Literacy Now

We all send our “babies” off to school each day watching our greatest blessings exchange our hands for their teachers’. As they walk away, are you crossing your fingers each day hoping you made the correct choice in school placement?

Although we may worry, we also trust.  We breathe.  And we trust some more.  We trust that the education our children will have is rooted in love, safety, and knowledge. In the classroom there is joy, triumph, fatigue, and worry, although there are also deadlines, communication, paperwork, and management that must be on point to run a successful classroom where students become lifelong learners and thrive. We have to trust that all of that is happening. I know this from both sides of the desk, as the mother of two young boys and as a reading coach.

Until you have really lived the balancing act of a classroom teacher’s job, giving support, suggestions, or mandates can be too abstract and unrelatable. Every day, teachers are expected to reply to parent e-mail by the end of the day, hold guided reading groups, ensure a particular student is completing short-term goals for the individual behavior chart, tend to hurt feelings, celebrate small successes.

This is all to say, “trust me.” Parents, let me be your voice at your child’s school while you are at work. Trust me. Trust me to assist teachers in helping to meet your child’s individual needs. I, too, am balancing the trepidation about the start of school as a mother while also calming the fears of my fellow educators on the other side of the desk as a reading coach. I am walking in two sets of shoes.

Teachers, let me be your voice to administration.  Trust me to walk beside you and guide when necessary as you make literacy decisions for your classroom instruction and for individual students.  Let me be your biggest cheerleader because you have the most important job in the school.  

I want to help you grow professionally.  Sure, sometimes change is hard and feels personal.  Together, we can work through your concerns about change and peel them away like an onion.  The science of reading has changed since many of us have been trained.  You joined the teaching profession because it was your passion to help children, and now we know better how to do that.  Change will not happen overnight, nor will your comfort level with new ideas and strategies.  However, I would not help if I did not share with you up-to-date research and how best to help your students.  I have two voices at school.  My first voice speaks for the children—as their parents would—and what is best for student learning.  My second voice speaks for the teachers and the support they need to be successful.  Let me be those voices.

Traci Black Salari will soon embark on a new journey as the fifth-grade writing and word study teacher at the Whitehurst campus of The Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL.  She holds a master’s degree in reading education from Jacksonville University and is trained in Lindamood Bell reading intervention programs.  As an educator for 15 years, her career includes classroom teacher and learning specialist positions.

It was five minutes before my first freshmen skills class of the day. I stood outside my door and greeted students as they walked in. When the bell rang, I moved away from the door to the front of the classroom. I began to share the learning intention with the class while taking attendance.

About 10 minutes later, Mike charged in.

Mike was a tough kid; rough around the edges and totally disengaged from school. Mike and his buddies caused enough classroom headaches that teachers were weary of them. He and I had, for the most part, a working relationship. He did what I asked him to do with a minimum of pushback, and I sometimes gave him space to do what he needed. 

This morning something was wrong. He was angry; his face was contorted and red. He stormed to his desk and sat down with a thump. I continued explaining the morning’s goal along with the pertinent skills. I asked students to take out paper along with their text.

Mike did nothing. I gave him a couple of sheets of paper and a pencil. He moved them aside and put his head down. I stood next to him and gave the next set of directions. As students were moving their desks to make teams, I leaned over and encouraged him to move to a group.

“Leave me alone!” he shouted into the crux of his arm. A few heads turned in our direction. 

“Mike,” I said softly, “join Devon’s group. You can follow along with him.” He lifted up his head. “I told you, leave me alone! Shut up and leave me alone!” he screamed.

Before the situation escalated further or the language turned colorful, I said, “Mike, let’s go in the hallway for a minute.” I turned to my class and asked them to please review their vocabulary notecards.

Mike stood up with such force that his desk tipped over. I followed him into the hallway where he paced back and forth. I gently closed the classroom door about halfway—wide enough to see and hear my class, but narrow enough to give Mike the attention he deserved.

