I just got back from a weekend at EduCon. The conference created a great space to think and collaborate about how to push progressive ideas and practices further.  One of the sessions I went to gave me something entirely new to think about: my introverted students.  Tony Baldasaro (@baldy7) gave a lot of food for thought on the subject.  Here's what I learned.

• There is such thing as an introvert.  We are all somewhere on the spectru, between extrovert and introvert, but introverts tend to me people who are shy, and don't like to talk much, especially in large groups. 

• Extroverts are almost always up for talking about something. They talk to think. They come up with many of their best ideas in conversation.  When stressed, tired, upset, they tend to want to hang out with friends, talk about the problem, etc.

• Introverts' thought processing is actually neurologically distinct, according to new research (I don't have a source to cite, but Baldasaro recommended Quiet by Susan Cain).  Their problem solving process takes a longer pathway, involving recal of long term memory.  They need time to formulate their thoughts carefully this way and tend not to want to speak until they have worked through the process. 

• When stressed, tired, upset, etc, introverts tend to want to be alone.  However, being alone doesn't mean something is wrong. They might just be thinking.

• Introverts are energized by solitude. Extroverts are energized by interactions with others.

How does this play out in school? At the conference we discussed whether school favors the introvert or the extrovert. 

I think traditional school doesn't particularly work for either type.  Extroverts are forced to be quiet and work independently most of the time.  Introverts are forced to formulate thoughts and answer questions on the spot without the time they need to process their responses.

Progressive education can often favor the extrovert because of the emphasis on cooperative learning and class participation. Do we have a responsibility to help introverts be a part of this kind of work?  Probably.  Do we also have a responsibility to make adaptations so that it is more comfortable for all students? Id' say so.

I came away with a few good suggestions from Tony and members of my discussion group.

1. Let introverts know in advance if you want to talk to them about something, or if you will expect them to speak about something in class. This is to give them time to work through their ideas.

2. Many introverts will speak up when asked to, but not always take the initiative.  Invite introverted students to share their thoughts--especially if there's advanced notice of the discussion and topic, find ways to equalize the airtime time, so that the extroverts don't dominate the conversation.

3. When given an in class writing task, many introverts might take a while to get started. Don't rush them, or assume they are being lazy or defiant.  They are probably thinking.  Fine to check in about it, though. And when possible, be generous about allowing extra time.

4. Many introverts in the session suggested allowing students to opt out of working in a group and complete a group project on their own.  I don't think this would always be possible, but certainly something to consider when assigning group work.  It is absolutely necessary that my studets work in groups on this?  Do I have any reason not to allow some students to work alone?

5. Finally, research has shown that introverts tend to be much more comfortable participating in discussions online.  This is probably because online is not time-based and takes away some of the built up perceptions of social pressure they've experienced in face to face groups.  They can be alone and part of a conversation or community at the same time. Find ways to allow students to initiate or extend discussions online, and watch the balance of who's communicating shift. 

Thank you, Tony Baldasaro, for bringing this topic to light!   

[image credit: theparentszone.com]

In my free time, I've been playing in a band. (violin, mostly)  It's been exhilarating, lots of fun, and also full of challenges. The most amazing thing about it, of course, is the feeling you get when you've put in the work and then one day in practice you suddenly hear how good it sounds.  It's a group effort--each individual player knowing what they are doing and being prepared, listening to one another and the total sound, and responding and communicating effectively.  There is an intuitive nature to playing music well in a group, a creative component, and a technical one.  There is also a need for individuals to take on various leadership roles to keep the group moving forward, creatively and practically.

Many bands fail because they can't come together or stay together around these key elements.  They struggle to manage themselves, make decisions and comprimises, or understand another's point of view.  When musical groups do succeed at these things, the effect is one of the most amazing things life has to offer--great music.  

As I teacher, I just keep asking myself, am I preparing my students to work in a group like this?  Would there be more good live music out there if school were designed to help students organize themselves around creative endeavors, that involved technical know-how, creativity, practice, and leadership?  How much great stuff *period* would come about if school were really a practice ground for students to work on authentic, collaborative projects with real-world application?

