TLN Teacher Voices

Deeper Student Comprehension with Reader's Notebooks (review)

Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader’s Notebook
Aimee Buckner
2009 (Stenhouse)

Reviewed by Kathie Marshall
Sixth Grade Literacy Teacher/Coach (Los Angeles)
Teacher Leaders Network

I first began working with reader-writer notebooks as a middle school literacy coach. I quickly saw evidence of the power of this approach when I taught a narrative unit with a class of sixth graders. The reader-writer notebooks helped students of every level to deepen their comprehension and ability to write about their understanding.

When I re-entered the classroom a year ago, I wanted to explore the use of notebooks more fully with my own students. Pretty quickly, I found myself juggling and struggling to find my footing in the classroom once again, and I wasn’t completely happy with my approach to the reader-writer notebook process. So when I was given the opportunity to review Aimee Buckner’s new book, Notebook Connections: Strategies for the Reader’s Notebook, I was excited at the prospect of learning more about a process I believed in, supported by someone who’s put a great deal of thought into this practice.

Aimee Buckner did not disappoint. She prefaces the book by discussing the common frustration that although students may talk well about what they’re reading, this conversation doesn’t always transfer to their writing. Buckner has put a great deal of time into finding an appropriate bridge between reading and writing, and like me, has decided that notebooks are the answer.

One point I appreciated was her attitude toward the use of notebooks. While some people prefer one reader-writer notebook, she prefers separate notebooks for reading and writing. “It’s really a matter of organization and what makes sense for you and your students.” She also talked about how her personal practice doesn’t exactly reflect what she’s learned from others, and she gives the reader the right to do the same. “I’ve given myself room to evolve…That is my hope for the readers of this book”. I liked that Buckner uses this comment to conclude her book because I believe it’s important for teachers to learn how to take any new learning and synthesize it into our own, ever-changing practice.

Overall, Notebook Connections is an effectively written balance between the philosophy and purpose of reading notebooks and the modeling of effective strategies to support them. Buckner incorporates strategies such as “Leaning In,”, “Fab Five,” and “Character Connections” to explain how to deepen student thinking about their reading. All the while, she directs the reader toward other authors she learned from during her development as a teacher of reading and writing, thereby providing the reader with a great list of books for further reading on the topics she presents.

Each strategy is introduced anecdotally with pertinent student samples, and then charted as to purpose, method, and writing connection (which is helpful to someone like me who prefers the single reader-writer notebook). This approach helps the book audience to more fully grasp how to present a specific strategy and also provides reasons why each strategy is valuable to students. She also illuminates how teacher modeling eventually gives way to students’ independent use of these strategies.

The final topic is assessment of reader notebooks. Although Buckner does not use the term formative assessment, she provides background information, prompts, and rubrics that demonstrate how useful reader notebooks are for keeping on top of student thinking. For example, in the appendix is a “Reader’s Notebook Rubric” that shows teacher and students how the notebooks can be assessed for volume and variety, thoughtfulness, organization and frequency. She also outlines the importance of student self-reflection and leads the student reader through this process. The appendix also contains a number of helpful charts to guide teacher thinking and preparation for lessons, as well as how to provide appropriate assessment.

Notebook Connections is a very thorough, thoughtfully written text about the use of notebooks with students. Although Aimee Buckner is an elementary teacher, I can see the benefit of this book in the hands of teachers of all grade levels who are attempting reader notebooks for the first time — or who, like me, are looking for an enriched understanding of their use. There’s much food for reflection for those of us interested in this approach.

Classroom Credibility: In Interview with Donalyn Miller

It was barely two years ago that Teacher Magazine invited sixth grade Texas teacher Donalyn Miller to offer advice to colleagues about "creating readers" for TM’s  Ask the Mentor feature. Back then, the editors described Miller as “a self-proclaimed book whisperer (who) says she has yet to meet a child she couldn’t turn into a reader.”

Miller’s three-part mentoring series proved wildly popular and led to an offer from Teacher to become a regular blogger at the TM site. Her blog, irresistibly titled “The Book Whisperer,” overflowed with ideas about how to ignite the flame of reading in the hearts and minds of the most reluctant kids. Which led to another offer from TM’s parent organization, Editorial Projects in Education Inc. (which also publishes Education Week), for Miller to author EPE’s first practice-oriented book, to be published as part of a new partnership with Jossey-Bass.

