After the bombings yesterday in Boston, I read an article with an interesting headline: "If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." Well said, Ezra Klein (article found here). That simple sentence says multitudes about the sport of running and the people that toe the starting line time after time.
If you have ever been a part of a big race, you will understand the quote above. In the midst of a marathon, you see all types of people - young, old, big, little - all moving toward the same goal. The air at the beginning of a marathon is electric. Excitement and nerves run through the bodies of the runners. Runners have worked for months, some even years, to get to the starting line of the marathon, whether their first or fiftieth. Along the route, you see people helping each other, cheering each other on, as they move their legs toward the finish. Every racer knows and understands the pain on every runner's face, knows exactly how their legs are feeling at mile 21. It is a shared camaraderie. Strangers unite in their common effort to do what they have dreamed of doing, to push their bodies just a little bit further than they thought possible.
Aside from the runners, the spectators and hundreds of volunteers are another example of the good that is still left in the world. No race can be accomplished without them. These people get up before the sun to support and help organize the giant feat that their friends and loved ones have set out to accomplish. They cheer, they hand out food and water, they pick up trash, they give words of encouragement when they are needed the most. They are working because they understand the desires of their loved ones. They want to give back to the sport that consumes the lives of so many. Do they get anything for doing this? No - it is done from the goodness in their hearts. If you are ever at a big race, look around and see just how many people have those good hearts. It is overwhelming.
Runners are a different breed. They are goal-setters, thrill-seekers, comfortable with being alone. They constantly push their bodies to the limits to see just how strong they are. They get up early, stay up late, rearrange their schedules, miss weekend mornings with their families just to run. Running is a lifestyle, a life-changer. When runners line up on a starting line, they are surrounded by many like-minded people who share their passion. They don't have to explain it; they understand it. As they log miles, they know that everyone around them is logging the miles for the same purpose - to fulfill the desire in their hearts and the need in their muscles.
It is sad that such a senseless tragedy as the one that occurred yesterday can change the face of the racing world within minutes. Runners that make it to Boston are people that have spent their lifetimes working toward reaching this ultimate running dream. They have trained hard to get to the race. Boston is not like your local 5K. It is similar to the Superbowl or the World Series in the running field. Unfortunately, many runners' dreams were cut short yesterday, and even more unfortunately, people will start to view running events differently. The bomber(s) took something away from running yesterday.
Fortunately, runners ARE a different breed. Runners will continue to run no matter what adversity comes their way. Runners tend to band together. The running community is strong, and it will stay strong. Whether you run a 10-minute mile or a 5-minute mile, when you lace up your shoes to go for a run, you are a runner. Runners understand each other because they all carry the same passion in their hearts for a sport that gives back what they are willing to put in.
Running clears heads, strengthens bodies, opens minds, and forms friendships. Racing events are not something to be feared, despite the devastating events that took place in Boston. If anything, racing events should be embraced, because it is in them that you will find the strength of the human spirit. They are the one place you will see strangers coming together, providing words of encouragement, supporting each other when their will is crumbling. They are the one place you will see hundreds of people giving up their time to make sure runners are safe, supported, and well fueled. The running community is unique. It is strong, it is large, and everyone is welcome. Nothing will change that.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Making Time
I have decided it is time to start practicing what I preach. I tell my students all the time that the only way to get better at something is to practice, practice, practice. When they complain about not liking to read, I often stress to them that once they start reading on a regular basis, it will become a habit in their lives; they will feel empty when they don't. They look at me with disbelieving eyes, but eventually they come back to tell me that I was right. I love those moments!
As a child and a teenager, I wrote all the time. In elementary school, I wrote stories - pages and pages of notebook paper filled with the imaginings of my mind. My teachers always encouraged me to keep writing, and some even had my stories spiral-bound into "books" that I could keep forever. In middle and high school, I moved to poetry and journal writing. My high school creative writing and English teacher became my inspiration. She wrote poetry and frequently shared it with us. She also kept the most creative journals - she decorated the outside covers, glued pictures, quotes, and inspirational words throughout the pages. She was my role model. She was everything I wanted to be - creative, inspiring, a teacher, an author, and a mentor. I thrived in her classroom, keeping journals, writing poetry, and finding my inner voice.
