Treasure!!!

Earlier this week I was doing some procrastination cleaning at about 5:47 am.  This is the time that I typically reserve for myself.  My brain works best right after I've had adequate sleep (not good, I'm in a graduate teaching program, I don't foresee good sleep until mid-June).  I can have a quiet cafe au lait and catch up on textbook reading before my three darling girls drag themselves out of bed and start placing their breakfast orders (and suddenly remembering another piece of homework they need help with right now because it is due today). 

I justify my procrastination cleaning by telling myself that it will actually help me to get my homework done.  I will have less to think about.  I get distracted by clutter.  I like everything to have a place, and for the most part I want everything in that place.  I've relaxed a bit.  I now enjoy having the LEGOS out and on display.  If the books and games are always put away, that means no one is using them. 

I was busy straightening up children's literary magazines, coloring books, art supplies, and many partially completed art projects.  The book/art shelf was beginning to look fairly tidy.  I reached for one of the books that had a torn cover not sure why I was pulling it off the shelf.  It was a collection of children's stories.  Stories that my mom used to read to me when I was a child.  There next to where the battered book had just been was Harriet the Spy.  It suddenly dawned on me.  I was staring at all of the books that I didn't remember.  Well, I remember some of the stories, but I don't have a clear recollection of how they got into my head.  I wrote my literacy vignette last week on how my mom had developed my love for reading with her great expression and amazing character voices.  I had very specific memories of certain books, big, important books.  Some so important that I don't feel that I can read them aloud, because I will never be able to read them quite the way my mom did/does.  But here, right in front of me, was a treasure trove of books that I am certain mom read when I was little.  I have a whole long shelf of beat up, well-loved books that are full of stories that my girls and I can enjoy together (and then probably not remember).

word by word

I had something of a revelation today.  I was reading Anne Lamott's bird by bird and absolutely loving what a fabulously entertaining book it was.  I took comfort in the idea that I was not alone.  I experience this gripping terror whenever I need to begin a writing assignment.  I can never understand why.  I love it once I get started, even if no one else will ever read it.  The practice of simply putting my thoughts down on "paper" helps me to clarify exactly what I am thinking.  So, why do I find everything else that I can possibly do before I sit down to begin?  I don't actually have a particular affinity for folding 11-15 loads of laundry at once or spending hours with shampoos, sheers, and scissors grooming my dog.  But, I'll busy myself doing these things, justifying to myself that they are really important and need to be done, RIGHT NOW.  I wait until the very last hour, when the deadline for my assignment is looming and I am starting to panic.  Then I sit down at my computer.  The first thing I do is open Facebook and go to my Secret Group.  My sisters and my two adult nieces are then bombarded with words.  Lots and lots of them.  I recently recognized this procrastination and have just realized that it is part of my routine.  Somehow, after writing a ridiculously long paragraph and posting it to my audience of 4, I am able to start working on my assignment.  The revelation?  That Facebook post is my warm-up.  It is that exercise of simply getting some words down.  I write, read, revise, re-read, revise, write more, revise and then post.  I feel sorry for these kind ladies, so I try to write with a bit of humor and amidst my complaining and procrastinating, I try to point out some bright spots.  And that is how it starts. 

Now, if I could figure out how it ends.  My dog just came by my office and informed me with her insistent whining that she needed to be let out.  I get up, she begins to run for the stairs, she quickly comes running back to make sure that I'm still with her.  I am.  She bounds up 12 of the 14 stairs and then stops, frozen.  She is crouched down and absolutely certain that she will fall to her doom if she attempts those last two steps.  There is nothing different about them.  They are just the last two that she needs to climb before she can make her way to freedom.  But, she is stuck.  I cajole her, tell her she's a good dog, I try to entice her up the last steps with a bribe, but, nothing.  I give in, pick her up and place her gently at the top of the stairs.  She then scampers off toward the door as if the terrifying event had never happened.  I think the end of my writing assignments are those last two stairs for me.  I haven't figured out yet what is going to come along and effortlessly carry me those last couple steps to my destination.

Speedwalking and Speedtalking

There are regularly scheduled grade level meetings where the teachers look at long and short term plans for how they would like to move forward with each of the different lessons.  They do not plan to teach every lesson at exactly the same time or in exactly the same way.  But, they do try to stay within at least one day of each other, particularly in math.  They do, after all, move all 105 of their students into appropriate math groups to provide additional support or enrichment based on scores from the previous math unit's test.  If the teachers don't keep up with one another, the students will be left behind. 

The scheduled meetings aren't where the real actions takes place.  Once a plan is in place, there are dozens upon dozens of quick meetings in the hallway, in someone's classroom, in the lunchroom, in the copy room, or wherever the teachers can find two minutes to have a very quick, no nonsense conversation.  They are frequently touching base to talk about which lessons have been finished, what worked, what didn't, what questions arose, and what suggestions they have to share. 

None of the teachers are working solely as individuals behind closed doors in their classroom.  They are all one big team, looking out for each other, trying to ensure each others success and the success of the students.  Time is precious and everyone knows it.  There are constantly teachers popping into another classroom offering to run something to the office "because I'm headed there anyway" or checking to see if someone needs copies of a literacy packet, math test, or newsletter.  It is a smooth running machine and everyone is supporting everyone else.  I'm trying to keep my eyes and ears wide open to figure out what exactly is making it work and hoping to take some of that magic with me.

The other side of the table

This week I had the opportunity to sit in on several parent-teacher conferences.  I started the week with my own children's conferences and then the next day moved to the other side of the table.  As a parent, I am still conscious of the effect that sitting across from the teacher has on me.  I have always needed their acceptance, both as a student and as a parent.  I have to imagine that I am not the only one who is under this powerful spell.

It was so valuable to have conversations with my mentors about how vital these parent conversations are to them.  It is apparent that they want to be as prepared as possible for these important meetings.  I had not considered the number of extra hours the teachers put in at home and in the classroom to prepare for each conference.  They do not just grab whatever evidence is convenient.  They have been collecting it since the first day.  They are careful about what they choose as an example of the progress that each student has made. One of my mentors sends home a weekly report of the students work in class, their behavior in class, and the homework that has been returned.  This weekly report is meant to be delivered to the parent, signed, and returned to the classroom.  It is a powerful tool.  The parents are not taken by surprise when they come to their conference, they've seen the reports every week since the beginning of school.  The teacher shows them examples of the type of work that is completed in class each week and gives them an example of the daily and weekly schedule so that they have no questions about what is expected of their child during the school day.  This weekly report also gives the teacher a great starting point for a discussion on schoolwork routines at home.  4th grade is a pivotal year for homework.  The students are now exploring new ideas at home and performing research.  They are no longer simply reviewing concepts that were already covered in class.  They are extending their knowledge.  The teacher emphasizes how important it is to develop strong study habits THIS year as the homework will only continue to be more challenging as they move closer to middle school.  The teacher is working hard to set the student and their family on a course for success.

The teacher thinks so carefully about the conversation they will have with each family.  Some topics that they need to talk about are very sensitive.  They take a careful approach.  They emphasize to the parents that this is a relationship where we are all working together.  And they really mean it.  They are doing their best to be a really strong part of the team. The teachers also take this opportunity to listen to the families.  The more they know about their student, the better they will understand how to approach their education. 

After having this experience, I wonder how I will feel next year when I am on the parent side of the table again.  I will have a better understanding of how much the teacher has invested in the conversation.  I will know that they are incredibly interested in the future of my children and they are feeling just a bit nervous about the impression that they will make on me.