This Teacherella story came to its picture book ending in the spring of 2009 with publication of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child. The book has sold more than 13,000 copies in five months and will have a third printing in September. Miller will return to her classroom this fall and once again share the joys of reading with a new passel of Texas tweens.

Donalyn has been a member of the Teacher Leaders Network since 2008. After a busy summer of book signings and presentations, she answered several questions we put to her via email.

* * * * * * *

Here's a question we know will be of interest to other teachers with an urge to write. How do you balance authorship and teaching ? Will there be a point, do you think, when you will have to choose between one or the other?

Honestly, I don’t think I am balancing my various roles as author, blogger, teacher, mother, wife, and friend that well at times. I was not prepared for the success of The Book Whisperer and the overwhelming number of e-mails, comments, and requests for interviews and presentations I have received.

This is a great problem to have, of course. I am grateful that summer arrived so that I could focus on the book, and the response to it, without the daily demands of my classroom. As an advocate for powerful changes in reading instruction, I have a responsibility to support those teachers who grapple with their own teaching situations as they try to incorporate more free choice reading, discard ineffective practices, and reflect on their own reading lives. Right now, I want to answer every e-mail, conduct every interview, and accept every speaking engagement.

I believe in what I am doing and the importance of it for children. My family and friends are incredibly supportive: my friend Carol and her husband Neil designed my upcoming website. Elizabeth Rich, my editor at teachermagazine.org, shamelessly promotes the book and sends me articles to read, and my husband Don reads blog feeds during his lunch hour.

I can’t keep up this level of effort forever, but I can commit to it today. I recognize what an incredible opportunity this is. How many of us really get a voice? A national forum to share our ideas about teaching? An opportunity to engage in dialogue with colleagues in the hopes of sparking real change?

As a highly visible "book champion" and blogger, do you feel some responsibility to speak out about national trends, policies, or controversies in the area of reading and books? And how might other teachers who share your professional passions use their voices?

As I have said many times, I am not a reading policy expert. I write about what interests me and affects me and teachers like me. My audience is largely composed of other teachers, and while I see the need to use my experiences outside the confines of my classroom to inform others about larger educational issues, I always keep the needs and interests of my fellow teachers in front of me when choosing topics for the blog. Sometimes I explore federal policies like funding for Reading Is Fundamental or consider how the use of stimulus money might affect teachers and children. Sometimes I write about the books I have read.

When it comes to teachers using their voices, I think about the other teacher/bloggers I regularly read like Heather Wolpert-Gawron from tweenteacher and Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone. We all write about the issues that impact our classrooms—great and small. I would encourage other teachers who are interested in blogging or writing to do the same.

Write about what you know—working with children, reading wonderful books, the inner workings of your school and district, and your own reflections about teaching. Join local, state and national teaching organizations, attend conferences, go back to graduate school—keep your brain fed and connect with colleagues outside of your school.

What's next for you, both in education and in book-authoring? What ideas are swirling in your head that you want to organize into chapters? How do you use your blog to develop and test ideas for books? How important is having your own classroom in this regard?

I do not have any plans to leave the classroom. My passion and my heart live in that little room, surrounded by my books and the children who I love. Outside of my family, my students are my first and only choice. All else fades into the background once school begins.

This is as it should be. I think that my credibility with other teachers lies in the fact that I am a classroom teacher, not a consultant or a college professor who may not have worked with children in years, although educational professionals of every stripe add meaningful perspectives. My role is as a classroom teacher. Without the constant interaction with children and my own responses and reflections about my teaching, my contribution is not as valuable.

I suppose my publisher would like it if I already had plans for another book, but I am enjoying the here and the now. I want to savor the experience of writing The Book Whisperer and how teachers are responding to it. As an avid reader, I am often disappointed by sequels, hastily written to capitalize on the success of a first book. It took me years of teaching, learning and reflecting to decide what I needed to say.

