Pernille Ripp's Blog, page 70

These Three Areas May Be the Root of Student Disengagement

image from icanread

Yesterday, I shared my students’ reasons for why they become disengaged, yet sometimes it is hard to figure out the why for longterm change.   It is easy for us to blame curriculum or things outside of our control, yet often, disengagement is happening because of a few simple things in our classrooms.  Therefore, I offer you up the three areas to evaluate as you try to engage your students.

Evaluate yourself.  Are you the reason they are off-task?  Did you speak too long or did you not make sense?  Do they like you?  This is huge.  If students do not like you, they are much more likely to be off task and the more we hammer down our authority, the more they will battle us.  So if you are not creating real relationships with students, then off task behavior will often turn into disruptive behavior.

Evaluate the content.  Does it make sense?  Is it engaging?  If it is something that you need to “get through” then students will treat it as such.  I often tell students that we are working on creating a foundation of knowledge that we can use to try new things, I try to steer clear of saying we have to just “get through” anything.  Also, does the content allow for them to speak to others, to move around, to use the information or are they listening to you deliver the content and then working silently with it?  Try to think about how much we ask students to work in silence all day, and then we wonder why students lose their voice?  Student choice and voice is a huge part of this.

Evaluate the time and place.  My third hour class (after study hall) and my sixth hour class (after lunch) are loud and take a lot more to become engaged.  They are wired with energy and need ways to work that off.  Their work often looks different that that of other classes because I need to tap into their energy.  I may play soft music when they come in, speak in a calm tone, and also have them reflect quietly for a few minutes after their independent reading time, all so they can get back in the zone of what we need to do.    My first class and my last class of the day needs energy.  They are tired.  They have either just woken up or have been sitting most of the day.  So I play fast music, get very animated and I create opportunities for them to get up and move around the room focusing more on group learning to get their energy up.  Are you adapting your teaching style to the time and place of the day?

While there are many sub areas we should also be evaluating, I have found that most of the time the answers lies within one of these.  And if in doubt, ask your students.  I know I sound  like a broken record but sometimes I spend hours thinking about why something is happening where I should have just asked the people it involved.  Yes, some times students will tell us things that are hard to hear, but I would rather hear the truth so that I may change, than pretend that I have it all figured out.

PS:  Stay tuned for part 3 of this series, the final part is all about the small changes we can make.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge, but rumor has it that it is out on Kindle already!

Filed under: advice, being a teacher, being me, Passion, student driven, students

Why Are They Disengaged? My Students Told Me Why

I used to think that when students were disengaged it was their own fault, and while sometimes that is still true, I have found in my years of teaching that a lot of the fault lies with me as the teacher.  Yet, realizing that I may be the cause of my students disengagement is hard to swallow.  It certainly has not done wonders to my self-esteem, and yet, there is something liberating about realizing that while I am a part of the problem, that also means that I can fix it.  Or at the very least fix the things I control.  Student disengagement is something I can do something about.

But why are students so disengaged?  What lies behind the restlessness, the misbehavior, the bored stares?  Every year I survey my students throughout the year, and particularly on those days where nothing seems to be working.  I ask them simply to explain what is going on and they share their truths with me.  So here are their truths on student disengagement.

Students become disengaged, because..

They feel no connection to you.  I often notice that students are much more off task in the beginning of the year when we don’t know each other, right after the honeymoon is over.  This is when we seem to be in limbo and so I spend a lot of time having a lot of conversations with my students, I share stories from my life, and I speak to them in the hallways.  Students will work for you if they like you, so I try to be likable.  It may seem simple but it is repeated so often by my students.

They feel no urgency.  I have 45 minutes per class so the urgency is always there.  It is not the threat of a deadline that makes my students work at a faster pace, it is the promise of the next adventure that lies ahead.  My students and I make a deal that if they work hard and stay focused then I do not give them homework.  They know that they are given as much time in class as I can give them so they know to use that time well.  The students that don’t; they have to do the work outside of school.

