I expected great things. I knew that a lot would be review, but that most of the keynotes would be inspiring. They were. They reminded me of why I've worked so hard, and brought a flood of memories back to me about just how hard it was seven years ago when I first started my journey of teaching reading, and children, well.
The rest of my days were filled with smart educators and authors filling our heads with smart ideas about teaching well. In the afternoons, I was in a small group section lead by Enid Martinez, with other Kindergarten teachers (I am not a Kindergarten teacher, but I wanted to learn more about it...I spent the last 5 years teaching 1st grade.) We were supposed to bring a 'literary gift' with us to the last meeting. I brought a quote, some books for my turn and talk partner, and I wrote a thank you note. The thank you note was long, so I didn't read it, not because I didn't want to, there was just not a right time, and who wants to listen to me go on and on anyway...
By writing it though, I felt good. It started to immortalize my journey, in a small way, as a teacher of reading, writing, and everything I've always knew was right in my heart to teach. The following is that letter...
My gift to you all is sincere thanks and appreciation.
I appreciate all of you for coming from near and very far places to learn the hard but necessary work of teaching reading well. I expected to meet so many more people from 'around town'. Maybe some familiar faces from calendar days and Saturday reunions and study groups. Because of your presence I fell inspired and lucky. You would need to know a couple of things about me to understand why. I am a TC junkie. Seven years ago, when I started teaching (without ever student teaching) I had 28 students who couldn't read-either at all or very little. The students that did read didn't seem to enjoy it, and the other kids saw reading as just plain hard and I was faced with lots of resistance. Nevertheless, they were my students, and I was told to teach them and since I was given a job, my superiors thought that I know how to do so. The sad truth was that I only knew how to teach art. (And we made some pretty cool stuff that year, to fill the times when I didn't know what to do!) Fortunately, left in the pile (sort of a mound that went up to my waist) of unwanted books that I was supposed to make into my classroom library, was The Art of Teaching Reading. This book served as my guiding light to get me through this first year.
As I was on my journey as a first year teacher I wondered, "Why aren't the rest of my colleagues heeding the advice offered in this book?" When asked most replied, "It's just too big," or, "It's not practical." Others said, and I quote, "It's good, but we don't do TC, we do Balanced Literacy." It took me a while, because I was especially naive then, to understand that these teachers and I were not similar, and they did not like me at all. In earshot, but never to my face, I would hear, "What a to read that book and use it like a bible. So I became like Kathy's husband and probably many of you have (or might soon be) the teacher that shuts the door and becomes quiet at staff meetings.
My hope for you, and good teachers everywhere, become just like me. Not just because I'm awesome and have really neat teeny-tiny handwriting that would make Ruthie jealous, but because you can become a person who inspires change in your school in your town.
I hope that you will shut your door at first (and only if necessary) but then I hope that you'll follow a few more of these next steps <dot, dot, dot>
- Start to peek out of your doors and share with the people who'll listen.
- Upon receiving a compliment on your (and the student's) work, don't just say, "Thank you," but also say, "I can show you how we did it if you want."
- Plan with someone hopefully near (but far works too!) that will support you.
- Make copies of journal articles and/or chapters in books written by the researchers you've learned about here so that you're armed and ready when your AP asks, "Why?" or even worse, demands, "Don't".
- When you know enough and have seen change in your students, speak up LOUDLY at staff meetings about it.
- Do everything in your power that you can (sanely) manage, to do the best job possible, always keeping a clear cut goal in mind for the students and for yourself-not you principal or your district or your state.
- Always help others try out what you've learned here, even if you feel unsure, you can say, "I don't know how this will go, but let's see together."
- Sit on every committee, inquiry team and study group possible to whisper (and sometimes shout) what you know in your heart is right.
- Accept that the journey to teaching well in never over or easy because we should always try to improve our work.
Hopefully then, you may be blessed with <dot, dot, dot>
- the good fortune of administrators who care and know how important this work is;
- seeing a change in the culture of your school building;
- teaching with your doors wide open! (You'll know that you can do this because you now have enough influence to hire only people that are awesome like you!)
I said before that you inspire me. You inspire me to continue my journey of refining my practice so that I can hopefully inspire so many others to refine theirs. I feel exhausted by the thought of the many places in the United States and the world that will now work so hard at the fine art of teaching reading and relieved that so many of you are here to do so.
When planning, remember this,
"One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child." ~Carl Jung
Good luck to everyone who wants to teach 'those kids'. I have to add on one other hope for you all. I hope that you one day feel like I felt when hearing Lucy's closing speech. I hope that you will one day feel like you've come full circle, you've inspired change, that your school is as awesome as you and that you feel an overwhelming sense of proud! I sit here and still have tears in my eyes for how accomplished my school and my colleagues are! Congratulations to PS 503!
Like Lucy said, take care of your colleagues. If you ever need help on your journey, I'll help take care of you.
