Decoding Delicious

My reading clinic friend reminded me of something recently. We were reading a book and he read through it really well, reading or figuring out almost all the words with little help from me.

Then we played a game with words from the book. He looked and looked at the word delicious but couldn't get it. I gave a few hints about the word but he still didn't get it. I picked up the book again.

"I can read it," he said.

"I know," I said. "I just going to find it in the book so you can see in there if you want."

I turned to the page, the page he had read a few minutes before with little, if any, pause. I held it close. He looked toward me.

I asked, "Would you like to see the word in the book?" He nodded.

I lay the book before him. He stared at it. We read the sentence together, skipping over the word. He read it again and said the word delicious.

We talked about the fact that he struggled with the word in isolation but could read it (figure it out) when he read the sentence. "You are using context," I said. "Looking at the words close to a tricky word helps you figure it out."

I pondered this later, thinking about how interesting it was that the word was so difficult when it was alone but easier to discover when looking at in with other relevant words. Context aids understanding.

The same is true about the kids we teach. We may see behavior in isolation. We see something and cannot decode the meaning. Why does he do that? What will help her do something different?

We must see the child in context. Is the behavior related to a trigger, another event or particular group of event? What about his family life or her sleep patterns? Sometimes when we see the child in a larger environment, we can understand what is really happen. Context aids understanding.

A little while back, I blogged about my friend and his library books. This week, he brought his new library books with him to the reading clinic. We don't need these books. I have other books that are planned for the tutoring time. When he wanted to bring his books with him, I could have forced him to leave them in his classroom. We have limited time and a plan for that time. Those books are not a part of that plan.

But because I have some larger context (he can't take the books home), I know why he wants to bring those books. He wants to share these books that he chose from the library. Maybe he just wants to talk to someone about something.

So, if we have a little less time for word work or must write a shorter sentence about his reading, we will. I'll plan time for us to look at his books, for him to share them with me. We'll read a sentence or two from one of the books at some point. I'll listen to him talk about them. Because I know why.

Context aids understanding.

Too Much Talking?

A couple of weeks ago, I had an unusual experience in our church kindergarten class. It was quiet.

Only four kids were there that day - our four quietest kids. They worked and played the entire time.

But it was quiet. Not much talking, except for me and Mrs. Cindy. We would ask questions or make comments about what we saw happening. The kids would respond - with a nod or a soft reply.

But it was quiet. Sometimes the girls would quietly discuss what they were cooking as they worked in the kitchen. When the comments were soft and beyond my hearing...unless I moved into the kitchen myself.

So I began to do a lot of watching and a lot less talking. I didn't move into the kitchen to eavesdrop but instead stayed back and watched their play.

I watched a boy construct an elaborate structure in the blocks. He would modify the structure and try various things to get what he wanted. A couple of times, I made a comment or asked a question. But mostly I watched.

It was quiet in the classroom. But that doesn't mean it was boring or unproductive or non-engaging.

I've worked in early childhood classrooms for a while. I've seen and heard a lot of things. I expect and tolerate noise. But quiet was a new experience. Usually quiet signals danger or concern.

But this time quiet just meant thinking and working were happening.

And I learned that I don't need to talk too much.

Listen: Reflecting on My One Word for 2013

This year my focus has been on the word LISTEN. I've been listening to those around me, to God, to my own thoughts - all to help me be more effective as a teacher and as a person.

What have I learned?

1. Listening is hard...well, intentional listening is hard.

2. It's easy to discount what you hear. Or to pay attention to what reinforces your opinions and discount what challenges them.

3. I'm doing okay. Yes, I make mistakes. Yes, I need to improve. But I am doing things right. I am growing and progressing as a teacher. I need to pay attention to those successes.

4. Listening to too many voices can be paralyzing. When I try to listen and respond to what I read online and to what colleagues say and do and to my own ideas and to what my kids are saying and what I'm learning in my university class - well, I can just decide that it's too hard to do anything. I need to filter and focus on a couple of things to change or adjust and file the rest away.

5. I don't listen enough sometimes. I need to continue to make an intentional choice to be open and ready to hear. I need to continue to reflect. I need to be open to change. I do not want to get locked into the "right" way and not adjust in response to what I hear.

This was a great word for my focus this year. I've learned a lot and will continue to process what I've heard. I will continue to listen in the year to come.

Now it's time to choose one word for 2014. I'm still thinking about it and will post about my next word soon.  UPDATE: I chose a word for 2014.


Related 2013 posts:

• One Word for 2013 
• It's All About Attitude
• Give Me a Break 
• My Amazing Kids
• Refueling the Conversation
• Bragging 
• Taking My Own Advice

Listen: Taking My Own Advice

My word for this year is LISTEN. I'm working on listening and responding as I teach and learn.

