Back to School or Back to the Drawing Board?

Hello!

Welcome to my website! This is how I’m choosing to hold myself accountable as I begin to navigate a new school year. I hope you find this helpful, because, as you will see, I’m not an expert. I’m feeling more like a scientist at the moment, attempting to be the best possible teacher for my students.

I would like to say that I’ve learned a lesson in life, but for some reason, I never actually remember that I’ve learned this lesson, which leaves me doomed to repeat history…That may be confusing, so what I mean to say is this: If I plan something, there’s a good chance it’s not going to work out the way I imagined. (If you need proof of this, I think I brought on a global pandemic when I planned our family trip to Disney World.) And here’s how I did it this summer…

I like to be in the know when it comes to education. That’s my job, right? And, if you’re in education, then you know the most recent catch phrase. Say it with me on the count of 3! 1…2…3! SCIENCE OF READING! I chose to spend my summer nose deep in two books on the topic; 7 Mighty Moves by Lindsay Kemeny and Shifting the Balance by Jan Burkins and Kari Yates. I walked away from my reading with 32 pages of notes on how I can adjust my classroom and the science behind these ideas. All of these small, tiny changes to ensure that my students are getting the best when it comes to acquiring language, reading, and writing. 

And then it happened, this is the part where I should learn my lesson, but never do, I received my class list. The time I spent studying over the summer would have been better used investigating how to help English language learners in the classroom. Yes, I know that Science of Reading and ELL instructions do and will coincide at some point in my classroom, however, it’s going to take intentionality on my part to get it there. 

So I asked myself, “Where do I start?” I think the answer is still the same as I had originally planned with my class: oral language acquisition. As Jan Burkins and Kari Yates say, “Treat oral language development as an essential ingredient for comprehension.” This is the shift I’m intentionally making to begin the school year. And here’s how I will do it:

1. Create time for planned conversation while also allowing for incidental conversations.
   1. Planned conversations are a large part of morning meeting, read alouds, and activating background knowledge.
   2. Incidental conversations happen organically. Not all conversations have to evolve, but some should! Also, pay attention to what interests your students. 
2. Help expand and encourage conversations. 
   1. Listen to what a student has to say, repeat the idea back, and expand with your own questions to extend the conversation.
   2. Provide a sentence frame if necessary, especially for English language learners.
   3. Allow for turn and talks whenever possible.
   4. Give lots of silent wait time to allow students to truly think about their answer and how to put this together into a sentence.

I will say, this is barely a dent in the notes I have taken over the summer, but, the science says that the basis for reading and writing comes from developing oral language! So, give it a strong start! 

This is not a blog of someone who has tried all of these things and can tell you in the moment how it worked. This is the journey of a teacher focusing on the intentionality of change. Each day, I will write down one focus idea on a sticky note and keep it with me. Then, on the weekend, I will report back and share my findings, as well as the next adventure I’m choosing to take. I hope that helps you start your own journey too! Check back in and let me know how it’s going!

Best wishes,

Courtney