The Great 56: What I Read this Year

I had set a goal of reading 75 books this year.  I did not make it – I blame the fact that I went on a close to two month reading hiatus where I just couldn’t get into reading.  Oh well!  I did manage to finish 56 books, listed and categorized below.  I provided some commentary for the ones I could actually remember!

I’m a bit heavy on the popular fiction and am going to try to branch out a bit more next year when 75 will be reached!

Thanks to OverDrive for letting me download books for free, thus enabling me not to go broke on books this year.  And thanks to Goodreads, for making it so easy to keep track of what I read!  I think I got them all.

My absolute favorite books this year. 

• We Were Liars (E. Lockhart) – I adored this young adult suspense novel I read over the summer.  Kept me intrigued and surprised me in the end. Plus I loved the island setting close to Martha’s Vineyard – one of my favorite summer destinations.
• The Nightingale (Kristin Hannah) – Great World War II read.  I am a sucker for this genre, and I have always liked Hannah’s work – though usually I find them more guilty pleasure readings and less thoughtful works.  This was both a bit of a guilty pleasure and a unique look at World War II.  Very well done.
• Between Shades of Gray (Ruta Sepetys) – Another World War II read, this time by brilliant young adult author Sepetys, this book was recommended by a former student (with a note that it has nothing to do with 50 Shades of Grey).  It is a simply gorgeous book that I fell in love with.  Cannot wait for Sepetys’ new one this year.
• Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do (Claude M. Steele) – This book changed the way I think about stereotyping and is a must-read for any teacher, or anyone really.  Fascinating look behind stereotype threat and the effect it has on various identities.  And I read this on the beach – that’s how interesting it is.  Please do yourself a favor, read this book, and grow.

Books that made me think.

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Sherman Alexie) – This book was required summer reading for my 8th grade students’ Global Studies class.  LOVED it.  Laugh out loud funny while forcing you to think.  Gave me a whole different perspective to thinking about how to teach through a diverse lens.  This book also encouraged me to seek out other books that allow my students to see things from a different perspective.
• Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology (Leah Remini) – I have loved Remini since Stacy Kerosi caroused on the Bayside Beach with Zach Morris.  I have also found scientology interesting but didn’t know much about it.  This book was fascinating, and though I know it is told from a single perspective, it made me question the practices of this so-called religion and whether or not Leah’s claims are truthful. I will be doing more reading on this subject, for sure.
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable (Patrick Lencioni) – Read this if you want to better understand how to work with others and what each team member brings to the table.  It’s short, funny, easy, and thought provoking.

Books that reminded me what it is like to be a young adult.

• Out of the Easy (Ruta Sepetys) – an interesting look at life in New Orleans French Quarter in the 50s.
• The Beginning of Everything (Robin Schneider)
• The Impossible Knife of Memory (Laurie Halse Anderson)
• Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (Meg Medina) – Fantastic book about the real threat of bullying in schools.  Piddy is a character everyone should read.
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Jesse Andrews) – Another young adult book about kids with cancer.  I enjoyed this so much more than The Fault in Our Stars – it just seemed more real and less melodramatic (though I do love that book too.
• Fangirl (Rainbow Rowell) – It was good; for me it wasn’t great.  Maybe because I don’t really understand the Fangirl world, I couldn’t get it into it. I found myself skimming through the Simon Snow excerpts.  But I know many adore this book – maybe it’s for a younger crowd.
• I Love You, Beth Cooper (Larry Doyle) – Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.

Books I couldn’t stop reading.

• The Vacationers (Emma Straub) – Thouroughly enjoyed this read about a dysfunctional family vacationing in Mallorca.  Beautiful scenery, well-written, at times laugh out loud funny, and a great depiction of true family life.
• Unbroken (Laura Hillenbrand) – I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book as usually I have a hard time with particularly gruesome war stories.  But this was masterfully written and such an amazing story, I couldn’t put it down.  Another World War II addition to my list and an inspiring look at the human spirit.
• Where’d You Go Bernadette? (Maria Semple) – Fantastic, couldn’t put down book.  Her flaws make Bernadette easy to root for and identify with.  Original plot and superb characterization left me recommending this book to many.
• Home Front (Kristin Hannah) – An interesting multi-perspective book about the relationship between a married US soldier deployed in Iraq and her stay at home husband.  Hard to put down.
•  Defending Jacob (William Landay)  – I really loved this book.  So suspenseful and an ending I did not see coming.

