It's time for Chapter 4 of the Teaching with Intention link-up! This week (which I am joining just inexcusably late) is hosted by Schroeder Shenanigans in Second and Positively Learning:
This chapter REALLY got me excited (and nervous -- let's be real) about this upcoming year. I was reading this and thinking about how much I want my classroom to be a an environment that encourages students to THINK, and not only that but to SHARE their thinking... and then the nerves kicked in with that little voice asking me: "but how are you going to do that with Kindergarteners/Pre-K?" ... but I'm determined to teach with intention this year... and so I just need to keep that in mind! K and Pre-K kiddos are just as capable of thinking on their own as older ones... and what better time to get them started in "breathing in I can do it" and "breathing out 'here's how'"?! (I totally LOVED that quote from Debbie Miller ... "I can do it... here's how... I can do it... here's how!" what a great mantra to have buzzing around a classroom!)
This chapter was actually chock FULL of wonderful quotes like that. Perhaps the one that resonated the most with me (perhaps because I am Guilty with a capital G of "rephrasing" student answers to fit what I wanted to get from them) was this one:
I feel like Debbie is SO right in saying that perhaps the best way we can encourage student thinking and problem solving in our classrooms is by making students feel that their thinking is truly listened to and valued. That is one of my big goals for this year ... and I'm thinking about printing this little guy out to stick in my teacher binder to remind me! (camera girl clipart from My Cute Graphics, font from KG fonts)
Clearly this chapter really got me thinking and pumped about creating that perfect, supportive classroom culture... so I'm using our lovely link-up hosts' questions to help guide my thoughts -- otherwise I think I could rattle on for pages about things I need to do to help promote student thinking in my classroom!
I think this is something that I'm pretty good at. In my second grade classroom this past year, I did a lot of Writer's Workshop, and I think I got pretty good at "think alouds" both during Interactive Read Alouds and during writing. I often find myself explaining my thinking out loud and asking my kiddos to "watch me" try out different strategies we've learned about in those areas. "I'm wondering.." is a phrase that I use a lot, and that I've heard parroted back to me time and time again! Debbie is totally right in saying that by thinking aloud, we are giving our students the words and know-how to explain their processes later.
I could definitely, however, improve in using this technique in other areas beyond literacy. I'm comfortable thinking aloud in literacy instruction, but need to push myself to do it more in math and even in daily life/problem solving situations. I think this will be especially important with my Pre-K/K kiddos this coming year... they are going to need to see me think through social situations, frustration... everything! Watch out kiddos, the think alouds are heading your way!
That said.. I also need to make room for more STUDENT TALK! Which brings me to the next question:
I did my best with this, and I'm trying not be too hard on myself when looking back at last year with my second graders (it was my first and/or second year teaching, depending on how you count... but that's a long story for another day!) One thing I can say for sure is that I made a point of giving wait time. I tried not to let those frantic hand-wavers jump in too quickly when someone was still trying to work it out... and I consider it a point of pride that at the end of the year students were correcting each other saying, "Guys! Give him (or her) time to think!" I was often saying "In our class, we give our friends time to think." So I guess that's a step in the right direction!
I will say, however, there is some definite room for improvement in this area, too. I often "redirected" kiddos who said things that I didn't quite follow, and found myself trying to force my thinking/the "right answer" on them too often. If I didn't quite grasp a kiddo's "golden nugget" as Debbie calls it, I replaced it with my own, rather than reformulating, asking questions, or giving time to allow that child to express his or her real thinking. I had one kiddo in particular who had knack for telling loooooong stories that never seemed related... but perhaps rather than shutting him down (for lack of a better word... I swear I wasn't mean!) or redirecting him, I should have asked deeper questions that made him think about what he was really trying to say, or at least why he felt that story related to our discussion!
I guess that would be my goal for next year, just as Debbie says. I want to be PRESENT and actually LISTEN (shock!! What a concept! Listening intently to what our kiddos have to say) to my kiddos, rather than just trying to lead them to where we "need to be." I found myself looking at that clock SO often during lessons (especially Writer's Workshop... I talked too much and listened too little!), and ended up rushing student thinking rather than taking time to let them get there on their own... and wouldn't time spent allowing students to draw their own conclusions be better spent than doing whatever activity we were supposed to do next anyway?
So my goal for this coming year to help promote student thinking is going to be to be IN THE MOMENT and LISTEN to my students. I am going to try to remind myself that their thinking is the most important thing going on at school, and everything else can wait. So forget the clock, the timers, etc... and start reacting to actual learning that's happening. And maybe I might give Debbie's notebook a try... I wish I had had one to help me answer this next question!
I have quite a few catch phrases in my class... but here are a few that stand out as I think back over my year in second grade:
"Give him/her time to think" - see above!
"Put a bookmark in your brain." This one is a bit problematic. When I felt that we had to move on because of time constraints or some other pressing factor, I often told kiddos to "put a bookmark in [their] brain" and tell me on the playground, after school, or during independent work time whatever it was they are thinking of. I wish I could find a better way (I do use turn and talk, but they don't seem to share the same things with their partners that they want to share with me! Maybe this is something I will fine-tune with experience) to move things along without making kiddos feel like they didn't get to share their thinking.
"Be a problem-solver." Much like Ashley at Schroeder Shenanigans in Second, I try not to give students the solutions to their problems... so I often hear myself saying "be a problem solver!" "I need you to be a problem solver." "Can you tell me how you might solve that problem on your own?" ... I guess this is a good one!
"I'm wondering..." See above -- love those think alouds! (Yikes, I talk too much... :s )
"I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm asking you to tell me how you know/why you think that" I think this one has the right spirit behind it, but I need to erase that first clause. I want them to be so confident in their answers (and perhaps more importantly, so used to deeper-level questioning) that the thought that I might only be asking because they're wrong doesn't even cross their mind. They should know that their thinking should always be followed with a why or a how... I need to make "BECAUSE" the key word in our classroom. :)
I'm sure there are many more things that I say over and over, but these are the big ones that jumped out at me as I read and then reflected on this chapter.
I'm glad I wrote this blog post, even if I'm WAY late in joining the link-up, as it really helped me to digest. After reading this chapter, I felt inspired, but also overwhelmed. I thought, "there is so much I have to do/change to make my classroom like this!" But this post has helped me to realize that just a few changes can make all the difference:
... culture of critical thinking, here we come!
Feeling inspired,
<3 Ms Fliss