They feel there is no purpose.  I use to assume that students knew what the greater purpose of something was, but they don’t.  So now we spend time deconstructing our standards and we speak about the connections between things.  We speak of why we are learning something and how it fits into our lives, not just how it is preparing us for the next year or for college.  We speak about how the learning we do right now allows us to become better human beings.

They feel they have no power.  When students feel powerless in our rooms, most become disengaged.  Particularly those kids who have often had behavior issues in the past.  Those are the kids, in particular, that need to feel like they have more control over their day.  This is why I proselytize about student choice.  Give them choice, even if just in a minor way like telling them they can sit wherever they want.  Give them power over their day so that they feel like who they are matters.

When the teacher talks too much.  We do.  We need to stop.  We need to set a timer or whatever will stop us from going on and on.  Give them knowledge then let them work with it.  Give them a chance to speak as well, after all, they are the ones that should be doing the learning.

When the teacher does not personalize.  How often do we know whether a child already knows something?  How often do we plan to find out so that we can create new learning experiences for them?  If a child has already mastered something, then let them work on something else, something more challenging.  But to do that, you have to find out what your students know.  Ask them whether through a survey, an informal pre-test, or a conversation.  Not everyone comes to us as a blank canvas.

When they do mostly worksheets.  I have moved far away from worksheets over the past few years, but that does not mean all worksheets are bad.  If a worksheet gives foundational knowledge that will be used for further learning then it can be ok.  However, if using a worksheet is part of the routine every day, or is not used for anything more, then there seems to be no deeper learning purpose behind it.  Students have told me they feel like when most teachers give them a worksheet it is because we are too lazy to teach them.

When the learning becomes something to just get through.  I have done this, said that we just need to get through this to get to fun thing.  Yikes.  When we say this, students automatically disengage from the task, after all, if teachers see no value in it, why should they?  Yes, there are things that we don’t love to teach as much so then make it better.  If it is boring or a struggle for us, then think of how it feels for the students.  We are in charge of bringing the passion into our rooms.  Not just the students.

While there are still days in our classroom where I know that students were not as engaged as I hoped, there are more great days than bad.  There are more days where students stay on-task, where they get involved, and where meaningful learning occurs.  Every year, I start over with my students and how to best engage them.  Every year I learn a new way to keep them on-task.  Yet I have learned that the biggest thing for me is to keep the above list in mind at all times.  Even if I feel like I have planned the very best lesson.  Even if the day before went really well.  I do not take my students’ engagement for granted, instead it is something I work for.  Do you?

PS:  For ideas on how to evaluate why students are becoming disengaged tune in tomorrow.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge, but rumor has it that it is out on Kindle already!

Filed under: advice, aha moment, Be the change, being a teacher, being me, student choice, student voice

They Are Not Mine…Yet

image from icanread

I almost know all of their names.  All 118 of them.  Not because I have some magical brain penchant for memorizing names and faces.  Not because they all wear name tags.  No.  Every night I have pored over their faces, trying to remember each one, trying to figure out who they are.  Because I still teach strangers.  Strangers that I am trying to establish a community with, strangers I am trying to get to trust me.

So this week has been about them.  About why they love or hate reading.  About how they see themselves.  About how they react to picture book upon picture book as we try to weave a common thread.  And it seems to be working.  Slowly.  The stories are gently coming, the nervous laughter disappearing.  The hand raised a little faster.  We have a long way to go but ever so slowly the seeds have been planted, the foundation is being laid.

So today I will do my name competition; do I really know all of their names after just 3 days?  I will read another picture book as I rock in my chair and they share the tattered bean bags.  I will thank them for the few days we have spent together and wish them a happy long weekend.  I will hope for a smile, a high five, and a farewell, knowing that hopefully some day I will get to take these things for granted.  I will hope for a hallway greeting, a quick goodbye before the bus comes.  Little things that show the relationship we have built.  Those things that I miss so much.

