Literacy Now

Being a teacher means embracing constant change. Yet all too often, teachers are told when, how and why to change. In this monthly column, Mrs. Mimi takes on creating change for herself by rethinking old practices and redefining teaching on her own terms. 

Happy New Year, everyone! (Although, really, I see the world through the eyes of a teacher and therefore firmly think of the “new year” as starting in September, but we can roll with convention a bit, can’t we?)

p: DonkeyHotey via photopin cc

How are you doing on making (and keeping) those resolutions? Broke one already? Have yet to come up with one? Well, I have an idea to add to the list. You ready? Stop self-bullying.

Let me explain…

As teachers, we feel an incredible responsibility to not only teach our small fries how to read, but to teach them to love reading. We push them to expand their choices as readers as we encourage them to come back to certain classics. We stay up late, thinking about our current strugglers and how we can get them to make progress without hating to read. In short, we walk a fine line between staying strong in our convictions about best practice and constantly beating ourselves up when students struggle.

Personally, I think the teachers that can reflect on the short-comings of their own practice make some of the best teachers. So go ahead and continue to beat yourself up a bit from time to time. This is not what I consider “self-bullying.”

When I say “self-bullying,” I am referring to all those little comments we make about ourselves as teachers that consistently belittle, demean or minimize our successes. A few examples:

You are an organizational goddess, yet, when someone walks into your classroom and remarks on your off-the-charts organization, you say, “Oh no. It’s such a mess in here. I’m always such a mess. Look at those piles!”

You rock behavior management, yet when someone mentions how well behaved your class was in the hallway, you say, “They were just gearing up for later! They are NEVER like that.”

You own the teaching of math, yet when someone comments on the progress your students are making, you say, “They would do this well with anyone. I’m not special.”

Why do we feel the need to duck compliments? I don’t think it is as simple as being humble.

It’s like we are afraid to stand out as successful. But if we struggle to own our successes and choose instead to focus on our short-comings, how can we expect our students to do any differently? I’m all for being honest about our flaws and for constantly setting goals to improve instruction. Yet, in the spirit of the new year, let’s try to commit to ending the self-bullying and be honest about our successes as well.

Mrs. Mimi is a pseudonymous teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of IT'S NOT ALL FLOWERS AND SAUSAGES: MY ADVENTURES IN SECOND GRADE, which sprung from her popular blog of the same name. Mimi also has her doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

While there may not be a lot of “bells and whistles” Wiggio has a great deal of capacity and potential for use in the classroom. Wiggio (Working in Groups) is free, online, intuitive, easy to use and set up for interaction and collaboration, and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. In my school, we used Wiggio for a middle level book club and as Susan Hall, coordinator of our summer reading program, noted “The kids loved it!” We had tried many different digital tools over time to generate discussion about literature and found with Wiggio that students responded more often, more thoughtfully to postings of peers.  

Functioning like a listserv, learners get email alerts about new postings. Instead of waiting until the night before responses were due, students checked as they were notified, read, and responded almost immediately. Not only did this yield more than the required two responses, but deeper thinking about the ideas shared emerged.  The stream of reading postings as they were developed seemed to afford more time to think and respond.

For the classroom teacher there are useful features to form and manage groups with administrative control.  The groups are private and members must be invited to join so that all that is needed is an email account. Registration is not required, though participants can create profiles once they have accepted an invitation to join a group, remembering not to share private information. As the group is set up, the manager has options for postings to be sent to members by email as created or as a daily summary. There’s also an option that lets the group function as a discussion board with no email alerts. To ease the busy lives of teachers, reminders and alerts can be set up ahead of time and scheduled for release to groups.

Communication, collaboration, and interaction among group members are key functions facilitated through Wiggio. The page layout is straightforward with information about groups and its members on a left panel. Options tabbed at the top navigation bar for “feed, folder, calendar” define the essential workspaces. The feed tab opens the center panel of postings and communications. One can “start a conversation” or engage in existing conversations and easily add multimedia files and web links. The folder tab accesses stored files available to all group members such as group notes, collaborative work in progress, or sharing of resources. Meetings and other dates scheduled show up through the shared calendar tab.

