Category: Big Questions

Leveling up: Pathways to reading

mc escher

Wonderful colleague posts this question to the universe:
Calling ALL opinions: students are reading below grade level (anywhere from 5 to 1 year behind) and I want to do a book study to meet some CORE standards. Can I use one that isn’t at grade level? Or is that just making it too easy? Is it OK to use any book as long as it is higher than their current level of performance? Weigh in…and not just teachers!

My quick response:I have a lot to say about this, but Lucy Calkins said it well: “I want to know when I am about to ski down the black diamond slope.” In other words, make the reading levels AND the student’s current reading abilities as transparent as possible, with the key ingredient: Once they know, teach the hell out of how they can improve. I have “let go” so much regarding levels as far as what they “should” be reading – I encourage ANY kind of reading–comic books, picture books, fairy tales, graphic novels, cereal boxes, video game quest logs, you name it. In fact, on the MSP there is a place for “functional” reading–which I agree with. Being able to read a functional document means a functional adult (or a greatly improved chance). I stress, stress, stress to my students if you don’t understand it and can’t talk about it, you’re not “reading” –you’re faking it. So, encourage them if they want to read something higher than their “level” but let them know they are going to have to approach it a bit differently. And, they can get deep meaning out of any narrative or information they find interesting and meaningful to them.

So, here’s what I’m thinking: In order to get my own head on straight for this upcoming, topsy-turvy year, this week I will do a series all about reading, and my reflections on its process, purpose, and perpetuating the pursuit.

I would love any guest bloggers to engage with their philosophies, strategies, and reflections on this as well — what have you tried that worked with the majority of your students, and what have you tried that worked with the minority of your students?

Send me an e-mail: lovesblog0rama@gmail.com

Summer lament.

sunset-surfer-7-by-david-cresine

"I have never surfed. But my inner surfer always feels this way, like a sad Beach Boys song, in August..."

Every August, for years, I felt that something ritualistic or noteworthy was missing to mark the occasion of summer’s end. The perfumed, yet sulferic combination of back-to-school supplies and popsicles doesn’t buff up the mojo as I would wish. Since becoming a teacher, I straddle both worlds, between anticipating the school year for myself, my students, as well as balancing emotions for my own children. And, yes, even for my own personal expectations.

What did I want to accomplish? Did I “relax” enough? (And in asking, that feels stressful in itself.) 

Fortunately, very timely, two bloggers I thoroughly enjoy recently posted their thoughts on summer’s end. One, Doyle, provides his viewpoint using all the sensory images, and sure enough, there IS a holiday associated with this time of the year! I KNEW it, I just KNEW it! There had to be….this time of year, between the summer solstice and fall equinox, had to be marked by some acknowledgment that the light is waning, and the sun is growing ever more shadowy and elusive. It’s called “Lammas.” “Lament” can be a verb or a noun.

The second writer, John Spencer, writes about how he spends his time in the summer. Or rather, doesn’t spend his time.

When I tally up what I did this summer, some of it will feel less like a harvest, and more like a molting. I chose to do nothing this summer, or at least the bare minimum. No conferences, no workshops, no professional development, no classes, and no thinking, really. I went to one day-long seminar to hear John Medina, author of Brain Rules, speak, at Seattle Pacific University. He had some golden nuggets to relate, but it was just as if not more valuable to catch up with some of my colleagues and talk with teachers and business people from around the state/country.

The only thing I have to do is finish up a unit, including incorporating the new common national standards, and making sure it makes sense to others. Sometimes a work of art makes a lot of sense to the artist, but not to the audience.

My musings take me to wonder, though, does the word “lammas” give us the word “lament?” Lament means to grieve, or a grief. There is always that long shadow cast over me this time of year, the end of summer. Maybe some Halloween candy will do the trick to ease the pain.

intransitive verb : to mourn aloud : wailtransitive verb 1 : to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively : mourn
2 : to regret strongly

http://doyle-scienceteach.blogspot.com/2010/08/lammas-again.html

Be your own hero.

One of my favorite treats is driving on a Sunday and listening to the Tavis Smiley Show. Yesterday was especially resonating. I caught the tail-end of “Where do we go from here? The prospect of peace in the 21st century,” a discussion with some of the greatest scholars, leaders, and thinkers of our time.

At one juncture, the conversation turned to be about ‘who will our heroes be, who will we look up to?’ and Vincent Harding, with his even, slow-paced voice, reminded us to consider not having a “one” who will “save” us, but in a truly rich, democratic, and free society, we must look within ourselves and to each other for providing the safety and community we can achieve.

In my heart, I know we have always known what to do. Why we turn away from it, I can’t really say. The reasons are as complicated as we are, but it is just as simple, too: we know how to treat each other.

If you have time, it’s worth a listen, at least the last hour or so. Does talking change anything? Or is it only action? I’m contemplating on one thing I can do today to help bring peace. What can I teach, what can I share, what can I create? And I’ll go from there.

Art lives.