I don’t know my students.  Not yet.  But it will happen.  Even if it feels like they will never be our kids.  They will.  They just don’t know it yet.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge, but rumor has it that it is out on Kindle already!

Filed under: being a teacher, building community, community, new year, students

But How Do You Really Teach With Picture Books?

2 days into the year and already we have shared 5 picture books.  Today I read How to Read A Story by the amazing Kate Messner 5 times as we discussed what we love and hate about reading.  As we discussed what makes a great reading experience.  As I invited my students to come on over, one boy clapped his hands, “Story time!” he said.  And not in a sarcastic 7th grade too-cool-for-school kind of way, but in the way that little kids say  it; excited to hear the story.   Excited to share in this moment.  No one laughed at him, instead others joined in, murmuring their appreciation as well.  Story time began as we sat around the rocking chair.

So I read aloud, and we added one more book to our “How many picture books in a year” bulletin board and my students left feeling like there was absolutely nothing wrong with doing just this; sharing a picture book even though now they are in middle school and maybe too old for some things.

I am often asked why picture books?  Why spend the money on these seemingly simple books?  Do I really teach with them or is it just for fun?  And sure, sometimes it is just for fun, but most of the time?  Picture books are serious business in our classroom.

I don’t just buy picture books because they look fun.  A lot goes into the selection process.  These are sacred texts we are bringing in, ones that will build our community, inspire us, and make us better readers and writers.  That is something I take very seriously.

Selecting one to be read aloud is not done lightly either.  At the moment I am contemplating whether to use The Day I Lost My Superpowers by Michael Escoffier or Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman as we get ready to discuss how we stop identifying ourselves as readers or writers tomorrow.  I use them as a way to bridge a conversation that otherwise might be hard for some of my students to start.  I use them as a way to access topics that sometimes my students cannot speak about because they are afraid of how others will react.  Yet, when a character in a picture book goes through a situation that resonates with them then it becomes a safe conversation for them to have as well.  You want to speak about loneliness in your classrooms?  Read The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig or To the Sea by Cale Atkinson.

I use picture books as mentor texts, guiding us as we hone our own craft as readers, writers, and speakers.  We read them once to find out the story, and then later I bring them back as we look at writers craft.  We use them to figure out how to tell our message in a powerful way, such as by studying the careful word choice of Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson.  We use them for setting up plot while still leaving our reader in suspense such as the storytelling found in The Skunk by Mac Barnett.  We use them for when we are seemingly stuck for topics to write about and forget how extraordinary something simple can be such as the stories shared in Float by Daniel Miyares and Something Extraordinary by Ben Clanton.

Picture books are not just something we read, we write them ourselves in our epic nonfiction picture book project.  We study them.  We speak about them.   We get ideas and inspiration from them.  We carefully protect the time we have to read them.  They are the mentor texts we shape our instruction around.

They become part of the tapestry of our room and something the students search out for solace when they need to feel like they are readers again. As one child told me yesterday after I had shared our very first picture book, “Picture books make you remember your imagination again.”  And I knew that these kids got it.  That they knew that this wasn’t just me having some fun, but that picture books will teach us some of the largest lesson this year.  That picture books are not just for little kids and laughter.  They are for readers of all ages, and in particular, those who have gotten lost.

PS:  If you want to know which picture books, or at least a small sample of which I have in our room, see these lists.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge, but rumor has it that it is out on Kindle already!

Filed under: being a teacher, books, ideas, Literacy, MIEExpert15, Passion, picture books

My Final List of Favorite Picture Books for the Coming Year

A final post on some new favorite picture books before the year kicks off officially tomorrow.  I just received my final batch due to a grant from the Meemic Foundation who thought it was a delightful idea to purchase picture books for 7th graders.  (They have a ton of grants that are easy to write, you should totally check them out).  So without further ado, what shall we be exploring together in the coming weeks and months.