Books I finally read.

How to Procrastinate Part:2

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How to Procrastinate Part: 2

If you were able to successfully do what I said earlier, then you should be ready for the next step in the great world of procrastinating! But if not, keep on practicing the basics until you have mastered them. However if you have,  continue with these next steps. First make sure that you know what you need to do because if you have many things to do, you don’t want to give yourself too little time. I would recommend checking your planner, asking people or any other way that would tell you what you need to do. I would also see if your sources agree with each other because if they do, you know that they are probably true.

Check the time while you are procrastinating so you can fully experience the procrastinating and still be prepared. I would recommend having a clock or some…

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Re-thinking Grading: Reflection Part 2 – The Dangers of Grading Everything

My brother failed his first driver’s test.  I, to the shock of many, did not.  Although I spent a wonderful couple of months rubbing in the fact that I got my license on my first opportunity, he soon passed the test, and we were equal.  Yes, equal.  It didn’t matter that he failed once – his license looked just like mine.  There was no mark or limitation given because he had failed once.  His only restriction was the need to wear eyeglasses when driving. He could have actually failed several times before passing and nothing would have changed.  What mattered is that he was able to eventually pass the test, thus ensuring that I would have to share the car I liked to pretend was mine.

The above example is a great analogy for my problems with traditional grading.  Systems that grade the learning process – formative assessment – and average grades together actually penalize the learning process.  What should it matter if it took five tries to understand an assignment, problem, writing technique, etc.?  Shouldn’t the grade reflect the student’s learning at the end of all their work?  How does averaging a grade suffice if the student has mastered the concept by the end of the unit?

Formative assessment, in particular, should not be graded.  I am in complete agreement with Cathy Vatterott regarding this idea, which she eloquently argues in Re-thinking Grading.  The intent of formative assessment is to provide the feedback necessary for growth, to allow both the student and teacher to see where the student is and what needs to be altered in order to progress or master the learning target.  Why grade it?  If we want the student to take a risk in learning, to not be afraid to jump higher, to own the fact that learning is messy, wouldn’t putting a grade on formative assessment be counterproductive?

We need to stop sending kids mixed messages.  We need to stop telling them that we want them to value the art of learning itself but then evaluate every single piece of work they put forward.  We need to stop grading everything.  As Vatterott writes:

So although the dress rehearsal is not perfect, the only thing that “counts” is the final performance, and that is what receives the grade. The final achievement of learning is more important than the steps it took to get there.

– Cathy Vatterott, Rethinking Grading, 67

Maybe if we allowed our students to “mess-up,” if we truly gave them a low-stakes environment, they would actually be more open to taking risks in their learning and admitting when they do not know something.  Maybe, just maybe, our students would actually realize that it doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you can eventually get there.

Rethinking Grading: My Thoughts (Part 1)

My Dean of Faculty recently gave me a copy of Cathy Vatterott’s Rethinking Grading: Meaningful Assessment for Standards-Based Learning as I will be heading a group of faculty member examining whether our assessment practices actually support the style of teaching we are doing at my school.  Although I am only a few chapters into the book, I must say it is as if Ms. Vatterott reached into my head and pulled out exactly what I have been thinking for years.

As an English teacher, I have always had a particularly difficult time using the traditional grading system as a way to assess my students.  To me, putting a number grade on someone’s reading and writing ability is challenging and sometimes seems impossible.  Rubrics have helped, but I struggle with the idea of putting a final grade on a piece of writing.  Writing, I firmly, believe is a process.  How do you put a final grade on a process?  Even more difficult is evaluating creative and personal writing.  How do you put a grade on a piece of poetry?  On a personal narrative that a student poured her heart an soul into? How can I teach a love and passion for writing and reading through archaic evaluative systems?

