Literacy Now

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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. 

It’s SUMMERRRRR! Shall we shout it from the rooftops together? One of my favorite things about teachers is that if you ask most teachers what their plans are for the summer, many of them will say, “Reading!” Okay. Most teachers will say “sleeping late” and then they will say, “reading,” but you get what I mean, right?

My summer reading plans are intense. I have had a growing stack of books on my nightstand for weeks that has climbed to perilous heights over the spring. I have collected books recommended by friends, a couple of books that were gifts, two new books by my favorite authors, and a few gems I discovered by pouring over book reviews online. I also have a list of titles going on my phone and several downloaded books waiting for me on my iPad. Don’t even ask me about the pile of professional books on my desk—those are definitely in the mix too.

I was laying in bed trying to decide which book to turn to first. Did I want to read something light or something more involved? Did I want to read to learn or to be entertained? Whose world did I want to dive into first? I took some time to luxuriate in the decision—after an entire school year filled with making a million decisions every minute, this was one decision I wanted to linger over.

As I looked through my carefully curated titles, my mind began to wander to my students. (Another reality of summer: our students and classrooms are never that far from our minds, are they?) With the go-go-go climate that has been created in schools, do my students have the opportunity to luxuriate over the decision of which book to read next? Are they free to carefully curate a selection of books to put on their “Read Next” pile? Am I taking enough care to help them develop their reading preferences and identities in the face of such an intense focus on data, testing, and accountability?

I took a quick moment and jotted down all the purposes for reading represented in the pile I had collected over the last few weeks. I also jotted down how I found the various titles in my pile. I want to be sure to capture my reading life as authentically as possible so that I can help my students recreate these experiences and opportunities in our classroom. Where can I create spaces for children to share their book recommendations with one another? Am I helping them to cultivate favorite authors and genres? Am I providing spaces for them to read for a variety of purposes?

There is nothing we can do about the larger school climate or your particular school’s fixation on data. I mean, I guess we could wear head-to-toe leather and stage a political uprising, but I’m tired, aren’t you? It was a long school year. However, we can use our summers wisely to rejuvenate ourselves and refocus our instruction on a broader goal for the teaching of reading beyond passing to the next level. Our primary job is to create lovers of reading who are capable of selecting, engaging with, and using text in dynamic ways. A great starting point is to think about why we love to read and how we began our love affair with books.

No matter how late I sleep and how many times I go to the grocery store in the middle of the day (!!), my teaching is always on my mind. Summer is the perfect time to find a bit of mental space to reflect on how I can improve on my practice and bring back some much needed authenticity and joy. Sometimes you just need to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and a good book to be a better teacher.

And while we are on the subject of summer reading, did you know that yours truly has a book coming out this August? Well I do! And it’s all about how to find and maintain your own fabulousness—because you are and you owe it to yourself to let it show.

Pre-order Jennifer's book, "Be Fabulous: The Reading Teacher's Guide to Reclaiming Your Happiness in the Classroom" now and look for its release in August!

Mrs. Mimi, a.k.a. Jennifer Scoggin, is a teacher who taught both first and second grades at a public elementary school in New York City. She's the author of the upcoming “Be Fabulous: The Reading Teacher's Guide to Reclaiming Your Happiness in the Classroom” and“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.

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 Digital Learning Day!!! Whee! Cupcakes for everyone! Even better than that—You get an iPad! You get an iPad! You get an iPad!

Sorry.

Someday I will realize I am not the Oprah of education. Not yet anyway. (But when I am? iPads all around!)

Wait, say what? Digital Learning Day? If you are wondering what Digital Learning Day commemorates, let me fill you in. Digital Learning Day promotes giving every child the opportunity to learn and grow in a dynamic digital environment every day. Every. Day. Translation? Asking kids to “type up” one piece of writing a year is no longer enough.

p: flickingerbrad via photopin

Technology is certainly nothing new in the classroom. (Perhaps working computers are a revelation in your particular school but that is another story for another day.) As the technology conversation has evolved, educators have discussed ways in which technology can be integrated in meaningful ways rather than as an afterthought. To me, that means technology can no longer be isolated to the product alone. You know, when we ask kids to type up what they wrote with pencil and paper, or when we ask kids to make an iMovie to represent what they have learned in a particular social studies unit.

Don’t get me wrong, those things can be H.O.T. hot, but they are no longer enough. (And if we’ve learned anything about being educators it’s that somehow most things are never enough. Never.) If we are to integrate technology in meaningful ways into our classroom instruction on a daily basis, it means that technology must be a part of the process, not just the product.

Maybe you’re nodding along with me right now and thinking, “That Mrs. Mimi has it going on.” Or maybe you’re rolling your eyes and thinking, “That sounds good but what can I do in my classroom today, hot shot?” I hear you.

When I think about integrating anything new into my reading instruction, I always ask myself, “What do I do as a reader with (insert new idea here)?” So, what do you do as a reader with technology? Or as a reader of technology? Personally, as a reader, I read books, blogs, recipes, articles, magazines and emails on my iPad, laptop and phone. I watch videos, both with and without text. (Yes, those count too.) I do this to research a new area of interest, to learn more as I complete a project, to find out how to do something and to relax. Take a minute and think about yourself—how do you use technology as a reader?

Now comes the key question. (Drumroll please.) How can you mirror that in your classroom?

Still shaking your head and thinking to yourself that it all sounds nice but that you don’t have any technology in your classroom? Well, that excuse isn’t working any more is it? Teachers are still expected to integrate technology despite the fact that some schools are dragging their heels when it comes to re-tooling classrooms. 