I have long been a loud fan of Bob Shea’s for a long time.  After all, he is the genius that wrote Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great so I had to get Ballet Cat The Totally Secret Secret.  It is laugh out loud funny.  And the best part is that I can completely relate to the story and so will my students.  Plus this will be perfect for acting out when we act out picture books at the end of the year.  Is it bad if I have started the countdown for the next book to come out in February?

We are the shark team at our school so when a fellow picture book lover suggested I get this non-fiction picture book called Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy I was sold.  Warning; this is a real book about sharks, and they eat seals, so your 6 year old may be slightly terrified.  I love the set up of this book and like I said, the illustrations are magnificent.  What an amazing way to marry facts and picture book.

I can always count on Jillian Heise for having great recommendations for picture books and this one was one of them.  Marilyn’s Monster by Michelle Knudsen is one I think many of my students will gravitate toward with its quiet message.  I know I will e using it to facilitate deeper conversations about finding our own path in the world.

Another great recommendation from fellow picture book lovers was Shaun Tan’s Rules of Summer.  This is one of those picture books I cannot wait for my students to read because I want to see their interpretation of it.  The illustrations and the text beckon you to wonder, and that is a great thing indeed.

Wild About Us by Karen Beaumont is a beautiful book in many ways.  The illustrations done by Janet Stevens pop off the page and catch your eye, but the message of the book is what really got me.  We all have things that we can pick apart, but what we do with those things is what matters.

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Just finding the image of the cover of I’m Trying to Love Spiders by Bethany Barton makes me laugh.  Again an incredible non-fiction picture book that doesn’t scream non-fiction (not that there is anything wrong with non-fiction).  We read this a few times at home and then told everyone about it.  I cannot wait to see my students reaction to this book because you have to allow yourself to get a little bit silly.

Much to my surprise I was able to pick up a copy of Elwood Bigfoot Wanted:  Birdie Friends by Jill Esbaum before its supposed release date.  I love this message of the story, especially as a way to discuss with kids about what we do to try to fit in.  And let’s admit it; Elwood is a really cute and funny Bigfoot.

Boats for Papa by Jessica Bagley is one that I am looking forward to reading and sharing with my students.  The simple story is one that many of my students can relate to as well as the ambiguity of the situation.  I love how this will help us discuss and understand that there are many correct interpretations of a story.

I happen to be a fan of both Mac Barnett and Patrick McDonnell so it was only natural that I added The Skunk to our collection.  I cannot wait for the discussion of how we make decisions and how little things can affect our life in a big way.

To see the lists from this summer and other years, make sure you go here.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge, but rumor has it that it is out on Kindle already!

Filed under: books, Literacy, Passion, picture books

We Are Ready

She was born weighing less than 4 pounds.  So fast that the nurse caught her, no cries.  I didn’t see her until hours later when we both had been stabilized.  I didn’t hold her for another 24 hours and even then it was just for the briefest of moments, after all, anything could make her vitals crash.  Our youngest daughter Augustine was born almost 10 weeks early.  For 6 days prior the hospital tried everything they could to stop her from arriving, but as we now know; when Augustine is ready to do something, she does it.

A few days into their attempt to stop labor, a doctor from the NICU visited me.  He told me that while they were hoping that these words were unnecessary, that if she came, they were ready.  That if she came, they had a room, they had a team, and they would do everything in their power to help her grow.  That she would be in the best of hands because this is what they did and this is what mattered to them.  He then told me of the difficulties that premature babies sometimes face, and how we wouldn’t know for a few years exactly what she might face.  That there were brain development steps that might be harder for her, but if that was the case, then they were ready, they would help her grow.

it felt like I had never changed a diaper before with her

I start school in two days.  Every parent that sends their child into our classrooms is hoping we are ready.  That we will help their child grow.  No matter their start in life, no matter their previous years, no matter their summer.  They hope that we have a team that is ready to support, to nurture, and to give whatever is needed for their child to be successful, to be happy, and even to be protected.