[image credits: 1. Renee Scotland   2. zedge.net]

This summer at a retreat at Center For Teaching Quality, I was asked about one of my greatest accomplishments as an educator so far.  Of course I thought of the Whole Novels program, a method for working with novels in the ELA classroom that I've been developing with Madeleine Ray, my mentor from Bank Street and fellow Bank Street alum, Nancy Toes Tangel.  I've written about it in a few blog posts: A Room Full of Thinkers and Journey Story in Five Chapters.

In this video I discuss the effects of the program in very general terms:

Stay tuned for news on the manuscript I'm finally working on that's all about the Whole Novels program!  

Last week, Jacqueline Woodson, one of my very favorite young adult authors, came to speak to my seventh graders.  Now, if you teach middle school, you know that bringing a guest speaker to 100 seventh graders doesn't just automatically go well.  There is a novelty factor, yes. And though we'd like that to sufficiently ensure that students receive the guest properly, in reality, middle school students pay attention to many more factors than that. So we must too, if we want it to be a positive transaction for all.

Jacqueline Woodson's visit went very well, and students did get the rich experience--of hearing and seeing an author in person share her work with them--that I hoped they would.  In reflecting on the thought and preparation that went into the event, I've come up with a few factors to consider any time I bring a guest speaker. 

Clear Connection To the Curriculum: Students will wonder, why is this stranger coming to talk to me?  The  more connected to their learning or any aspect of the work they do at school, the more appropriate and genuine the connection will be. A guest speaker comes for a quick moment, which can seem unimportant to many students.  But if it is well placed within a curriculum, the guest will be part of a much bigger  conversation and in a sense "last longer."  In this case, we had read and discussed Woodson's novel, From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun, as a whole class. Many students went on to read many more of her books.  She was known to them, but through her writing. We had spoken about possibly communicating with her or bringing her to our school, since she is from Brooklyn. Her finally coming was a way of continuing the conversation about her novels and a point of comparison for the current novels we're reading.

Relevent to Students: Students will wonder, why this, and who cares?  As with any curriculum piece, the content of the presentation should be developmentally appropriate.  It should matter to the students at their age level.  If Woodson came and talked about her college experience, my students may or may not have been interested. But she presented to them about her books which all deal with developmentally appropriate themes for middle school students. 

Also, the event should be as culturally relevant as possible, whether that means direct identification with students' culturally or through exposing students to worlds different from the one they know.  Either way, identity is a big factor for middle school students, so we need to consider how students will identify or not identify with the guest and the value that could have for them.  One thing that made Jacqueline Woodson's presentation great was that she was a black woman speaking very candidly and confidently about issues of race and  to a group of diverse students who were themselves hungry for fresh perspectives on this aspect of their growing identities.  She also had the attention of many committed student writers, looking to understand the practice better.

Doing Our Homework: It was really important that we did our homework and discovered that Jacqueline Woodson has a great website designed for kids and teachers, which answers the questions she most often is asked by readers.  She also has many interviews available on the web. We took a day in class to explore the website, watch an interview with Woodson about her writing, and create questions we'd like to ask her in person, that hadn't already been answered in the resources available to us.  I encouraged students to ask questions about her use of literary elements, something we'd been looking at in all the novels from this year, to keep.

Participation & Accountability: On the day of the visit, students understood what they were expected to DO during the presentation.  In class we went over the fact that they would receive a grade for ther participation in the event (Yes, I was willing to use any and all measures of control to make sure they did not make fools of themselves or us in front of a guest. I also justified this because it is actually an important life skill to be able to make a good impression on others, especially those who are successfu at something we are learning to do).  The grade was be based on

• active listening throughout the event
• asking appropriate questions at appropriate times
• taking (some) notes on points of interest

Students received a clipboard with a packet as they entered after lunch.  The front page outlined these expectations again.  The next page had all of the questions (with some editing) they had created in class typed up.  This was a great resource for students.  When Ms. Woodson asked for questions, practically every hand went up. The questions were not superficial, and Woodson was also excellent in her ability to respond.  She clearly was practiced at speaking to kids about her work.  She provided a great mix of humor and depth, and had some witty comebacks to occasional seventh grade silliness.  Students were also, quite obviously doing their best to avoid possible distractions (ie. each other;). 

Timing & Space: I spoke to Ms. Woodson before she came, and she aptly noted, "90 minutes for 100 seventh graders in June could be a long time to keep their attention..."  The only scheduling option for the assembly was for the period directly after lunch....groan. I talked over the timing with my principal, and we decided that the whole grade would stay for 60 minutes, not 90, and then students who were interested in more Q & A would stay for the extra half hour.  We also decided on a large meeting room instead of the auditorium, so that she could speak without a mic (more intimate) and where students would not be too spread out and therefore hard to monitor. 