On the right panel of the Wiggio page are many collaborative tools listed for easy access.  Any group member can schedule an in-person event, a conference call, a virtual meeting or a chatroom session and with options to “start right now” or poll members on availability before setting time and place. Group members can create documents, spreadsheets, polls, or surveys and to-do lists to which others can add. Consider the possibilities of the poll feature to get a quick consensus through short answers, yes/no responses, or multiple choice questions. A question could be posed about what a character might do at a critical point in a story, or input on decisions can be sought about a group project, or queries made of reader perspectives on why an author chose to use a particular phrase. The possibilities with this classroom digital tool are many. Explore these links to learn more.

• What is Wiggio? A “Claytorial”
• Frequently Asked Questions about Wiggio
• Kevin Schumann on use of Wiggio

Denise Stuart is from The University of Akron, Ohio. 

This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG)

As part of the team who collected data for MOSAIC OF THOUGHT, I was exposed to prediction as a piece of comprehension. Since then, I have found prediction is a useful formative assessment strategy from different perspectives. First, we ask students to make predictions that connect what they already know with text or visual information. This is a form of activating themselves as learners and taking more ownership of their learning. They also have the opportunity, after completing the reading, to check their predictions and verify those that were correct and those that were off, as well as the whys for each position.

The second perspective about prediction I have been using is via an anticipatory guide (or anticipation guide). I use this at the beginning of some professional learning opportunities as a way to see what participants know or think they know (their perspectives or misunderstandings) regarding the topics we’ll be learning about during the session. Then at the end of the learning we check in to see if ideas and knowledge have changed as a result of the learning. 

This strategy activates prior knowledge and helps build curiosity. Participants predict what might be true or false about the content we are about to learn. When used with students in reading, this strategy allows the teacher to engage all students, challenge or support their preconceived ideas, and help set the purpose for reading. As a formative assessment strategy, I check in on what they know and identify potential misconceptions before we get started, and then again at the end.

Here’s an example:

Think about all the settings in your life where you make predictions—the weather, a book, a movie, traffic. It is more than just figuring out what will come next. It is an activity that engages us, pushes us to think about what we already know and connect to it, ask questions, and infer. When we get activated as learners, we get more focused on our learning goals. More focus on goals leads to more meaningful learning…at least based on the research, that’s my prediction.

Kathy Dyer is a Senior Curriculum Specialist for NWEA, designing and developing learning opportunities for educators, and a regular blogger for the organization’s Teach Learn Grow blog. Formerly a Professional Development Consultant for NWEA, she coached educators and provided professional development focused on assessment, data, and leadership. NWEA partners with educational organizations worldwide to provide computer-based assessment suites, professional development and research services. Learn more at NWEA.org.

This was a banner year for chapter books, making it difficult to choose some favorites for this year. Members of the International Reading Association's Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group offer some titles that will want to include while you are catching up on your year’s reading.

Berry, Julie. (2013). All the truth that’s in me. New York: Viking Juvenile.

The citizens of Roswell Station are a judgmental lot and deal severely with those who break the town's rules or seem to be different from the norm. When she is fourteen, Judith and her best friend Lottie disappear from town. Lottie's body floats down the river while Judith doesn't return for two years. Judith's cut tongue makes it hard for her to communicate, and because her mother fears what others will say, she insists that Judith remain mute, rarely speaking. Only when the village is threatened by outsiders does she return to her kidnapper to enlist his help. Thanks to an unexpected friend, she begins trying to speak and even decides to attend school. Ever since she was a child, Judith has loved Lucas, a handsome local boy. But he seems to pay her little mind, and after she returns from her kidnapping, he barely notices her. The author describes her loneliness and hidden passion vividly while also making it clear that many of the villagers are not as pure as they might seem. The schoolmaster, for instance, is revealed in all his lechery and determination to force Judith to submit to his unwanted physical attentions. Judith's mother pays her little attention, even shutting the door against her when she most needs her help. Were it not for the horse and cow in the barn, her brother, and Maria who encourages her to speak, her lot would be, indeed, loveless. I liked the female friendship she develops with Maria and the fact that Goody Pruett turns out to be more than a busybody or judgmental elderly woman. Her desire for Lucas is palpable especially since the entire book is addressed to him through the author's use of second person. This title, evoking the Puritan ethic effectively, brings to mind The Scarlet Letter and Speak, reminding teen readers of the power found in finding and using one's voice, especially in righting a wrong. Readers will be impressed with Judith’s stamina and determination to have more than has been allotted to her and hope that she would find some semblance of happiness by the end of the book. The story is powerfully told and keeps readers’ attention.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Deuker, Carl. (2013). Swagger. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Fans of Carl Deuker will certainly enjoy his latest offering, Swagger, filled as it is with an imperfect but likeable protagonist and ethical dilemmas that could have been torn from today's newspaper headlines. One of the aspects of this author's writing that has always impressed me is how he approaches topics that other sports writers tend to avoid. He does so gently but relentlessly so that readers are swept up by the characters' lives and the decisions that face them. Because he includes plenty of descriptions of the sports activity—in this case, basketball—reluctant readers are a lot less reluctant to read a book. This title focuses on Jonas Dolan, a starting point guard for his California team. When his coach encourages him to apply for an athletic scholarship with a Division II team, he makes efforts to improve his work in the classroom and on the court. But his family's relocation to Seattle means that he has to start over and win a place on his new high school team. The new coach already has a starting point guard, and his style of playing doesn't suit Jonas's, which is more suited to new assistant coach Ryan Hartwell's. Jonas befriends kind-hearted Levi Rawdon, a tall, quiet boy whose father is a minister. As the basketball season moves on with Ryan getting limited playing time at the start and more as the team comes together, he must deal with a secret revealed to him by Levi. Readers will find the quagmire in which Jonas is mired to be quite realistic as well as being fascinated by the web woven by his coach. Even though there are some elements of the book that strain credibility, I still enjoyed this title, as will many teen readers. Many of them may want to follow Jonas's decision to do the right thing, even despite what it costs him. In the end it seems pretty clear that no one needs to swagger to show his or her confidence.  