The opportunity to write a national blog gave me a platform, but my opinions were already there inside me. I did use the responses of readers from my original “Creating Readers” column to formulate topics for the book, but I don’t test book ideas via the blog. If anything, when I write a post, readers’ responses influence my thinking. I am not sure how the blog will lead my future writing efforts. Just like I do in my classroom, I prefer to let the magic unfold, and see where it takes me.

My next book will spring from my interactions with the children in my classroom, like all of my writing does. Some things I’m thinking about:

I am extremely interested in the needs of gifted readers and how these needs often go unmet in classrooms where instruction is pitched toward developing readers. I think many children who love reading when they are small slowly lose this passion as they advance through school. I keep revisiting these children in my mind and wondering what I can say about them.

I have spent some time this summer talking to parents about how to motivate their children to read more at home. Many of the ideas that I promote in classrooms: time to read, role modeling, access to books, and choices in reading material, translate to reading habits at home.

While presenting staff development sessions, many teachers ask me for my schedule, my reader’s notebook sheets, and my lesson plans. I am not really enthusiastic about writing a book about these components because one of the messages I try to relay in The Book Whisperer is that we all have to move past this search for the perfect lesson plan or the perfect schedule and design our classrooms around our core beliefs about teaching reading. I might change my mind if I can figure out how to write an interactive text, where teachers reflect on their own needs and design their own schedules, notebooks, and lessons. Still thinking about it . . .

In the immediate future, The Book Whisperer will appear as the featured book for Jim Burke’s English Companion Ning group in October. I am live-blogging at the NCTE Convention in November, and I will spend 180 glorious days reading and writing with my students this school year.

Reform Policies Rise or Fall on the Backs of Teachers

By Mary Tedrow

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)  have joined forces to develop a new set of national standards – begun by a cadre of policy makers, and with little attention given to gathering teacher insights or earning teacher buy-in.

This is a mistake.

No matter what is decided in the latest round of tinkering with standards, here's a little secret: EVERY SINGLE mandate will survive only if a classroom teacher sees that it is effectively implemented.

Do not kid yourself. . .

• Data is collected and reported by teachers first.

• IEPs are implemented, upheld and carried out by teachers first.

• Community connections and parent contact is done by teachers first.

• Rates of attendance, observation of psychological issues, drug dependence, parental abuse, health issues, nutrition issues - all observed and reported on by teachers first.

For those who sit some distance from these issues and make decrees, extend your imagination for a moment to see how that looks on the ground.

In and out of the classroom since 1978, my job has grown ever more complex, all while the hue and cry over failed schools has grown increasingly shrill. Most reform initiatives have been slowly piled onto my original skill set. As a result, I find it hard to imagine what it must be like to walk into a classroom today as a novice, even though I'm working beside them.

There is no longer a learning "curve" that allows beginning teachers to move from beginner to master to expert. Instead, it's a straight vertical climb that most novices can only deal with effectively by working round the clock beginning in year one. Hence: a frustratingly high rate of burnout and departures in the first five years and more finger-pointing at failed schools.           

Ironically, hard-working young teachers sometimes see few results because their hard work does not always benefit children but others outside the classroom.  I've seen numerous instances where promising teachers have thrown up their hands in frustration and walked out because the initiatives seemed nonsensical, overwhelming, and often child unfriendly.

New teachers, fearful of recriminations, rarely kick about the nuttiness we sometimes endure. But they are voting with their feet. Sadly, those who grow frustrated the fastest are those most attracted by what they believed would be an opportunity to influence the lives of children.

To date, the chief beneficiaries of the new standards movement appear to be test developers and scorers whose profits also rest on the backs of teachers. The College Board, creator of Advanced Placement and SAT tests, looms as a large presence in the newest standards discussion.

If policy makers hear one thing from teachers, it should be that the job must be completely restructured and supported at the ground level if we have a hope of helping all of our students become successful. It really is time to take a bold step and approach reform in its literal sense and RE-FORM the work of teachers. The current standards program just nibbles at the edges of what needs to be done, while sucking in more time and dollars.

And yet, teachers who can speak authoritatively to the needed changes are not seated anywhere near, much less at, the table.  Instead we are fed a steady diet of end-of-course testing and little in the way of time and resources to help ourselves and other teachers develop the teaching skills necessary to bring an impoverished child to the state-defined level of college and career ready standards.