More importantly, if we are out to foster a growth mindset in our students, traditional grading systems are not the way to do it.  As much as we can pretend that allowing the student to re-write the D paper doesn’t affect their attitude toward learning, we are kidding ourselves.  That D does nothing to tell the student how far he has come or what he has learned in the process – it is merely a reminder that they are not considered “good enough” no matter how much work and effort they placed.  And if we really sat and thought about it, how often does that D just go away?  Students are very quickly trapped into the grades they receive, or so it seems.  Vatterott writes:

The patterns of school failure in the traditional system tend to reinforce the fixed mindset as the same students fail over and over again.  As those students come to believe they’re just not smart, the mindset becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Struggling students begin to avoid learning. “Given all this, why persist?” they say. For the struggling learner, failure feels like fait accompli – a permanent caste system for C students and below.

– Cathy Vatterott, Rethinking Grading, 31

I am eager to learn more about Vatterott’s thoughts regarding how standard-based grading can help create a shift in a student’s motivation and lead to what most of us teachers are after: working with students who value and appreciate learning and are not just there to get their name on the honor roll.

More to come!

Vatterott, Cathy. Rethinking Grading: Meaningful Assessment for Standards-based Learning. Aleandria: ACSD, 2015. Print.

Reflections on the Death of Robin Williams: When Our Students Are Sad

The death of Robin Williams this week has shocked the world, and for those of us Generation Y-ers, has left us mourning the man who filled our childhoods with laughter.  This tragedy, somewhat not surprisingly, has brought forth great discussion on the subject of suicide and mental illness.  Although it was known that Williams had a history of depression and addiction, it is still hard for many of us to believe that a man appearing to have so much fun could also be battling such demons.  The truth is, most of us do not understand depression and would not be able to easily identify or support someone who is battling the disease.  

As a teacher, I certainly do not have the ability or knowledge to assess or treat one’s mental health, and I feel blessed that I am fortunate to work with an amazing counseling staff who are able to support the needs of the students at my school.  I know that any concern I have about my students will be treated with great care and sensitivity, and that my students will get any help they need.  I was shocked (and clearly naive) when I was at a recent conference to hear that there were schools who just received their first counselor or employed one counselor for a population of thousands.  Upon further research, I was even more surprised to realize that nearly half of the states in this country do not mandate counselors in schools, and even those that do have extremely high counselor-student ratios.   Considering the high rates the CDC reports of students who have considered or attempted suicide, this needs to change and change fast.

Not only must we increase the number and importance of counselors in schools, but faculty, staff, and anyone working with the child need to be trained on the signs and symptoms of depression and the warning signs of suicide.  We need to talk about the difference between what might be considered “normal” behavior for a teenager and what needs to be reported.  We must encourage teachers to trust instinct and provide them with information on what to do when a student confides in them. We must constantly remind them that often the best way we can help a student having difficulty is to report the information, even when the student doesn’t want us to. 

Most importantly, as many people are pleading over social media right now, we must talk about depression and acknowledge the realness of the disease and the pain it often brings when left untreated, and even when treated.  We need to get rid of the stigma.  We need to talk openly about what it means to have mental illness and acknowledge that mental illness exists for kids.  We need to take our students’ emotions seriously. We need to let students see that a visit to the counselor’s office is not punishment.  We need to respect the role of our counselors and listen to their wisdom.  We need to stop eye rolling when we are told that a student is depressed, anxious, or going through a difficult time.  We need to remember that a student’s mental health has a significant impact on his ability to learn.  We need to treat our students with mental health issues with the same care, concern, and respect as we do to those suffering from physical health issues.  We need to continue the conversation even when the novelty of a celebrity death fades.  We need to face reality. 