After high school, I lost touch with the teacher that had inspired me to find my writing voice. It was up to me to do it on my own. I sporadically kept journals throughout college and into my post-college life, but writing became less of a habit for me. My entire life, I had used writing as a way to vent my frustrations and explore my emotions. But as my life got busier with work, a family, and other obligations, that outlet slowly started slipping away.
Now, I find myself longing for my writing life. In stores, I am always drawn to the journals. I buy a new journal at least once or twice a year, thinking the beautiful cover will inspire me to continue my old habit. My desire is so strong, but I never seem to make the time for writing.
I read book after book, devouring and falling in love with words. In fact, my ultimate goal is to one day write a book of my own, hoping to inspire someone the way that so many books have inspired me. But, like I tell my students, I won't get there if I don't make time to practice. Even if I just sit down for ten minutes a day in between teaching, parenting, reading, running, coaching, and housekeeping (whew!), I will be closer to my goal than I am now.
I had a conversation with a writer last night that has motivated me. She used to be a teacher, but quit her job to become a full-time writer. After talking to her, I realized that that is the life I want. She is living my dream. But I am the only one holding myself back.
So this is my vow. I am putting it in writing so I can stick to it. Ten mintues a day. Journal or blog. Just as long as my thoughts start flowing and my words start accumulating. I'm on my way.
As a child and a teenager, I wrote all the time. In elementary school, I wrote stories - pages and pages of notebook paper filled with the imaginings of my mind. My teachers always encouraged me to keep writing, and some even had my stories spiral-bound into "books" that I could keep forever. In middle and high school, I moved to poetry and journal writing. My high school creative writing and English teacher became my inspiration. She wrote poetry and frequently shared it with us. She also kept the most creative journals - she decorated the outside covers, glued pictures, quotes, and inspirational words throughout the pages. She was my role model. She was everything I wanted to be - creative, inspiring, a teacher, an author, and a mentor. I thrived in her classroom, keeping journals, writing poetry, and finding my inner voice.
After high school, I lost touch with the teacher that had inspired me to find my writing voice. It was up to me to do it on my own. I sporadically kept journals throughout college and into my post-college life, but writing became less of a habit for me. My entire life, I had used writing as a way to vent my frustrations and explore my emotions. But as my life got busier with work, a family, and other obligations, that outlet slowly started slipping away.
Now, I find myself longing for my writing life. In stores, I am always drawn to the journals. I buy a new journal at least once or twice a year, thinking the beautiful cover will inspire me to continue my old habit. My desire is so strong, but I never seem to make the time for writing.
I read book after book, devouring and falling in love with words. In fact, my ultimate goal is to one day write a book of my own, hoping to inspire someone the way that so many books have inspired me. But, like I tell my students, I won't get there if I don't make time to practice. Even if I just sit down for ten minutes a day in between teaching, parenting, reading, running, coaching, and housekeeping (whew!), I will be closer to my goal than I am now.
I had a conversation with a writer last night that has motivated me. She used to be a teacher, but quit her job to become a full-time writer. After talking to her, I realized that that is the life I want. She is living my dream. But I am the only one holding myself back.
So this is my vow. I am putting it in writing so I can stick to it. Ten mintues a day. Journal or blog. Just as long as my thoughts start flowing and my words start accumulating. I'm on my way.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
What Are We Teaching?
I have been writing this post in my head for over a week now. Then, this morning, I happened upon a conversation on Twitter between Donalyn Miller and Paul Hankins about reading programs vs. the simple act of reading. Shortly after that, I read a blog post by Katherine Sokolowski (found here http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/), which was inspired by the same Twitter conversation. All of these prompted me to sit down and write about a topic that has been weighing heavily on my head - and my heart - over the past week.
Last year, we were told by our district to select a new textbook, as it was the English department's adoption year. We were not given a choice in the matter, even though we had been working for four years to develop an independent reading program. We picked a book that we thought would work well with our developing reading workshop; it was one that we envisioned using as shared reading or read alouds to drive our units in workshop.
