The 6th Grade language arts team chose to read Comprehension Through Conversation by Maria Nicholas in order to strengthen our knowledge of engaging students in literature discussions. Since receiving our books mere minutes before our first meeting, we chose to spend the first meeting reading the introduction and foreword, with low expectations. Well, we're happy to say our expectations were exceeded. We had no idea three little pages would pack so much power. Soon after reading, one of the author's questions thrust us into conversation and thought. "How much time do we spend helping children to understand the power that comes from listening to the thoughts of others, and together building a greater understanding than we were able to attain individually?" Not enough, was our response.
We all know and have classrooms filled with students waiting with hands up in anticipation of sharing answers or thoughts. The teacher then listens, confirms or scaffolds, then moves on in an effort to check for understanding from many students. We quickly realized that as we work to implement the workshop model in the middle school, the share time scheduled at the end of the workshop frequently gets cut. It became clear that we were stripping our students of this opportunity to listen to the meaning constructed from text by readers in our classrooms and learn from one another. When students take time to construct meaning from text and consolidate new learning, it's vital they have the opportunity to share, compare and connect that meaning with others. Another idea that resonated with us was that the depth of thinking and student response to the thinking was far more important than the number of students sharing out. This has sparked a call to action to honor that share time and use it a bit differently than we have been. Based on all of the thought, discussion and action from the introduction and foreword, we are encouraged about what lies ahead in the meat of this text. And we will use our discussion time to listen as we share our understanding, questions, confusions, and learn from one another about how to bring this to life in our classrooms.
I am so excited that we developed such new learning so quickly. Not just learning we can stow away until next year, but learning that we can use in the classroom today! Giving students a chance to listen to others is so powerful, and instead of focusing on the quantity of students sharing, we need to focus on the quality. After rereading this blog, I also started wondering why share time has to wait until the end. If a student has a great thought to share during workshop, can we not pause, gain attention, and share? Some may think it would interrupt learning, but I think it could be a valuable motivation tool if used the right way.
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