I am a firm believer that with every tragedy, there is also hope.  My hope is that the tragic death of a man who brought smiles to so many faces will also serve to better the lives of those suffering from a similar disease, especially for our children dealing with sadness.

10 Learnings in a Decade of Teachings

Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds

10 Years.  10 YEARS!  It’s amazing to think that I’ve been teaching for a decade.  When I think back to the naive 22 year old I was when I embarked on my teaching career, I chuckle.  10 years of working with middle schoolers certainly will give you some perspective.  It will also allow you the opportunity to learn a few things.

1. Listen more; talk less.  At the beginning of my career, I was that teacher.  You know, the one fresh out of one of the best schools of ed in the country, who had four months experience as a practicum teacher, who knew absolutely everything about teaching and wanted to share that knowledge with all of her colleagues.  Yup, that one. Gosh, I must have been annoying.   Sure, I had a good background in “pedagogy,” but to think I knew everything was rather silly of me.  I quickly realized that people get very tired very quickly of hearing someone on a soapbox or worse – a know-it-all.  As I’ve grown as a teacher, I’ve worked hard to listen more – especially to experienced teachers – and talk less.  I have realized I don’t know everything about teaching and never will.  When I do speak, I rely on both my own knowledge and experience to guide me.  And what I’ve learned, people are often more likely to listen to your ideas when they don’t hear your voice all the time.
2. Be wary of fads and companies trying to make a buck.  I’ll admit it.  This has happened to me a couple of times.  That amazing online writing program the publishing company is marketing?  Tried it.  Ended up hating it.  Apps that really have no educational merit but look really cool and are marketed at an edtech conference?  Yup, downloaded those too.  Through the years, I’ve learned there are a lot of people making a lot of money in the world of education. That does not mean that what they are trying to sell you is actually worthwhile.  My advice: always try something first before committing to it.  Really think about whether or not the tool or book or program will benefit your students and is not gimmicky.  Consider all the possible negatives or problems before latching on.  If it really is something that will make a difference for students, go for it.  Just be wary: many tools that look great on paper are quite ugly in the classroom.  And if you have doubts, trust them, or else it could be a very expensive mistake.
3. Learn what works for you.  I’ll admit it – I am not a fan of the smart board; to me, it is an expensive overhead projector.  Yes, I know that it is a powerful tool for some educators, but it just doesn’t work for me.  I find it clunky and time consuming and have not found a lot of great uses for it in my classroom.  Although I have given it a try and still consider how it might be useful in my class and will use it if it makes sense, I’m okay with not being a smart board user.  I know some people might not agree with my approach, who believe if I have access to this expensive tool that I should transform my teaching to make it fit in – after all this is the 21st century! Expensive technology does not equal learning, however, something my experience has shown me. And I would much rather use techniques and strategies that I know will benefit my students than something flashy and expensive just because it is flashy and expensive.
4. Sarcasm is not my friend. This is one I’m still working on.  My natural defense mechanism is to be sarcastic, always has been.  When my middle school students drive me a little batty (as middle school students are often prone to do), I have been known to respond in sarcastic, sometimes even biting ways.  This was especially true early on in my career when I didn’t really know how to handle the talking out or talking back.  I have since realized that firm looks, quiet re-directions, and talkings to about disappointment after class get the job done far better.  It’s not always easy to refrain from the sarcasm and it does slip in – sometimes the middlers really do bring it out in me – but I at least have learned that it isn’t going to get me very far.
5. Risk failure. I want my students to take risks, to challenge themselves, to even fail from time to time.  As a teacher, I have learned that in order to get my students to do this, I have to model it for them.  I love to try new things and tell them why I am doing it.  Although I don’t love making mistakes in front of my students – who likes to be publicly reminded that they mixed up their and there on the board again! – I realize that by doing so, I am giving them the permission to do so as well.  When a lesson or idea I have fails, I’ll talk about it with them and together we can often find a way to improve it.  I am an educator who believes that I constantly need to be thinking about ways to better my teaching but doing so implies trying things that may not work.  And that’s ok.  Especially because those mistakes often lead to something even more amazing.