Much to my dismay, I was informed last week that we may be told to use only the textbook and to abandon reading workshop in order to get our students to pass the tests they are being given to measure their progress. Since not all English teachers are using reading workshop, and not all teachers are using the new textbook, it has been decided that "using the textbook with fidelity" may give us the most bang for our buck in moving students from tiers two and three to tier one in AIMSweb testing, which would hopefully deliver promising SOL scores. Needless to say, I was heartbroken over this, and I refuse to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach.
What are we teaching our students?? By forcing them to read material that is inaccessible to more than half of them and by following a scripted lesson, we are teaching our students that reading is boring. We are teaching them that reading is not valued; only test scores are what is most important. Incredibly enough, though, test scores are not going to rise because of a reading program or a basal - reading scores are going to rise when students are engaged and reading voraciously books OF THEIR CHOICE.
A couple of years ago, our school spent thousands upon thousands of dollars buying books to stock English teachers' classrooms with books from many different genres at various reading levels. The purpose of this endeavor was to bring "choice" reading into the classrooms - where students could choose which books they would read at their own reading levels instead of having a class novel or giving them a one-size-fits-all textbook that many of the students could not access. I cannot begin to describe how passionate I am about teaching this way. In my classroom, I have thousands of books, a conglomoration of books that I have purchased with my own money as well as the ones that were purchased by the school. It is my own mini-library, and my students know that they can come to me any time they need a new book. Having these books at my students' fingertips is probably one of the most motivating factors for them. They can interact much more personally with these books than they will ever interact with a textbook.
While a textbook company may claim that its program is proven to raise test scores, I wholeheartedly believe that it is books, books, books that will allow our students to succeed. They need TIME to read during class, they need BOOKS available to them, and they need a knowledgable educator who can sit beside them and TALK to them about what they are reading.
There are amazing things happening in classrooms where students are taught using books of their choice and where students are given the opportunity to read these books. These experiences extend way beyond the confines of a textbook with a scripted lesson plan to follow. These are experiences that change readers every day and teach them the value of reading.
The following is a snapshot of experiences students are having that they would not get from a textbook:
- Last week Vanessa closed Every Day by David Levithan with tears streaming down her cheeks. I immediately got my Kindle and turned to Six Earlier Days, already downloaded and ready for her to feed her need for more of the story. She was so thankful
- Tori, who has had trouble sticking to a book all year, is completely engrossed in Pelzer's A Child Called It, which is a book she chose as part of our survival unit. She comes to me every day to talk about what is happening to Dave and how sad it is making her. She is not only reading, but she is emotionally connecting to a book. That's a big deal!
- I showed the trailer for The One and Only Ivan along with a booktalk, and in four different classes, every single student asked to be on the waiting list to read the book. Not only that, but many of them went out and bought their own copies.
- We are reading Wonder as our read aloud, and every day students beg me to read more. They rejoice when August has a triumph, and they cry along with me when we read the heart-wrenching parts. In addition, they are making connections, inferences, and predictions - all while sharing a love of reading!
- Students walk into my classroom discussing books they are reading. They are passing books around, giving each other recommendations, and planning for what they are going to read next. I can't tell you the last time I heard a buzz like that over a textbook story.
I could go on and on. I have seen many successes in my classroom that were not brought upon by a textbook. I have seen children fall in love with books who would previously not touch them. The discussions are richer, the connections are deeper, and their horizons are broadening. Books have the power to change lives. It amazes me that anyone would sacrifice that for a scripted program just for the sake of boosting data.
We need to reexamine what we are teaching children. Are we willing to teach them that everyone needs to read the same material, at the same level, at the same time? Are we willing to teach them that "reading" is taking out a textbook and following a prescribed sequence? Or are we willing to teach them that books have the power to take them to new places while giving them an outlet to discover themselves? Are we willing to teach them that falling in love with reading is what should really matter?
