"Fall seven times, stand up eight. " - Japanese Proverb
I sometimes have difficulty focusing. No surprise, I'm a classroom teacher and when twenty-five students stomp into our portable classroom the room can get pretty riotous with before class chatter, pre-class music, an occasional moment of dancing. I refocus by changing my state (moving, changing positions), by writing, by drawing, by counting--I'm a veteran re-focuser. My students are not.
Students have difficulty focusing (or re-focusing) especially when it comes to reading. It takes us a few minutes to settle into our stories. If there are rumors of a fight, we might settle down only to be distracted by a whispered question or rumor. If the weather turns, if it rains, the metal tap-tap sound of drops on our roof will pull students' minds away, some of them, right out of a good book. Then it's chair-tilting, eyes-staring, mouth-yawning, pencil-sharpening time.
I gave up "shh" several years ago for Lent. I have a quiet signal--though I don't use it during reading time. To help students settle during reading time, I get quiet. My son's kindergarten teacher taught me that. She says, "the louder the children get, the quieter I get." Now, like Mrs. Delemos, I use my presence, not my voice. I minimize the distraction of me to support students in their effort to refocus. I get still and stay still until all students are submersed in their books; only then will their eyes not track me around the room. Then, I encourage. I conference. I book talk or check-in.It works with readers. With students who are still sampling books or skimming the room with their eyes skirting the book covers, it's hit or miss. At this point in the year, all but a couple are reading away and begging for entire class periods to just read. Learning what will re-engage the browsers and samplers makes teaching like exploration and discovery.
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ReplyDeleteI love the idea of becoming quieter to get student's attention. Whispering is so much nicer than yelling. I find that if I yell, the students only get louder.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you've found a way to refocus your kids in this gentle way. I love the way you gave us a picture of your reading workshop - with all your kids now solidly into reading.
ReplyDeleteTeaching students how to focus and re-focus is such an important lesson for them! I remember hearing about a small group teaching point being about that about a year ago and thinking about how important that is--focusing and settling down to do work is a learned behavior and your students are lucky that they have a teacher who values it.
ReplyDeleteI want to hear more about the student who needs grammar for dummies and his essay. I hope you write about him again!
Your last line is my favorite! Some of my students are still just not there, and it's frustrating (yet an interesting puzzle!) to figure out what will turn them into readers. I'm glad to hear my students are not the only ones who have trouble "settling in" to reading time!
ReplyDeleteThis is funny actually because I had a similar conversation with Theresa today about the opposite that happens with students and testing. When I'm proctoring a test in the media center and something happens that takes my attention to the loud door opening or person on the phone, I look around and none of my students are distracted. Meanwhile, I'm freaking out that it's so loud in here and there they are sitting quietly and testing just fine. Why is this the opposite that happens in my classroom?
ReplyDeleteI love the way you recognize the multi-faceted concerns and needs of your children. Your description of before class "before class chatter, pre-class music, an occasional moment of dancing" coupled with the movement toward quiet by your quiet presence is well presented. I can see your writers' workshop. I know your class personality. And I see how well you know and honor each of your students.
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