As teachers, sometimes we think we have to be talking or in front of the room for kids to learn. I know we also think that we need proof of work from students to show they are doing what they say.
Well I am going out on a limb and have decided to go on the honor system. No proof, no daily logs, no responses. I came to this decision after two experiences I had with students in my class.
Both are avid readers, there is never a time they are not reading. They both are excellent students. I was doing my weekly check on reading logs. I called one of my fabulous readers to come over. I asked for the log, he burst out in tears. I was taken off guard, I said "What is wrong?", he said "I forgot to log in everyday. I start reading and then I forget!" I found my self calming down one of my best students because he was upset he did not write down all the times and days he read. Yet, he could sit and discuss each and every book, and you can see his face light up when he tells you about what he is reading.The next "Ah ha" moment, was when I read a sentence on one of the language tests I had given. One of my students had written a sentence for the word "automatic." The sentence stated, " I wish I had an automatic response writter, so I could read. Enough said right there!
Then I consulted the parent in me. I hate when my children were given busy work that meant nothing. I said to a teacher once, "I can keep my child busy on my own, he does not need homework to keep him busy." I also know people think that homework teaches responsiblity. Homework that one is learning from, yes! Homework to prove you are doing your homework, no! I know my own son had a log to fill in to prove he studied each night. I have to say, I signed it on Sunday night at 9:00pm, and my son studied when he needed. So while I realize being responsible is part of being a good student, I also believe that comes from giving responsibility to those students!
I have chosen to take this plunge and I believe I will see my students exceed my expectations!
Most students have welcomed the change with smiles, and "Can I find a place to read?"
8 comments:
BRAVO! I applaud your risk taking! I totally agree with your thoughts and think you are going to be blessed with the best readers EVER this year!
Thank God for individual teachers doing this on their own. This process is explicitly integrated into all of our classrooms. In fact, even the high school in our district where I most recently taught biology does this very thing across the curriculum. And yes- I'm talking 9-12 grade... all subjects.
We had some pushback at first. No longer. It is now nearly institutionalized. In fact, read-alouds (minimum of 5 min. per class per day) are even a mandate. Again... across the curriculum. That is just something we do whenever any group sits around a table to learn. The leader is expected to bring copies for all of the learning piece to be read aloud. Everyone does it from the principal on down.
Keep it up... drill reading into the culture in a soft, and friendly... yet ever-present way.
;)
Sean
Hurrah! No Book Logs!! There is nothing I dread more than my daughters' book logs. Whether they log pages or minutes, we all dread them.
With my own 7th grade students, we have a version of the Nancee Atwell reading journal - we write letters to each other (one every two weeks) about something that we have been reading.
You will see so much additional reading from this. We all crave autonomy; here is a place that you can easily offer it. Good luck.
A teacher who puts the needs of her learners ahead of "what's always been done" is not always easy to come by. I, too, applaud your decision. You saw a need and you're making an informed decision. Your expectations have not changed, and I would venture to guess that your students will read even more then they do now. You have procedures in place to hold them accountable (the reading conferences you mentioned) which tell you much more than any log ever could.
Keep us posted on any other positive results you have seen.
Sounds great -- as a parent, I know I would appreciate not having to remember to count every time my kids read. We do often forget, which can create problems for the incentives.
If you catch flak regarding accountability, you could periodically send parents a simple reading survey to see how often their kids read...and perhaps how often kids see their parents read!
Backing your decision 120%. As 'adult' readers we don't 'track our progress'! We read for pleasure, pure and simple and as an educator that is what I want to instill in my students first and foremost. As 'adult' readers we enjoy talking about the books we are reading, and not necessarily talk the answers of prescribed questions.
Last year I had a 3rd grade class that was 'challenging' (to put it mildly). But they were voracious readers. If I could have walked in in the morning and said, 'We are spending the day reading.' our day would have been perfect. Did I require logs? NO! Did I require book reports? NO! Did I require answers to publisher generated questions? NO! And what I got in return was engagement. My students were 'engaged' with their books, they were 'engaged' with each other as they (and I discussed) what we were reading in a relaxed (read: 'non-assessed') atmosphere.
And did my class read on their own? NEVER! If they read, I was there on the rug, on a pillow, in a beanbag right along with them. Sometimes I read what they recommended to me, sometimes I read magazines, sometimes I read a professional book, sometimes I read a novel; but I read with them and discussed what I was reading with them.
If you ask me (and if you asked my students), the best part of last year was our reading time.
THIS is how we build a community of readers!
Keep it up!
Amen. I too think that it is shameful at the amount of "busy" homework that exist. Very proud of your blog and stepping out.
In seventh grade I expect my students to read every day for at least 20 minutes. I do not have them keep any kind of log other than a list of books they've read so far this year. I know when they're reading and when they're not by having conversations with them during our workshop time. It works for me. Good luck to you!
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