Last year, we were told by our district to select a new textbook, as it was the English department's adoption year. We were not given a choice in the matter, even though we had been working for four years to develop an independent reading program. We picked a book that we thought would work well with our developing reading workshop; it was one that we envisioned using as shared reading or read alouds to drive our units in workshop.
Much to my dismay, I was informed last week that we may be told to use only the textbook and to abandon reading workshop in order to get our students to pass the tests they are being given to measure their progress. Since not all English teachers are using reading workshop, and not all teachers are using the new textbook, it has been decided that "using the textbook with fidelity" may give us the most bang for our buck in moving students from tiers two and three to tier one in AIMSweb testing, which would hopefully deliver promising SOL scores. Needless to say, I was heartbroken over this, and I refuse to adopt a one-size-fits-all approach.
What are we teaching our students?? By forcing them to read material that is inaccessible to more than half of them and by following a scripted lesson, we are teaching our students that reading is boring. We are teaching them that reading is not valued; only test scores are what is most important. Incredibly enough, though, test scores are not going to rise because of a reading program or a basal - reading scores are going to rise when students are engaged and reading voraciously books OF THEIR CHOICE.
A couple of years ago, our school spent thousands upon thousands of dollars buying books to stock English teachers' classrooms with books from many different genres at various reading levels. The purpose of this endeavor was to bring "choice" reading into the classrooms - where students could choose which books they would read at their own reading levels instead of having a class novel or giving them a one-size-fits-all textbook that many of the students could not access. I cannot begin to describe how passionate I am about teaching this way. In my classroom, I have thousands of books, a conglomoration of books that I have purchased with my own money as well as the ones that were purchased by the school. It is my own mini-library, and my students know that they can come to me any time they need a new book. Having these books at my students' fingertips is probably one of the most motivating factors for them. They can interact much more personally with these books than they will ever interact with a textbook.
While a textbook company may claim that its program is proven to raise test scores, I wholeheartedly believe that it is books, books, books that will allow our students to succeed. They need TIME to read during class, they need BOOKS available to them, and they need a knowledgable educator who can sit beside them and TALK to them about what they are reading.
There are amazing things happening in classrooms where students are taught using books of their choice and where students are given the opportunity to read these books. These experiences extend way beyond the confines of a textbook with a scripted lesson plan to follow. These are experiences that change readers every day and teach them the value of reading.
The following is a snapshot of experiences students are having that they would not get from a textbook:
- Last week Vanessa closed Every Day by David Levithan with tears streaming down her cheeks. I immediately got my Kindle and turned to Six Earlier Days, already downloaded and ready for her to feed her need for more of the story. She was so thankful
- Tori, who has had trouble sticking to a book all year, is completely engrossed in Pelzer's A Child Called It, which is a book she chose as part of our survival unit. She comes to me every day to talk about what is happening to Dave and how sad it is making her. She is not only reading, but she is emotionally connecting to a book. That's a big deal!
- I showed the trailer for The One and Only Ivan along with a booktalk, and in four different classes, every single student asked to be on the waiting list to read the book. Not only that, but many of them went out and bought their own copies.
- We are reading Wonder as our read aloud, and every day students beg me to read more. They rejoice when August has a triumph, and they cry along with me when we read the heart-wrenching parts. In addition, they are making connections, inferences, and predictions - all while sharing a love of reading!
- Students walk into my classroom discussing books they are reading. They are passing books around, giving each other recommendations, and planning for what they are going to read next. I can't tell you the last time I heard a buzz like that over a textbook story.
I could go on and on. I have seen many successes in my classroom that were not brought upon by a textbook. I have seen children fall in love with books who would previously not touch them. The discussions are richer, the connections are deeper, and their horizons are broadening. Books have the power to change lives. It amazes me that anyone would sacrifice that for a scripted program just for the sake of boosting data.
We need to reexamine what we are teaching children. Are we willing to teach them that everyone needs to read the same material, at the same level, at the same time? Are we willing to teach them that "reading" is taking out a textbook and following a prescribed sequence? Or are we willing to teach them that books have the power to take them to new places while giving them an outlet to discover themselves? Are we willing to teach them that falling in love with reading is what should really matter?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
I love when a book moves me, really touches the deepest parts of my heart. Books that allow me to truly connect with the characters, to feel their every joy and disappointment, are those that I stay awake thinking about long after I've read the last word. Books such as these are ones that I journal about, recommend to friends and students, and sometimes even reread. I am always searching for books that have characters and plots that stick with me for days, weeks, even months into the future.
