A resolution…the act
of determining, as described by Merriam-Webster. A resolution is a buzz word this time of
year…we are all in the process of reflecting, looking back, looking ahead, and
then deciding what kinds of goals we have for ourselves for 2019.
This year, Leach’s Literacy Training was busy…sharing our
love for all things Balanced Literacy in more places than we can list. LLT is also reflecting, thinking, growing,
and setting goals. As we reflect though,
we want to share some encouragement in this Balanced Literacy journey. Maybe you’re taking steps to take your
learning to the next level. Maybe you’re
struggling with piecing it altogether and are feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you’re not at all wanting to hear about
anything “back to school” or “back to work” related right now. Totally get it…but stick with me.
Regardless of where you are in this great journey of education, the one constant is that we are always growing and learning new
things. Balanced Literacy has so many
components- with so many moving parts within each component- that it can
sometimes feel like you’re trying to eat the entire elephant in one bite. Especially, if you’ve been going through lots of training in the last year or
so.
What do we say to our students when they are
learning something new…trying out a relatively new skill for the first
time…relearning something after some additional instruction around a topic…and
yet, they are struggling?
-You’ll
get it!
-Don’t
quit!
-You
haven’t gotten it…YET!
-Let
me help you.
-Look
at how hard you are working!
-I
see that you are using _____ to help you figure this out! Great thinking!
-This
is hard, but I know you can do it.
-All
of that great thinking means you are doing some GREAT learning!
Look at all of that affirmation that we lavishly pour out
onto our kids! Seriously, kids in public
education are so blessed to be in these learning environments where someone
praises them for their efforts and growth.
You see, you aren’t demanding perfection the first time out of the
gate. You aren’t expecting kids to
master content after hearing it in a shared reading lesson or whole group
setting.
How often do you speak those words of encouragement that we
listed to YOURSELF when you are trying something new? J I hear the giggles all the way over here in
Central Texas. I know, because I’m the
same way. Man, if I don’t get it right
the first time?! Or, if I make a
mistake?! Mercy. Those moments are tough on me! And there aren’t too many words of
affirmation or “hang in there” self-speeches.
Nope. Not at all. I don’t know about you, but I tend to be
pretty tough on me. I don’t know about you, but perfection seems to be a
bridge too far for me to cross.
So, let’s plan to build one another up by encouraging the
process, not the product. Give yourself grace as a Balanced Literacy teacher and learner! Let’s think about moving
forward in a positive direction in terms of implementing Balanced Literacy in
our classrooms. Let’s start the process
if it isn’t started…yet. Let’s fine tune
our practices if we had some ideas but learned something new or had our
original thoughts tweaked as we went deeper in our understanding of it. Here are some ways to share GRACE for yourself from
some of the varied components of Balanced Literacy.
·
Writing conferences…are you doing them? Any time that you are
spending WITH a writer, AS they are writing is better than providing feedback
after a final essay is submitted for a grade.
·
Guided reading…it’s messy and there's never enough of you to go around, but that time spent
putting the WORK OF THE READER back ONTO the reader is valuable! BAD Guided Reading is better than NO Guided Reading and the more Guided Reading you do, the better you will get!
·
Shared reading …remember MINI lesson. Don’t try to teach ALL of
your standards in one week! Focus in on
those hard-to-teach, hard-to-learn standards and really spend time in powerful
demonstrations. Set a timer…practice it
when your teammates or spouse aren’t around.
Trust me…time flies when you are in-the-moment teaching.
·
Work Stations…a focus on process, not
product. This isn’t meant to be a
warehouse of worksheets. Practice skills
in meaningful, literacy-based ways! Talk with your co-workers. Have a party to share your BEST work station at the moment. You will be surprised how simple some of the BEST ones are.
· What have you done to build a reading culture in your classroom? Maybe you’ve started creating a reading nook or reading space? Maybe you are gathering books to beef up your
classroom library organized by topic and not level? Maybe you are working to figure out yourself
as a reader so that you can better connect with your kids as readers? Cheers! Well done!
There are so many great things that you are doing with and
for children.
We just want to say thank
you. Thank you for welcoming Leach’s
Literacy Training into your world. Thank
you for choosing to see what Balanced Literacy can do for your kids. Thank you for the courage to try to something
new…as terrifying as that can be! Thank
you for the GRACE you pour out on kids.
Now it’s time for some GRACE for you! Leach’s Literacy Training is impressed by the
growth and commitment you have for kids and are anxiously awaiting our spring schedule and commitments and
future interactions with each and every one of you!
Here’s to a fabulous, LITERACY-FILLED, 2019!