So many things have been happening this year, and I've been hearing lots of advice. Colleagues are ready to help. Experts in books have lots to say. Blogs burst with myriads of ideas. I've been trying to listen and learn whenever I can.

As I prepared for the first of the year, I began filtering through a lot of listening. And one thing struck me. I often don't listen to myself. Of, better said, I don't always remember or do things that I know are good ideas. I get so caught up in others' thoughts that I forget the "tried and true" ideas of my own. 

Here's one specific case. I love my large magnet board, an oil drip pan. In fact, one of the top all time posts on Brick by Brick is my post about the oil drip pan as one of my favorite things. We use one regularly in our church kindergarten class. But I don't have one in my school classroom. 

I decided that I should listen to my own blog and get one. In fact, I now have 2 in my classroom.

In my first grade class at the beginning of the year, I used one for a daily question. The class mascot, Rilla, would ask a question and the first graders placed their names under their response to it. We would then compare the answers (how many more or less, etc.). I had hoped to develop this daily activity further as the year went on. (Then I moved to my new school and grade level. In all the transition, I haven't been able to restart this activity.)

In my new class, we haven't used the magnet boards much yet. I use them as a portable display board from time to time. I will be using them more, and I'm so glad that I "listened" to my blog and purchased them. 

(I'll post more on using these as the year goes on.)

Sometimes the person you listen to the least is yourself. Or you just get caught up in all the other advice out there, you forget what you really know.

What "old" idea do you need to pull out and use again?

Bragging

This week's #kinderblog13 prompt is to brag. to tell you the truth, it was easier to think about confessing than bragging. But, as I thought about it, I do lots of things well. Yes, even in first grade.

As I look back through my interactions with kids, I think I'm good at listening to my kids. (It so happens that this is my one word for 2013 - I've been trying to be more intentional in listening.) I interpret this in a couple of ways.

First, I like to have conversations with my kids. I listen to the things they tell me. I try to remember what they say - their favorite colors or pets' names. Kids need adults who will listen and pay attention to them, what they say. I've discovered that when I listen, the kids seem to trust more. They listen to what I say because I listen to what they say. No, things aren't all rosy. But if I listen...truly hear them...they sense that I care for them and will tell me all kinds of things. That makes me know how to connect to them and teach them.

Second, I listen to the kids' behavior. The group I had last year loved to talk and loved to move. They didn't tell me that. They showed me. So we played moving math games. They told partners or groups their ideas and answers before they told me. We would take moving breaks or dance breaks. I tried to incorporate the group's nature into what we did. Much better than fighting against it.

I'm more effective as a teacher when I listen to them - what they say and what they do.

(I still feel a little uncomfortable bragging.)

Listen: Fueling the Conversation

My word for this year is LISTEN. I'm working on listening and responding as I teach and learn.

When I chose to listen this year, I also made a commitment to act. If I listen and don't act on what I hear, then why should I listen in the first place. 

This year has been a time of listening and learning. This past month, I've been getting one clear message - I need to take a rest. I need to take more time for listening. So, I'm going to pull back from my blog for the next few weeks. I know...you're saying that I haven't really been posting much anyway. And that's true. That's part of what is showing me that I need to take a little break. My blog is still on my mind and I feel a little like I'm failing. Taking some time away isn't failing. It's just life.

I am taking some time to read and refuel. Time to reflect about this past year and make plans for the new one. (Yes, I'm in first again next year! It's official!) So...I'll be reading, reflecting, and resting. I'm going to take some time to listen a lot in June. When I come back, I'll have lots to share.

Just so you won't totally forget me - I will schedule some posts for the next few weeks. But I'll be out of the conversation for a little while.

Teaser: When I'm back in July, I'll be a part of a summer tradition. More on that soon.

Listen: My Amazing Kids

My word for this year is LISTEN. I'm working on listening and responding as I teach and learn.

As I began this year of listening, I knew I would want to listen to all kinds of voices. After all, if I'm going to learn, I need to hear from all kinds of sources. In that first post, one source I listed was the kids themselves. I've been trying to listen to them. They've told me they like to move. They've told me that I sometimes spend too long on something. They've told me that I can be a pretty good teacher on some days. (Usually they tell me these things through their actions not words.)

Today we began our science unit on solids and liquids. My district sends us science kits to use - kits with teaching plans and all the stuff you need. It's great. Today I paired the kids up - each pair got a tray with a steel ball and a plastic spoon.

The pairs explored their two items and discussed how the items were alike and different. I made a chart so we could discuss their ideas.

As I listened to them and their ideas, I was amazed. My kids continue to surprise me. I love all of the differences they listed. We started with these, since it was easier.

"spoon is flat; ball is round" - Listening to him talk, I think he was trying to talk about the spoon being more 2-dimensional and the ball 3-dimensional. We added "sphere" as we discussed.

