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Posts tagged ‘teaching’

Apr 9

Building Better Writing Through Culture, Conversation, and Connection

One of the biggest challenges I face with my English language learners is getting them to move beyond simple responses in their writing. So, for the past few years I have been experimenting with an assignment that not only supports their writing development, but also honors who they are and where they come from.

Background

Students spend the first part of the school year reading a powerful memoir called Dreams and Nightmares: I Fled Alone to the United States When I Was 14 by Liliana Velazquez. In this book, Liliana writes about her experience leaving her home in Guatemala to find a new home and the promise of a new life in the United States. In our writing, we focus on a powerful moment where Liliana describes sewing a quilt to preserve her culture and memories of her grandmother: “I don’t want to lose my culture, and it can be a remembrance of my grandmother. I’m going to sew a quilt… I want to give my mother this quilt as a present that I have made with my own hands. I want to give her a memory of Guatemala, of my tradition.” That idea became the inspiration for the writing assignment – students are tasked with creating and writing about their own culture quilt square.

Brainstorming

The process starts with an active and collaborative brainstorm through a gallery walk and talk. Around the room, I post topics like music, celebrations, food, and holidays. Students rotate, discussing and adding what they already know about their own cultures. Then they walk around a second time to create a personal brainstorm list – combining their knowledge with the collective knowledge of their classmates. This low-pressure brainstorming helps them realize they already have a lot to say as well as provides them with additional ideas.

Research

Next, we move into inquiry. Students review sample interview questions and then create and share their own. Their goal: learn more about a cultural topic that matters to them. Over the weekend, they are tasked with interviewing an elder—a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle.When they came back from this assignment, the room was full of stories. One student talked about discovering his uncle’s favorite song, “100 años pienso en ti” by Pedro Infante, and how that music connects to his own tastes. Another learned that her mother and grandmother made their own clothing growing up. A third noted the traditions her mom shared about her hometown in Mexico: “When I talked with my mom, I learned the traditions of ‘La Barranca Moroleon GTO’. I learned the activities that the people did, how they danced the cumbia, walked with the ‘santito’, went to eat in the houses of different people, and also the clothing that they used to wear—huipil—to special occasions like the party of July 25, ‘the misa’ when many people are together listening the ‘padrecito’.”

Putting it all together

Before jumping into a written essay, students consolidate their brainstorming and research by creating a visual “quilt square” representing what they value most about their cultures. For this part of the assignment, students return to their brainstorming and research to mark the parts of their culture they think are most important in their lives and their families. Then they spend time creating a visual to show those key elements. The only requirement for this part of the process is that they represent their cultural background in some way – all the other elements are self-selected. This step is key. It gives them space to synthesize their ideas and organize their thinking in a different way. It also affords them choice in what they ultimately decide to share about their cultures.

Then came the writing.

Because students had already brainstormed, researched, and discussed their ideas, they had a wealth of language to work with. Instead of struggling to get started, we could focus on developing their ideas, organizing their paragraphs, and expanding their writing. The project ended with a celebration. Students shared their quilts and essays, learning about each other’s cultures and experiences. I also printed their work post on our publication walls and to share with families during spring conferences—an added layer of pride and connection.

More than anything, this project reminded me of the power of conversation. Students learned they have a lot to say by getting the opportunity to speak. The gallery walk and talk brainstorm invited students to build on collaborative knowledge. The interviews students conducted with family members didn’t just give them content to write about—they created space for connection, storytelling, and the passing down of culture. The celebratory sharing invited students to show off their hard work while also learning more about each other. These conversations became the heart of the writing, making it more meaningful, more personal, and far more than just an assignment.

Kelly Virgin is a WCWP teacher leader who teaches high school English for the Kennett Consolidated School District.






