It worked just about perfectly.  Students were just starting to get squirmy at the hour mark, but left wanting a little more, not bored yet--always a good thing.  The self-selected group that stayed for more time was a great mix of avid writers, voracious readers, and students who were just plain curious, for whom this visit sparked something new.

Teamwork & the Teacher Look: It was important to coorinate with a lot of people to make this run smoothly. The admin team helped organize the schedule and the flow of students from lunch to the room, and made sure our tech. director was there to record it and shoot photos.  The other seventh grade advisors each walked their advisees to the event and seated them together.  I gave each advisor a clip board and instructed them to mark down the names of any of their students making any kind of disruptions.  I asked them to tally up the number of times said students disrputed. Students also knew these would become points deducted from their grade (out of 10). I don't do this sort of thing for regular class activities, but when the stakes are high, like during a student poetry reading, or an event like this, and each individual's self-control at that moment really is crucial to the experience of the entire group, I am all for taking points off for talking, humming, poking, etc.  Advisors also did a stellar job of applying the "teacher look" aka "side-eye" to students who may have been tempted to do any of the actions listed above. The united front supported by the system for teachers to share the task of keeping tabs on individual students was effective. 

Follow-Up: We're working on a creative thank you card.  I hope Ms. Woodson will come back next year!  I highly recommend her as a guest speaker for NYC teachers, who read her books with their students. 

[The image above comes from ncte.org only because I don't have my hands on the real pics of Woodson speaking to my students!  Soon!]

Check out this great post about an "Aha" moment by fellow TLN blogger, Lana Gundy.  (And her previous post on teacher internships here)

This is my first year co-teaching almost the entire school day with in an inclusive classroom (special education and regular education students combined) with minimal pull outs (this is where special education students receive their individualized instruction in a small group).  A large majority of the special education students I teach have been in a self contained classroom in their previous years of education, so I was expecting to have to change my teaching style to accommodate their unique needs.  I also knew that I would have to adjust to co-teaching with another teacher in the same classroom most of the day.  What I wasn’t expecting, however, was to completely transform my teaching of social skills.  

The biggest difference this year is that the students are really struggling to get along with their peers.  After seeing a huge increase in tattling, name calling, and arguing, my co-teacher, Mrs. Merriman, and I started brainstorming ideas to deal with the social problems of our class.  We tried several traditional methods of teaching social skills:

• Reading books about getting along and acceptance
• Discussions about how to be respectful and kind
• Teachable moments about making better choices
• “What would you do?” scenarios
• Modeling how to get along
• Teaching key phrases to say when someone wasn’t being friendly 

And still, there was not much improvement with this group’s ability to get along any better.  Something was missing - and I didn’t realize what it was until this week during a kickball game at recess. 

We’ve been teaching our class how to play kickball at recess.  During the first week, it was still difficult for the students to play nicely together.   So, I started emphasizing that the game was just for fun and I focused on teaching them to play with good sportsmanship.  We taught them to give each other compliments and high-fives when someone made a good play.  We also taught the students to give each other another try if there was a close call.  We also taught them everyone is allowed to play.

The other day, I saw my students do something I hadn’t seen them do all year.   They were playing a game together with out any negative social consequences.  They were respectful, they showed good sportsmanship, and they worked as a team!  They actually had fun together!

It was then when I realized what had been missing. 

We HAD taught our students “all” there was to know about having good social skills, but we forgot to have the students apply the knowledge to their own lives.  And as silly as it may sound, kickball is pretty important in the lives of elementary school students. 

This just goes to show that no matter what you are trying to teach your students or how hard you try, if you don’t give your students the experiences to apply those skills, they’re meaningless.

Lana Gundy teaches fourth grade in a primary school in Peoria, IL.  She is a member of the Universal Leadership Team and is the Gifted Coordinator at her school.  She is also a member of CTQ's Illinois New Millennium Initative, an effort supported by the Center for Teaching Quality to cultivate accomplished, early-career teachers as leaders of practical, effective teaching policy innovations at the state and district levels.

[kickball image: celestevankirk1.blogspot.com]