Mainely Middle
Journal of the Maine Association for Middle
Level Education
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Volume 10, Number 1
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What I Learned on my Summer VacationMy family thought I was completely nuts when I accepted a slot with the National Writing Project based at the University of Maine last summer. When I looked at the syllabus and the readings I too thought I was a little nuts. Questions raced through my mind like a bad dream. What had I gotten myself into? How would I complete all this required writing? Was I a good enough writer for this fellowship? How would this experience help my students? What could I add to the knowledge of practicing teachers that they didnÕt already know? These questions and more percolated to the front of my brain as the time grew closer for the project to begin. Then before I knew it July was here and my daily journey to Little Hall started. I would like to share with you my experience by answering each one of the above questions as they appear. Hopefully my insights will guide your own teaching and learning as you continue to teach middle level students and consider the National Writing Project as a future opportunity. What had I gotten myself into?I was attracted to the National Writing Project because it would fulfill six graduate credit hours and provide me an opportunity to write. Little did I know it also would challenge me both professionally and personally. Each day I would encounter other teachers who had a wide variety of experiences. I would draw from their knowledge and gain insights that I hadn't expected. It was more than a workshop, it was an experience that would shape all of us. The personal growth I experienced will forever shape my teaching and inevitably affect those students I encounter in the future. Imagine being in a room for three weeks with teachers you admire and respect. A wide range of knowledge is shared on a daily basis that challenges your own philosophy and pedagogy. This professional opportunity led me to understand that teaching is always changing. The books I had read the previous semester were exciting, but not as exciting as engaging in meaningful conversations with other educators. We learned from each other through mini chats at the snack counter as well as those formal presentations in front of the whole group. Personally I was challenged. The long hours and heat of summer tended to affect my concentration. I was completely exhausted by the end of the day, and I still had a 45-minute drive home. I carpooled with another teacher who lived in the same town as I which allowed us time to debrief and share. Many teachers in Maine live far away from the Orono campus and need to drive many miles to attend classes. I recommend finding someone else to drive with. This experience with my fellow colleague allowed us time to process the information and share personal concerns. Thank you Tracey for being my confidant! The workshop approach was similar to that of Nancie Atwell (1998). We read articles and books, attending writing and reading groups, prepared for presentations, and listened to guest speakers. Each day we wrote in our journals about the experience. This was unlike any other workshop I had attended because the three-week period allowed me to truly get to know the other teachers. Although I wondered what I had gotten myself into when looking at the syllabus, I realize now it was the most important growth experience of my career. That autobiographical presentation was difficult. I felt a nervousness that I hadn't felt before in front of a large group. Sharing personal and professional experiences with literacy allowed me to gain more confidence as a teacher and learner. I knew then that I was well on my way to a more enhanced teaching experience. How would I complete all this required writing?As an obsessive organizer I tend to attack tasks head on when I know what is expected of me. I was taught early on to "plan my work and work my plan". This perspective has always allowed me to be successful in completely assignments along with a busy teaching schedule. When I received explanations of the criteria involved I knew if I started early it would help me when it came to starting the fellowship. I read all the books, responded, and wrote in my journal. I tried various writing activities and explored different creative pieces I had listed as priorities. This two months allowed me to prepare most of my drafts and complete all of my reading. This was extremely important to me since writing is a one way I communicate to myself. I didn't want there to be any pressure during the time I attended the project. This preparation made the time much more enjoyable. I could now concentrate on my daily journey instead of getting caught up in tasks and assignments. Was I a good enough writer for this fellowship?I know kids ponder this same question when they are asked to write for a teacher. It seems they are always trying to revise a draft so it can be evaluated. In the book, Best Practices, I found this thought discussed more thoroughly. "Indeed, in many classrooms the compulsion to evaluate every piece of student work actually becomes an instructional bottleneck, limiting the amount of student practice to a level that the teacher has time to grade. The sad irony here, of course, is that practiceunmonitored practiceis the main way in which humans learn almost every valuable activity in life, form piano playing to roof shingling. But in school, kids aren't allowed to practice anything without being evaluated (we can't let their errors take root!) and so we adjust, counterproductively, by having kids just read less, write less and think