For years, my teaching has been covering. We’ve gotta get all the stories in from the reading series if we’re going to make sure we cover all of the reading skills. We have to make sure that we work through every chapter in math if we’re going to justify our scores on the state test. The problem is, and most of us know it, if you go fast enough to get through, the ‘smart’ kids are gonna get it, the ‘dumb’ kids are gonna get left behind, and the average kids will get a lot of it, but they will learn to hate the work. If we slow down enough for the ‘dumb’ kids, the average kids will learn to hate it, and the smart kids will get bored. If we take the average comprehension kids, you lose the other two groups, one to boredom, and one to confusion.
And the most powerful thing that I’ve learned is that if I allow for everyone to learn at their own rate, if I make it about celebrating growth, hard work, and persistence, my students succeed so much more. When I go crazy trying to chase the right formula of who to teach what when, I want my where to be anywhere but in my classroom! In reading, I’ve gotten to the point where I model effective reading, I coach low readers to help them make better reading decisions, and I work with kids to make sure they’re reading enough to grow to their goals for the quarter. In math, we find out what they need, we find out what they have, and we build a bridge from the have to the need. Over the years, I’ve used math books, both in print and online, and supplemental materials to help build their skills. For most of the kids, this is enough. They work at their pace, and they do the digging. Occasionally, they ask me to explain something that’s not clear. There’re always one or two kids who need more help, but when I’m not taking up time asking students to all be on the same problems at the same time, it’s easier to work with the kids who are feeling lost.
There’s a lot of stuff that I’m obsessed with – I love seeing how students respond to what they’ve learned, either from me, or in their own research. I love watching children develop their voice and their passions. I love teaching them about sharing their ideas online. I love opening up my students to Genius Hour so they have the opportunity to chase down the things they care about. But that said, it all starts with getting the students to see themselves as the chief agents in their learning, and getting them to take charge of their progress.
And the most powerful thing that I’ve learned is that if I allow for everyone to learn at their own rate, if I make it about celebrating growth, hard work, and persistence, my students succeed so much more. When I go crazy trying to chase the right formula of who to teach what when, I want my where to be anywhere but in my classroom! In reading, I’ve gotten to the point where I model effective reading, I coach low readers to help them make better reading decisions, and I work with kids to make sure they’re reading enough to grow to their goals for the quarter. In math, we find out what they need, we find out what they have, and we build a bridge from the have to the need. Over the years, I’ve used math books, both in print and online, and supplemental materials to help build their skills. For most of the kids, this is enough. They work at their pace, and they do the digging. Occasionally, they ask me to explain something that’s not clear. There’re always one or two kids who need more help, but when I’m not taking up time asking students to all be on the same problems at the same time, it’s easier to work with the kids who are feeling lost.
There’s a lot of stuff that I’m obsessed with – I love seeing how students respond to what they’ve learned, either from me, or in their own research. I love watching children develop their voice and their passions. I love teaching them about sharing their ideas online. I love opening up my students to Genius Hour so they have the opportunity to chase down the things they care about. But that said, it all starts with getting the students to see themselves as the chief agents in their learning, and getting them to take charge of their progress.