So I tell myself that I am ready.  That previous years are now in the past and what matters now is the year we have ahead of us.  That I cannot determine how that child came to us, but that we can work with the child that arrived.  That I will fight for every child.  That I will see every child.  That I will support every child as they try to reach their goals.  That I will support every child even if I am not quite sure of an answer or what help they might need.   It is the least I can do.

As I tried to sleep those nights in the hospital, hoping that by morning my labor had stopped, the doctor’s words ran through my head.  I knew that if she came early, she would be in the best of hands, and that they would do everything in their power to help her.  And they did, and she grew, and after 6 weeks she came home.  Now 20 months later and the hospital tells me that she is perfectly average.  Perfectly normal.  And that she should be just fine.  And I know that we are so lucky and I am so thankful.  Because they were right; they were  ready and so are we.  Ready for whichever kids show up this year.

All 4; we are so lucky.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge.

Filed under: being me, community, new year, Passion

Why My Classroom Has No Theme

My first year of teaching I remember trying to create a theme for my room.  What would our classroom look like?  What teacher would I be known as?  Would I be the ocean teacher?  The movie teacher?  The zombie teacher (too scary)?  I asked my mentor finally for help and what she told me stuck with me throughout the years; don’t worry about a theme, worry about the kids.

And so I did.  And I never did get a theme.  Every year I thought that this would be the year that I would finally decorate and pull it together, but it just never happened.  Instead I filled it with books.  I filled it with blank walls.  Empty bulletin boards and room to breathe.  I thought I was a lost cause, the teacher with no theme, until I spoke about it a few weeks ago.  I was wrong, I do have a theme.

My theme is students.  My theme is room to invent.  My theme is books as they threaten to take over every single surface available.  My theme is fun.  My theme is flexible.  My theme is for any child that walks into our room to make this their room.

So I have no polka dots or pastel colors.  I have no chevron stripes (even though I love them).  I have no meaningful borders or fancy sitting areas.  I have furniture we can move and the space to do it.  That doesn’t mean I have a problem with those that spend so much time and so much money concocting a theme for their room.  It simply means that I am on a different path.  One that will never lead to my classroom being featured as something to emulate for its beautiful design.  One where I will always choose to spend my money on books rather than decorations.

Yet I do write this post with a few questions in mind to those who do have a theme.  Please ponder them if you will.  Does your theme allow for students to take over your room?  To leave their very own imprint or will their creativity only be shown in designated areas?  Do students feel like this is their room or does it say your name on the wall?  Does a sign above your door welcome them to your room?  Will boys feel welcome in your room?  Will girls?  Will those who do not agree with your theme still feel welcome?  Does your theme inspire all?  Does your theme and decorating leave room to grow?

If yes; thank you.  Thank you for creating a space that you and all of your students can breathe in, can work in, and can be themselves in.  Thank you for creating a space that allows students to flourish and strengthen themselves.  For creating a space where they feel welcome and that does not overwhelm their senses.  If no, then I have no advice, other than to think about it.  Look through the eyes of your students and see how they might feel.  See how your room may inspire or stifle them.

I posted pictures of my room earlier this summer and not much has changed.  I wait for my students to come in and make our room come alive.  Yet, I feel the guilt tugging at me from year’s prior wondering why my room doesn’t look ready.  Wondering why my room doesn’t look fancy?  Or cute?  Or has a theme so that students will know who I am as a teacher.  I guess they will just have to find out as we grow together, much like I will.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge.

Filed under: being me, classroom setup, new year

How I Select A Picture Book For Our Classroom

Yesterday a new student wandered into our classroom with his parent and younger siblings; locker drop off was happening in preparation for the first day of school.  As I looked up something for him, I heard them excitedly talk about the books in our room.  “Here’s that one that you wanted to read…Oh, do you remember this series….”  And then they saw the picture books.  After all, they are hard to miss.  Right away the comments came, “Oh, I loved this one…”  “Have you seen this one, that looks fun…”  And so forth and I smiled ever so wide, because picture books once again have proven to be a way to connect in our classroom.

