To Whom It May Concern-Letters From a Teacher

Passionate educator working for change

  • Reading Levels vs. Reading Excitement

    Dear Guided Reading Teachers,

    For years, I struggled to make my guided reading groups consistent and engaging. I would constantly try new things and I never felt they were engaging and worthwhile, even I would get bored. I felt like I was spinning on a hamster wheel; putting in a lot of effort and not getting an equivalent pay out, in the form of reading growth. I focused on choosing leveled books, or texts rather, as they were rarely quality literature. This year, I decided I would focus less on levels and more on choosing engaging quality books. I paid attention to the levels, of course, but that wasn’t my sole purpose. Obviously, I wasn’t going to give my struggling readers a book they wouldn’t be successful with. I decided to have one of my groups read the first book in the Dragon Masters series by Tracey West. They absolutely loved it! Word spread around the classroom and I now have several students reading the series that weren’t even in the Dragon Masters group. I have been using a combined approach by letting whoever wants to read aloud, read, I also read aloud to model fluency, and students will read silently to themselves. We stop during any of those scenarios to check for understanding. Let me tell you the excitement for reading that has grown in my class this year! I have not assessed all of my students yet, but the ones I have, have shown considerable growth in according to our district leveled reading assessment. The best part for me has been to see the excitement in my class. Students are avidly reading and trying to get all the books in the series. They are excited to tell me about the books and what book they are on in the series. They come to school with a smile explaining how they are going to the library at night to get the next few books in the series. So, my advice to my fellow guided reading teachers is to trust your instinct. Get your kids excited about books. Don’t be afraid to go outside the leveled reading “box.” It will be worth it! A student excited about reading is the best outcome a teacher could ask for AND it’s contagious!

    Sincerely,

    A Passionate Teacher

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  • A Challenge for Education Decision Makers

    Dear Education Decision Makers,

    One thing often heard among the hallways and staff lounges in schools, is that those that make decisions in education are often too far removed from where they started to truly make an informed decision. I’m not saying our leaders don’t have a good depth of knowledge, because they absolutely do, but many have truly forgotten what it is like to be in the classroom. My challenge to state leaders is to visit schools and classrooms around their state or even other states for that matter. Visit small schools, large schools, urban schools, rural schools and everything in between. Shadow a teacher for multiple days. Ask the superintendents or principals to let you visit their most difficult classes. Make it clear to the teacher, you aren’t judging him/her, you are only there to see what it is actually like on the “front lines.” Then go back to your cohorts that have hopefully been doing the same “field work” as you, and collaborate and problem solve and propose solutions, solutions that get under the band aid; not ones that add more band aids on top of the problem. I challenge you to form focus groups including current teachers and get to work, the kind of work that leads to change. We have to do better for our students and our teachers.

    Sincerely,

    A Passionate Teacher

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  • An Open Letter to Leaders in Education

    Dear Leaders in Education,

    It’s time you address the divide between education leaders and teachers/school staff. If you haven’t recognized or addressed it, I can assure you it’s there more times than not. Teachers need leaders, yes, but a leader is someone who can facilitate and work with others to make decisions. An effective leader asks questions, listens for answers, collaborates to come to the best possible decision. However, decisions are constantly being made without those steps being taken. Teachers’ voices are not being heard or considered. We need to come together for the sake of our country’s future education. There is so much more. Stay tuned!

    Sincerely,

    A Passionate Teacher

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