6. Boston College was right to drive home reflection.  When I was an education student at BC, it seemed like all we did was reflect.  Written self-reflection was required after every lesson taught during our practicum.  As a student teacher, I really didn’t grasp the reasoning behind doing what we did, and honestly found it quite annoying.  Now that I’ve been teaching for awhile, I realize how important it is to self-assess what I am doing each day and each year.  Yes, failure is inevitable and mistakes will happen, but that doesn’t mean I want them to happen twice.  Taking the time to actually think about what is and isn’t working allows me to better my practice from day to day and year to year.  No one will ever get better if they don’t stop and take the time to think about what better might actually be.  So thanks BC, for teaching me that and for helping me become better each year.
7. Respect is so much more important than being liked.  When I started my teaching career, I really wanted my students to like me.  I wanted to be that teacher – the stylish, hilarious, “cool” one that they would remember for the rest of their lives.  I wanted to be the teacher that everyone loved.  You know, the one from the movies! This didn’t get me very far.  Kids won’t always like you.  No matter what, there’s always that one or two students in the room who really don’t get you, who find you incredibly annoying, or worse nuts.  What I’ve realized in the past ten years however is that though it is great to be liked and it sure can help some in the classroom, being respected is far more important.  If my students don’t respect me, don’t see that I am there to challenge them, don’t value my role in the classroom, aren’t their best person in my room then their like for me means nothing.  When a student respects you regardless of their personal opinion of you, when they see that your role is to guide them and to never give up on them, that you are fair and hold everyone accountable and to high standards, they will work for you and they will grow.
8. With that being said, be likable, be real, and get to know your students.  No, I’m not contradicting myself.  I would rather be respected than liked.  But, I also teach middle school students.  When they like you, life is MUCH easier.  I love to joke around with students and have a good time in class.  I also will talk to students (without oversharing) about my own life.  Kids need to see that you are a person who has good days and bad days and has a life outside of school.  They need to know that you are real.  I also want my students to see that I really, genuinely enjoy what I do and that, something bewildering to my elementary and high school colleagues, I love teaching middle school.  I work hard to get to know each one of my students, to know how many siblings they have, what their favorite activities are, who’s acting in the play, when their teams are playing after school.  Getting involved in the lives of your students helps build the respect I previously talked about and it ensures that students don’t just see you as someone who deals with them for fifty minutes a day but as someone who is invested in the persons they are to become.
9. Plan, Plan, Plan. We’ve all been there.  You waited until the last minute to create the test, and it’s two minutes before class starts.  You head to the copy machine knowing you are going to be a few minutes late but thinking of it as an extra study gift to your students and then you see the sign.  “Copier will be down until Monday.” Yup, nothing better than Murphy’s Law coming through once again.  Whether it’s photocopying ahead of time, planning thorough lessons, or using templates to create units, one thing I’ve realized about teaching is that the more I am planned, the better the results.  Sure, I’ve had a couple of great off the cuff lessons and being willing to change things up at the drop of a hat is also an essential skill, but solid planning leads to more successful teaching.  Most importantly, being pro-active is a must.  Thinking about what could possibly go wrong and actively trying to prevent it saves time, aggravation, and energy – three essentials for a middle school teacher.
10. Teaching is hard and exhausting. I won’t pretend I didn’t know this as a new graduate, but I guess I thought it would at some point get easier and less tiring.  Truth is though, teaching will always be hard work. Sure certain things have gotten easier –  I am more control of what I am doing in the classroom, and I have a better sense of what things will work and what won’t –  but it’s still hard.  Every day is a different day.  Every week brings a different challenge.  Every year brings a different way for middle school students to get in trouble.  It’s exhausting, it’s trying, it’s emotional, it’s sometimes even heartbreaking.  And I wouldn’t change it for a bit.

Here’s to the next decade!