“OK, what do you need from me?” I asked. I didn’t ask him what was wrong. That answer would come in time. I didn’t need to know what had happened. The situation would reveal itself eventually. Right then, I needed to know how I could get him to a place of learning.

Mike stopped, looked at me, and began ranting about his mother. There had been a disagreement that morning, and he left the house angry, hurt, and frustrated. 

I listened and kept quiet, focusing solely on him. I kindly reminded him to keep his voice down because I didn’t want to bother the students working in my room or alert administration. I didn’t want Mike to feel that his honesty would get him in trouble. This didn’t need to be another referral.

I didn’t correct his language, nor did I correct his feelings. He was angry at his mother, and I was the first adult female he saw that morning. When I asked him to join a group, I was one more person asking one more thing of an already stressed and disenfranchised kid.
When he was done, I asked him to quietly wait in the hallway. I went into my room, grabbed a paper cup and a hallway pass. I explained to my students that I needed to finish the hallway conversation.

Mike had settled down. He wasn’t pacing anymore but leaning against the wall with his head on his chest. I gave him the paper cup and began to write out a pass. 

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Go get some water. Take the pass and walk around the building. I expect you back in five minutes.”

“Wait, you’re not going to write me up?”

“For what? For being angry?  No. I need you to do the best you can to put this away for now. I need you in my room and focused. We’ll talk to the social worker later.”

“Thanks, Mrs. G.” he said sheepishly.

Mike returned to my room within five minutes. He joined a group and did the best he could to be the best student he could on this particular morning.

Could I have handled the situation differently? Yes—but I’m not sure how. I could have sent him to the office for being late to class—but he would have missed more learning. I could have called our Safety Officer and had him removed for his behavior—but to what end? Had I done either of those things, he never would have trusted me again.

The way I handled this situation caused Mike to rethink our relationship. Although it was acceptable; it became stronger. He never raised his voice to me again. He became tardy less often. And most important, I saw a change in his attitude. He was willing to be a part of our classroom community—whatever that meant for him. And every morning, there was an empty cup on his desk that he filled with water. It was my way of saying, relax, breathe, and focus as you begin your day.

About six years later, I had a visitor. Sure enough, it was Mike. He was working as a heating and cooling apprentice with his uncle. He came back to high school for the first time since graduation. He came back to apologize to me.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. G. I know I wasn’t easy. I know I gave you a hard time. Thanks for putting up with me. Thanks for listening,” he said awkwardly.

I knew what he meant. Nearly nine years later, Mike remembered what I had done. I had the chance to get it right and I did. I put my hand on his shoulder and thanked him for coming in and told him how much I appreciated his visit. He told me he was “in the neighborhood and decided to stop in,” but had to get to work. He thanked me again and left.

As he walked down the hall, I smiled. Thank you, Mike. He gave me the opportunity to know that I made a difference. Although all teachers hope that to be true with their students, many of us don’t get the chance to actually hear it. A cup of water, a walk, and a little humanity goes a long way for students like Mike—and for all of us.

Peg Grafwallner is an instructional coach with Milwaukee Public Schools.

Happy New Year! So it’s not New Year’s, but in the world of education, September is traditionally our—educators’—new year. It’s when we have the opportunity to try new ideas and draft resolutions. Soon we’ll hear “this year, we will…” or “we have a new initiative…” echoing in staff meetings. As optimistic as a new initiative may sound, some of us may start thinking, Is this really going to work? I don’t have the time, and when am I going to do that?

Deep down, we all know that the purpose of new initiatives is to continue enhancing the learning experience of our students, but they’re still the cause of discomfort and nervousness, as anything new might be.

When I work with schools that are about to undertake a new initiative, I ask the administration team if they have considered AIR—administration, infrastructure, and resources. I use this as a checklist before launching a new program.

Administration

How much buy-in, support, and understanding does the administration provide? John Maxwell, an expert on leadership, once said, “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.” If administrators don’t believe in the new program, how can other teachers buy in? Teachers are smart, and they can quickly see who is “in” and who is “out.”