							

		

			

			

				

					
Feb 25

				

									

											

			

			

				

					Now That I Think About It: Teaching Your Students to be Reflective and Effective Learners by Lynne Dorfman, Catherine Gehman, Persida Himmele, and Aileen Hower                                     Book Review by Janice Ewing
				

				

There are many professional books that are recommended for a particular subset of teachers, according to grade level, subject, or a particular area of interest. Now That I Think About It: Teaching Your Students to be Reflective and Effective Learners by Lynne Dorfman, Catherine Gehman, Persida Himmele, and Aileen Hower (to be published in June by ASCD), on the other hand, is one that will be of value to all educators. All teachers who strive to deepen their reflection about their own practice and develop their students’ practice of reflection will find value in these pages. A true work of collaboration, the four teacher/authors have mined the depths of their varied and extensive classroom experience with learners of all ages to create this exceptional resource that speaks to what it means to be a truly reflective and effective educator.





The authors ground the reader by describing and amply illustrating three levels of reflection –  looking at, looking in, and looking out — each of which help the learner to truly construct and retain knowledge and understanding. The authors provide examples, right from the classroom, at a variety of levels and from different subject areas. For example, the first level, looking at, refers to the process of making meaning. The authors use the symbol of a magnifying glass to illustrate the importance of deeply exploring a subject or concept, rather than taking a superficial look and moving on. As teachers, we may have had the experience of “covering” a topic, only to find out later that the information could not be retained or acted upon because it was never absorbed to begin with. In other words, they students did not truly make meaning.





At the next level, looking in, the authors explore metacognitive thinking, or thinking about our own thinking. They use the metaphor of a mirror in which students reflect upon themselves as learners in order to become active participants in their use of strategies to assess their own engagement and understanding as their knowledge deepens and/or to self correct if needed. Again, numerous examples are given for how to bring this practice to life in a wide variety of settings.





At the third level, looking out, the authors introduce us to the concept of metastrategic reflection. Using the symbol of a map, they provide us with tools to equip ourselves and our students with the tools to guide us through the learning process, from analysis of how we have learned in the past, to authentic goal-setting, to creating and personalized and actionable plan for growth.





At each level, the authors are bringing to light the kind of behind-the-scenes thinking that we want our students to engage in, and providing us with a vast array of practical strategies to accomplish this. Each chapter ends with thoughtful questions for both individual and group reflection, so we are not just reading, but fully participating in our learning as we go along. In addition, the appendices are a treasure trove of templates and ideas that can be used just as they are presented, or adapted to fit any teacher’s specific needs.





The wealth of information and insight in this book is presented in a conversational, down-to-earth style. The authors are truly teachers talking to other teachers, sharing their ideas, experience, and research, and inviting others to join them in this most rewarding, versatile, and crucial aspect of teaching and learning.





Because of the applicability of this book to such a wide range of educators, it would lend itself well to a whole-school or district-wide book study. Sharing and honing the ideas and suggestions would be of great value to the reflective process for teachers, which can only benefit students. For any teachers who might be feeling as though they cannot do “one more thing” the book is a breath of fresh air, in that reflection is not presented as an add-on, or something to be checked off, but as an integral and essential part of what it means to teach and learn. This is a book to look forward to, to savor, and to share. 





Janice Ewing is a 2004 fellow of the West Chester Writing Project (the Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project at that time) and a current member of the advisory board. Her interests include teacher inquiry, collaboration, and mentoring. She and Dr. Mary Buckelew, are the coauthors of Action Research for English Language Arts Teachers: Invitation to Inquiry (Routledge, 2019).






							

		

			

			

				

					
Jan 20

				

									

											

			

			

				

					WCWP Book Review by Lynne R. Dorfman
				

				








Teaching in Uncertain Times: Strategies for Reclaiming Agency and Impact on Students’ Learning by Laura Robb is refreshing, practical, and hopeful! Robb’s book, available this July from Routledge Publishers, is filled with doable suggestions to support students’ academic learning and social wellbeing and varied needs. Throughout the book, she encourages collaboration and interaction with colleagues to build a strong learning community built on trust. Robb talks about the importance of finding time to reteach and plan interventions by utilizing flexible grouping designs and providing additional practice for those students who need it. She urges educators to become learners alongside their students and tasks us with developing an ongoing habit of time allotted to reading professional books and articles – a critical aspect of being the best teacher you can be and helping all students to thrive!