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Farrant, Natasha. (2013). After Iris. New York: Dial.

Twelve-year-old Bluebell Gadsby's family seems to be tearing apart. Her twin sister Iris died three years ago, and no one seems to want to talk about Iris anymore. While her mother and father go their separate ways with jobs that necessitate much travel, Blue and her siblings are left under the care of Zoran, a patient au pair who seems more concerned with the children than their parents. Blue uses her video camera and diary entries to capture her complicated family, including dramatic older sister Flora, and younger siblings, Jasmine and Twig, who adore rats. Readers' hearts will break for Blue as she experiences her first crush and first betrayal, but they will also applaud how she goes from invisible to all-too noticed when she and a new guy devise a perfect comeuppance for Dodi, Blue's former best friend who has turned on her and has made school somewhat hellish. There are plenty of surprises here as well as an acknowledgement that there are spaces for those among us with their own views of the world around them. There is only so much weirdness and rule-breaking that can be tolerated before something very bad happens. If there is one thing especially worth noting about this book, though, it is the author's delicate handling of mourning and how each of us deal with loss. As is the case of Iris, it often is true that those that leave this world never really leave us, living on in the memories we hold dear.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Flores-Scott, Patrick. (2013). Jumped in. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Sophomore Sam Gregory has learned how to blend into the scenery in his Des Moines, Washington high school. He follows certain rules that make sure he won't be noticed by his teachers or classmates and spends most of his afternoons sleeping in his grandparents' home. Sam longs for the good old days when he and his mother lived in Aberdeen and he and his buddies listened to the music of Nirvana and dreamed of starting their own band. When he and Luis Cardenas are seated together in English class, at first he fears the boy that he is sure is a gangster, but he eventually realizes that the two of them have something in common. As they work together on a piece for the class poetry slam dreamed up by their teacher, Ms. Cassidy, both confront their fears. Readers will be moved by this story and impressed by the poetry of Luis that is inserted between the chapters. When the truth about Luis and the scar on his neck is revealed, tissues will be needed. Sam is able to move past his own anxieties and open himself to including others in his life despite the fact that his mother seemingly has abandoned him and he fears being hurt when someone gets too close. The addition of names to his cell phone address book provides ready evidence that he matters to others just as they matter to him. Readers will want to read this while listening to Nirvana's musical accompaniment. While the friendship between the boys develops a bit too quickly to be believable and Sam's initial depression goes unnoticed by school authorities and his grandparents for far too long, the book still presents an authentic struggle by two teens trying to fly beneath the radar while also having quite a lot to say. Even Gilbert, his grandparents' parrot, constantly reminds him of his mother's departure, making it hard for him to move past her betrayal. As the book comes to a close, readers will still be curious about Sam and Luis, and will keep thinking about how Luis had been jumped in, not into a street gang, but into the world of poets and those who express their thoughts most effectively through poetry.

