Literacy Now

photo credit: GlobalPartnership for Education via photopin cc

I once noticed a fellow teacher’s Facebook post about how students are excited to have a certain teacher for whatever reason. The post ended with “What a compliment.”

My reply to the thread was, “Is this the compliment that matters most?”

We shape the future—that is about as tried and true as clichés can be, but it’s very true. As we all prepare to start school again, from Mass Customized Learning to Units of Study to Teacher Evaluation Frameworks, there is one thing that never changes above all else. Are the students ready to come back and are they excited to have YOU as their teacher?

Research on reading motivation is abundant and currently there is a push for the engaged classroom, experiential learning, and technology. We can spend hours discussing motivation strategies, allocating district funds towards specially designed programs, reading research, or training teachers to fix specific instructional needs. But, come tomorrow, what makes someone motivated about learning?

Teaching may now be about evidence-based strategies or programs, but one thing never changed—the art of teacher, what you bring to the table.

You see there is a Venus/Mercury, Yin/Yang relationship. We seem to have drifted into a patriarchal or structural system to (bring on the next cliché), “Do what is best for all students.” But if you desire to have students eager to come to school, doing what is best for students requires compassion, the art of the teacher, the matriarchal approach. Let me posit this, how many students do you see know how to read but don’t choose to read? It’s likely those students had the structure (Reading Recovery, Reading Workshop, Reading Street, etc.) and have met reading standards. But have they been nurtured? For instance, does a student spend time with a book or with writing, like it was a doll or a toy car?

Think back and ask, “Who motivated me?” “What motivated me?” “Why was I motivated?” In my formative years, aside from family, I can think of three teachers. Did you ever have that teacher you wanted to have or that teacher who you wanted to recognize you? Do you remember the power of that harmony—the balance between trust, respect, guidance, and encouragement to embrace challenges? Do you remember the love?

Over the summer, I heard a story about a young man who participated in an experiential learning program for some “at-risk” identification. In short, the young man was motivated to learn math. This was evident in that he chose not to go swimming in favor of math tutoring.

What kid chooses math over swimming in the middle of summer?

There is no doubt the young man was motivated to learn math and there is no question that he wanted to be a better mathematician. But why, as the student was heading into grade 7, did things click? Maybe it was the program, but my wager is on the teacher. Somewhere in this experience, trust and respect anchored this relationship. In this was love.

As we start this new school year, some of us are very excited to teach and reveal the world, but some others of us are scared, perhaps as a first-year teacher or a wounded teacher. On that first day, what is the goal? How will students be motivated to learn? The answer is in and with you. How excited is that one student or classroom of students to be in your learning community?

As an esteemed colleague would say, “You are the silver bullet,” not the research, staff development or new programs. If you want students to be motivated and excited to learn, start with you. If you want them to read, teach them how, but journey with them through the “why.” Teach them the mechanics and conventions of writing, but explore with them the majesty of emotions and message. Invite your students to take interest in you. Lead them to believe and trust in you and encourage them to do the inevitable.

At the onset of summer, a teacher whom I consider to be an inspiration said these simple words, “Remember, I chose to be a teacher.” You are the most influential guardian between having to go to school and wanting to go to school. It’s your turn. Remember the art of teaching, remember the love, remember how to inspire students to read or write. Invite them into a love of learning, be it literacy, math, and/or science. Leave the structure, the research, and strategies for you and your colleagues. Work tirelessly for the love of every student. Recant the adage, “The students know who the best teachers are.” In turn, they will give you the greatest compliment in the world—their affection.

Best of luck to all of you. Light fires in the eyes of all students.

Justin Stygles is a sixth grade language arts teacher and IRA Advisory Committee of Teachers (ACT) committee member based in Norway, Maine. He also serves as the state’s Maine Reading Association coordinator. Visit his blog at www.mrstygleclass.blogspot.com.

Five years ago I wrote “Critical literacies and graphic novels for English Language Learners: Teaching Maus,” for the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy. Since that time, the increasing spread of apps on so-called ‘smartphones’ and other slightly larger handheld devices have enabled readers to view and read massive amounts of content online—at least those who have access to these expensive tools and their supporting infrastructure. These digital electronic devices make it much easier for readers to read their favorite books, all compiled, archived, and catalogued in an easily portable and quickly accessible form.