From my perspective, devising new ways to "hold teachers accountable" to current conditions is a phenomenal waste of time. It squanders a huge resource — those who know kids and the public system of teaching best — in favor of buying more assessments, holding more blue ribbon panel discussions, writing new laws and creating delays that avoid opportunities to develop and support a truly world-class teaching force.

We won't get anywhere by adding to the list of jobs teachers are already asked to accomplish. The newest set of rules will just line someone else's pockets while ignoring the realities of teaching and learning.   

Here's another little secret:  There are accomplished teachers who are having great success with real children right now whose knowledge and talents goes untapped for the greater good. Successful classroom teachers already know who is falling behind. We don't need a test or a new definition of a standard to tell us. We already know what we need to get the job done better.  Ask us. Give us the support to get the children, and a new generation of teachers, ready for the future.

Mary Tedrow is a National Board Certified Teacher in Virginia, who teaches high school English and journalism.

 

Helping Students Connect History to Their Lives (review)

Making History Mine: Meaningful Connections for Grades 5-9 (Review)
by Sarah Cooper
Stenhouse (2009)

Reviewed by Patrick Vernon, NBCT
Middle School Social Studies (North Carolina)
Teacher Leaders Network

Making History Mine is a great resource. The entire book offers teachers the opportunity to gain a fresh approach to teaching strands of history.

Educators could use all of the text or choose to only focus on one or two topics and read those chapters in depth. Author Sarah Cooper does an excellent job of organizing the topics so that Chapter One deals with examining the impact individuals have made in history and each successive chapter tackles topics such as differing points of view about history, use of primary sources in classes, incorporating  current events, getting the most out of student research projects, and empowering students to be ethical global citizens.

Even if a reader had planned to only read a section here or there, the scaffolding style of the book encourages us to read the entire text.

The book aims to make history appealing to students in grades 6-9. Cooper provides meaningful examples of how she has used activities with her students. Her examples come from the entire range of grades targeted in the text, along with a variety of courses typically taught in these grades. Through her use of diverse examples, the author is able to keep readers thinking about how they might apply strategies in their own classrooms.

In some ways the book is like a sampler platter of activities. Some lessons that the writer has used are thoroughly explained and have accompanying materials in the book so that teachers could easily adapt the lesson to their own classrooms. Other activities are mentioned but implementation details are left out. Future editions of Making History Mine would be strengthened if appendices were included offering detailed procedures for activities discussed in the text.

The constantly changing lives of adolescents mean that educators must adapt what they do to make meaningful connections between their students and history. This text is a useful tool for social studies teachers to do just that.

1800 Timesaving Teacher Comments - and More (review)

Timesavers for Teachers: Book 2, Report Card and IEP Comments, Substitute Teacher Instructions Kit, and Classroom Awards and Passes
by Stevan Krajnjan
Jossey-Bass (2009)

by Laurie Wasserman, NBCT
Sixth Grade Special Education (Massachusetts)
Teacher Leaders Network

Any book that can save a busy teacher time is worth some attention. This book (#2) in the Jossey-Bass series Timesavers for Teachers is not a typical teacher book to be read cover to cover or scanned for lesson ideas. It’s really more of a tool kit, and its usefulness will depend on what you teach and how you go about your work.

The book is chunked into three parts. Part 1 is labeled Report Card and IEP Comments and offers a compilation of carefully constructed teacher comments broken down by subject and content area, oral communication, class participation and problem solving. It also includes a selection of comments describing classroom behaviors that special education teachers must document.

The book actually contains over 1,800 comments on 150+ pages. Specific comments are divided by letter codes: G (general comment indicating different levels of achievement; GN (general/negative), P, P (Very positive), P, N (positive/negative); N (Negative); N, N (Very Negative); N, N, N (Very, Very Negative) and NS (Next Steps). An example of a comment under the P,P (very positive ) would be:  “[Child’s name] is a leader in his/her class who cooperates with others and always tries to work above and beyond the assigned tasks.” An example of a P,N would be, “[Child’s name] has enjoyed presenting in front of the class and (always/often) volunteers to be the first to perform/do assigned tasks. Forming long sentences and presenting ideas in an order that makes sense is still an area with room for improvement.”