Robb asks us to take risks and try new teaching strategies or routines or refining something we already are using. I absolutely love her remarks about students’ self-evaluations. How simple yet brilliant to ask students to provide feedback on two questions: What worked? and What can be improved? She discusses ideas for K-1 and beyond in formats that make good sense! Cross-curricular projects are addressed for middle grades to boost engagement, critical thinking, and retention while developing the work force skills students will need later – collaboration, communication, adaptability. Her suggestion for professional study with other schools in the district or in the state can do much to deepen our knowledge of teaching practices and support our striving students in new and varied ways.





 Independent reading in the content areas is addressed through rich suggestions for recommendations of magazines and award-winning Orbis Pictus and Scott O’Dell books. Robb also includes a description of key websites to support student learning and interests. A bibliography of sources, before-you-move-on reflection, chapter abstracts, and Robb’s own personal classroom stories are a few ways Robb hooks her readers. Robb also addresses ways educators can focus on self-care and ways they can cultivate their students’ wellbeing. Interest surveys, getting-to-know-you conferences, letters of introduction, kidwatching, reteaching lessons, and how to address cognitive overload are discussed in practical ways from kindergarten through middle school grades. 





Chapter 4 takes a closer look at formative assessments and mentoring new teachers. Robb includes a great set of questions to gather important information about our students, providing a student information form so that all teachers who interact with a student and are part of a student’s day can provide feedback to help find alternative interventions and teaching/learning ideas. Her mentoring tips in Part II of chapter 4 encourage ongoing collaboration among new teachers and ways to build trust and positive memories.





Chapter 5 addresses lesson planning with six sensible suggestions and then moves into an in-depth look at three strategies to boost students’ reading skills in all subject areas. Examples of planning charts are included as well as effective collaboration strategies to impact active learning. Robb provides tips to support student comprehension of informational texts, including how to construct meaning during and after reading, deepening comprehension and critical analysis of text.





Her final chapter talks about family partnerships that can help to provide funds for supplies, materials, and snacks while also helping teachers to build trust through their communication with family members. Her appendices are ready to use – everything from practical tips on developing successful learning centers to informational text features and structures. 





Laura Robb is a teacher-of-teachers. Her voice is encouraging, kind, and reassuring. She offers classroom snapshots to bring her words to life and provides practical examples, useful forms, and doable advice to cheer us on and help us help all our students to thrive and be the best they can be. Thank you, Laura!






							

		

			

			

				

					
Nov 19

				

									

											

			

			

				

					The Color Conversation: A Classroom Strategy That Actually Gets Teens Talking
				

				

How do you get high schoolers to open up and share something real? If your students are anything like mine, they tend to deflect, joke, or suddenly become very interested in the ceiling when it’s time to make personal connections to literature.





So earlier this week, I tricked them—gently—into opening up with a “color conversation.”





The setup was simple: a pile of sticky notes and a handful of colored Sharpies. Before showing the prompts, I told students to grab one marker. Then I revealed the color-coded questions:





Green = Goodbyes: Who is someone you’ve had to say goodbye to?





Red = Bravery: When have you had to be brave?





Purple = Fear: When have you felt afraid?





Orange = Hope: What are some of your hopes for the future?














These emotions connect to the memoir we’re reading together, and because my students are English language learners, I also provided sentence stems to support fluency. I set a 7-minute timer and told them to create and post as many sticky notes as they could. For a bit of motivation, the table with the most notes earned a trip to the class snack bucket.





