Struggling to Blog

This past school year I have had the privilege to teach 8th grade reading and writing - English Language Arts.  But I not only changed grade levels, moving from 3rd to 8th, I also changed school districts.

Teaching 8th grade has been one of the biggest challenges I have faced, and I know I am the better for it.  There have been some rough days where I wondered, 

“Am I really going to make it through this?”  

“How many days until June?” 

But when I look at the calendar, I see the reflection of how much stronger, how much wiser, how much more patient I am.  I see the progress of how far I’ve come. How many mornings I’ve woken up with the anxiety of what the day would bring, what kind of shenanigans would happen, and even worse - the success I could have. 

The last few months of teaching 8^th grade and the lack of finding resources has led me to think that I need to come back to my blog.  I had abandoned it because I wasn’t passionate about it.  I started a blog for all the wrong reasons: 

• because it seemed like what I was supposed to do.  
• because other teachers had blogs, other teachers made connections, other teachers were so happy – it seemed – with roses and rainbows and pots of gold and little leprechauns dancing around the screen.  

That’s what my eyes and my mind were seeing.  I felt like I wasn’t living up to that.  I was tired.  I was tired of not being surrounded by the teachers I was reading about on computer screens.  If teachers were blogging, then surely I just needed to find a new school where I would certainly find teachers who wanted to blog and create and try new things in their classrooms. Right? Of course those teachers were out there, they just weren’t in the one school that I was in. . . 

So I got tired.  I had mentally exhausted myself.  I didn’t love my blog. I was jealous of what others had.  I wanted it for myself but it wasn’t being handed to me, as if I deserved it on a silver platter brought to me by Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds) [insert emoji heart eyes face] ;)  I even paid for a blog design thinking that would inspire me to blog more.  

[Anybody familiar with Psalm 23:5? “Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies” ? … yea, I’m my own worst enemy.]

Even after spending all that money, I haven’t blogged much.

Then I began researching how it was going for others in middle school.  I was having such a hard time adjusting that I felt like I was doing something wrong.  But I wasn’t coming up with what I wanted.  I wasn’t finding the support I thought I was looking for.  Eventually, after a few weeks of searching, I had an epiphany – there isn’t much from middle school teachers because it just doesn’t exist.  Here I am, looking for support for middle school when I needed to step up and voice what I could on the subject.  If there’s something I’ve learned from taking Lucy’s (Calkins) classes, it’s this: 

you have something worth sharing with the teaching community.  

I need to be writing.  And so, today, my imaginary goal/wish list that exists in the confines of my brain needs to be relayed to one of the flair pens chillin’ in my agenda and become a reality.  I’ve been mentally telling myself that I should aim to blog once a week; that’s manageable.  Yet, it wasn’t happening.  I wasn’t making it a priority.  There were times when I had the mental fortitude and motivation to blog, yet actually sitting down, typing, and actually – hold on, I might choke – publish such thinking, such words, might kill me.  Or so I thought.

Which has brought me to this post.  This post is a start of a reflection on all the things I think about during Lucy’s fieldwork class.  How inspired I am to write and actually think through my thoughts, organize them to be ready to share my knowledge with the greater education community.  I have something worth sharing.   Doesn’t matter if anyone listens.  It will fall on the ears of those who need to read it.  I need to be faithful, though, to what I want.  [Side note: now accepting any and all applicants for keeping me accountable.  Being my fairy blogmother.]

Before the next "Currently" ...

I didn't get the chance to share this last weekend because .. well, I was just so knocked out from all the fun I had!

Because I am in the Northeast and teach in Jersey, I am a H U G E  Lucy Calkins' fan.  I picked up her book Pathways to Common Core in 2012 when I was finishing my student teaching.  I didn't really know who exactly Lucy Calkins was, but the book title really intrigued me.  I finally read it this past summer and done so much research in educating myself to be a better teacher that I am Calkins' biggest fan!  I know that I blogged in an earlier post about her Units of Study and the trouble I was having with that.  But as I continue to research and grow as a teacher, I find that I like her work and will continue to utilize it because I esteem her as making very big contributions to the education field.  (I will post about my adventures in teaching fairy tale adaptations at a later date .. LOVE IT!).  For now, my goal is to transfer from the graduate school I am currently attending to go study at Teacher's College at Columbia University.  I would L O V E to study under Lucy, her work, and her colleagues.