Part 2 is described as a Substitute Teacher Instruction Kit, a series of almost 50 easy-to-photocopy black line templates of substitute teacher instructions, lesson plan formats, daily routines, emergency procedures, seating plans, class lists, and feedback forms.

Part 3 is headlined Classroom Awards and Passes, and offers just that — about 75 awards and certificates that can be photocopied, from Most improved Student, No-Homework Pass, and Free-Time Pass to specific academic achievement awards in all subjects.

In addition to the ready-to-copy book pages described above, the book also comes with a CD containing all the printables, which can be custom formatted by you.

Who would benefit from this book?  It can be easily utilized by any teacher no matter the grade, subject or position. An elementary or perhaps a  6th grade middle school teacher would benefit the most from the awards chapter, as most upper grade students do not really enjoy receiving printed awards, I suspect.

All new teachers who are in a position in which they are responsible for documenting academic and behavioral progress will find the suggested comments very beneficial, as well as any special education teacher who needs assistance with writing goals and objectives.

And the book has so many choices of comments — divided and organized by subject and social and emotional behavioral situations — that most any teacher responsible for writing a classroom report, documenting a parent meeting, or producing an annual review would welcome these time saving aids. In addition, some schools have eliminated letter grades on report cards, and instead require teachers to describe how a student is progressing towards standards. If you’re in such a school, this would be an excellent resource that will likely become well-thumbed indeed.

The first book in the Timesavers for Teachers series, Interactive Classroom Forms and Essential Tools (with CD) was briefly reviewed by TLN member Pascale Pinner, a high school teacher and the 2008 Hawaii Teacher of the Year.

She writes: "This is a cool collection of blackline masters to cover all kinds of situations for the classroom. To me, this was a very handy dandy book, with much of the content geared more to the elementary grades. However, I was able to find a number of things  I could use in my secondary science classroom. Very helpful book and one that I will definitely share with my colleagues."

Never Work Harder Than Your Students (review)

Never Work Harder Than Your Students and Other Principles of Great Teaching
by Robyn R. Jackson
ASCD (2009)

Reviewed by Gail Tillery, NBCT
High School English & Mentoring (Georgia)
Teacher Leaders Network

I must confess I was a little disappointed that this book did not turn out to contain the magic secret of getting past the hard work of teaching. However, Robyn Jackson does offer many practical tips for helping proficient teachers move to what she calls the master teacher level, so the book is definitely worth reading.

Jackson builds her work on the premise that the most effective teachers have what she calls “the master teacher mindset.” This mindset is built around a set of seven principles that Jackson says master teachers use to guide their practice. Each chapter of the book is built around exploring one of these principles, including

• knowing where students are and where they are going
• expecting students to reach their goals
• supporting students through effective feedback
• focusing on quality rather than quantity

The master teacher mindset is centered around reflective practice; master teachers work in such a way that the principles become automatic to them, and they use these principles constantly to design the work and assessments they prepare for students.

Jackson believes that a teacher's work should be done at the front end, as it were. She advocates becoming an expert on the standards of the given course and using that expertise to design work that challenges students and helps them reach their learning goals. She gives practical advice on understanding standards by helping her readers interpret their language. For example, she explains that standards emphasize either learning goals or a process (content vs. skills). Once teachers understand exactly what the standards are asking students to know and be able to do, they can assign work and assessments to help students meet the standards.

One of the most interesting and challenging ideas Jackson presents is that teachers should be able to explain why they are doing each activity and assessment they chose. She urges teachers to ask themselves, “Why am I doing what I'm doing?” If students ask you why they're doing an activity, and you can't give them an answer that makes sense, the activity must go.

Another interesting idea Jackson develops is Principle 3: ”Expect Your Students to Get There.” She discusses the point of view that I have heard all my life among colleagues: that some students can't or won't do the work because they’re lazy or don’t care or whatever, and there's really nothing we can do to change that. Jackson, however, believes that expectations are really all about what we expect of ourselves—not of our students.

She asks us as readers to shift focus from what students can and will do to what WE can and will do. She says that teachers must have high expectations of their own abilities to get their students where they need to go. She points out that, if we say students can't acquire knowledge or develop skills, we're really saying we don't believe WE can get them to the learning goal in question.