As an administrative team, standing together as a unified voice is key. Moreover, administrators need to have a strong understanding of what exactly is the new initiative. There will be questions and there likely will not be answers for all of them (yet), but knowing where to seek the answers is appreciated. There isn’t a doubt that the road to successfully implementing something new can be long and arduous. Having administrators understand and acknowledge possible struggles ahead of them is crucial.

Questions to reflect upon: Is the administration team entirely on board? What questions need answers to move forward?

Infrastructure

New initiatives can be viewed as “adding more to my plate.” In that case, reflecting on how full the staff’s plates are now is key. Sometimes, we keep adding to the plates. They don’t become any bigger, but the amount of items keeps increasing. Eventually, something falls off.

If the goal of the new initiative is to enhance student learning, the infrastructure of the school must be equipped to embrace the new initiative. Staff should consider the culture of the school as part of infrastructure. Schools with strong professional learning communities are more inclined to navigate the rifts and tides of a new initiative. Schools where teachers work in a culture of growing, sharing, and learning—rather than one that is siloed or resistant to change—can accomplish great things.

Questions to reflect upon: Do teachers have time to accomplish the initiative? Do teachers need grade-level planning time? Do schedules work for this initiative? What are the logistics necessary for this initiative to work?

Resources

A new initiative requires resources. For a teacher, not having the materials needed to implement the change is frustrating. Some schools attempt to solve this issue by asking teachers to share resources. I have nothing against sharing, but let’s be frank: The last thing teachers want to do on a daily basis is to run down the hallway asking for resources. The initiative can fail as a result of that alone.

Besides material resources, administrators should consider people as resources. Are there people (e.g., a literacy coach) present to support the initiative? By providing “human resources,” schools send a message of the importance of the proposal.

By considering AIR, schools can circumvent the pitfalls of a new initiative. If one or more of these elements are missing or are weak, achieving success with the new initiative may be more of an uphill battle. When there’s a fresh idea for the school or classroom, the last thing you want is for your school to be breathless and gasping for AIR!

Vincent Ventura is the director of LitLife Latin America. As an educator for more than 15 years, he has worked in junior and middle school grades, been a literacy coach, and has been in an international school setting for more than nine years. He consults with schools throughout Central and Latin America, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Guatemala, Mexico, and Suriname.

Bug Boy. Eric Luper. 2009. Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Ages 12–18

Summary

In 1934, The Great Depression crippled most of the United States. Except in Saratoga, NY, where fat cats gather together in the summer to celebrate the most famous thoroughbred racing season of the year. At the start we are introduced to Jack, an aspiring jockey who is working Fireside, a fast 3-year-old colt who is on a path to win the summer's biggest stakes race. Working for Pelton Stables under the careful eye of Mr. Hodge, the plot carries us through Jack's ascension from exercise rider to “bug boy,” a rider who has yet to win 40 races.

Immediately, Jack is offered cash for rigging a race. Framed in a rare period where Saratoga permitted bookmaking, corruption runs rampant as bookmakers try to maintain a profitable edge over bettors. Jack, the newest jockey at Saratoga, working the best horse, is a fresh target for race fixing.

Before long, Jack meets a beautiful woman, Elizabeth, who aims to capture Jack's heart. As Jack's fame grows, what is he willing to do to be the best jockey and keep his confident girl by his side?

When the big race comes, Jack is under massive stress. Tweed, his old boss, Dad, looking to make a buck, Elizabeth, hungry for notoriety on the social scene, and Mr. Hodge, the humble trainer looking for the big win, surround Jack as he must decide what to do with Fireside.

Cross-Curricular Connections

Social studies, health, reading, writing

Ideas for Classroom Use

Ethical Decisions

As students are reading or listening, students should focus on the value of “right and wrong” when temptations and aspirations conflict with conscience. Using reading response as well as collaborative discussions, students pinpoint the ethical dilemmas positioned in Luper's narrative.

