our struggles and successes invites other teachers into our circle. From this, we gain:

*a source of fresh and creative ideas

*a sense of comradeship

*partners to help us troubleshoot or brainstorm

*encouragement and  emotional support

*colleagues to collaborate with on big and small projects alike

*a huge supply of wisdom, expertise, experience, and resources

*a shared mission, something bigger than just ourselves

*a feeling of pride and positivity about our profession

Finding fellow teachers for your professional support network dream team

Awesome teachers are everywhere–it’s just a matter of finding them, and allowing them to find you. Here are some ideas to help you expand your network and get connected.

*In-house: Take a second look at the teachers in your building. Chances are, you already have some friends with whom you work closely. However, there may be new teachers, teachers from other departments, or teachers from other schools in your district that are kindred spirits as well. The connection that you already share by being in the same local community and working under the same administration gives you much to talk about and many opportunities to collaborate. Together, you have the ability to effect changes in school policies, shape curricular goals, start committees, write grants to get money for your school or department, and to be consistent, nearby sources of support for one another. At the next staff meeting, maybe try sitting at a new table and saying hello to some new teacher buddies. Also, make an effort to connect your teacher friends with one another. The stronger the school community, the more satisfied (and empowered) the staff.

*Academia: Universities with education programs are very interested in (if not always directly involved in) what is happening in schools. Try getting reconnected with professors that you related to in your own teacher education, or people who you met and worked with during your undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral study. A simple e-mail letting a professor or former classmate know what you’re up to can re-form a great professional connection. Colleges that are located near to your place of employment may also have a reason to connect with you, even if you’re not an alumnus. Try sending an e-mail or letter to higher-ed leaders in your area, asking about professional development opportunities and if the university staff or students would like to get involved in a school or district initiative. There’s also the option of taking a class or two, to further your own education and to meet like-minded professionals.

*Professional Organizations: Consider joining a professional organization, like Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English, Educators’ Network for Social Justice or National Council of Teachers of English to get more aware of, involved in, and connected with what’s happening in education at the local, state, and national levels. Professional organizations attract teachers that are aware of what’s happening in education, and often have a wealth of resources to recommend. If you get acquainted with some of your fellow members, you have a new group of people that can give an array of perspectives on every aspect of education. You can also be offered leadership positions within these communities that let you play a part in decisions and action regarding important professional issues.

*Conventions and conferences: Attend a conference or convention that’s held in your area. For example, the NCTE Annual Convention. You get to meet other attendees who are active, interested, learning professionals. Plus, you get to choose which sessions you attend, maximizing the benefit to your own classroom needs. These events are often fantastic and feature speakers who are full of inspirational and practical ideas that are ready to use the next day in class. Keep your program and add interesting speakers to your Twitter feed or Facebook friends so that you can stay tuned in to their fabulous teaching ideas beyond just the conference. I usually bring my business cards (yep, I made them through Office Max for a nice low price) along with me, so if I meet a new friend I can easily give them my contact information.

*Blogging and online social networking: Got something to say? Start your own education blog, and make a point to read and comment on the blogs of others. Obviously, I am a participant in this method! If you’re not the blogging type, you can also easily join groups online that are education-focused to stay informed and join professional conversations from the comfort of your home. Many people think that the Internet is diminishing our social skills. However, if you use it correctly, the Internet is a social skill. Having a professional presence online gives other teachers a place to find you, and join you.

 

We don’t need to teach in isolation. If we reach out to our colleagues, we can create a professional support network that helps us stand together as educators… who wouldn’t even dream of quitting. :)

Accept No Substitute

Posted: 25th July 2011 by Ms. H in Classroom Management, Technology
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Thinking about adding a new trick to your teaching repertoire this year? Read on…

This strategy addresses a question that every teacher has asked him or herself at some point: how do I get my students to be productive, respectful, and engaged when there’s a substitute teacher in charge? I often get frustrated with a couple scenarios that frequently play themselves out when I need to miss a day in my classroom because of a training or professional development day.

Scenario 1: The substitute teacher assigned to my classroom is an excellent educator who follows through by working with the scheduled lesson. Students generally behave, but still take advantage of an opportunity to put forth minimal effort and turn in shoddy work.

Scenario 2: The substitute teacher lacks the content knowledge and/or management skills to execute the lesson, or may not even be too concerned with what the kids are doing as long as mayhem isn’t occuring. Students leave the room discombobulated, do not bother to turn in work, and don’t even seem to know what the assignment was by the following day.