 

http://www.sanctuaryartcenter.org/Image5.html

While we mentally live in a virtual world, there is grit and texture in other dimensions, too. Pay attention.

The other evening, I went to a benefit concert performed by the Seattle School of Rock and other locations at the Vera Project in Seattle.  It was a strange evening. As my son and I were parking, two gentelmen warned me of a hustler in the parking lot. Sure enough, a young man with odd piercings tried to get cash from me in return for “paid parking.” I had to pull out my best “alpha” animal, stare him down, and repeatedly say “No, thank you. No, THANK you. NO THANK YOU!” before he slunk off. Then, walking toward the Vera Project, we saw a homeless person, um, well, being quite public…

Next stop on the rabbit hole voyage was an introduction to the Sanctuary Art Center. According to the brochure, the

“Sanctuary Art Center is a professional quality art studio serving homeless youth ages 13-25 in Seattle’s University District. Our mission is to create a safe, warm, calm environment for youth to experience creativity and success through use of artistic media, such as pottery, stained glass, painting, beading, drawing, drama, musical instruction, and more. We provide street involved youth wiht a place of discovery and support, removed from the noise, danger, and chaos of the street.”

Hey, grown-ups out there: Isn’t that what we’re all supposed to be doing?

Books You Should Read:

language_custom

Excerpt:

Chapter 20: Dying Languages

Speaking, writing, and signing are the three ways in which a language lives and breathes. They are the three mediums through which a language is passed on from one generation to the next. If a language is a healthy language, this is happening all the time. Parents pass their language on to their children, who pass it on to their children … and the language lives on.

Languages like English, Spanish, and Chinese are healthy languages. They exist in spoken, written, and signed forms, and they’re used by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. But most of the 6,000 or so of the world’s languages aren’t in such a healthy state. They’re used by very few people. The children aren’t learning them from their parents. And as a result the languages are in real danger of dying out.

When does a language die?

Remember to read.

martinamis1No matter who you are, your ability to read is so important to making who you are. I have spent hours myself, reading about my burning question of “Why should we read?” and its sister question, “How do we read?”

So, why should you?

The reasons for reading are as many as there are words on a page.

When I read, I feel that I am allowed access to a space that is unlike any other. I read other people’s voices on the page, screen, or cereal box. It doesn’t matter. I am a strong reader. And because I am a strong reader, I am a strong thinker.

I want you all to be strong thinkers, too.

Now, how do you read? Please do not continue your bad habits of saying you understood something when you didn’t. Please continue our good habits we’ve spent a year building of questioning the text, writing notes, considering and using new vocabulary, and if you feel that something has sparked you, even a little, do a little more investigation: for example, I reading a book called Arabat by Clive Barker. A student, a brilliant, beautiful, charming student, recommended it to me. I remember thinking Clive Barker was the man who directed the Freddy/Nightmare series a long time ago. But that wasn’t right – he did the Hellraiser movies. (How did I learn that? By reading.)

Arabat is an amazing book. Every time I read it, I feel as if I’m stepping into another world–that’s such a cliche to say, but Barker’s writing style creates a visual and textual world that I literally can almost reach out and touch. The salt air, fear, flying, hope, courage, and barnacles are so perfectly paced, described, and not overdone; I could only aspire to write such as he. His original illustrations leave me in awe. His villains are complex, cruel, and like all good villains (nice oxymoron, eh?) they want to destroy the light: one with creating a perpetual midnight, the other with creating a world of mindless purchasing and consuming zombies.

Whew. That was a ramble.

How did I go from admonishing you to read to writing a brief review of Arabat?

I guess the real question is, how would I not?

barker_arabat

P.S. This book is out of print now. My quest? To seek as many copies I can.

Pot luck.

potlatchAny fourth grade student in the Northwest worth his or her salt knows the term “potlatch.” It comes from Northwestern Native American tribes, and it means a gathering, bartering time, a feasting and sharing occasion. The key word is “reciprocity,” which means fairness and equality – you get want you want and need, and give to others what they want and need. Fairly simple concept, and apparently worked so well it was banned by Canadian and U.S. authorities at times in our collective North American histories. Because any student of history worth his or her salt knows that if a group is functioning, another bigger group must come along and control it.

 But this post isn’t about that.

It’s about what we all bring to the party.

We North, Central, and South Americans are constantly reinventing ourselves, make-over capital is in the U.S. Lots of heated debate over immigration laws, what it means to be free, and what it means to be responsible.

Here’s my challenge, my diverse, intelligent young leaders: What are YOU going to bring to the party? What are you proud of in your ancestors’ past, and what gifts and talents can you share to create the nation, the future, that you want?

I’ll see you at 8:25 AM. Dress casually.