Once the dilemma is identified, readers can first identify how they might react in a similar situation. After considering background knowledge, readers then revisit the text to consider the context of the circumstance to alter or confirm their thinking. Students locate and organize text evidence to support their rationales. Students can openly debate discussed decisions, building interest to discover what happens next. Explaining and empathizing through writing is a great way for students to process thought and feelings, thereby coming to terms with whatever emotions are evoked by their reading.

Interpersonal Relationships

Jack is an example of a boy who is forced to mature faster than perhaps he should. He faces pressures and decisions that many students face in high school and college. Jack can also be a representation of what rookie football and baseball players face when entering the big leagues. Readers can look at what forces a character to change. What influences exert pressure? How does Jack deal with money, alcohol, and risky behaviors? (Note: mature content included)

When we consider character analysis instruction, we can consider whether Jack changes for better or worse and what it really means to “come of age.” Students can engage in deep reflective writing as they evaluate the many pleasures that entice teenagers.

Life and Times

Saratoga is a magical city. A walk down Broadway will captivate the soul and images of the flat track will entrance visitors forever. Saratoga may not look the same today compared with 1934, but many structures still stand. Instead of packing up students for a field trip, slide shows and Google Earth can transport students to the bucolic upstate New York city laden in history. By using pictures, students can see the various locations Jack and his friend visited bring the story to life. Since horse racing is out of context for many readers, show pictures of Clair Court under the sweeping limps of oak trees, jogging horses emerging from the famous August mist that envelopes the track, or the architecture of the Gideon Putnam hotel, or even the YMCA on Broadway. Using Google Earth, readers can map out (pin) the same sights and imagine the travels Jack and Elizabeth took around the city.

Triple Crown/Sports – Behind the Scenes

Introducing Bug Boy in advance of one of the Triple Crown horse races invites interest in the greatest horse race of the year. Although Saratoga is a summer event, what happens at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May, The Kentucky Derby, has an impact on the Saratoga racing season. Even with today's media barrage, only so many things can be seen on television. Luper's narrative takes us to the backstretch, where a vivid imagination parallels the reality of sport in a way that will ignite a love for racing yet reveal the tragedy's that athletes face when aspiring to their dreams.

The Great Depression

Comparing and contrasting text is an important facet of the Common Core. When reading Bug Boy, we discover wealth did not evaporate in the Great Depression, unlike the pictures that portray destitution. Rather, greed and excess created dreams, even for boys who knew extreme poverty.

Using Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse and A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck, readers can compare and contrast, through structured activities, three special cultures that occurred during the Great Depression.

Additional Resources

Sarasota Heritage Visitors Center: Take a step back in time to see pictures and places and to read more about the notoriety that made Saratoga famous.

New York Racing Association, New York: Explore Saratoga horse racing as it is today, still the pinnacle racing meet of the year.

Texts With Similar Themes

A Long Way From Chicago. Richard Peck. 2000. Penguin.

Azad's Camel. Erika Pal. 2010. Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

Black Gold. Marguerite Henry. Ill. Wesley Dennis. 1992. Aladdin.

Migrant Mother: How a Photograph Defined the Great Depression (Captured History Series). Don Nardo, Alexa L Sandmann, Kathleen Baxter. 2011. Compass Point.

Out of the Dust. Karen Hesse. 2009. Great Source. Seabiscuit. Laura Hillenbrand. 2001. Random House.

Ride of Their Lives Ride of Their Lives: The Triumphs and Turmoil of Today's Top Jockeys. Lenny Shulman. 2002. Eclipse Press.

The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby: The Story of Jimmy Winkfield. Crystal Hubbard. Ill. Robert McGuire. 2008. Lee & Low Books.

Justin Stygles is a sixth-grade teacher and literacy specialist in Western Maine. He has taught at a variety of levels for 12 years and is currently working with Corwin Literacy about effect, emotions, and transactional reading.