Jackson also gives practical guidelines for effective feedback in Principle 4: ”Support Your Students.” A firm believer in intervening before disaster strikes, she provides ideas on how to help students as soon as you see that a problem is developing. Undoing confusion before it starts is a proactive approach that allows teachers to anticipate and head off the damage before it happens. This was one of my favorite principles.

Jackson's book includes a self-assessment for readers to complete so they will know where they are in relation to the master teacher mindset. In the appendix, she includes an array of tools to help teachers develop action plans to help them move toward the mastery of teaching. The toolbox is user-friendly and provides concrete help for teachers who wish to pursue Jackson's line of thinking.

While I didn't agree with everything in the book, I found Jackson's passion for teaching and her obvious belief in all students to be inspiring and refreshing. This book is an easy read but also thought-provoking and full of ideas to aid teachers in helping students to excel. It is definitely worth looking into.

Teaching Boys and Girls Separately (review)

Successful Single Sex Classrooms: A Practical Guide to Teaching Boys and Girls Separately
by Michael Gurian, Kathy Stevens, and Peggy Daniels
Jossey-Bass (2009)

Reviewed by Laura Reasoner Jones, NBCT
School-Based Technology Specialist (Virginia)
Teacher Leaders Network

Let me start by saying that I am a little conflicted on this subject. I am definitely pro single-sex classrooms because I firmly believe (from my experience with all-girl afterschool clubs) that girls do better in them. But the problem is that I also agree with the AAUW position that single-sex classes can be a tunnel we don’t want to go down, as it can lead to segregation and “separate but not equal” programs.       

 AAUW believes single-sex education without proper attention to civil rights protections can reinforce problematic gender stereotypes, increase discrimination, and restrict the educational opportunities open to both girls and boys. Even where programs are established for both boys and girls separately, they have tended to be distinctly unequal, with fewer resources allocated for girls programs. 

So, I accepted this book with a little skepticism, thinking that it would gloss over the issues, blame female teachers, and try to make all classrooms better meet the needs of boys, as that seems to be the politically correct concern these days. But I was pleasantly and professionally surprised.

This book is very useful for all teachers, in that it really describes excellent instruction, with one of the best summaries of techniques and strategies for teaching and classroom management I have seen in a very long time.

The authors begin by stating that “girls are better able to meet expectations in the traditional classroom,” a fair statement. They then go on to summarize brain research, highlighting its application and implications in classrooms. I particularly liked the way they describe how and why girls internalize while boys externalize, and what this means in education.

The book starts at the beginning with the theory and research behind setting up single sex classrooms, suggesting questions to ask and data to analyze. If this is something your school or district wants to try, this is a good guide. A short section on working with parents is included, along with survey tools for evaluating programs. The book also sets some guidelines for choosing and training teachers, although this section could be a book in itself.

Successful Single-Sex Classrooms then gets to the heart of the matter—helping the two genders to succeed with different approaches and strategies. The authors recommend specific things for each: using movement, controlled space and light, flexible seating and tables for boys; and working on the emotional environment for girls. They then go into specific strategies for teaching each of the core subjects for each gender—helping both boys and girls to study their own learning styles and creating good learning environments using manipulatives and experiential learning for both groups.

To be perfectly honest, there is nothing magical about this book. But it does present a case for good solid instruction and classroom management, and many of the suggestions are applicable whether boys and girls are taught separately or in the same space. It summarizes how to set up classrooms that work and how to plan and set expectations that can be met by both teachers and students.

It would be well-placed on any teacher’s bookshelf. I like it very much and will keep it close while recommending it to other staff in my school.

Better Teacher Answers about Writing in the Content Areas (review)

Better Answers: Written Performance That Looks Good and Sounds Smart (2nd Edition)
Ardith Davis Cole
Stenhouse Publishers (2009)

Reviewed by Marsha Ratzel, NBCT
Middle Grades Math and Science (Kansas)
Teacher Leaders Network

It’s no secret that content area teachers would love for their students to write well. Knowing how to get the high quality writing from students is another matter. I have read multiple books and articles on this topic and no one has any idea of how to break down the writing process into something understandable. Until now.

