The Things We Carry

There are some things that teachers get really excited about that only teachers understand. Post-it notes. Paint color chips. The hundred uses for Popsicle sticks. Our finds are triumphs in creativity and classroom management. My biggest triumph of last year though is my teacher bag. That's why I have to add mine to the Teacher Bag Linky Party! over at Thinking of Teaching. 

A teacher's bag can say a lot. If you leave at the bell and have a tiny bag, I will admit, I secretly scorn you. How do you do it? Then there's the diaper bag; you know who you are! Another admission: I was a cart lady for awhile (Don't do it!) Then there's the classic canvas tote (always wanted one). I like to think my bag (a DVF luggage bag) is kind of like me - a bit traditional but with a twist. Practical but put together. Tough but not rough. You can tell I always like to be prepared and that I probably bring too much work home! 

What does your bag say about you? Let us know! (and if I work with you, be prepared... I think I just found my next staff devo intro/icebreaker!)

And P.S.... as you think about your bag, let's not forget to observe our students' bags, both the ones they wear and the invisible bags they carry, every day. Simply looking at a student's back pack (or lack thereof!) can really be revealing! Extend an invitation to help a student organize his or her bag, give them a fresh new new one if they're sporting their sister's hand-me-down, or offer quietly to help fill someone's bag with supplies. Because, as you know, our bags (and the things we carry) can mean a lot.

Discovering my Zone of Proximal Development (Thanks, Vygotsky)

 

My foray into the blog world has been a series of triumphs. So far, I've created a blog, learned to post pictures and images on a hosting site, created my own blog button, and used a third-party free site to host a giveaway on my blog. Even figured out what the "currently" thing is all about. I'm pretty darn proud.

As good teachers though, we all know there's always a lesson beyond the obvious, some subtle subtext that links the plot to a greater theme. Beyond making me feel super-uber techy, creating a blog has allowed me to feel the accomplishment that comes from learning something new, sticking with it, and creating a final product. I hate to admit it, but I'm the queen of unfinishing projects: a cute little crochet shirt that only has a front panel done, the pile of clothes that could give my lonely sewing machine some company, the recipe book turned to the most delicious looking chocolate cookies you've ever seen. Finally, I finished something!

But what was different? Knowing I want my blog to evolve into a resource space for the teachers, students, and parents I'll be serving as a reading specialist gave me a greater and long-term purpose. As I worked on each piece, it was still a finished product. But most of all, my little bit of technology savvy made me feel like I could handle this (I'm way better on the computer than on the sewing machine!). In edu-speak, this was really in my ZPD!

When I learned to crochet, I got a quick lesson from my mom, read a book, and then had a lot of failed attempts. Eventually, I put it away. Then I took a class where we worked step by step through various stitches and patterns. When I ran into a problem or something started to look funky, I could turn to the instructor and say, "I think I did something wrong. But I'm not sure what." And she would teach me how to fix it. Unlike using technology and creating this blog, I didn't have enough experience to problem-solve on my own.

Whether we're introducing something new or asking students to practice a familiar skill, it's important to think about the extent to which they can problem solve on their own when they get into a difficult place. Even though I feel more frustration when I'm crocheting, having a finish product makes the struggle of crochet as rewarding as the ease of the blog. Working in my ZPD just makes me want to blog a little bit more than I want to crochet.

How do ensure students are working towards a final product and not just practicing? How do you structure students' work so they can triumph in their ZPD? Let us know!

Classroom Library: Labor of love

I love thrift stores. Whether it's searching Goodwill for the color-of-the-week or just scouring racks for something unique - thrift is a hobby and an art. I'm not ashamed to say all of my Ann Taylor and Banana Republic clothes are thrift. 

There is a down side though. Books.

Thrift stores are great for cheap books. But with over 1,000 books in my classroom, I've really taken this to the extreme. The thing is, I just can't cut myself off. Now that I'm moving to the elementary level, it's even worse; I have an excuse! 