When the timer dinged, we took a silent gallery walk. Of course, silence didn’t last long. A few whispers broke through: “Wait—whose house caught on fire?” or “Hey, who’s from Ciudad?” While I reminded them there was no pressure to identify their notes, most students did. They wanted to.

















































The best part? This activity works for any pre- or post-reading moment where students might hesitate to go deeper. And I’m saving the sticky notes. When it’s time for them to write their own memoirs and someone inevitably says, “I don’t have anything to write about,” I’ll point to their own words on the wall—a whole collage of lived experiences waiting to become stories.















Kelly Virgin is a WCWP teacher leader who teaches high school English for the Kennett Consolidated School District.

							

		

			

			

				

					
Nov 12

				

									

											

			

			

				

					A Book Review:  Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It (Harvard Education Press, 2025).             A book review by Lynne R. Dorfman
				

				

Timothy Shanahan, a professor emeritus/educator who has long influenced literacy instruction in our country, has written a new book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students’ Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It (Harvard Education Press, 2025).  In it, Shanahan discusses a common teaching practice in our classrooms that promote the idea of matching students with “just-right” books. Shanahan states that this protocol of getting students reading different texts depending on their assessed reading level is holding many students back. In addition, it is taking teachers away from time that could be spent helping all students learn how to understand challenging texts. He argues that comprehension skills cannot improve if students are not challenged to negotiate more complex, difficult texts.





Shanahan explains that it’s not helping anyone, and in content areas such as science and social studies, teachers are reading the texts aloud to the students. So, when do striving readers get the chance or develop the strategies and skills to tackle complex material on their own?





Shanahan is advocating for all students to read grade-level texts together, with teachers providing more support for those who need it. Everyone will have the same instructional goal, and some students may move more quickly into independent work while others receive more support in the form of another lesson or one-on-one conference or small group instruction. In this way, more students have a chance at reaching the grade-level learning goal.





Shanahan’s new book outlines a toolbox of strategies for tackling difficult texts, such as looking up unfamiliar vocabulary, rereading confusing passages, or breaking down long sentences.  He is not a believer in drilling students on skills like identifying the main idea or making inferences.  Although there seems to be little agreement on how to boost reading achievement for our children, Shanahan states there is not a body of strong evidence that points to greater improvement in reading achievement when students only read texts at their level. He also argues that developing background knowledge is not as powerful as explicit comprehension instruction. By contrast, a 2024 analysis found that the schools that were most effective were those that keep instruction at grade level.  Shanahan admits that more research is needed to target which comprehension strategies work best for which students and under which conditions. Shanahan believes that Vygotsky’s work is often misunderstood. Vygotsky believed teachers should guide students to learn challenging things they cannot yet do on their own.  Shanahan’s critique of reading instruction applies to children in second grade and above who are learning how to read and focusing on making meaning. In K-1, students are still learning phonics and how to decode the words on the page.  Learning to decode first is important. Shanahan says there are rare exceptions to teaching all children at grade level.  Advanced readers can be challenged through independent reading time and by exploring more complex ideas within grade-level texts. Shanahan also discusses the role of AI and of the parents.He also is concerned about what happens outside of school where our students aren’t reading much at all. His advice to parents is to let children read whatever they enjoy, regardless of level, but to set consistent expectations.  He says parents are the adults and need to take responsibility. The book is filled with practical advice for implementing grade-level reading instruction, including detailed descriptions of the types of instruction and scaffolding needed to increase students’ reading achievement.  His book is a powerful call for giving our students the guidance and support they need to make challenging texts part of their daily reading experiences.

							

		

			

			

				

					
Jan 18

				

									

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					The Struggle Can Be Wonderful
				

				
Here is our truth. Students need our help. We need help. We need each another--everyone in the classroom and everyone in our buildings. And we need the humility to know that our best teaching years may never be realized because of the hundreds and thousands of unreported moments that matter to the young people we mentor. 


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