I just finished reading Better Answers: Written Performance That Looks Good and Sounds Smart by Ardith Davis Cole. Doesn’t the title even make you nod your head in agreement? Students will buy into looking good and sounding smart in a flash.

This book, first published in 2002 and now available in an updated edition, was written as an antidote to standardized test prep for writing assessments. It uses the time-honored technique of showing students multiple models of good writing and incorporating think alouds so they can “hear” what a competent writer is thinking as they compose/edit.

I think the reason it works so well for writing in content areas is that Cole focuses on having students compose smaller pieces that answer questions and respond to prompts. The “Better Answer” protocol is straightforward enough to work with younger age students in elementary school and yet sophisticated enough to work with high school students. It has worked in diverse classroom settings from all over the country. One of the most telling testimonies comes when Cole describes how students are able to explain the process to strangers and how it helps them write.

Students learn to dissect the prompt

What is this “Better Answer” protocol? It’s a step-by-step method created to solve the common mistakes Cole found in analyzing state writing data. While working as her school’s literacy coach, Cole discovered that many of her students didn’t understand what a question was asking, so they didn’t know how to dissect the question and match their response accordingly.

Here is where Better Answers really shines. Students in the first step tear apart the prompt so they can figure out what it is asking. Cole suggests using a familiar fairy tale so that knowing the basic storyline won’t be an issue as students learn the technique. The book comes with a companion CD that has all the stories and supporting worksheets on it — all pretty much ready to go. This step transforms the prewriting stage into an analysis stage that helps students understand what kind of response they need to produce and gives them strategies for crafting the beginning part of their answer.

I know dozens of science and social studies teachers who share my frustrations as their students struggle with short answer or essay questions. If you didn’t want to read the rest of the book (which would be a serious omission), the first 50 pages give you powerful ideas, a process, and materials that could improve the qualities of student answers.

From basic to advanced strategies

The second part of Better Answers helps a teacher visualize how to move students through writing the introduction, the body, and then the conclusion of an answer. Again Cole provides a fantastic process and includes stories from her experience that bring the process to life. There are companion CD pieces here too: Powerpoints, worksheets, checklists, to name a few of the items teachers will find handy.

The last section of Better Answers offers something you don’t encounter often — and it’s what sets this book apart. Cole describes what an accomplished teacher should do with the results of writing. How do you take what students have written, give them feedback, and then help them process that feedback so they can improve the next time?

From the first section, where the author stresses the need for pre- and post-testing comparisons, to this entire final section, Cole clearly articulates a method for carrying out this advanced instruction given the realities of working in a classroom. She devotes a complete chapter to “What to Do When…Responding to Assessment” that will help teachers troubleshoot error trends they’ve seen in their students’ writing.

I think this book will give content-area teachers who have tried to improve their writing instruction (I'm one of them) a big boost. Cole understands the constraints of daily teacher work, and how a teacher feels pressed to make every minute count. I plan to put her ideas to work this fall.

If you’ve not been as successful with writing instruction as you wish, Better Answers brings with it the wisdom of an experienced teacher (you can hear it in the words she has written) and makes you feel hopeful again — hopeful that you may have finally found a process that can unlock the mysteries of writing and make that student frustration manageable.

Marsha Ratzel blogs about her classroom research and her teaching practice at Reflections of a Techie.

Rigor Is NOT a Four-Letter Word (review)

Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word
Barbara R. Blackburn
Eye on Education (2008)

Reviewed by Karen Molter
High School English/LA (Indiana)
Teacher Leaders Network

I asked to review this book because of an ongoing debate/dilemma with this issue, both among my colleagues and within myself. When I discuss this topic with other teachers, we agree it's important to "raise the bar" for students and that a rigorous education is essential for post-secondary success. The dilemma arises in the actual implementation of that philosophy.

While I have high standards for my students, trying to help them meet those standards is often exhausting and sometimes they simply refuse or give up. My colleagues who teach elective classes find that if their classes are too challenging, students will not enroll and their job security will be threatened. In our discussions, we’ve considered many solutions — vertical teaming, school culture change, social workers, even starting our own school! This book, I thought, might just offer some better answers to the many questions we have about rigor.