The Power of Student Blogging: A Simple Reflection

My 8th grade students recently finished editorials.  Throughout the process, I had told them that these editorials would also serve as their first posts on our class blog.  After multiple drafts and a great deal of effort, students have begun to excitedly post their work, eager for feedback.  Today,  I had students reflect on what they learned about their writing process from the assignment.  If people still wonder whether or not their students should be blogging, I offer this comment from a student’s reflection:

“At times in my writing, I felt like giving up, but then I’d remember we were posting on our blogs and I became excited.”

The writing got hard, but she persisted.  Why? She knew her voice would be heard.  The power of an audience of many.

Student Choice Doubters – Read On.

There always seems to be debate amongst educators regarding how much choice students should have in their own education.  And although there has been plenty of research done by both psychologists and educators regarding how important choice to both  learning and motivation – Thank you, Alfie Kohn and Daniel Pink! – there still remains doubters.  I’d thought I’d share three stories that have occurred to me recently that made me once again appreciate how important choice is not only for students but also for their teachers.

•  An “Un-conference”:  I am a member of my school’s vision steering committee and one of our main purposes is to help plan and offer faculty professional development that will both inspire and move us forward as we delve deeper into PBL and begin using a block schedule.  Knowing that in the past, teachers have had little, if any, say in what would happen on these days, our committee thought we would shake it up a bit by using the un-conference model. An un-conference, as its name suggests, is not a typical PD experience.  Instead of having pre-determined sessions and speakers, the day is created by those in attendance.  Individuals share topics of interest  and the schedule is created from this list of ideas.  (My colleague Dana Huff gives a great overview of our process on her blog if you are interested in how we ran this.)  In a nutshell, our faculty members had a significant amount of choice what types of sessions they would partake in. As a result, people seemed genuinely more engaged in the process, those who tend to be more reluctant to participate had strong voices, and I can speak from personal experience to say that I found it energizing and inspiring to discuss ideas that I found important with colleagues who felt the same way.  My discussions would also immediately have an impact on my teaching.  Most of us as teachers have sat through uninspiring PD.  Many of us may have only gotten through these experiences by checking email or playing Words with Friends.   Neither helps our students.  What does help?  Giving faculty members some choice over their own growth and trusting that what they will choose will be worth it.

• Adopting independent reading: I had the privilege to participate in a week-long internship at The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), a school in Maine founded by Nancie Atwell, where I observed how to run a reading and writing workshop.  One of Atwell’s philosophies that is evident throughout the school and in any of her writing is the importance of choice in both reading and writing.  Students at the school have almost complete authority in choosing what they read.  In the middle school, where I spent most of my time, there are no class reads; reading skills are developed primarily through choice books and reading conferences.  At first I challenged this idea as I do see the value in having an entire class read the same book and think the discussion that results from doing so is important, I quickly changed my viewpoint.  The students there were incredibly well-spoken, had astounding analytical ability, and most importantly, loved reading.  And though I will not be giving up my class reads, I very quickly realized that I had to figure out how to also get my students to read books of their own choosing.  Though I had always encouraged my students to read on their own, I never required it, and their reading was dwindling. Using the CTL model, I  now expect my students to read for 20 minutes each night in addition to the 45 minute period we spend reading and conferencing in class once a week.  The catch?  They could only read books they found enjoyable.  Although at first some students balked at the idea, proclaiming that 20 minutes every day was far too much, it has not taken long to completely win them over.  My proof occurred this Tuesday, our first day back from a long winter break. As I walked up the stairs to my class, I realized my students were already present, so I got ready to settle them down, expecting them to all be conversing about their time off. Imagine my surprise when I see every student in the class frantically recording all the books they read over winter break into their reading log, proud of their achievement and eager to share their accomplishments. Not only did this happen in my first class but also my second.  Every student, even my most reluctant readers, finished at least one book.  One student finished as many as eight.  Books ranged from the latest John Green to a Tom Clancy thriller to Animal Farm.  Not only are they choosing books that are enjoyable but they are also picking ones with high literary merit.  During our combined reading workshop the following day, 10 of my students presented book talks; it is obvious they are starting to love reading and are not afraid to show it.  Their vocabulary is improving.  Their writing is getting stronger.  Their understanding of what makes something a valuable piece of literature is developing.  It is hard for me not to beam with pride.  I’m finally achieving what I sought out to do when I decided to become an English teacher: share my love of reading with my students and help build theirs.  I don’t for one second think this would have happened if I told my students exactly what book they had to read over vacation.