"You can see what you are wearing..." - The ball was very reflective, almost like a mirror. In the spoon, you could see yourself but you were blue since the spoon was blue.

Some really great ideas!

Then we moved on to similarities. Again, their ideas really surprised me.

"spin" - With a little torque, both will spin on a table.

"noise" - If you drop them, they will both make sounds. (The ball is much louder.)

"zero points" - No corners; both are curved/rounded.

And - for the record - they said "solid," not me. I have introduced the concept to them.


In recent days, as I have the great fortune to listen to their ideas, they have surprised me several times.

We were reading a story in our reading books. We were discussing how illustrations help us better understand the text. One girl said, "And we can make an inference. He didn't tell us about this but we can look at the illustration and make an inference." Wow. Someone was listening in recent weeks when we talked about inferences. Wow.

We read a story about bugs "hiding in plain sight," blending to match rocks or leaves or other surroundings so they would be safer. As we talked, I asked what we could learn about bugs from this particular story. A few kids said things about bugs hiding and so forth. Someone said, "Some bugs use camouflage." Wow. I commented on such a great word. Later, in writing about bugs, several kids wrote about bugs camouflaging themselves. Of course we had several variations on the spelling - but I got it. Wow.

My kids are amazing. Listening to them helps me see how they are thinking. And I continue to be amazed that I get to be with them every day. What a lucky guy I am!

Listen: Give Me a Break

My word for this year is LISTEN. I'm working on listening and responding as I teach and learn.

I'm hard on myself. I want to be the best teacher I can be. And I've certainly fell short a few times (a LOT of times) this first year of my adventure in first grade.

There are so many things I didn't know. There are so many things I want to try, so many things I want to change, so many things I want to improve.

In my year of listening, I have been hearing people around me say one thing - give yourself a break. I've heard it from you, my blogging and tweeting friends. I've heard in from my colleagues on the first grade team. I've heard it from the best advisor I have - my wife. 

My usual reply: "I know, but...." I'm such a reflector. I think and think and evaluate and ruminate and think about what I did, what I should/could have done, what I will do next time. That's good, but it cannot overtake what is happening now. 

So this week, I decided to give myself a break. Hey, I'm a new first grade teacher. I've made it through three-fourths of the year. I'm still hanging in there and so are the students.

And they are actually learning stuff. Their reading has improved - sure, maybe everyone isn't at the "right" level yet...but they are progressing. (I think they may be at the "right" level for them at this point - at least most of them.) I listened as they explained what a table of contents is - they didn't know that before. I hear them call out, "Mr. Wiley, it's 1:30!!!" They didn't know time to half hour on our clock just a few weeks ago. I hear, "You're the best teacher ever!" just because we planted beans in cups of soil. Maybe I'm doing okay as a teacher.

I'll still reflect. I'll still make mistakes. I'll still want to improve. But I don't need to spend all of my commute home telling myself what a bad job I did that day. I'm a new teacher - learning how to make things work for me and my kids. So I'm going to give myself a break. I'm going to listen to those telling me that things will be better next year. Hey, I know they're better than the first week I was there.


The rest of the story--I thought about this blog post a few days ago and composed it in my head on my commute home. Then, at the end of the week, I had a FAIL. And I began to doubt that I should even do this post. But, I decided to give myself permission to actually make a mistake and learn from it. And I decided that this post should go on. I guess I can give myself a break.

Listen: It's About Attitude

My word for this year is LISTEN. I'm working on listening and responding as I teach and learn.

This school year has been hard. I have not regretted the decision to move in a new direction, but I have struggled from time to time. As I reflected and listened and read in early January, one message came through loudly. I need to check my attitude. Attitude and expectation make a big difference in each day.

So, as a result of that message, I began each morning choosing to be grateful for whatever happened that day. I pray each morning, "God, whatever happens today, I will thank you for it." And I discovered something truly eye-opening: I haven't had a horrible day since.

Oh, yes, I do have some challenges. I do get impatient. Students do push against the rules and stray (or bound) off task. But, when I encounter these things, I think, "I'm thankful for this." I try to find something that will be a positive result - at least I know something that won't work or something that needs to be rethought. Every time I learn something...and I certainly can be grateful for that.

I am not a Pollyanna - I don't think that everything that happens is wonderful and happy. But, at the end of the day, when I reflect back on the day, I truly feel that each day has been a good day (or at least an okay day). I don't drive home thinking about how difficult things were. I no longer think that I'm failing. And I know that next year things will be so much better.

The main thing that changed is my outlook. Attitude makes a difference.

(And, I can translate that to my kids. If I can help them have a mostly positive attitude, they will do better work and be more motivated. How to do that? I don't know but I'm thinking, reflecting...and listening!)