But what about those who do not have such easy and immediate access to e-readers and apps, particularly adolescents? Will they continue to fall further behind their more affluent and privileged peers in reading levels and abilities? What about adolescent English language learners (ELLs), especially those emigrating and or fleeing from much poorer societies? What types of access do they have to this content, now at the literal fingertips of those who are much more fortunate?

These days I see many a young reader immersed in their smartphones. Whether they’re walking down the street or riding the subways and buses, they’re playing Candy Crush or Farmville, texting their friends, watching the latest insipid Asian soap opera on YouTube, or incessantly checking their Facebook pages and the ‘likes’ they’ve garnered on their photo postings or status updates (but don’t we all?). I see few actually reading. Of course, this is not based on any scientific survey or careful ethnographic observation of a representative sample of adolescents over a period of time, merely anecdotal observations of their everyday behavior. When I do see teens and university-level students reading online content (other than their social media pages) on their devices, many are reading comic books and graphic novels in their digital forms.

As much as I love my electronic devices and accompanying broadband access to read content posted from around the world—newspapers based in New York, Los Angeles, or London, or blogs written by anyone from anywhere on anything—when it comes to reading certain books, I am still what one might call “old school,” unashamedly and proudly so. I have read several popular books on a smartphone, but when I read what some call “serious” books. For example, I prefer to read academic tomes and works of literature in their physical manifestations as printed bound material, preferably in paperback for their lighter weight, as academic books tend to be much heavier due to their higher paper quality. And for books featuring elaborate and imaginative illustrations, colorful drawings, photos, and figures, this is a must for me. Why? I take seriously the sensual pleasures afforded by touching the cover, opening the book, turning the pages, and running my fingertips across a page feeling its particular fiber. These tactile sensations are not to be underestimated or discounted; indeed, they are central to the pleasures of reading in addition to the textually and visually-induced ones.

The reader by now might be noting the perhaps unintended irony of this writer extolling the virtues of reading printed material on a website called Reading Today Online, but this is my point. As much as some of us entertain the notion that the Internet has connected us worldwide in countless ways, a sizable percentage of the global population does not have access to the Internet—one-third of the world, in fact. Included in this are the communities who cannot afford mobile electronic devices and broadband access in countries such as the United States and the U.K., where many immigrant ELLs reside.

Thankfully, the institution of public libraries is still intact today. Go to one and look around. You will see people from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds all engaged with reading newspapers, magazines, books, and, yes, graphic novels. Graphic novels can be quite expensive to purchase and thus out of reach for families struggling to make ends meet, but with a library card, one can read many more graphic novels than one can afford to buy. This is still an important feature of any democratic society, or at least a society that proclaims itself to be one, the free public access to information through books written to inspire our imagination and creativity. In this, graphic novels in their printed forms are much more easily available to immigrant ELLs who don’t have the material resources for expensive electronic devices.

For adolescent immigrant ELLs from these economically struggling families, graphic novels, as I argued in my 2009 article, can serve as a gateway to social networks and communities in high school that could enable them to adapt more easily to their new societies. But more than this, the availability of these graphic novels, tattered as they may be from numerous library borrowers turning those pages over and over, is of course an extremely important gateway to reading, and reading more. As I also argued, the interfaces between the visual images and illustrations of graphic novels and the textual, often sophisticated writing contained in those “speech balloons” help scaffold reading for ELLs. Additionally, reading about other immigrants struggling to adapt and live in their new societies, such as Maus and Persepolis, not only resonate with immigrant ELLs, but can also inspire them to find similar ways to survive and persist, and perhaps even triumph in small and large ways. Hasn’t that always been the aim of literature throughout the ages?

Lastly, consider this: a child or adolescent having a smartphone back in 2005 or 2006 was most likely considered “cool” by her or his peers. Now? That’s so… 2005. Many (if not almost all) middle-class kids have not only one, but multiple electronic devices. An adolescent immigrant ELL student walking into the school cafeteria carrying not another iPhone or iPad but an actual graphic novel with its colorful images prominently displayed on the printed tattered cover? Now that’s cool.

Christian W. Chun is an assistant professor in the Department of English at the City University of Hong Kong. Previously, he was on the faculty of the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. Drawing upon his extensive ESL teaching experience spanning nearly 20 years in Los Angeles, his research focuses on critical literacy approaches to English language education. His work has been published in Language Assessment Quarterly, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, and Research in the Teaching of English, and several edited volumes. His forthcoming book, Power and Meaning Making in an EAP Classroom: Engaging With the Everyday, will be published by Multilingual Matters in January 2015.