- Barbara Ward, Washington  State University Pullman

Knowles, Jo. (2013). Living with Jackie Chan. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

As does the equally elegantly written title, The First Part Last by Angela Johnson, this book looks at the after-effects of a pregnancy from the point of view of the male. Josh is essentially a good person who made a bad decision. After a casual one-night stand with Ellie results in an unwanted pregnancy, he is haunted by what happened to their child. Josh moves in with his uncle Larry who idolizes Jackie Chan and teaches karate to him. Naturally, he isn't merely teaching him karate but a way to live life and treat others, something Josh recognizes even while hiding his own pain from everyone around him. The more Josh tries to forget his actions, the more they haunt him, leaving him unable to hear a baby crying without second-guessing himself. As Larry, his cat Clover, and Stella, an attractive teen in his karate class, try to help him find his way back to himself while forgiving himself for his mistakes, Josh flounders through his final year of high school, keeping his distance and observing the changes in his own parents who have inextricably found a way to hold onto their own relationship against all the odds. Fans of this book's predecessor, Jumping off Swings, will be delighted to find out what happens to Josh. The author raises plenty of tough questions while setting her characters in challenging situations from which they must rise or fall. The outcome for some might be predictable but not for all of the characters. For instance, Stella's loss of herself and need to be available to her boyfriend Britt and his whims mirrors her mother's compliance to her own boyfriend's needs, something she is unable to see throughout most of the book. The author did not simply give in to the easy path and start a late-blooming romance between Josh and Stella. The possibility is there, but so is the possibility that they will become even better friends, an outcome that seems all too rare in much of today's literature for teens. This thoughtful, provocative book is sure to prompt much introspection and examination.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Koertge, Ron. (2013). Coaltown Jesus. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Walker and his mother continue to mourn the loss of seventeen-year-old Noah, Walker's older brother. Jesus makes several appearances to help Walker come to terms with Noah's death and his own guilt about something he said to his brother. Since the story is told in a novel in verse format, it is quite accessible to teen readers even while raising questions about divinity, faith, and death. The Jesus who is depicted here is a very human one, witty, honest, irreverent, and interested in some of the world's more modern conveniences. As with all of this author's books, this one raises as many questions as it answers, even while offering some hope to the bereaved.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Kowitt, H. N. (2013). The loser list: Take me to your loser. New York: Scholastic.

Everybody's favorite loser, Danny Shine, concocts a plan to get involved in the school student government in order to avoid having to wrestle Bruiser Pekarsky. As happens with just about everything associated with Danny, things don't go the way he expects, and he ends up becoming more involved with student government than he ever planned. In fact, he is elected president in a bizarre of turn of events, and must lead the class in choosing how to spend a financial gift from donors. The student council members find it impossible to agree on almost anything, and Danny is subject to much pressure from his classmates and friends, all of whom have worthy projects on which the money could be spent. How can he choose from among the worthy causes, including an origami crane folding project, paintball warriors, a musical, and his friends' monster truck zombie film? Readers will laugh as they turn every page.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Larson, Kirby. (2013). Duke. New York: Scholastic.

Eleven-year-old Hobie Hansen loves his German shepherd, Duke, and having his companionship in his Seattle home eases the pain of having his father so far away during WWII. When he learns about Dogs for Defense, he feels compelled to loan Duke to the military, an action that is further motivated by pressure and bullying from Mitch, one of his classmates. But he immediately has second thoughts about his decision, especially when he realizes that many of the dogs in the K-9 units will be used in the war effort and not simply remain stateside as guards. The author captures Hobie's naïve belief that Duke will make it home safely and that he can somehow persuade the Marine with whom he's been paired to send him back to his owner. His letters to Marv, and Marv's letters back to him are brief but poignant. So desperate is Hobie to be reunited with Duke that he is ready to volunteer a friend's dog for military service so that he can have Duke back again. The inclusion of details such as radio programs, foods, slogans, shoe brands, the blue and gold stars in family windows, and recipes lend authenticity to a story that is clearly well-researched and written from the heart. Pair this one with Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata about a war dog during Vietnam or the recently released Dogs of War. Readers should be warned, though, that this book will tug at their heart strings and make them appreciate their own canine companions even more than they did before. This is another moving tale told with dignity by the always-reliable Kirby Larson.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Sloan, Holly Goldberg. (2013). Counting by 7s. New York: Dial.

