Secret Ways : Character Building

As teachers, we go into school with a million things buzzing in our minds; there's the plan for our teaching, the students we want to focus on for the day, the books we plan to read, the language we want to use, the change of schedule because of an assembly, the meeting we need to attend during our planning time, the parent we need to contact and so much more.  Across the years I've discovered there are many things for which I'm responsible, but perhaps it is the little things that matter most - the things I might not even have a true awareness of on a day-to-day basis.

Such was the case at the end of last year.  The last day of school was an emotional day, more so than usual as I was changing positions and would be leaving my home school.  Though I was excited about the opportunities ahead, it was hard to leave a community that had become such a part of who I was (truly #teacherheaven).  The day was full of kind words, sweet cards, small tokens of appreciation that filled my heart with much joy.  After the bell rang, students and families buzzed around the school.  I was putting the final load of items into my bag when a student walked into my door, her mom stayed in my doorway as she entered.  I hadn't had this student in class, hadn't supported her in reading, hadn't had her in any of my after school groups, but recognized her face from around the building.

The girl, one of our older students, was holding a blue piece of paper, but she was obviously a bit uncomfortable.  I smiled and greeted her, unsure of what she might need.  I started to talk about the last day, and her mom soon interjected, "My daughter stayed up last night writing a note for you.  She wanted to tell you what a difference you have made."  I looked into the young girl's eyes as she handed me the note, her face began to relax and her smile grew.

As she handed me the note her mom added, "We can't stay, but she wanted you to have it."  I sensed the girl didn't want me to read the note with her there so I thanked her and we said our summer goodbyes.  After she walked out, I read the note.  In it she wrote about those little moments she saw me:  in the hall, in the cafeteria, working with her friends.  I was surprised by how much she had noticed about what I did from day to day in our school.  She thanked me for talking to her as we passed.  I could tell she felt noticed in these times; these times that were such a small part of both of our days.  "I will miss you.  A lot of people will miss you.  The staff, the students, and even the parents love you and will miss you."

The letter from this student really meant so much to me.  It was completely unexpected and such a kind, heartfelt gesture.  It serves to remind me now that it's the little moments that matter.  We don't always know we're making a difference, but perhaps every moment counts more than we realize.

(You've probably already seen this video, Eye-Opening Video Will Make Adults Reconsider the Way They Talk to Kids.  It speaks to these little moments...but make sure you watch it to the end.)

As soon as the calendar turns to August, we can't help but begin to shift into back to school gear.  In the blink of an eye our reading turns from pleasure to professional.  We walk through public spaces with an eye toward classroom design.  That favorite coffee shop has some spaces we'd like to recreate in our classroom.  The library's magnetic wall surely would have some uses for our students.  The book arrangements at the local book store might help us with our own libraries.

Before students arrive we work to create an inviting space for the first steps of our learning community.  We know arrangements might change as students share their learning preferences.  We know the books, tools, and spaces will grow as we discover more about our students and begin to take the first steps in learning together.  We know the room will grow, but we want it to be inviting in those first days of building our learning communities.

I always enjoy walking through classrooms before the year begins.  It is helpful for me to think about the ways other teachers consider using space, plan for tools, and start their libraries in the first days.  The way tables are arranged, the location of meeting areas, the selection of tools, and the books available all help me to think about those first days in our learning community.

Before students arrive I like to think about:
Meeting Area:  Where will we gather together as a community?  I want the space to be large enough for the group to meet and talk.  The space will host our discussions, read aloud, shared reading, shared writing, interactive writing, shared inquiry, connecting with other classrooms and so much more.  I have found it helpful to create visible boundaries to this space.  The space needs enough room for us to sit facing the same direction and to be able to make a circle.  For me, having technology, chart paper, writing tools, and other items needed for whole group instruction at my fingertips is essential in being able to quickly make instructional decisions that follow the groups conversation.  

Cozy Spaces:  Are there a variety of spaces for students to engage in learning?  In addition to the meeting area, I like to have spaces where students can gather in small groups, pairs, and as individuals.  These spaces need to work for literacy workshops, math explorations, science inquiries, and inside recess.  The more students can spread out around the room the more likely everyone is to be comfortable in learning.  Having a variety of types of seating can also be beneficial to students.

Classroom Library:  Do books surround the room?  I've always been someone who prefers my library to stretch around the room.  This helps during reader's workshop as students can move to a variety of spaces to read.  Additionally, moving books around the room can create physical reminders of ways to think about genres, characters, and themes of books.  I've always felt like a room full of books feels inviting and speaks to the importance of reading in our lives.

Books:  Are the books that are accessible to students a good match for the developmental stage of the readers coming into my classroom?  In elementary school a year of growth can be quite significant.  The books available to my students at the beginning of the year are very different from the books that will be on our shelves at the end of the school year.  I try to consider books I know students would have read the year before.  In addition to considering complexity of the text, I try to consider authors, topics, and genres students might already know.  I also try to consider the diversity of my collection, the range in genres, and the different levels of readers that will be coming into my classroom.

Tools:  Are the tools we'll need to get started accessible (or ready to be accessible)?  In the first days of school I am never really sure of the learning preferences of my students so I like to have a variety of types of paper, tools for writing, art supplies, and other materials available for students.  Additionally I try have a variety of tools ready for math explorations and science investigations.

Technology:  Is technology quickly accessible?  In the classroom I have to consider where technology will be located for use.  For me, this has meant making sure technology can be easily accessed during whole group lessons and class sharing opportunities.  It also means finding spaces for the technology that will be available to students.  This means considering the space for the technology and ease of plugging devices in for charging or sharing.

Digital Spaces:  How will we connect beyond our classroom?  More and more I consider the digital space we will live in as well.  I've found having a common space, what I like to a call a hub, for students to use to get to our digital spaces, for parents to access for information, and for other classroom to see our work to be helpful.  Sites like Twitter, Weebly, Symbaloo, Kidblog, Voicethread, and Shelfari are among the sites we will use to connect in our classroom.

Please share your considerations and questions you think about before students arrive.  Looking forward to another great year.