But how do you pick the right ones for your classroom?  How do you know which ones to get?  I make lists, as do many others, but how do I even know which to put on the list?  I thought a few helpful tips may be in order.

I am connected.  I am a proud member of the Nerdy Book Club and through Twitter  I am connected to many picture book loving people; teachers, librarians, parents, and all of the other amazing people out there.  I follow hashtags like #Titletalk, #pb10for10 and #nerdybookclub to stay in the know.  And I tweet out asking for recommendations all of the time.

I keep a written list handy.  I have a journal book with me at all times, and while I often add books to my wishlist on Amazon, I like having the list in my bag.  I am always adding to it and will cross out as I either purchase or reject.  This also makes it easy for me to recommend books to others that they may not know about.

I read them beforehand, most of the time.  Many times we will wander to the nearest book store so that I can  browse the books before purchasing them.  How do I know that this will be a great one for our room, well there are few things I look for…

Do I react to it in any way?  A picture book doesn’t always have to have a deep message for me to react to it; was it funny, did it make me think, did it leave me with questions?  All of these are things that I look for.

Is it easy to follow?  Sometimes it takes more than one read to really get a book and while I love those books too, most of the time, I am looking for a book that my students will get rather quickly.  At least most of them.  However, I do purchase picture books to use with smaller groups that have layers we can peel away.

Is the language accessible?  Yes, I teach 7th graders but their reading development levels ranges from 2nd grade to high school, so can all students access the text or will I need to “translate” it?

What purpose does it have?  I often look for picture books that can be used as community builders, self connections, or conversation starters.  We also use them as mentor texts as we develop as readers and writers throughout the year.  But I also look for picture books that will make my students laugh, make them reconnect with being a little kid again, or help them get out of a bad mood.  I try to get a balance of all of these types of books in the hands of students.

Will we read it more than once?  Because I buy most of the picture books in my classroom, I look for enduring books that we will return to again and again.  Different things make books repeat reads; the illustrations, the phrasing, the story.  Bottom-line: it is a gut feeling most of the time.

Do we have other works by the author?  My students feel closely connected to the picture book authors and illustrators whose books we love so I try to expand our favorite collections as often as possible.  Some of our favorites are Mo Willems, Peter H. Reynolds, Ame Dyckman, Jon Klassen, and Amy Krouse Rosenthal.

Sometimes I just take a chance on a book.  Sometimes I have no rhyme or reason for  what I bring in other than a small feeling that some kid at some point will connect with it.  I never know which picture book my students will love, so sometimes I just sit back and let them explore and then pay closely attention.  Then I go out and get more of those.

And, of course, I cannot write a post discussing picture books without sharing a few of my new favorites or ones that I cannot wait to get.

Laugh out loud funny, The Pretty, Pretty Bunny by Dave Horowitz is in my first day pile for kids to choose from.

The Promise by Nicola Davies is a beautiful tale of making a difference.  This would also be great for a science classroom.

I cannot wait to get Finding Winnie – The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick.  I wonder how many students will love this tale of the real Winnie the Pooh.

Why do I have a feeling that Elwood Bigfoot: Wanted: Birdie Friends by Jill Esbaum will become a favorite of my students?

Picture books are a part of our tapestry and something that I am proud we use in our middle school.  I hope being vocal about the benefit of using picture books with older students will help others take the jump.  I got to discuss more of this in this article here.  

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge.

Filed under: being a teacher, books, community, inspiration, Literacy, Passion

What We Need to Remember

image from icanread

The words seem to fall off the pages as I scroll through their answers.  The beginning seeds to what will become the kids that we will get to teach.  They speak of hope, of dreams, and wishes.  They speak of failures in the past, of words beyond their control, and actions they wish they could have protected their child from.  Some merely say they hope for a good year, while others ask us to please love their child, that they could really use someone more who cares.

We take these children for granted.  We take their dreams for granted.  Their hopes.  Their wishes.  We have them speak but then do not always listen.  We hurry so much at times in our urge to get to everything that we forget that we are not here to teach content, but here to teach children.

