Tigger is Talking

"Tigger" is my youngest child. Just like the animated Disney character, his energy is unflagging and his curiosity is endless. He bounces in and out of life with a sparkle in his eye and a spring for a "tail." However, life, particularly his school life, has not been easy.

"Tigger" is my late bloomer...he was late to walk. He was late to talk. The pediatrician told me to relax. After all, he was my "baby." As his mother, I knew there was something that was getting in his way, but I just didn't know what it was. He wanted to talk, he just couldn't. After one of Tigger's check-ups, I told my husband and two older children that we needed to give Tigger more opportunities to talk. The pediatrician suggested that we might be talking for him. Over the next several weeks, we all made a conscious decision to let Tigger talk. He babbled. He screamed. He flashed that toothy grin, but he still had difficulties communicating. My middle son even blurted out to the waiter at a restaurant after she tried to ask Tigger for his order, that Tigger "was a no-talker!"

After 3 1/2 years of intense speech therapy, I am proud to say that Tigger is talking!

What can Tigger teach us as teachers? I work with "promising readers," students who are still working hard to figure this whole reading process thing out. Many of the parent/teacher conferences that I participate in are difficult. Tigger has taught me to go into each conference with something wonderful to share about the student. Schooling can be treacherous for kids like Tigger. In addition, I watch and listen to the child's mother very closely. You can learn a lot by doing this. After all, most Tiggers have insightful, protective Tigeresses in their lairs who know their cub best!

Authentic Writing

Last week, my daughter had a week of big moments: jumping off the diving board and losing her first tooth. She had been wiggling it for weeks and was full of questions about the process. Once the tooth came out, she became concerned with how to get a message to the tooth fairy. See, she wanted to keep the tooth, but still have the opportunity to reap the tooth fairy rewards.

She came up with the idea to write a letter and place the tooth inside so that there was proof that she actually lost it. She has written notes to friends before, so she knew the basic structure of the letter.

"Dear tooth fairy,
I lost a tooth and I want to keep it.
Love, Addy"

Her message was clear, concise, and to the point. When I look at the NCTE's definition of 21st Century Literacies, this letter falls under DESIGN and SHARE INFORMATION for GLOBAL COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A VARIETY of PURPOSES element of the framework.

*the audience was the tooth fairy and she had a clear purpose
*she felt the tooth fairy may not have a computer or email, so she wrote her letter with a marker and paper.
*it does not get more global than the tooth fairy

I printed off a hard copy of the framework to use as a GPS guide for my class. How can I create more opportunities for my students to write purposefully in the classroom where they have a clear message and a voice? Other than letters and persuasive texts, what more can I do for authentic writing experiences?

Something Old, Something New

I attended a beautiful family wedding over the weekend in Traverse City, Michigan. As I was sitting in the charming country side chapel waiting for the ceremony to begin, I read through the wedding program. At the bottom, there was a quote: "Something borrowed: The bride will be wearing her mother's wedding veil for the ceremony." In my head, I recited the old wedding saying:

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Throughout the joyous occasion, I caught myself humming the wedding rhyme that is said to bring good luck to the young bride and it made me think about how this saying can be applicable for us as educators as well as brides.

The bride wore her mother's lovely long, floor length lace veil coupled with her modern, "new" strapless gown with a fitted jeweled bodice. She took my breath away as she glided down the church aisle in the arm of her distinguished, proud father. The blending of the "old, new and borrowed" was picture perfect!

As educators, we are always striving to find the newest and best ways to educate our students. My colleagues and I are mesmerized, intrigued and even overwhelmed by the newest technology that is available. Terms like 21st century learning, smartboards, Itouches, voicethreads and many more are buzzing in and out of our daily conversations. It is truly an amazing time to be a teacher! However, with that in mind, I think it is critical that we continue to strive to keep the "old" tried and true methods and learning opportunities alive in our classrooms. Thoughtful conversations, purposeful read alouds, targeted mini lessons, reading/writing conferences and developmentally appropriate workshops need to be the foundations for learning in our classrooms. The "new" technology should be used to enhance, enrich, and empower our students' learning.

