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.

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Recently, I have been inundated by blog posts and articles about super innovative teachers who are accomplishing all sorts of bananas goals with their children as a result of their out-of-the-box teaching methods. My first thought is, “What a rock star! I totally want to hang out in their classroom and see them in action.” My second thought is, “How did they get to be so brave?” My third thought is, “Why are most of us so paralyzed with fear?”

Then I remember what it is like to really really be a teacher in today’s climate. It is scary. Or at least it can be. With the emphasis on accountability and new teacher evaluation systems popping up all over the country, it can feel like a hard time to be a teacher. Everyone is watching—which is fine—it’s just that everyone seems out to get us, to catch us doing something that isn’t on the Approved List of Teaching Actions that was created by a non-teacher and exists in a galaxy far, far away from the realities of the classroom.

I talk to so many teachers who are paralyzed by the fear that they will “do something wrong” or that they are “not teaching the right way.” The end result is that many teachers become overly dependent on curriculum documents and essentially put aside doing what they think and know is the right thing for children.

And who loses? In my opinion, the kids lose out because they may not be getting what they actually need, they are getting what someone outside of the classroom thinks they might need because maybe they read it somewhere and it sounds fancy. Even more, though, I believe the teachers lose. The teachers lose the freedom to meet the needs of their students in ways that are creative and closely tailored to who the student and teacher are as people. The teachers lose the art and spirit of teaching, which is to take the best ideas from others, make them your own and, while you always have a plan, to constantly be thinking-on-your-feet to do what is best for your students. The teachers lose what it is to really be a teacher and to actually teach the little people sitting in front of them.

Every morning, I drive to work and listen to the same morning show on the radio. It’s your typical radio show filled with relatively funny crank phone calls, the latest gossip about famous people, and occasionally some music. However, the other day, the radio host uttered some advice that I thought was absolutely brilliant. He said, “Every day when you go to work, you should pretend you have a million dollars in the bank. That way, you won’t be so afraid to take a few chances.” Then he talked about how so many people made decisions out of fear of being caught or doing the wrong thing, which really results in many people taking fewer risks and being less innovative.

Friends, this is what is happening to us. Many of us are so afraid of doing the wrong thing or of not doing what everyone else is doing that we have lost our desire (or will?) to innovate. When, in reality, our innovations are rarely these random ideas that we pull out of our fannies and have no basis in anything besides a wing and a prayer. Typically, our best and most innovative moments come from years of experience coupled with a depth of knowledge about best practices with a sprinkling of professional reading. So let’s use this summer to free our minds and spirits from the fear that is holding us back from being our best, most rock star selves.

Let’s use this summer to think about new ways to tackle the issues that predictably pop up in your classroom. Let’s use this summer to do a little professional reading to inspire new ideas.

Let’s use this summer to pretend like we have a million dollars and remember the thrill of teaching, truly teaching, at its finest, free-est and most innovative.

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.

p: Chris Costello via photopin cc

So June is finally here. FINALLY. Or maybe you’re feeling like it sneaked up on you in the dark and shouted, “Boo! I’m here sucker!” scaring the you-know-what out of you as you frantically tried to organize piles and deal with typical end of the year nonsense (read: paperwork). Regardless, June is here and that means so is the end.

Isn’t it strange that my life as a student and an educator translates itself into a bizarre notion of what constitutes a year? Most people think about endings in December…I think of December as the middle. Granted, we get to pause a bit and rethink routines or what have you, but when I think of endings, I think of June. June is the time for reflection and taking a deep breath. (December, on the other hand, is about holiday-fueled panic and leaving work in the dark.)

But back to this year and this particular ending. I don’t know about you, but this year kicked my had its way with was hard. As in, “so hard that I’m not sure I’ll be the same when I come back in the fall to begin another year” hard.

Unraveling and implementing the Common Core State Standards pushed me to question everything I think about best practices. I mean, those babies are intense. Over and over again, I wondered, “Am I this intense? How can I ensure that I am doing my job and teaching with these standards in mind and at the same time hold on to those parts of my teaching that I believe in the most? Can I see myself through these standards? How do I do this and not lose myself?”

It felt like I could never do enough. I couldn’t be in enough places at once, read enough books, write enough blog posts, call enough parents, or craft enough original units of study. With so much new-ness (and not enough-ness) this school year, I often was left feeling like I had lost my grip.

And now that we are at the end, I guess all the soul searching, self-doubt, and confusion feels like it may have been worth something. While I’m not who I was in September (a.k.a, a teacher’s January), I like to think I’m a stronger, more thoughtful version of myself. One that is steeped (we’re talking full to the brim) in the Common Core State Standards, is clearer on the practices which feel good to me and good for children, and is more conscious of the rhythms of teaching and how they effect me (and those who are forced to live with me….sorry, Mr. Mimi!) so deeply.