The approach to public education is in the biggest reform ever. With Learning Focused Schools, Direct Instruction model, baseline data, teacher performance pay, Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and more, it is more important than ever to have the support of the people whom these reform efforts impact the most, the classroom teacher.

The classroom teacher lives and breathes the effects of reform. They are the catalyst of change, and if change is to occur, then teachers need to be on board in order to maximize the ability of reform efforts. If educational institutions access from within those teachers who are strong and influential to the climate of the learning atmosphere, reform efforts will be embraced and given a fair chance to assist students with being successful learners.

Although this idea seems simple enough, it is not! Teachers are well-educated professionals who do not appreciate a dictatorship. To simply have administration bring down the hammer and mandate new reform will not suffice in the eyes’ of teachers. However, bolstering fellow educators to become teacher leaders aids in the ease of reform efforts. This is so because teachers respect other teachers who are in the middle of the war fighting the good fight. By allowing teacher leaders to foster the way for reform, schools will receive buy-in because the change will move from theory to practice. To an educator, it must be relevant and applicable and this can be achieved through a few steps:

• Identify key educators in your building who are strong teachers, use best practices, and have a positive approach. This will get some of the faculty onboard immediately.
• Work with your literacy coach, media specialist, tech specialist, and key teachers to create monthly training on reform efforts with follow-up support. This will provide factual information to teachers and eliminate misconceptions.
• Allow for common planning opportunities with key stakeholders to integrate new reform efforts into lessons. Teachers helping teachers in similar content areas will open new doors and provides new ideas.
• Provide opportunities for teachers to work together (observe, conference, model, and co-teach). If teachers see something in use by another teacher, they are more likely to try it.
• Display pictures on a bulletin board of positive examples of reform efforts used successfully in key teachers’ classrooms. This will build a positive atmosphere amongst the faculty.

Ultimately, teachers must be leaders if schools are expected to change and improve student outcomes. This change will not occur unless there is trust and a release of power among those overseeing and inside the classroom. Teachers will not choose to foster and maintain a productive learning atmosphere with the use of reform for students to reach their highest potential if steps are not taken to embrace and accept reform efforts from the start.

Lisa Fisher is a passionate literacy advocate. In addition to her experiences of being an intensive reading teacher for struggling readers, a literacy coach for middle and high school, and former adjunct instructor at Pasco Hernando Community College, Lisa has written several books, including Surviving the Move and Learning to Thrive (2011) and Read, Discuss, And Learn: Using Literacy Groups To Student Advantage (2010).

Afif graduated from college in 2011.

It is the middle of the year for my fourth grade class at Abqaiq School in Saudia Arabia. The class consists of only 11 students, one of which is my daughter Marie. The students hail from various ethnic backgrounds: American, Canadian, Jordanian, Lebanese, and Pilipino, etc. Afif, a Lebanese boy, has some type of a syndrome and so far no one is able to tell us exactly what it is. All we know is that he is severely learning disabled with an IQ of about 75.

Afif is very social, I believe the term medical professionals use is “cocktail personality.” The other students really like him, but the school administration isn’t sure what to do because they know that as the years progress, he will fall further and further behind. His mother and father are at their wits’ end. They know Afif will most likely have to go back to Lebanon for a special program. The problem is that in Lebanon, special schooling for someone like Afif means possibly being sequestered away in a facility built for warehousing rather than educating. It’s basically a holding tank for people they have deemed uneducable. His mother is becoming frantic. Teachers in the upper grades are concerned, to say the least. What if they get Afif? What are they going to do with him?

All I know to do with Afif is to keep plugging away with the basics. I set him up with lots of partner reading. I work with him on letter recognition and phonemic awareness activities. Afif enjoys listening to stories.

He likes to talk about the pictures. Still, in fourth grade, he can’t read a lick.

He has other talents, though. In math one day, I hold up a number chart with numbers from one to 100. As I am going over the chart with him, I notice he has a very good understanding of number order. As I am looking at the chart with the blank back facing him, he touches a spot—without being able to see through it—on the back of the chart and says “81!” I flip the chart over to see where he is pointing and damned if he isn’t touching the correct spot. The amazing thing is he is looking at the chart in reverse order. I began to quiz him with my eyes on the front and his on the blank side.

Young Afif when he was Kevin Baxter's student.

“Here!”

“Correct! 75?”

“Here!”