Yet the parents.  The guardians.  The ones that sit at home.  They tell us to please remember.  To please not forget, that that child we spoke of today in our meetings, that the child we mentioned to our families, that the child that kept us up thinking late last night, that child belongs to someone.  That at one point that child was so loved that the world seemed to stop for a moment and everything else fell away.  Even if life has changed by now.

So as we get ready for another year, please remember that we do not teach products.  We do not teach neat little boxes that will follow our every direction.  That we do not teach robots who will comply with our every whim.  We teach human beings, with all of their laughter, with all of their joy, but also with all of their anger, their confusion, their restlessness, and their dreams of something better.  Please don’t forget that.

Because from one parent to another.  From one teacher to another.  Sending your child to school and hoping that someone else will get them is one of the hardest things to do.  It’s one of the biggest leaps we take.  We hope with every inch of us that on that first day of school our child will come home with a smile on their face and not just talk about all of the great things they did but about how much they love their teacher.  How much they cannot wait to go back.

We hold the power to the future, we cannot forget that.  Even on our toughest day that child is someone else’s.  That child has dreams.  And that child needs us to love them.  Even when they don’t love themselves.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge.

Filed under: being a teacher, being me, hopes, new year, Student, teaching

My Favorite Reads of the Summer – Part 2

I have a week left of vacation; a week left to read as many books as possible.  A week left to try to get through my ever growing to-be-read pile.  This afternoon, I made a list for my best friend’s 7th grader of books he had to read, and I once again realized how lucky we are that we get to help students find amazing books.  And how lucky we are that authors continue to write such incredible tales.  So what are some more favorites from this summer?

Thanks to Netgalley I just finished reading the wonderful The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin.  I love the science woven into this thoughtful story about grief and trying to find your place in a world that seems hellbent on making it hard for you.  This is a Global Read Aloud 2016 contender.

When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds has been in my TBR pile for a long time, but since it had a gun on the cover in a way I had kind if dismissed the book as being suitable for my 7th grade classroom.  Folks, do not let the cover stop you from reading this book, it is incredible, and do not let the cover stop you from adding this to your  middle school classroom, you need to read it, discuss it, and then share it with students.  The Boy in the Black Suit also by Jason Reynolds is another of my favorites and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers out there.  This is another Global Read Aloud 2016 contender.

Ruta Sepetys is a master story teller who proved her staying power with Between Shades of Gray.  She has done it again with Salt to the Sea.  This historical fiction novel based on one of the largest maritime disasters during WWII is full of suspense as well as well-developed characters and a story that keeps you turning pages.  Note, this book is for pre-order only right now, I was given an ARC at ILA.

Another magnificent historical fiction novel about Ada and the seemingly impossible odds she is trying to overcome during the evacuation of children from London during WWII.  The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is one to add to your classroom library from 4th grade and up.

Joelle Charbonneau, author of the great science fiction series The Testing, is back in full-force with this realistic fiction novel Need.  This was a page turner of the truest kind, so much so that I stayed up into the night so I could finish reading it.  Once again, this is more mature, and also only available for pre-order at the moment.  Since I read it on Netgalley, I have already placed my pre-order, this will be a huge hit in November with my 7th graders.

I have admire Holly Black’s vivid imagination ever since the incredible and terrifying The Coldest Girl in Coldtown.  That is why I was surprised that it took me such a long time to read her newer one The Darkest Part of the Forest.  It is so good, again, I read it one night. Scary and with some relationship stuff in it, but nothing too graphic, I had to read just one more page to see how it all would turn out.  This is one of those books that makes you admire writers even more because how do they ever come up with such amazing ideas?

So there you have it for now.  A few new favorites to add to your library, a few new favorites to share with students.  Happy reading everyone!

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students.  The 2nd edition and actual book-book (not just e-book!) comes out September 22nd from Routledge.

Filed under: being a teacher, books, Literacy