Needlesstosay,  in October of this year, I went to my *first* Teacher's College Saturday Reunion.  I was still a newbie to all this blogging and instagraming and let's-take-pictures-to-share-with-the-education-community that I forgot to take picture, plus I was so focused on getting through the day with a colleague.  Then last weekend, I went again to the 86th Teacher's College Saturday Reunion.  What a blast!  I am super MEGA excited for the Units of Study in Reading to come out in Spring 2015.

First, my friends and I attended Lucy's two sessions: one about reading, the other about reading-writing connections.  Excellent!

Then, we went to Stephanie Harvey's workshop on Information Text.  Excellent!

And I must say, she is quite comical too!  If you do not have her book Strategies that Work, then you are really missing out.  

We also attended a session on Author's Craft.  It was between Author's Craft and another Lucy session, but this time on writing.  We were in such a pickle because our students need work in author's craft, but we as teachers need help in teaching writing!  I'm pretty sure we're not the only ones who feel incompetent to teacher writing. :(  (Sidenote: follow educators on Twitter.  It was there that I realized - the same struggles my students have during writing, they need to see me struggle as a writer too.  I need to model for them as I write  in  front  of  them  that "no, writing is no picnic, but it's the most amazing accomplishment")

Anyways, we attended the author's craft session which was helpful.  It reinforced for me to help students pay attention to the vocabulary that author's use in their language.  For example, "Why did the author write that the character's ears were 'glued' to the radio rather than just saying that the character was 'listening' to the radio?"  I have to say, it sounds fun and it is becoming more fun to teach this because then students turn key this information into their w r i t i n g.  They are now the author doing this for a reader.  I *love* watching them switch hats from reader to writer.  They become so mature, and ... happy.  Does that make sense?  

Though the school year may be winding down, I still look forward to implementing in the classroom the things that I learn at the workshops.  One of the biggest things I have been working on with my students is metacognition, which I will have to post about at another point this week.  But with metacognition comes post-its!  #postits #God'sgifttoteachers

Seriously, how awesome are these ?!?!? I found them at walmart.  #gogetthem

I know that with the amount of post its we teachers use in our one classroom alone, we could probably cover the whole USofA with the post its we use.  But there is honestly no better classroom necessity than a pencil, some colored pencils, and post its!  I thought these post its specifically would be an excellent addition to reader's workshop because students can read and jot their thoughts on this post it about 5-10 minutes before share time.  It helps too because then students aren't so concerned about their overwhelming composition notebook reader's journal that they have to respond in with their writing.  Rather, students collect all of their thoughts on post its.  As those post its add up during the week, they can then do some writing at the end of the week.  Their post its become larger thoughts for them to write off of and break down their thinking/reasoning after accumulating their theories and thinking.  (I know I'm being redundant, but I want to make sure I'm thorough).  Plus, with the metacognittion/think/speech bubble outline of the post it, it is a visual reminder of what this post it is for exactly... What are you thinking as you're reading?

Oh, Winter Break. Are you here for me? Or the kids?

Sooooo...

Just like all of my IG friends, I, too, have been spending my "break" relaxing in my jammies all day, eating cookie dough, and all that other good stuff that comes with having 8 days of no responsibilities.

However,

I have ALSO been reading! dun*dun*dun!

Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing Elementary Series Bundle Grades K-5 with Trade Book Packs

This year, my district rolled out the Lucy Calkins' Writing Workshop for grades K-2.  Grades 3-5 will have the roll out next year.  Over the summer, however, I purchased the Grade 3 Units of Study.  So I have a little bit of a head start for next year, and my students will come to me ready for the Units of Study Grade 3!  :)

As you can read in my About Me, I have only really been teaching for a few months.  This past September marked my first legit school year. *yay!*  Nonetheless, when I started back in March, I was very intimidated to teach writing.  I had student taught 5th grade where the school had essays done once a month to comprise a student portfolio, and three students from each class were chosen to be "Writing Wall Portfolios" displayed in the hallway.  I was having a hard time adjusting myself from a 5th grade mentality to a 3rd grade mentality.