While this book isn't perfect, reading it made me smile and laugh and reminded me to be a better person. Twelve-year-old Willow Chance is at the book's heart. Willow was adopted by her parents who could tell that she saw the world differently than others did, and subsequently nurtured that uniqueness. Her interests aren't the typical hobbies of middle schoolers since she is fascinated by human medical conditions and gardening on a large scale. As she heads into middle school, she hopes it will offer some challenges, but that notion is quickly dispelled. Accused of cheating on a standardized test, Willow is sent to counseling with the decidedly incompetent Dell Duke, who becomes fascinated with her genius status. She meets Nguyen Thi Mai and Nguyen Quang-ha at the counseling office and is quickly impressed with Mai. When her parents are killed in a wreck, Willow has nowhere to go, but her new friend comes up with a plan that solves everything temporarily. I enjoyed how the author allowed Willow to slowly take interest in the world around her again even while continuing to mourn her parents, and how she somehow found a family, even though that family didn't fit the expectations of social services. Willow's innate goodness shines thorough in so many ways, and it would be impossible not to root for her to have a happy ending. As they read this title, readers may find themselves thinking of the irrepressibly optimistic nature of Amber Appleton in Matthew Quick's Sorta Like a Rock Star. Somehow, Willow makes those around her better just by knowing her. There are so many philosophical moments contained in this book as well as reminders about how everything seems to connect and that our actions always have consequences. Even Dell comes to realize this once he sees what has happened to Cheddar, the cat he brought to work one day. Like the seeds Willow plants, this book plants seeds of hope that each of us can make this world a better place, starting with ourselves. This one will stick with readers and make them continue to think long after the book has been closed.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

Vanderpool, Claire. (2013). Navigating Early. New York: Delacorte Books for Children.

Thirteen-year-old Jack Baker is still processing his mother's unexpected death when his father, a military officer, moves him from their Kansas home to a Maine boarding school near his base. Jack tries to cover up his ignorance about boats and the water, but his classmates quickly realize that he knows little about those things. As he wanders through the school, looking for a way to fit in, he becomes increasingly drawn to the mysterious and eccentric Early Auden. Early plays records, certain singers and songs for each day, and Billie Holiday for rainy days. Left alone in the school during a holiday, they head to the Appalachian Trail on a quest. A mathematical savant, Early is convinced that the numbers in pi tell a story, and that the experiences of the main character in that particular story mirror those of his own brother, Fisher, who was killed during WWII. As the boys make their way via boat and on foot through the woods, they encounter all sorts of strange creatures, both human and animal, including pirates, a black bear, and lost souls filled with regret over words never spoken or seeking closure. Readers' hearts will surely break, as did mine, at some of the encounters, while pounding in excitement at the ways the individual stories all seem to somehow intersect. There are moments that seem tinged with magic, and others that will leave readers thinking about how all the pieces of the book come together. It's impossible not to fall in love with Jack and Early for very different reasons, especially Early's penchant for providing synonyms for the words he uses. For example, this passage is typical of Early: "Maybe we could ask them to give the Maine back. Now that Captain MacScott is 'no longer with us,'" he said, using finger quotation marks. "That means someone's dead. Or you can say kicked the bucket or bought the farm or cashed in his chips or gave up the ghost--" (p. 277). For someone so clueless about certain social skills, Early possesses abundant reservoirs of awareness about others. This tender, touching story of the journey two boys take will move readers even while they marvel at the deftness of the author's handling of several complex themes and issues.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. 

The festive season is upon us and we know that primary teachers across the land are flat out trying to keep some academics going, amidst the Christmas concert preparations—pardon me, Winter Celebrations. Then it’s the small gifts for parents, special art activities, and so on. It’s important, all these fun things—didn’t William Glasser list “fun” as one of his basic needs, along with love and belonging, and a sense of power over your life choices?

But do we even have time for fun? Many are unhappy with our schools. Hard to tell—is it just the ease with which people can broadcast their complaints in the Internet age? Are kids really in such bad shape, leaving high school?

Here in British Columbia we have the odd effect that parents in general like their child’s teacher, but the system as a whole, not so much. Not a week goes by without some soul-searching as to how education has lost its way: This morning’s program on the radio chided teachers for teaching math in a way that leaves parents at a loss. Last year it was the Alberta secondary teacher that famously gave his students zeros for missed tests and assignments, against his district’s policy. He was fired, but immediately snapped up by a private school. Parents were baffled by the leniency his board required. Really?