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullay Hunt is one of the most heart-wrenching, beautiful stories of loss, love, friendship, and family. I literally devoured it, turning the last pages with tears streaming down my face. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with almost every character in this book. Since finishing it last night, I have recommended it to everyone I have spoken to, and I am eager to share it with my students when they return to school on Tuesday.
Carley ends up in a foster home with the Murphy's after her mom's new husband lands both of them in the hospital. All Carley can remember from that night is her mom holding her leg for her stepfather to hit her. In Carley's mind, her mom doesn't care what happens to her, so no one else will either. When Mrs. Murphy is nice to Carley, she keeps waiting for her - and trying to force her - to leave her behind. No matter how hard Carley pushes, Mrs. Murphy doesn't go away.
Carley slowly begins to feel at home with Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and their three sons. She even manages to make a friend, Toni, after a rough start. For once, Carley knows what it feels like to be part of a real, normal family, which is quite the opposite to her gambling, drinking mother. Then, Carley gets a call that her mother is getting better. She is faced with the realization that she will most likely have to return to her mother and leave her "family" behind. Carley is forced to confront and acknowledge her feelings.
This is more than a story of a girl in foster care. This is a story of hope. It is a story of one young girl learning to love and of learning to accept the love of others. Carley has a tough outer shell, but once she starts letting people in, you get a glimpse of what a truly wonderful, talented young lady she is...and how much she just needs a little love in her life.
This book made me sad because I realized that there are so many people that don't know the unconditional love of a mother. It also made me happy because I realized that while things may not be perfect in life, there is always someone out there that can inspire you, support you, and teach you to "become someone's hero." I think so many students will be able to connect with this book, and it will hopefully leave them with the sense that they ARE important to someone, somewhere.
I can't say enough good things about One for the Murphys. It is one of the best middle grade novels I have read in a long time. I know this is one book that will stay with me for years to come.
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullay Hunt is one of the most heart-wrenching, beautiful stories of loss, love, friendship, and family. I literally devoured it, turning the last pages with tears streaming down my face. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with almost every character in this book. Since finishing it last night, I have recommended it to everyone I have spoken to, and I am eager to share it with my students when they return to school on Tuesday.
Carley ends up in a foster home with the Murphy's after her mom's new husband lands both of them in the hospital. All Carley can remember from that night is her mom holding her leg for her stepfather to hit her. In Carley's mind, her mom doesn't care what happens to her, so no one else will either. When Mrs. Murphy is nice to Carley, she keeps waiting for her - and trying to force her - to leave her behind. No matter how hard Carley pushes, Mrs. Murphy doesn't go away.
Carley slowly begins to feel at home with Mr. and Mrs. Murphy and their three sons. She even manages to make a friend, Toni, after a rough start. For once, Carley knows what it feels like to be part of a real, normal family, which is quite the opposite to her gambling, drinking mother. Then, Carley gets a call that her mother is getting better. She is faced with the realization that she will most likely have to return to her mother and leave her "family" behind. Carley is forced to confront and acknowledge her feelings.
This is more than a story of a girl in foster care. This is a story of hope. It is a story of one young girl learning to love and of learning to accept the love of others. Carley has a tough outer shell, but once she starts letting people in, you get a glimpse of what a truly wonderful, talented young lady she is...and how much she just needs a little love in her life.
This book made me sad because I realized that there are so many people that don't know the unconditional love of a mother. It also made me happy because I realized that while things may not be perfect in life, there is always someone out there that can inspire you, support you, and teach you to "become someone's hero." I think so many students will be able to connect with this book, and it will hopefully leave them with the sense that they ARE important to someone, somewhere.
I can't say enough good things about One for the Murphys. It is one of the best middle grade novels I have read in a long time. I know this is one book that will stay with me for years to come.
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