Too often, it seems that students–even the ones who are normally dynamic and just generally awesome–morph into apathetic, learning-resistant slobs when a sub is in charge. So what to do? While I certainly cannot claim to have solved this debacle completely, I can share a slightly offbeat strategy that I tried last year. I call it “ghost teaching.” It requires a sense of humor, a little prep work, and a good relationship with your students. And it works better than anything else I’ve attempted when it comes to getting students to pay attention and do great work, even in my absence.

My conceptual framework behind the ghost teaching strategy is that I want my students to feel as if I’m there in class with them, even if I’m not. Now, at this point in time you may be thinking, ”Control freak alert!” But hear me out. I truly believe that the teacher sets the tone, creates the atmosphere, and defines the expectations for every day in class. Students become accustomed to the specific “auras” of their teachers, and respond to them. When this aura is done well, it can be a very positive, motivational force. The point of ghost teaching is to keep that atmosphere consistent, even when the teacher misses a day. If all goes well, it makes things easier and more enjoyable for the sub, too. Everybody wins!

FOUR STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL GHOST TEACHING

1. Let the sub know what you’re doing. Take the time to write out a full note for the sub, explaining the procedure for each class step by step. Have copies of handouts made and organized. Also make the sub aware of the main rules of your classroom so that the students are getting consistent messages about what’s ok and what’s not (these are probably posted in your room already). Once students see that the sub is wise to the normal ways of the classroom, they’re primed for good behavior.

2. Leave an extensive, personal note on the board, addressed to the students. Students will pay more attention to a handwritten note on the board than the most extensive word processed printout or blog post of instructions. I like to write in all caps, use arrows, make little drawings, and throw in classroom inside jokes to get the students to read what I’ve written. The purpose of the note is to provide a step by step agenda for the class so that they can follow along and also to have that extra reminder that I am the one asking for them to do these things today; the sub didn’t just find some random handouts lying around in a drawer. I also include reminders about what they should hand in/prepare for in the coming days. I always try incorporate a message about how much I appreciate them and expect from them as well. Even the most thorny adolescents secretly want to know they are valued by their teachers. Part of my board typically looks something like this:

3. Leave a short video in which you introduce the day’s activities. It may sound a little bit strange, but this is a key part of leaving your teaching ghost behind. Students will respond to the same face, voice, and (in my case) cheesy jokes that they are used to. Really, it’s not so strange. This day in age, people use Skype video calls to chat and YouTube videos to express their thoughts about the world. It’s also extremely quick and easy to do. If you have access to a webcam-equipped laptop or a digital camera, and you have the ability to press the “record” and “stop” buttons, you’re over halfway to a video teaching broadcast of your own. I save the file to a flash drive that I leave plugged in to the computer for the sub, but a video could also be saved on your desktop, posted on a class website, or emailed. All the sub has to do is turn on the LCD projector, open the video file and press “play.” If you don’t have a projector, the students can huddle around the computer monitor. I’ll post one of my own vidoes below. This is where the “ghost teacher” can truly emerge, and where students know, indisputably, that it’s going to be business as usual.


 

I was very curious to see the student reaction to this first video that I did. I knew it was a success as I came into school the next day. The seniors smiled at me and shook their heads a little. They were very humored by the fact that I actually recorded a video of myself to instruct them, but I soon discovered that they definitely listened to it! One girl quoted a particular direction nearly word-for-word, and the average reaction was, “Not gonna lie: that was pretty cool, Ms. H.” In fact, I think some of my students may pay more attention to my sub day videos than my real time spoken instructions!

4. Finally, require a presentation of any assigned work on the following day. Instead of just turning in a written copy of work (which is easy to just not do, since there’s no immediate consequence), I hold my students accountable by requiring them to read aloud, explain, or otherwise present their work from the previous sub day. This allows me not only to give an immediate response with descriptive feedback, but also makes things uncomfortable for students who did not act responsibly. I’ve found that for most students, mindful of my on-the-spot assessment before an audience of their peers, do indeed deliver under these circumstances.

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Ghost teaching takes preparation. Please note, it’s not for the sick days when you wake up feeling like the reaper is nigh. However, if you are like many involved teachers, you may have event coordinating, training, or professional development that takes you out of your classroom on days when you really need the students to stay productive and not lose progress. In these cases, if you can get a little time to prepare in advance, your ghost teacher will make sure that you, your students, and your substitute will all go home happy!

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