less." (Zelmelman, Daniels, Hyde, 1998,p.248) Everywhere else in a child's life from riding a bike to learning lyrics or dance steps to a song, they are allowed to practice and practice without having worries that what they are doing is not good enough or will be graded. No wonder kids are turned off to learning and literacy! I knew I could write, but what exactly would these teachers expect from me? I felt like I needed polished pieces, before I even started the fellowship. When I entered the fellowship I felt that I was going to be evaluated by twenty-five teachers on every piece of writing. Instead, I was provided a safe environment to share my writing and polish what I felt was important to me. This allowed me to try new styles of writing and extend my writing experience. I didn't have to submit polished writing, all writing was important, and it was more important that I write (Goldberg, 1986). However at the end I would need to have a portfolio and a few submissions for our anthology. When I sat in my writing group I discovered there were novice writers and those who had been published. This heterogeneous grouping allowed me to draw from the more experienced writers and share my experience with novice writers. I felt I was in between and this allowed me to learn from both the new comer and the experienced writer. I was a good enough writer because I wasn't in competition with the others in the fellowship, I was only there to increase my own experience and share what I knew. How would this experience help my students?"The prudent teacher will seek a balance between work that is directed and focused around the teacher's presentation and work that is student centered, accommodating students varying approaches ." (Stevenson,1998,p.215). I think the most important learning that I will bring back to my students is what I learned about assessment. Content may change, but in some way teachers are always trying to find ways to assess the learning of their students. It is important to me to find the best practices and use them. My students innately want to do well and it is my job to help them succeed. When I think of assessment, memories come rushing in. As a student I have both succeeded and failed in my academic experiences. The times I felt I felt that I really thrived as a student were the times when criteria was explained clearly and I was able to choose my own way of presenting this new knowledge. I believe students in the middle grades need to be able to succeed and exercise that success through individual creativity. Portfolios provide opportunities for creativity. In my personal experience, I have often been self-motivated to create the best product I can when I am allowed to choose how I present my knowledge. I believe middle school kids meet this challenge also. When they know that they have a rubric for the contents of the portfolio, they are more apt to create something that is truly representative of their knowledge and talents. Our students are individuals and they should be able to show their talents when being assessed. I want my students to have more positive memories, instead of negative memories, when learning in my classroom. The NWP allowed me the opportunity to truly experience the workshop style I lacked in my own middle school years. I now have a new sense of empathy for the discussion and submission of writing. What I learned from my writing peers and from the entire experience of the project has enabled me to better see the perspective of my students. I know that my students feel some of the same feelings. I am excited about this new knowledge and how it will change the opportunities I provide for my students and their writing. What could I add to the knowledge of practicing teachers that they didn't already know?As a violence prevention educator teaching the Second Step (1987,1997) curriculum, I found many things to share with this group of classroom teachers. I shared the importance of emotional literacy and social skills, along with the need to develop a common language in the classroom. I explained that these skills (along with the Committee for Children's curriculum) could be taught as part of the Language Arts curriculum. As a full-time graduate student I also found ways to share my knowledge of the many theories and activities that I have studied. I recommended readings or shared insights, so the other participants would be helped with their own presentations and ideas. Overall, this experience allowed me to share my own perspective about violence and how to choose and teach peaceful choices. Once I realized that my experience was unique and beneficial to the other teachers, I knew I made the right presentation choice. ConclusionTeachers don't often have the benefit of teaching each other. Most often an outside person comes in during staff development days. The National Writing Project philosophy understands the need to privilege the experiences and knowledge of teachers and provide opportunities for "teachers to teach teachers." Teachers want to see what other colleagues have for best practices, but don't often have many opportunities to engage in this knowledge unless attending a conference. Sometimes teachers in the same building do not even know what another teacher has been successful with. The National Writing Project provides an opportunity for teachers to experience writing workshop and engage learning from other teachers. All teachers continue to develop at their own pace with support and guidance from other teachers. The twenty-five people who shared this with me will forever influence me as a teacher. I know my students will benefit from my real life experiences with peers as I empathize and work with them to guide their own writing. |