• Allowing student choice in writing:  I have always been a firm believer in allowing students as much choice as possible in their writing.  I have had my students blog every year for the past six years and typically allow them to blog about any topic of their choice as long as it remains school appropriate.  In doing so, I am often amazed at what actually interests them, how they see the world, and how much better they voice their opinions and put together an argument when the topic matters.  In the past few weeks, my students have written editorials on topics of their choice which have ranged from the Richie Incognito scandal to gay marriage to child labor.  I was a little nervous when one of my students decided that she was going to defend Miley Cyrus – really, how can you defend her, I asked – but I was glad I let her go with it.  Her final product argued that although what Miley was doing at the MTV Video Music Awards wasn’t great, the focus was completely on Miley and not on her “twerking” partner Robin Thicke. She went on to discuss double standards and maintained that the focus should be on the demeaning nature of Thicke’s song, which many believe is about rape.  Many people might fear, and I’ll acknowledge I did a bit, that when an 8th grader decides to defend Miley Cyrus that their argument will be immature and lack substance.   This was not the case here.  I gave this student expectations regarding the assignment and she surpassed them. And because she was writing about a topic that mattered to her, her voice was strong and her writing sound.  Amazing.

What prevents us from allowing people to choose their own paths?  Trust.  When we tell people how to act or what to do, it is because we assume that they are not able to figure that out for themselves or that they are going to make the wrong decision.  They might not choose the best workshop or pick the best book or write something of substance.  They don’t know what’s best for them.  Therefore, we have to do it for them.

Now, I am not someone who believes that an 8th grader should determine every aspect of their academic career.  I, as a teacher, also know that I cannot control absolutely everything about my curriculum or job.  But I do realize how  important it is for me to have some choice in my learning process.  And how much more enthusiastic I am about the process when I do.   Honestly, my students are not that different.

A Must Read: A Letter to my Students

Photo Credit: Judy van der Velden

Dear Students,

Recently, I’ve asked you to read for at least 20 minutes a night, and not just any type of reading, but books, preferably fiction – novels.  Some of you have balked at this, rolled your eyes, sighed heavily, screamed bloody murder, and likely cussed me out behind my back.  None of this bothers me, by the way.  But I did feel like I should explain to you not just why this is so important to me but why it is so important for you.

I initially thought I’d overwhelm you with all the statistics that back up my point.  I’d share some of the research that proves the amount of pleasure reading done in the past 10 – 15 years has dropped significantly, directly impacting college readiness. I’d cite the information from Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide that: “Reading for sustained amounts of time is essential for building the parts of your brain that think deeply” and discuss how online reading does not build these skills.

But then I thought to myself – you won’t care about the research.  That won’t make you listen.  You’d just think you’re the outlier – that this doesn’t apply to you.

So I knew I had to take a different approach. I knew I had to somehow show you the power a book can have, how 250 pages could, quite literally, change your life.  And then, as I was sitting watching talk shows with my grandmother, it hit me…Still Alice.

About five years ago, I picked up a novel at Barnes and Noble with this title. Now I’ll be honest, I initially picked up the book because it was on the buy three books get one free table, and I was short one.  Little did I know how consumed with the book I would become and how, five years later, it would constantly be on my mind.

In her early 50s, Alice Howland, a brilliant Harvard professor, is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease – a quick-moving, insidious condition.  Alice goes through her daily life knowing that her memories are dying, knowing that she will not get to see the milestones of her family, and knowing that she may have passed on this horrific gene to her children.  This is Alice’s story told from Alice’s perspective.  It is her struggle to live, and it is heartbreaking.