Clearly, doing nothing is not motivating said schools to prioritize purchasing technology for you to use. So, sign out the computer lab. Sign out the rolling laptop or iPad cart. Every day. Every day. Every. Day. Maybe if the labs are full and the carts are scarce, the Powers That Be will get the hint. All we can do is try. Now, do a quick Google search for ideas or apps. There are literally a ho-jillion resources out there. Give it a shot today—after all, it’s Digital Learning Day!!

Now, where’s my cupcake?

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.

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?)

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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.

Have you ever read a picture book aloud and had this moment where life all made a little more sense? Or is that just me and my somewhat intense picture book obsession?

At least at my house, I’m not alone in my love for children’s books and more specifically, all things Pete the Cat. Last week, Mini Mimi and I were reading PETE THE CAT SAVES CHRISTMAS. Are you familiar with this soon-to-be holiday classic? In typical Pete fashion, this book has a catchy refrain that is woven throughout the story. As Pete works hard to help Santa deliver his gifts, he chants, “Give it your all, give it your all. At Christmas we give, so give it your all.”

After reading those words, I immediately thought of all of you in your classrooms and how you give it your all each and every day and was inspired to write this letter to you.

To Those Who Give It Their All on a Daily Basis:

Let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for showing up each and every day, not just on holidays, and giving it your all. You are magnificent and deserve a moment to celebrate YOU.

Being a teacher, particularly a teacher of reading, means sharing so much of yourself in addition to your knowledge of strategies, letter sounds, and authors. As teachers of reading, you help breathe life and joy into books during a time in education when learning can too often and too quickly become rote and lifeless. You celebrate student success and embrace their frustrations, pushing them gently to overcome obstacles that feel insurmountable in the moment. You constantly doubt yourself, wondering if you are doing enough, planning enough, reaching your students enough. But it is that doubt and self-reflection that makes you a better and stronger teacher who is able to give it your all.

You give it your all in terms of your instruction, and you also consistently give of yourself. You share your reading life and preferences with your students. You share your students’ favorite authors and books as well as their struggles when encountering an unfamiliar and challenging text. Being a teacher of reading does not just mean giving students access to instructional best practices, it means giving students some insight into who you are as a reader, a teacher, and a person.

All too often, I hear “rigorous practice” separated from discussions of “fun” activities. Yet so many of you strive every day to reconnect “fun” with “rigor” by coming up with new ways to engage your students with difficult concepts and texts. This type of instructional savvy doesn’t just happen, nor is it inherent in every curriculum. It comes from teachers who give it their all, just like our friend Pete the Cat.

So know that at least one person out there knows how hard your job is and how much of yourself you give to your students every day.

Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Mrs. Mimi

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.

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. 

Lately, every conversation I have with teachers centers on their frustration that many of their students struggle to initiate, complete, or problem solve any sort of task independently. Let’s see if any of this sounds familiar, shall we?

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Perhaps you have a friend who comes upon a tricky word in her reading and simply gives up, choosing instead to stare into space rather than try a variety of strategies and/or a new book. Or a friend who isn’t really interested in any of his books but chooses to play with various items at his desk rather than seek out alternative texts. Maybe it’s a friend who stares at a blank page in their reading journal, waiting passively for you to come by and tell them exactly what they should be writing. Or it could be a friend who is content to say, “I don’t know” to most questions about their reading without giving the question a moment of thought, knowing that instead you will feed it to them or someone else will do the thinking for them.

I’m sure you could come up with other examples of friends who struggle to engage, who wait to be told in excruciating repetitive detail what it is they should be doing, who seem to be content waiting for someone else to come along and essentially do their work for them. By now, many of you are likely nodding your head, groaning in agreement or pouring yourself another cup of coffee because this strikes a little close to home, yes?

I know in these situations that it is easy to think about whom to blame—the parents, their teacher from last year, or the (gasp) children themselves. But where does that get us? Nowhere. We still have to come to our classrooms day in and day out and face students who struggle to read and work independently. Personally, I am very uncomfortable with blaming students for this behavior when, in fact, I think it is a bit of learned helplessness that, despite everyone’s best efforts, is instilled in students over the course of many years for a couple of reasons.

First, many of us are afraid to let children be wrong. But I’ll let you in on a little secret…sometimes they are wrong. It is okay to sometimes tell a child that their answer is incorrect. Really. It is. I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to a child give me some bananas answer about the underlying theme of a text and then hear myself take some circuitous route to validate their answer by bringing it around to the correct answer.

Say what? Lately my response is, “How do you know?” or “What part of the text makes you say that?” or sometimes even, “No, sweetheart, but let’s talk about how to find the answer.” Granted, you don’t want to throw your head back, laugh and shout, “That is ridiculous!! What a crazy answer.” But we also don’t want to rob our students of the opportunity to be thoughtful, to rethink their answer, to truly understand how to substantiate their thinking, and to learn how to be wrong about something.

Many of us are also reluctant to let students simply sit and stew a bit. Marinate in their own juices if you will. It is okay if a student struggles to understand a text. It is okay for them to encounter an unfamiliar word or phrase and to be confused. Of course you want to make certain they are not working with a text that is wildly inappropriate for their particular level, but once you have done this, it is okay for them to not have every answer. There is no need to rush to their side and provide them with so much background knowledge and so many clues that you rob them of the chance to think for themselves.

I think our desire to hold our students’ hands (perhaps too much) comes from a very good and genuine place. There is no blame to place here. But there is some re-thinking to do. We need to let our little friends stew in their own reading juices and see what they come up with – I bet it’s some pretty good stuff!

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.