My addiction to books isn't the only bad thing about my love of thrift stores. When I bring a bag of books home, my hyper-organized self needs to level and catalog the books before I introduce them to my students. This means going to Scholastic Book Wizard and writing levels on the inside of the book, taping a color coded sticker to the outside of the book, and then adding it to my online database and book check-out system (Classroom Organizer by Booksource). This is a lot of work, but it's worth it. Here's why: 

• Leveling your library allows you to make suggestions for independent reading of books your students will actually be able to read 
• Stickering books gives my students a visual of the texts that are too easy or hard; this helps them be more efficient when checking out books and it also motivates their reading when they find a book they want to read but is too hard (I always set this book aside for the student so she knows it is "on reserve" for when she is ready for it)
• I have a database to track what my students are reading, what type of books I need, and the titles of books that need to be returned

Moreover, I know it's worth it because, each year, I have students return to my classroom to ask to check out a book from the classroom library after they are no longer in my class.

My favorite site for setting up a classroom library comes from Beth Newingham. You can also view my Powerpoint for creating a classroom library which I presented with a colleague at our district's professional development institute last year. Many schools are fortunate enough to have the resources to provide a classroom library for each teacher. But if you don't have a well-stocked book nook in your room (Richard Allington says 500 books are adequate), here are some sources for building your library:

• thrift stores (of course!)
• local libraries (Henrico County libraries sell books for 25 cents each!)
• First Book Marketplace
• The Book Thing of Baltimore (road trip, anyone?!) 
• Amazon and E-Bay / Half.com (best for cheap used guided reading sets!)

Regardless of where your library comes from, remember there is something magic about a book that's been handpicked, one that's already been enjoyed. So, no matter what your library looks like, don't forget the element of thrift. My students love reading the inscriptions that are often found on the inside of second-hand books, flipping through someone else's notes, and unfurling the dog-ears of an abandoned book as they pass the page someone else didn't. 

I do, too. 

My classroom's library fiction corner (2012-2013)

The non-fiction area is near computers

Invasion of the Fruit Flies

This summer, my kitchen was invaded by fruit flies. This is no hyperbole.

They appeared slowly, one or two here and there. Scouts and spies; that's all they were.

Then it happened. The full-scale invasion.

They were everywhere!

I set out small ramekins of wine. They didn't disappear so, like any good Google-abiding citizen, I turned to the internet to see what my other defenses were. I improved upon the original design (see picture) and was ready to attack.

After a few days, though, the flies were worse. I couldn't figure out why. I had cleaned the kitchen countless times. There were few flies near the trash. They weren't attracted to the drain, either.

Then I saw it. My lunch bag was sitting on top of the fridge, thoughtlessly abandoned on the last day of work. It didn't look bad - no food stains were inside. Nonetheless, I bleached it and set it out to dry.

The next day, the fruit flies were even worse. And then I saw it. My husband's lunch bag - also unused since his work hours changed. In it? The most rotten, decomposed, and disgusting banana you had ever seen.

Normally, I would have been furious at my husband! But instead of getting mad, the fruit flies made me realize how often we assume that we know why something is not working and then go about finding a solution in a routine way. All I needed to do to get rid of the flies was to investigate a little further.

As I battled the fruit flies, I was reminded of the importance of discovering the root cause of our actions and responses. Too often, I have looked to change the behavior of my students with a new incentive, a change of seats, a well-intentioned "what's going on here?" conversation. But I'm unsure of the likelihood that these actions caused real changes beyond my classroom - or affected my subsequent instruction. Killing the fruit flies one-by-one in a ramekin of wine was effective only so much; I spent more time on finding a solution than identifying the real problem. As I enter a new year, I'm going to challenge myself to see the things I'm not looking for and to find solutions that "get rid of the banana"!

What's not working in your classroom? What are the dynamics you don't see? What is lurking in your professional relationships that you haven't uncovered? I think it's important that we keep these questions in the back of our heads. I am excited to begin work with a new faculty at a new building so that they can keep me accountable for addressing these questions as we begin a new school year together.