 

http://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us

Spit happens.

spittoonA spit-take is in response to something that’s funny, but alas, this is not. Now I know I have friends who will be quick to remind me that I could be something of a class clown, seeking attention inappropriately (which is different from seeking inappropriate attention). But I would never, ever, have done something like this:

My garulous 7th period class is a challenge. We all know this. During a conversation that sounded more like begging and pleading to please behave when I had a guest teacher, I witness one young patron spitting, yes, SPITTING on the column/wall in the back of the room.

I stopped him with a “WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?! SPITTING?!?!?!?!?!” (Cue to me with tearing purple pants, face growing a shade of jolly-green Hulk, and speaking monosyllabically.) Stopped the lesson, which, oh, by the way, was all about how to write thesis statements, and begin to explore themes – sounds dry, but it wasn’t- it was all based on Descendants, which they all watched and really liked yesterday–ANYWAY – the young patron was asked to then take my cleaner and rag and clean all of the chairs while everyone moved up front. This took 10 minutes out of instruction time, and while people were jockeying to new positions, I called the disciplarian team to come and remove young patron from the premises.

I then proceeded to have a meltdown.

I know the words “disrespect’ was tossed out there. Perhaps a “disgusting” and “childish.”

But there was fear, too. I am sometimes scared for my students, although I should never show it. I don’t mean I’m afraid of them, never. I am afraid FOR them. Usually kids who have high disciplinary issues know exactly how to work the system so they spend more time out of the classroom than in.

I am scared because I see in many of my students this story:

Teen gets a year for assaulting Metro bus driver

A 14-year-old who assaulted a Metro bus driver was sentenced Tuesday to a year in juvenile detention.

By Christine Clarridge

Seattle Times staff reporter

With her 14-year-old son about to learn his fate Tuesday for assaulting a Metro bus driver, the boy’s mother rushed into the courtroom nearly 30 minutes late.

She missed the part when her son’s attorney, Craig McDonald, had sought a more lenient sentence and urged the judge not to place too much weight on the prosecution’s claim that there was a lack of parental involvement and control over the child.

Given a chance to speak before Juvenile Court Judge Chris Washington announced the sentence, the mother claimed her son was innocent of the assault to which he already had admitted guilt.

“My son is a victim,” she said. . “I do not believe he is guilty of hitting. … My son could not have hit anyone. Look at his size.”

The mother then turned to the victim, Katherine Batey, who was sitting in court next to the prosecutor, and began to blame her for her son’s predicament. “If you had handled it differently,” she began before she was abruptly cut off by an objection from the prosecutor and the judge, who warned her not to speak to the victim.

Washington then sentenced the boy to a year in juvenile detention, well above the standard range of 15 to 36 weeks. The boy will receive credit for the nearly three months he already has served in detention.

Washington also issued an order of protection banning the teen from riding Metro buses between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. once he’s released from detention. The prohibition will last until the boy turns 21, Washington said.

The Seattle Times is not naming the boy — nor his mother — because he was prosecuted as a juvenile.

The assault occurred shortly after midnight Jan. 23 on Metro’s Route 124 when the bus stopped at South 144th Street and International Boulevard South in Tukwila.

According to charging documents, the teen swore at Batey, 57, because she wouldn’t let him out the back door of the bus after some of his friends were allowed to use the door. The boy struck the driver, causing her to lose consciousness and suffer facial injuries.

Deputy Prosecutor Julie Kline called the attack a “savage assault” in a hearing Monday and said the teen, a former Renton High School student, is entrenched in gangs and has no parental guidance. She said the boy was intoxicated at the time of the attack.

The boy pleaded guilty to second-degree assault two weeks ago, but admitted in a statement only to “touching” and slapping the victim.

 

The difference between the driver’s injuries and the boy’s failure to fully accept responsibility for his actions contributed to the longer sentence, the judge said.

“Your action shows a complete indifference to how someone else feels,” Washington said. “I think you are a risk to reoffend, and I think you need the treatment available” in juvenile detention, he said.

Two other boys, 16 and 17, who were charged as juveniles with malicious mischief for allegedly punching and kicking out windows on the back door of the bus, received deferred dispositions after a judge found them guilty last month.

The 17-year-old was placed on six months of probation with 30 hours of community service; the 16-year-old was placed on 12 months of probation with 70 hours of community service.

The 14-year-old boy was originally scheduled to be sentenced Monday, but the hearing was postponed to Tuesday because the boy’s mother was given the wrong date for the sentencing. Nonetheless, Batey and Kline, the prosecutor, spoke in court Monday.

Batey said she still suffers nightmares from the attack and doesn’t leave her house very often. She said she doubts she can ever return to work as a bus driver because she’s afraid of being attacked again.

“I walk and I cry. I talk to my friends and I cry,” Batey said. “I’m hopeful in time I will heal.”

On Tuesday, when the time came for the 14-year-old to speak, he mumbled to the courtroom, “I’m sorry for assaulting you.”

But Batey asked the boy to say it again, this time while looking into her eyes. He complied.

“That’s all I needed,” Batey said. “Thank you.”

Staff reporter Jennifer Sullivan contributed to this report, which includes information from Seattle Times archives.

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com