Then, one day, I just decided I would teach writing.  I had to teach it to invest in helping these students develop their knowledge of the world around them + it was in my schedule for a 43-minute block of time = TEACH WRITING! I picked up some of my undergrad textbooks, one being A Classroom Teacher's Guide to Struggling Writers.



I haphazardly threw together a writer's workshop for the last 3 months I had with The Students of Homeroom 9, and we were off!  They adjusted well to the workshop and thrived from where they had been before.  I will admit though, if Lucy had walked into my classroom I would've walked out the classroom with my head hanging low. :(

At the end of June, I approached my Literacy Supervisor and asked her what I should be looking at to improve my teaching.  She recommended Lucy Calkins Units of Study.  I finally caved and purchased the Units of Study for Grade 3 kind of late in the summer which meant I didn't have the proper time to sit down and read what exactly I was getting myself into.  When September came, like 3 days after my package arrived, I figured I was just gonna dive right into the Unit that was aligned with our curriculum.  I. was. lost!  I did a few of the sessions and then gave up.  A few weeks later, our year was already progressing into our districts Unit 2 curriculum alignment.  (Our district follows the NJ DOE Model Curriculum where we cover a specific standard at a specific time in the school year.) I knew I had to get back on track with writing because our unit was focusing on numerous writing standards.  If I wanted my students to grow as readers, I HAD to get them to write.  I tell them ALL. THE. TIME. "Good readers make good writers; good writers make good readers."

I can't preach something we don't practice.

Since then, I was faithful trying very, very hard in transitioning my students to a writing curriculum as well as lifting the level of writing.  I. DEMAND. A. LOT.  and yes, I demand A LOT out of my 3rd graders. To make that happen - to effectively reach all of my 27 / 28 (27 is my homeroom, 28 is my afternoon class) students, I HAD TO GET MY FEET UNDERNEATH ME!  I can't keep "wingin' it."
Ultimately, this post is about this book ... A Guide to the Common Core Writing Workshop (the second book - the greenish one).  My book looks a little different because my book: a) came with the Grade 3 Units of Study pack; and b) is part of the CCSS alignment pack. :)



I would HIGHLY recommend the Units of Study bundles for your grade level.  They are .. rigorous, but worth it.  I think the reason I became so discouraged with the way I was utilizing the units of study earlier in the year is because I had no idea where Lucy and her colleagues had come from to put this together and where each unit intended on the students going! It's like trying to juggle with one ball - it doesn't make sense.   Outside of the fact that the students I am working with have no background in the Grade 2 Units of Study let alone an actual writing workshop environment!  And, it is intimidating for teachers to teach writing when they ... aren't really sure how.  I wasn't about to give into the "skill sheets/worksheets" because - to me - that's not how students are going to learn to write.  They're going to learn from mentor texts and studying what other authors do because, in turn, that's what we're making students to be - turning them inside out .. from readers to authors.

I think the best thing I read so far from the Guide was a quote from the novelist Margaret Atwood.  She says, "The fact is the blank pages inspire me with terror.  What will I put on them?  Will it be good enough?  Will I have to throw it out?  The trick is to sit at the desk anyway, every day" (Donald Murray, Shoptalk: Learning to Write with Writers, 1990, 72).  That's how I feel as a teacher teaching a handful - and then some! - students to write.


"I can walk into a classroom, look over children's writing, and know immediately whether children are taught to write because strong, clear instruction dramatically and visibly affects student writing.  When teachers explicitly teach the qualities, habits, and strategies of effective writing, that writing becomes better - and the improvement is evident within days and weeks, not just months."
~ Lucy Calkins (A Guide to the Common Core Writing Workshop, 22)