Katrina Hankins Blog post # 6--Chapter 4 Teach with a Sense of Urgency

I look at February/March as the climax of our year.  It is a time when our efforts come together—our environment reflects the community of learners and our beliefs, students and teachers are in sync, and our instruction is in full swing.  We have tweaked our management techniques and formed bonds with our students so that at this point there are few surprises.  Our vision is clarified as to where we need to go and how we are going to get there so Routman’s “sense of urgency” is completely relevant as we make the best use of our time with purpose and intention to provide well for each and every one of our students. 

Maybe we haven’t thought about our beliefs in a while but our classrooms reflect each and every one of them.  My top five are reinforced from the experiences I’ve had throughout the year:

1.      Every student can read.

2.      Every student can enjoy reading.

3.      Every subject incorporates literacy.

4.      Every environment needs to support and encourage the meaningful opportunities and joy in literacy and learning.

5.      Every teacher needs to be personally, actively involved in the literacy lives of their students.

The belief that every student can read ensures the high expectations that all learners need in order to succeed.  Maybe they read on different levels but through our demonstrations, guidance, and gradual release, all students will grow in ability and confidence so that they too believe that they are readers.  As Routman encourages teachers to scaffold learning experiences through demonstrations and shared thinking, students are provided the “training wheels” that they need in order to try out new things.  Then the teacher is right there with them as I was when we took off the training wheels for my daughters when first riding their bikes without the training wheels.  I was right there to guide and provide feedback as they work through their wobbly starts until they picked up momentum and confidence.  The same is true for our readers as we share demonstrations and thinking and provide guided practice where the teacher checks in and monitors their progress.  This is when it is so important to talk with the student and help them self-assess gradually releasing the process to them as part of who they are and what they can do to improve. 

It is this process that encourages the joy in learning and literacy.  The integration that we incorporate also helps promote this joy.  Chopping up reading, writing, and content often belabors each subject to the point of boredom and drudgery.  Connectivity and student curiosity can drive instruction in literacy and content in a way that makes learning active, engaging, and meaningful at all stages of the process which includes the foundational skills for beginning readers. The teacher’s passion, purpose, and knowledge come together with her connection to the students and standards in a way that transforms everything.  This is when I truly miss the classroom.  I miss the excitement, the conversations, and the learning experiences that result in an environment where we are all working together to be the best that we can be.