I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year is how far I can bend and just how much I can give to my practice in the classroom. I used to feel like a human pretzel with unlimited energy and willingness to do whatever it takes. No teacher bag was too heavy for my commute home, no booklist too long for me to tackle, no project too intense for me to take on.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: There is no way that that life is sustainable or even…sane. Now, let’s not get it twisted—I am not en route to Slacker-ville. I will always stay up too late, read too many children’s books, and spend an unusual amount of time thinking about work. That is who I am. But I also read PEOPLE magazine, love playing Legos with the Mini, and enjoy laying in the grass of my new big-girl yard on a sunny day. That is also who I am.

So, with this ending right around the corner, I feel like I’ve finally settled (or maybe resettled) into who I am, how intense I am about my job and just how much I can handle before snapping.

Keep your fingers crossed that I can hang on to this feeling once the new (school) year begins…

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.

p: Auremar/Shutterstock.com

If you have ever met me, talked to me or read any of my writing, you probably know that I think all topics (no matter what they are) can be related back to school, education, and the art of teaching. In my mind, schools, students, and teachers are at the center of the universe and, therefore, always on my mind.

So, you probably won’t find it surprising that today, while waiting in the doctor’s office for an appointment, I was thinking about and drawing parallels to school. (What can I say? I’m a teacher. It’s impossible to shut it off.)

Anyhow, I sat in the waiting room as people filtered in and out in various states of frustration, lateness and oblivion. There were people who were clearly ticked off that they had to be there and had no tolerance for anything other than a prompt appointment and little to no human interaction. There were people who were running fifteen minutes late and clearly had a million other things on their minds. There were people who sauntered in, slamming the door loudly behind them as if they were the only people in the room.

As I watched this juicy social tableau unfold before my eyes, I was thinking about how many of these individuals were almost caricatures when it hit me like a ton of bricks. BAM! I could equate each of these broad character types to a specific type of teacher in a staff meeting.

With the Common Core State Standards looming in our daily realities, there is a lot of change on the horizon and I am sure that you are in more than your fair share of meetings. Am I right or am I left? So let’s think about this—which role do you play, and how does it impact the way in which your colleagues view you and/or the way in which your school is moving forward?

As your school continues to advance and refine its literacy practices, which voice are you going to add to the fray? Are you going to be Frazzled Teacher who has a To-Do List that has spontaneously grown more To-Do Lists? Are you going to be Frustrated Teacher who cannot seem to get past all the impending change? Or are you going to be Oblivious Teacher who feels as if she is the only one who has ten thousand competing demands on her plate?

Personally, I know I can be and have been any of these teachers on any given day.

Will you be one of those teachers, or are you going to pause, take a deep breath, and think about what kind of teacher you want to be and stand in that reality? A little fake-it-until-you-make-it, if you will.

I feel like major change is on the horizon and we do have the potential to seize the moment and make an impact as teachers. There are only so many days left in this school year and, as is the tradition in many schools, these days will be filled with decisions, thoughts about next year and meeting after meeting after meeting.

So let’s collectively take a beat and think about how we want to represent ourselves, how we want to contribute to the conversation, and how we want to be perceived.

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.

p: woodleywonderworks via photopin cc

A few weeks ago, I was watching GREY’S ANATOMY. (Of course, I was watching it while feeling guilty because it was only 9:00 on a Thursday night and I probably/should have /could have been doing something teacher-y like grading papers, planning a lesson, or selecting books for an upcoming unit. Isn’t it crazy that we feel guilty about not working at so many times outside of the school day?)

Anyhow, on this particular episode of GREY’S ANATOMY, our beloved doctor friends were (spoiler alert!) getting a taste of what their work lives would be like under a regime of new leadership at the hospital. The new focus was on efficiency, getting to as many patients as possible with little concern to the quality of doctor-patient interaction and standardizing medical procedures to be efficient rather than (always) effective.

I suddenly sat up like a shot and declared, “This is one big metaphor for the current state of the classroom!” To which Mr. Mimi replied, “Not everything is about teaching.” To which I replied with a giant eye roll. Because it is. Everything is about or can be related to teaching.

Let’s take conferring with readers. I have never met a teacher who isn’t worried about the schedule for conferring with readers. When teachers take a look at how many minutes they actually have to confer with students and then consider how long it can take to have a strong conference with a child, they realize that they can only get to two or three students a day. This means there is essentially no way they can work with every single student in their class over the course of a week. Cue the panic and a bit of guilt mixed in with some anxiety about what the administration will think.