And now in the US we have the increasing controversy about the Common Core State Standards—whether it’s the onerous assessments, or the sheer mishandling or lack of research evidence, teachers and administrators all share anxiety about an initiative that does not prescribe which materials to use, or which approaches, but which would strive to put American kids out on top in global competitiveness. Early scores though are discouraging.

p: ashleyrose via photopin cc

Plenty of research over the years has shown that the classroom teacher, the sheer excellence of this person and his or her approach, will make all the difference. When people think back to amazing teachers they’ve had, they know this involves classroom management, proactive handling of discipline issues, and yes, “fun.” It requires being an inspiring human being.

This isn’t something a state can mandate—being amazing—but there are a few significant ways teachers can inspire their students and offer activities which truly engage every single child, whether the most clever or the most needy. Permit me to summarize a few of these here.

1. Be a real person. Yes, your children will love it if you bring pictures of your pet and tell silly stories about it. Yes, you have to ham it up quite a bit regardless of the topic, use a lot of different facial expressions, be dramatic, alter your voice (no, I’m not speaking about yelling). Yes, it’s pretty much the “Sesame Street entertainer” shtick that we are doing. But it gives you and your kids lots to laugh about, to be amazed about, even to be sad about. “Variety is the spice...” and all that jazz. Eat a good breakfast —you are giving it your all.
   
   
2. Don’t overdo it with accounting style approaches. This refers especially to discipline issues. In my travels in many classrooms, I have seen people burden themselves and their children with elaborate schemes for keeping track of infractions. Watch out—what you focus on is what you get more of!
   
   Of course you must follow school procedures regarding major items, but if you are “being real,” your kids will quickly learn that sometimes different students do get a different response depending on what is going on. And try to help individuals ‘save face’ by going over issues privately—and never in anger. Kids can read your inner vibe, they smell falsehood with animal-like instinct. If you truly love your children (yes, this is your job), you can dish it out as needed in a caring manner. Sometimes hugs are involved. Share joy, not negativity.
   
   
3. Use stories. Some have formalized this, in that as humans we are uniquely attuned to narrative. Some are using this for social goals—we’ve studied self-regulation for decades, but put some catchy terms with it, and even little kids can practice getting it together. But I’d go further: in addition to these various classroom practices, please use really great and engaging stories with your children every day—stories you love, whether old or new, that are guaranteed crowd-pleasers. Curious George comes to mind or Warton and Morton for older levels; there are many to choose from.
   
   It appears teachers have left many of these behind because they don’t fit this week’s theme, or have certain selected vocabulary involved—too bad! I have repeatedly seen the most disruptive and aggressive children fall quiet under the spell of a good story read with power and emotion. Nothing like that moment when you leave off in the chapter book and the kids gasp, “Don’t stop!!!” Surely we can find time for this. Besides, Richard Allington agrees with me.
   
   
4. Share joy. Somehow we have gotten really bogged down. Specialists want their field put ‘up high’ in the scheme of things—the scientists say we have to create science literacy so our educated citizens can deal with the mass of alarming choices coming up in the next decades —and I agree. The phys-ed people say we need daily P.E., but we know that hopping all over the room and laughing like crazy counts, too.
   
   Your kids will know, “Play it my way and we can have some fun.” They will prove to you early in the year (however you choose to dramatize this, methods are readily at hand)—that they can share a huge laugh and giggle fits and be ready to work instantly. “Wow! Look at you guys!” (See number one.)

We all want “all those goals” that both the Common Core and the specialists say we need. But approaching our work in a piecemeal manner, trying to do the accounting to add it all up, piling one small unit on top of another, is hampering our amazingness.

Academics balanced with “fun stuff”—isn’t it every teacher’s quest? We want all our kids to enjoy school, to really love it, and not only those smart little girls, teacher pleasers who seem to be “made for school” from day one. It’s the holistic approach we must defend, in the face of these demands. As a favorite administrator used to say, “Teach less, better.”

Linda Rightmire offers workshops and mentoring sessions on a structured partner reading approach that emphasizes Allington’s Six Elements of Reading Instruction. She also tutors students in individual and group reading sessions, and works as a teacher on call in the Kamloops-Thompson School District in British Columbia. Her articles have appeared in the regional daily newspaper and elsewhere.