Saturday Sayings: The We-Do-Its

(Click on the above graphic to read previous Saturday Sayings.)

I've been looking forward to sharing this quote for a long time.  Hands down it's a favorite of mine.  I've even committed it to memory.  (Yeah, not impressive.  You'll see why.)

The way I feel about this quote is the way I feel about certain worship songs we sing at church.  Man, I wish I'd written that.  It's so simple and powerful all at the same time.  Regardless of its simplicity and power, it's not always the way we run the show though, huh?  

You do it.

or

I do it.  You do it.

or

I do it.  We do it.  You do it.

Anyone besides me guilty of abbreviating the process?  I suppose we get in a rush.  The time crunch is forever hanging over our heads.  Modeling and then sharing and sharing and sharing the learning process before completely handing it over takes time and planning as well.  If you're like me though, you can easily tell when all the we-do-its are accounted for. It's kind of obvious.  The kids understand, and the product we were hoping for meets our high expectations.  The equation works.  Thanks Regie for reminding us how much modeling and sharing the process make the difference in our teaching!


Have you been reading these other three Saturday Sayings?  If you haven't, you're seriously missing out.  I have been thoroughly blessed and inspired by these gals.  Do me a favor if you will.  Check them out today.  While you're there, let them know how they've inspired you too.  Thank you!

Lori at Conversations in Literacy

Julie at Lighting a Fire in Third Grade

Sandi at Literacy Minute

Saturday Sayings: Feelin' Better Already

Ouch.  Sometimes being reflective hurts a little, but if it means I become a more effective teacher and my kids have a better opportunity to learn and show what they can do, then it must be worth it.  This post isn't about laying blame though.  It's about reflectively looking at instruction to find out why the results might not be up to par.  


I'll offer a simple example.  We only use pens during writer's workshop, but it can drive me crazy (and I mean crazy) when kids scribble (and I mean scribble) out mistakes instead of simply crossing them out.  It sure makes the reader's job harder.  Is it really the kids' fault?  Why am I not getting the results I want?  I think the answer is found in something else Regie says in Writing Essentials.

"When my teaching breaks down, it's almost always because my demonstrations have not been sufficient."  (71)

She also says...

"One demonstration is rarely enough."  (75)

Okay, so the next time I find myself with results I'm not exactly happy with, there's no need to rake myself over the coals.  Instead I'll take a reflective look at how I can improve my demonstrations and prepare myself for better results next time.  I feel better already.  Don't you?

Model, Model, and Model

Imagine a circular body, smile drawn in its middle, with four lines coming out of it for arms and legs. Remember those days?  It was cute way back when.  Once kids are in first grade, it's not as cute anymore.  I'm pretty sure some of those drawings still exist in my classroom simply because no one said, "Hey, try it this way."  Even I turn a blind eye to these kinds of drawings at the beginning of the year, although I definitely encourage them to think beyond the infamous stick figure.  Come December though, it's time for a guided art drawing lesson, at least that's what I call it.  Here's how it goes.  


I recently asked Libby to join me at the front of the room and gave her permission to stand on a chair, nice and high for all to see.  (Libby was chosen because she didn't really need the drawing lesson.)  Everyone else got out their whiteboards.  I then drew Libby bit by bit, adding commentary about what I was doing.  As I drew on my whiteboard, the kids drew the same thing on theirs.  Afterwards, each child had the opportunity to draw themselves for a classroom book we were making.


Below I've posted self-portraits from the beginning of the year and from the activity mentioned above.  The difference is quite remarkable, and it didn't happen on accident.  It's cool what can happen when someone says, "Hey, try it this way" and models what that looks like.  This certainly won't be the only time I take them through this process.  We'll do the identical lesson several more times.  By the end of the year, there won't be a stick-like body part left in the room.  Model, model, and model again.  Anyway, check out our before and after shots.

(Jackson G.)

(Savannah)

 (Katie)

(Bella)

 (Ethan D.)

 (Hailey)

In Writing Essentials, Regie Routman says, "When my teaching breaks down, its almost always because my demonstrations have not been sufficient."  She also says, "One demonstration is rarely enough."  When I reflect on what my artists, mathematicians, writers, and readers are producing, am I seeing products that match my vision and their potential?  If not, I might need to look at my demonstrations and take the time to model, model, and model again what I believe they are capable of doing.