I opened the cover with mixed feelings. After 33 years of teaching, I often find that professional reading simply affirms many of my current practices in the classroom. Here, I was not hoping for affirmation but for something to improve my instruction at this advanced stage in my career. I was not disappointed. I found this book to be both realistic and respectful.

“Realistic” was a welcome attribute. Blackburn’s work with practicing teachers and interviews with students keeps the research and philosophy grounded in actual strategies for implementation. She actually mirrors the “guideposts” (pg. 15) for increased rigor in the organization of the book:

•  Quality … Not Quantity — She keeps to the point and includes clear examples of rigorous activities for the classroom.

•  Everyone…Not just “Special Students” — She includes activities for all types of intelligences, all levels of intelligence, and all content areas are included.

•  Learning… Not Punishment — She provides opportunities at the end of each chapter to reflect upon the content and consider how the techniques could be used with the reader’s current lessons. She also describes scaffolding and assessment techniques for use with students.

Another realistic aspect of the book is Blackburn’s clear recognition of the potential stumbling blocks to implementation and her suggested methods of dealing with them. Chapter One addresses these issues directly and leads the reader to the following definition: “Rigor is creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels.” (pg 16).

Chapter Two continues to lay the foundation for the chapters to come by offering a discussion of high expectations, challenging curricula, high-level questioning, and differentiation and multiple intelligences. Much of this discussion would provide a good orientation for newly hired teachers and those in need of a refresher.

Blackburn sets the stage nicely for the more practical portion of the book — which she offers in a “choose your own adventure” style. Chapters Three through Seven, which discuss various methods to increase rigor, are not written sequentially so the reader can opt to read the chapters in order of importance or urgency. Topics include:

• Raising the level of content — This section includes a great discussion on the difference between “reviewing and repeating” as well as a section on standards.

• Increasing complexity — Techniques for student engagement are the real surprise in this section. Project-based activities are used to attain the complexity without losing the students.

• Giving appropriate support and guidance — Her suggestions about scaffolding and providing multiple opportunities to learn offer viable solutions when students want to give up. The section on communicating teacher expectations to students effectively is also helpful.

• Opening one’s focus — “Open-ended” is more than just a type of question! Projects, choices and even vocabulary instruction can be open-ended as well. Her explanations of these strategies are eye-opening.

• Raising expectations — This section gives attention to issues such as “A,B, Not Yet” grading, victory lists, and creating a culture of learning. Her ideas here will be helpful to many teachers, even those with long experience in the classroom.

Blackburn continues her realistic approach to rigor in the chapters on assessment and the opportunities and challenges of implementation (Ch. 8 and 9). Assessment is a necessity, and she believes formative assessment is most effective. Grades are a fact of life, and her ideas about mixing a variety of types of assessment provide many opportunities for reflection.

Probably the most realistic aspect of the book comes in Chapter Nine, which discusses the introduction of rigor into the classroom and the likely resistance from students, parents, and colleagues. Blackburn’s work with practicing educators shines through here with her honest discussion of such issues. She acknowledges that the road will not always be smooth and offers several options for managing opposition to change.

There are also extras. Teacher leaders who have a need to increase rigor on a school-wide basis will find additional activities and resources in the book, which also includes a password that allows book owners online access to charts, guiding questions, and tools at the publisher's website. (Some templates are available to everyone who visits the book's webpage.)

Finally, and importantly, a tone of respect permeates each page of Rigor Is Not a Four-Letter Word. Blackburn’s chosen audience is the classroom teacher because she believes that, ultimately, it’s the individual working with students every day who is in the best position to truly raise the bar.

While the school’s curriculum, climate, or improvement initiatives may or may not embrace increased rigor, the individual teacher has the power to make changes in each individual classroom. This attitude — in a book filled with examples of real teachers’ lessons, time-saving charts and organizers, and opportunities for the audience to reflect and plan — truly displays the author’s understanding of classroom dynamics and the demands upon a teacher’s time.

This deep grasp of teachers’ work is also displayed in Blackburn’s incorporation plan, which recommends that rigor be introduced incrementally, one added strategy per week, while anticipating that there will be bumps in the road. In the world of educational literature, where authors frequently condemn existing teacher practice or put forth idealistic expectations, this book refreshingly offers positive ways to improve instruction in the real world.