Simon will always share a special place in my heart. He was absent the entire first month of my first year of teaching because of an infection. The remainder of the year was spent flirting, thinking about his suave attire, and anything that was not work. My second year, Simon was in my remedial reading and writing class. That year, I learned Simon had to choose between taking care of his family and going to school. He was a veteran of “the hard knock life” and the result was an education full of holes.

My classes almost always start with reading; it’s predictable and sets a reflective tone I want to cultivate. Simon anticipated this time and escaped it with Houdini-like efficiency—he was diagnosed with ADHD. After observing Simon’s behavior, I determined he had two significant barriers to reading. First, he didn’t read well and no one wants to put their heart into unsuccessful activities he or she doesn’t enjoy. Second, exerting the energy necessary was more than he was willing to expend. The result was the need to escape each time the class was to read.

In my experience, students who don’t like reading do one of three things: (1) continually dispel every book as awful, (2) escape situations where it is required (can be texting or asking to do a different activity), or (3) avoid the requirement by ditching class.

The ABA way

I was exposed to Applied Behavioral Analysis as therapy for my daughter’s Aspergers and ADHD traits. What seemed like a miracle at the time was backed by decades of science and endorsed by every major medical group in the United States. In 1968 Baer, Wolf, and Risely described ABA as the process of applying behavioral principles to improve specific behaviors while simultaneously evaluating the changes and whether they can be attributed to the process. As a parent, my view was of a lot of charts, observations, and incredible change in my daughter’s behavior.

The process

With younger children, caregivers are natural behaviorists. If a baby cries, we go through a list: Does the baby want to avoid or gain something? Does the baby want attention or is there too much stimulus (noise)? Once children can talk, caregivers begin to focus on the physical characteristics of the behavior. “Stop crying!”, “Don’t hit!”, “Sit down!” Teachers must realize that behavior only continues if it is reinforced and reinforcement is often covert. If a child stands at an inappropriate time in need of attention only to be corrected by a stern “sit down,” the child has been reinforced and will likely repeat the behavior. ABA focuses on the five functions of behavior: to gain attention, to gain a tangible, to gain or escape sensory stimulation, to escape attention or a task, to avoid attention or a task. The first step to changing behavior begins with identifying the function.  

The next step is reinforcement. For anyone to choose an alternative behavior over what they are prone to do, there must be significant incentive. I use a worksheet with a variety of incentives including food, phone use, and iPads. Students prioritize the incentives and we develop systems, like tokens, to reinforce the correct behavior. It’s important to realize that students often don’t know how they are supposed to act, so instruction on things like respect or restraint is necessary. The last step is the application and analysis. I use a chart to document the increase or decrease of the problem behavior. Always begin with easy goals and increase; students have to feel successful so the process isn’t seen as a punishment. Normally the behavior gets worse before it gets better, but if the behavior continues, either the function is incorrectly hypothesized or the incentive isn’t strong enough.    

Results

I determined Simon wanted to avoid reading because he considered himself a poor reader. This will not change overnight, which means Simon must do a lot of reading in the meantime. I first set a goal, “Simon will begin reading within five seconds of being assigned” and then set up an achievable goal to begin, “Simon will check his texts and then begin reading.” Essentially, Simon avoided reading out of self-preservation; he didn’t want to feel stupid. So I reflected on what I knew about him and came up with a significant incentive.

We met at lunch one afternoon and discussed his behavior. I told him what I expected and offered him the chance to stay in my room to “hang out” as long as he met the expectation. I then explained how I would prompt him physically and verbally and then gesture if he was having trouble. Simon was on board and met the expectation quickly. Eventually, I removed the incentive until the adverse behavior was extinct. Several times throughout the year we reinstituted the program for his escape behaviors and others, something ABA terms “maintenance.”

I often wonder about the difference teachers and parents could make if everyone simply knew the functions of behavior. There is an enormous amount of information on YouTube, Pinterest, and various websites that offer ABA methodology for free. The changes to my classroom and family cannot be understated. Good luck!  

Nick Murja teaches remedial reading and writing at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, TX. He is working on a PhD in Literacy, Language, and Diversity at Texas Tech University.