But how can we teach anything well with the nagging feeling that we should really be moving on, checking off more boxes, and “getting to” more children? What does it even mean to just “get to” someone? Is that all we can expect to give to our students now? Is that what they deserve? Is it what we deserve?

In my experience, when I am conflicted about my practice, I am not at my best. I am distracted and unfocused and when I think about it, even the 4.5 minutes I spent with a particular student were a waste of time.

The truth is, working with students in small settings (such as the one-on-one conference or a small group) is what makes the biggest difference in a child’s learning. It is how we tailor our instruction to meet the individual needs of the wide range in our classrooms. Not only is this point based in research, which tends to make more people sit up and listen, but it is plain common sense.

Classrooms are busy and getting busier. They are big and getting bigger. But those factors are out of our control, so why do we have to alter what we know is best for children in the name of being more efficient? We know bigger classes are not necessarily better classes, so let’s not compound the issue by rushing through our time to develop our relationship with and address the needs of our students, no matter how many we have.

Teachers have a lot to do, a lot to cover, and even more to test. Therefore, I think it is more important than ever that we slow down and embrace the conference as a time to savor the moment and be present with just one little friend at a time. It is what they deserve. It is what we deserve, too.

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 World Read Aloud Day! If you are celebrating, I hope your day is fabulous and you revel in the joy that is reading. (Nerd alert, right?) And if you are not celebrating today, I hope your day is fabulous and you revel in the joy that is reading.

If you’re not picking up what I’m putting down, what I am saying is that whether it is World Read Aloud Day, a Monday, the third Tuesday of the month or the day back after a long vacation, reveling in the love of reading should be something that is considered and practiced each and every day.

Don’t get me wrong—days such as World Read Aloud Day are extremely important and make for wonderful celebrations. They help us to remember how lucky we are to share our stories, our opinions, and our knowledge with one another through the written word. However, I would say that celebrating the joy of reading, books, blogs, and all the other texts that deserve to be enjoyed just one or two days out of the year is not enough.

Think about your own reading instruction, and think about it honestly. Is it fun? Is there a sense of excitement about what you are reading and learning to do as readers? Is there an air of celebration for the accomplishments of students? Or is it task-oriented, test-driven and all about getting to the next level?

If you are a joy-filled wonderland of reading excitement and growth, go get yourself a cocktail and celebrate you. If not, I’ve been there too and I know how you (most likely) got there.

We are teachers, we are list-makers, we are afraid of dropping a ball, we are diligent, and we are just trying to navigate our way through an ever changing landscape of standards, mandates and programs. Am I right or am I left? The business of teaching small friends how to read is serious and should be taken seriously, but not so seriously that we beat every ounce of fun out of it, leaving it in a sad pile with nothing but a rubric and Scantron sheet to keep it warm at night.

So, how do you get your groove back? I would suggest reflecting on your own reading life. What and how do you read for pleasure? If you’re like me, it’s a reward at the end of a long day or a treat in the midst of a busy week. Why can’t this sort of reading for pleasure be reflected in our classrooms? Extra reading time in the midst of a busy week viewed as a way to treat ourselves and celebrate our hard work. Or extra reading time at the end of the day as a way to unwind and enjoy some time to get lost in a book. Reading is a pleasure (when your students are given choices) and should be viewed and practiced as such within the classroom.

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Now think about your next unit of study or the next few weeks of instruction. What are your overarching goals for your students as readers? Do you have specific goals for each student that you can track and celebrate once they are accomplished? Keep your eye on the prize by holding two or three goals for your students in your mind as a way to avoid getting mired down in the day by day tasks of completing graphic organizers, logging titles and making it to all of your conferences on time.

Finally, think about the ways in which you celebrate the written word and your students’ accomplishments as readers. Do you celebrate at all? Do you celebrate with cupcakes and cheesy poofs? While I can certainly see the joy in a good crunchy cheesy poof and know that the rush of sugar that comes from cupcakes can make your little friends appear joyful (prior to the crash that is inevitable), is their joy related to their reading successes or is it related to the novelty of gloriously salty or sugary midday snacks? Consider moving away from the cupcakes (I know, they are fabulous) and toward more authentic celebrations in which children name their successes, compliment one another, become famous for their achievements and share their learning in more authentic ways.

The bottom line is if we get stressed and over burdened by day-to-day teaching points, we can easily lose what should be the common thread of our reading instruction – joy. If we are pumped up, they are pumped up. And if we can model our classroom practices after the real-life authentic joy that can come from reading, we are golden.

Happy World Read Aloud Day and happy celebrating…everyday.

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.