Never have I been so connected to a character in all my life.  I felt what Alice was feeling; I laughed with her, and I cried with and for her.  It didn’t matter that I had never directly known anyone with Alzheimer’s.  The story was so heart wrenching and the character so vivid that it was impossible to finish without feeling like I was losing a friend.   In fact, I was so moved by the story that I actually remember posting on Facebook that everyone must read this book.  Yes, this is what English teachers sometimes post on Facebook, although it was the only time I ever did.

As many of you know, my grandmother was recently diagnosed with a form of Alzheimer’s disease and she has begun to lose her memory.   Like Alice at the beginning of her journey, my grandmother is still aware that something is amiss, yet she’s not completely gone.  She can’t understand why her memory fails her or why she cannot live the life she’s used to.  And although she remains good natured, I know that at times this is frightening for her, more frightening for her than for me.  I know this because of Alice Howland.

Alice’s struggle has helped me support my grandmother’s struggle, and ultimately my own. Alzheimer’s is a frustrating disease for all involved.  But when I find myself starting to get angry, or tired, or sad, I take a deep breath and remember Alice, what it was like for her, and what it may be like for my grandmother.  Sometimes I don’t feel like I picked up Still Alice off that Barnes and Nobles table.  Sometimes I think it picked me.

At the time, I had no idea what this novel would give me beyond a well-written story.  Sure, I could read loads of articles and message boards online about Alzheimer’s, and I do, but none will ever compare to Still Alice.  Alice gives me strength.

You see, novels don’t just build critical thinking skills; they allow you to fall in love and become friends with a character, help you see things from a different perspective, teach you about life in a way that an article cannot.  Novels can, as cliche as it sounds, touch your heart.  This novel, like many others, touched mine.

Will this happen with every book you read? Not likely.  But I can almost guarantee you it will happen with at least one.  Maybe you’ll remember Atticus Finch and Boo Radley when you need to be courageous.  Maybe thinking of Steve Harmon will help you make a better decision. Maybe reading Ishmael Beah’s story will ignite your passion.  Or maybe reading a book about a woman with Alzheimer’s will help you cope .

This, my dear students, is why you must not just read for 20 minutes, but must read stories…why you should try to find a book and a character that grabs your heartstrings and attaches to your soul.   This is why you MUST read.    Because, really, you’ll never know what book will pick you, until  you do.

Growth Mindset and The Great Honor Roll “But”

As part of our advisory curriculum this year, I have been leading my advisees in conversations about the growth mindset and have been impressed by their candor and their willingness to reflect upon their own mindsets.  My students have acknowledged that it is often not easy for them to focus solely on the grade they receive.  Though  we talked about many reasons for this, one observation from an advisee really hit me:

“You say you want us to develop a growth mindset and that you value effort, but then the Headmaster’s list comes out, and no matter how hard I worked, if I don’t get A’s, I don’t make that list.”

I honestly did not know what to say to that, except that she was right.  Honor rolls often do not celebrate effort; they celebrate performance.  Sure, for many who achieve honor roll or headmaster’s list status, there are great amounts of effort put in to get there but do most of our students ever stop to realize or reflect on that?  Do their parents? When the newspaper publishes the names of students making the honor roll, is there ever an asterisk denoting the hard work that it took for the students to achieve this accomplishment?  And what will happen to that honor roll student next term if he struggles and doesn’t make the grade?  Will mom and dad then have to remove their bumper sticker?  Will they be less proud?

I am not necessarily arguing that there should be no honor rolls or that we should never take the time to celebrate achievement.  Although I have thought a lot about this, I honestly do not know how I feel about the matter yet.  What I do know is that we have to think about what messages we are sending our students.  What does it actually mean to achieve?  Is the student who puts in little effort all term but still manages to get straight A’s because of his innate ability more deserving of his name in the newspaper than the student who battles learning disabilities, works tirelessly, and truly grows but ends up with a C?  It’s a question that my advisee has definitely got me thinking about.