Writer's Workshop In Full Swing

One of my favorite times of the day is the block after lunch reserved for writing.  There is a hum in the room. . .I hear pencils scratching, children discussing their writing with their writing partners, and others sounding out words syllable-by-syllable, and papers shuffling.  I see some writers thinking deeply about what craft move to try next in their writing or what changes they need to make in their writing to clarify their message.  I feel the pride the children have in themselves as they notice the improvements in their writing.

Earlier this week my students compared their baseline small moment stories (the ones they wrote the first day of school) with the stories they are writing today.  They were so proud of themselves as they each pointed out areas of improvement.  Here are some photos of my first graders working hard.  They didn't even know I was taking their pictures.

The Garden in Fall

The garden at Dike-Newell looks especially beautiful this year.

In Memorium of Ronald Thorpe

Earlier this month Ronald Thorpe, the President of the National Board for Professional Teaching standards, died from lung cancer at the age of 63.  The congratulatory letter that I received stating that I had passed my Boards was from Dr. Thorpe.  More information on his passing can be found here.

Among multiple other achievements, Dr. Thorpe is credited with making the daunting process of becoming Board certified more accessible for teachers by decreasing the cost.  His vision was to have a Board certified teacher in every classroom across the nation and he advocated for the pathway to teaching certification to mimic the pathway for certification in medicine.

He will be missed by all of us who valued, admired, and respected his work towards elevating the teaching profession.

Dike Newell School Facelift

I have been happily anticipating new windows in my classroom's wing since we received an email stating they would be installed earlier this year.  Today I had a bunch of errands to run so I spun by my school, which is only a five minute drive from my house,  to see if the window project had started yet.  The construction people had been there for three weeks! Not only are we getting new windows, but all of the outside walls in my wing are being replaced.

I spoke for a few minutes with a couple of the crew members, who could not have been nicer, about what was going on.  I learned that this project will go down to the wire, meaning that they will be working right up until when school starts.   That was good to know so that I can better plan the rest of my summer vacation.  Here are some pictures.

This view is looking from the outside of a kindergarten classroom to the inside.

Here is a kindergarten classroom view from the inside to the outside. 

When I stopped by today, this is where they were working.

The outside of the back wing looks like it is finished. 

The cafeteria is the staging area. 

The entire wall is missing from this classroom.  They are working on it today. 

A Favorite Letter

Happy Fourth of July to one and all!

Albert Camus was less than a year old when his father was killed during WWII.  He and his older brother were raised by their illiterate mother and grandmother.  They were extremely poor. This letter serves as a testament as to the potential of education in delivering a way out of poverty.

Albert Camus's Letter of Gratitude to His Childhood Teacher After Winning the Nobel Prize.

9 November 1957

Dear Monsieur Germain,

I let the commotion around me these days subside a bit before speaking to you from the bottom of my heart. I have just been given far too great an honor, one I neither sought nor solicited. But when I heard the news, my first thought, after my mother, was of you. Without you, without the affectionate hand you extended to the small poor child that I was, without your teaching and example, none of all this would have happened. I don’t make too much of this sort of honor. But at least it gives me the opportunity to tell you what you have been and still are for me, and to assure you that your efforts, your work, and the generous heart you put into it still live in one of your little schoolboys who, despite the years, has never stopped being your grateful pupil. I embrace you with all my heart.

Albert Camus

Field Testing For The National Board For Professional Teaching Standards

Earlier today I field tested for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.  I field tested for two reasons. First, if I plan to mentor other teachers to become National Board certified, I need to be familiar with all components of the process of becoming Board Certified.  Since the process of becoming Board Certified changed beginning this year and I certified in 2014, I field tested a part of Component One, which is 45 multiple choice questions in 60 minutes.  The primary purpose of field testing is to construct a picture of a test’s validity and reliability. In this case, Component One is administered to an adequate number of examinees and the data is used for psychometric analysis.  In other words, the NB is trying to determine if the questions are too hard, too easy, or just right. The multiple choice format aligns with the board certification testing structure in the fields of medicine, dentistry, and engineering.

Second, I wanted to get a sense of my current strengths and weaknesses in the field of literacy, and I thought that testing my content knowledge would give me a good feel for where I stand.  According to the NB, "Component One is a computer-based assessment that measures content knowledge.  It requires candidates to demonstrate knowledge of and pedagogical practice for their teaching content area.  Candidates must demonstrate knowledge of developmentally appropriate content, which is necessary for teaching across the full age and range and ability level of the chosen certificate area."

One of the reasons that the process of becoming Board Certified changed is that some of the components in the older process were contextually based.  In other words, some of the entries that I submitted were based upon what I knew to be best practice for my students within the context of my classroom, school, and community. In the new Component One, candidates have to prove that they are an accomplished literacy teacher in any teaching environment, anywhere in the United States, across the full developmental range of their certificate area. 

I am glad that I took the time to field test. I would encourage any teacher who is considering Board Certification to field test prior to the year they begin their certification journey.  I would also encourage any Board Certified teacher to field test in their certificate area so that they are a more effective advocate for advancing the teaching profession. 

Teaching Thoughts At The End of Another First Grade Year

I love teaching. 

On the bus ride to Beaver Park a few weeks ago a parent volunteer and I were having a discussion about second grade placements.  The parent said to me, “The only criteria I have for my child’s teacher is that her teacher be passionate about teaching.” 

I thought that was a brilliant statement because, not only in teaching, but probably other professions, you must love what you do to do it well.  Kids don’t learn from teachers who don’t like to teach. Kids don’t behave when they are in the classrooms of teachers who don’t like to teach.  Kids don’t want to be in school when they are in a school full of teachers who don’t like to teach. 

My passion for teaching helps get me through all the hoops: the lack of money and time, the unrelenting mandates made by people who have never been teachers, and the difficult scheduling of stuff unrelated to teaching during the school day. And I hope, if you are fortunate enough to be in a position to teach, that you love it and that it is something that you truly want to do. Plus, if you are really lucky, you’ll not only be doing work that inspires both you and your students to do their best, you’ll also occasionally get a lovely thank you card.