Afif finds the numbers on the chart without seeing it and whether it is upside down, or backwards. Amazing, I think, just like Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rainman. His understanding of the chart does not translate to other areas in math, though. He can only do rudimentary addition and his other math skills are negligible.

At the moment though, we are focusing on books. Holding up a book about African animals I ask, “Afif, what are these pictures showing?” Sitting directly across the table from me, Afif picks up a book quite unannounced and suddenly, inexplicably, begins to read. I look up from the book I’m holding and my jaw drops.

“Afif—you’re reading!” He looks up at me and says with a sly grin, “I know.”

His reading is stiff. He is pronouncing the words of his book very carefully. However, he is, without a doubt, reading. I say again, “Afif, you’re reading!”

He continues smiling as he reads away. To make sure he hasn’t just memorized something he heard before, I find another book on the same level and hand it to Afif. “Here’s a funny book, Afif. Will you read it to me?” Afif accepts the book, looks over the cover carefully, and opens it to the first page. Then he begins to read.

Feeling I need to document the moment, I tell Afif to keep reading to himself as I stand up and walk across the hall to my colleague teaching the other third grade class.

I grab her by the shirtsleeve and drag her to my room. She looks at me as if I’m insane.

I say, “Listen to this.” As Afif continues to read, tears fill her eyes, because she knows what this means. The fact he can read now means Afif will be staying with us, because if he can read, he can learn other things as well. The school will be able to accommodate him.

Now I am curious as to what may have caused, seemingly from out of nowhere, Afif’s sudden ability to decode words. Sometimes reading is like cracking a safe—when the tumblers align, a world of possibility opens. I don’t know what “tumblers” I helped Afif align, I just kept trying different combinations. I do know I am always curious about how children use language, and that curiosity has driven me to learn as much as I can about the process of language development. I try to apply that knowledge in my classroom. The best advice I ever received about teaching reading, whether phonics, phonemics, or whole language, was: use whatever works.

In Afif’s case maybe he was just ready to read. Probably the constant exposure to sounds, letters, words, rhymes, and pictures he received over the years kicked in and it all began to make sense to him. The tumblers simply fell into place. A connection was made. Whatever it was, I felt blessed to witness it. These moments are why I continue to teach.

Kevin Baxter holds a master's degree in early childhood education, a bachelor's degree in elementary education and is a certified teacher of the gifted. He has taught pre-school though fifth grade and has also taught master's level courses on reading disabilities at the University of San Diego. He spent 12 years teaching in Saudi Arabia and conducted teaching workshops in various countries around the world. He currently resides in Asheville, NC, and was a Buncombe County Schools Teacher of the Year.

In schools around the world, teachers and administrators are participating in professional development. It is a term beginning to be thrown around lightly. “I think I am going to take off Friday so I can skip PD.” “The students have the day off so we can attend yet another pointless professional development.” Although professional development is aimed towards improving teaching practices, some teachers see PD as a common time where teachers can catch up on grading papers, check their emails, or use the time to scroll their cell phones to see the latest trends in social media.

Professional development is supposed to be a time where educators acquire new skills or knowledge. This could come in the form of watching a video, reviewing an article, listening to a guest speaker, observing strategies being modeled, or receiving training on a new program being implemented at their school.

Instead of leaving PD complaining, “I can’t believe administration has us trying something else new. We have enough to do as it is,” educators should walk away excited and eager to implement something that will improve student learning. Morale should be high. Teachers should be collaborating with one another to find ways they can make these new ideas work. PD is not about racing to Teachers Pay Teachers or Pinterest to find new activities. Instead, it is about acquiring new knowledge to enhance professional growth, eventually leading to improved student achievement.

When planning for a PD, make sure it is meaningful for teachers and administrators. Is there something they can walk away with or is it something that will take up time because the district scheduled a mandatory PD day?

When attending PD, don’t go in with a negative attitude. Be excited. When you leave, ask yourself: What did I learn? What new strategy or idea can implement? How can I use this to grow as an educator? The teaching profession is not stagnant, we cannot be either. We must challenge ourselves to improve and grow. If you have doubts, remember, the kids are counting on us to brighten their future, to instill skills to be successful. They are future leaders.

Brandi Leggett is a National Board Certified Teacher as a Middle Childhood Generalist. She received her master’s in Elementary Education from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa. She currently teaches third grade at Prairie Ridge Elementary in Shawnee, Kan. Follow her class during the school year at Team Leggett.