As far as the second part of the old adage, "Something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe..." I am not sure whether the bride had anything blue on underneath her layers of satin or jewels. I am certain there was not a "sixpence" in her shoe. However, I know for sure, that as teachers, we need to continue to protect our precious teaching time with children. We must insist that our "sixpence" is used wisely as we move into the 21st century, don't you agree?

Summer Library Visits

Every morning during the summer, I share with my kids how the day will go: errands we need to run, their "jobs" for the day, type of exercise, or whether it's a "free" day. Today, was our library day. We were not able to make it last week, and I needed to pick up a book on reserve at my favorite library: Northwest Library on Hard Road. I love it because the layout fits my needs perfectly and I can find most anything I am needing for my classroom.

I recently showed them how to type in a topic in the computer catalog, and a list of books will show up. We've checked out books on sharks, fish, horses, and puppies, and they are learning the difference between fiction and non-fiction.

As we went about our morning, I was fascinated by the conversation they were having. Both were discussing what types of books they would look for along with the books on cd they hope to find. My son chose to look for an Ohio book since he won an Ohio State blanket at a picnic. My daughter wanted to look for a book on jewels. (Not sure where that came from, but I'm all about choice!) Everyone came home with fiction books and books on cd. We found an Ohio book, but not a book on jewels.

After today's library experience, I'm wondering how I can better prepare my students for their weekly visit to the school library. My class went to library directly from lunch, so I was unable to have conversations about what books they would seek in the library directly before their library time. But, how could I next year focus more on what and where they can find book topics in the library before they go? Could we jot book titles on a post-it note throughout the week that they could take with them to library? How do you prepare your students for their library visit?

Teaching The Way Students Learn

When I reflect on my teaching, I strive to be the teacher I would want for my own children. That's been my motivation daily as I walk into the building. Some days, I succeed. Other days, I miss the mark. But, it's an endeavor that I always work towards.

I've thought a lot about passion and finding what drives my students. Through learning inventories, conferences, and other resources, I find out the individual differences of my students to move them on their own learning path. Some are book smart. Others are technology smart. Others are building and artistic smart. But, they are all smart in their own way.

This past week, I volunteered to teach at my church for Vacation Bible School. My friend Debbie and I teach a kindergarten class every year, and like your classroom at school, we never know the dynamics we will have. This year, we had a wonderful class with a friend named J.

J has not had successful years previous. His teachers before never understood J and what made him J.(Similar to what happens in our schools.) Throughout the week, we brought koosh balls, stringy toys, plush Nemos, pipe cleaners, and other items to keep him occupied during unstructured times. We even gave him his own circle to run in as long as he stayed in the circle.

These little "tools" made the difference for J. Not every tool worked everyday, nor does every strategy work for every student. But, as we gather more tools and strategies, we can find that one idea that will light the fire within our students like J.

J had a wonderful week. His parents were filled with gratitude and emotion that we "got" J and knew what he needed. On the last day, J was filled with sadness and tears and he made a mark on our hearts as well.
“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.”
Ignacio Estrado

We JUMPED!

My kids finished up their last swimming lesson tonight. For two weeks, my daughter has been getting up the nerve to jump off the diving board. She would walk half-way, begin shaking, and return back to where she began. She wanted so much to get up the nerve, even visualizing it in her head. Yet, she was too afraid. For three days, my husband and I were encouraging her, even bribing her with a dinner at her favorite pizza place.

Tonight was her last shot. She climbed the ladder. She walked gingerly down the board. She started to turn back around, then stopped. She edged closer and closer to the end of the board. She looked at us and smiled. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped!!! We were elated and so was she! She did it! She jumped. I captured the moment with my flip video.


Her jump is a metaphor for what Lisa and I are beginning. We have been thinking about this blog for some time. So, today we jumped. Both of us are coming at it from different perspectives. Lisa is a Reading Support Teacher, while I teach 4th grade. We are fortunate that we teach across the hall, because we are always popping in with ideas.

Over the past few months, we have been reading about the 21st Century Framework, trying out different technology ideas, and have joined the twitter movement. We've dabbled in IMovies, Flip Videos, digital podcasting, and more. Neither one of us are experts, but we are learning to make the jump, close our eyes, and hold our breath in anticipation of the journey. We like to invite you along for the ride. As my daughter quotes Hannah Montana, "Life's a climb, but the view is great." Welcome Aboard!