Literacy Now

I was an avid reader as a kid. The only problem was that I didn’t realize it at the time.

The reading I was most passionate about wasn’t validated as “legitimate” reading by the adults in my life. When my grandfather came home from work in the evenings, he’d plop the daily newspaper on the kitchen table and I would grab it, instantly ripping it open to the comics section. I devoured the daily adventures of Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Calvin and Hobbes, and Garfield. And don’t even get me started on the joy that came with the Sunday funny pages. I loved comic strips so much that I would even cut the daily GARFIELD strips out of the paper and catalog them in a photo album, making my own treasuries, of which I already owned several.

As I got older and into my tween and teen years, I began to follow comic books more closely. I had already made a lifelong commitment to BATMAN fandom, and my grandfather was increasingly subjected to waiting in the car while I ran into my local comics shop to pick up the latest issues of SPIDER-MAN, X-MEN, and, of course, the Caped Crusader. And when my grandfather was unable to drive me to the comics shop? I would walk. I would walk a mile and a half each way, regardless of the dangers that lurked in the tough neighborhoods I needed to walk through to get there.

So essentially, I would walk three miles to read. I was spit on and had rocks hurled at me because I wanted to read. But it wasn’t “real” reading, at least not then. I can only imagine how much more confident as a reader I would be today if I had grown up in the educational atmosphere that present-day teachers have created.

Kids today are incredibly lucky to have many reading formats that are accessible to them and celebrated by their teachers and librarians. (The creative kids are lucky, too; when I was a budding cartoonist, I thought that the only way I would ever have a career was if I worked for a company drawing their characters, or sold off all the rights to any character I created.) Graphic novels have made huge strides in the education environment within recent years. And the studies, as well as the success stories shared over social media, speak for themselves.

Yet in traveling the country and speaking at nearly one hundred schools every year, I still hear heartbreaking stories of adults who aren’t supportive of the format. A librarian in Houston, Texas, told me of a parent who came into her library and requested that her son no longer be allowed to check out the GARFIELD treasuries. Bravely, the librarian stood up for the student. She said to the parent, “When you bring your son to the playground, do you require him to get up on the monkey bars for fifteen minutes per day? And if he doesn’t comply, is he not a valid player? No, you allow your child to find the playground equipment he feels most comfortable with, at his own pace. Eventually, you’ll get him up on the monkey bars—but only when he’s ready and has grown in confidence.”

I share this story frequently when speaking to educators. Because as educators, you are the ones who are faced with other adults who have misconceptions, and like the librarian in the story, the student is who you champion. Sometimes it’s hard to find the words when you’re confronted with these judgments.

I also like to tell people that we all have the same common goal—to raise the next generation of readers. We can’t expect our children to come to where we are just because we want them to. We need to go to them, give them the tools they need to succeed, and gently bring them to where we want them to be.

As helpful as graphic novels are to turn those reluctant readers into passionate readers, I should point out that comics are not just a “gateway drug.” There is no reason why CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS and CHARLOTTE’S WEB can’t coexist in a child’s reading life. Comics can hook those kids on reading, but when they have moved on to more challenging texts, they should still be allowed to read graphic novels, just as they should still be allowed—and encouraged—to read picture books.

The graphic novel is a format, not a genre. Like any form of literature, there is both philistine and prestigious material—and when we are reading for pleasure and by our own choice, both are valid. For instance, my Lunch Lady series does not aim for the same goals as Art Spiegelman’s MAUS—but both are comics. When I was reading those daily comic strips as a kid, I was also falling in love with Beverly Cleary’s THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE and Roald Dahl’s JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH.

But my newfound love for chapter books didn’t preclude me from following the adventures of comic book superheroes. And while I was reading comics that starred ill-proportioned superheroes, I was reading Lucy Maud Montgomery’s ANNE OF GREEN GABLES and every single sequel produced. Just as I needed to know what would happen in the aftermath of the Joker killing Robin the Boy Wonder, I needed to know what would happen next to the orphan girl who was sent to Prince Edward Island.

My reading habits today are no different. In my adult life I have pored over the pages of Craig Thompson’s BLANKETS, and my copies of all six books in Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series are dog-eared. But at the same time, I’ll read every single book written by Matt de la Peña, David Levithan, and John Green.

Not long ago, I followed my own advice about not prejudging a child’s reading. I often receive wonderful photos of kids reading my books. I get them through the mail and through e-mail; through tweets and on my Facebook timeline. I absolutely love seeing the sparks of imagination in those photos that I so recognize from my own youth. And even more so—I am humbled to know that I have had a hand in creating that experience for that particular young reader. Recently I received a tweet from a parent who was so excited that LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE had been the key to unlocking her child’s dormant reading life. Attached to the tweet was a photo, and I opened the link to reveal a Rockwellesque scene of a kid reading by the fireplace…but the screen from which he was reading shone brighter than the flickering fire.

At first, I was dismayed. That wasn’t “real” reading, I thought. And then it hit me—I was being dismissive of this child’s reading experience, just as others had been of mine.

When I awoke the next day, I had received another series of tweets from that same parent. Her son loved the book so much that they downloaded the next two books in the series and he read those before bedtime as well.

This child may not have been reading in the same way that I read when I was a child …but he was reading. And man, is that something to celebrate.

Jarrett J. Krosoczka is the author and illustrator of twenty books, which include picture books (PUNK FARM), graphic novels (LUNCH LADY AND THE CYBORG SUBSTITUTE) and chapter books (PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD: THE FROG WHO CROAKED). His work has been featured in THE NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY, and on PBS and NPR’s All Things Considered. His TED Talk, which chronicles his path to publication despite challenging childhood circumstances, has amassed more than a half a million views online.



The Librarians Recommend...Graphic Novels

Putting Books to Work: McKay and Lafrance's WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

Anita's Picks: Children Love Graphic Novels!

August 14, 2013

In this week’s column, members of IRA’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group consider the question, “What makes a great read?” A great book should have fresh creative writing, powerful illustrations (if in picturebook or illustrated formats), and deal with universal themes about life and humanity. It should surprise you in some way: make you gasp, make you laugh, make you question and wonder, make you cry, or bring you to new insights. The books reviewed in this article are “great reads” that help young readers learn about themselves, others, and the world around them. The authors of these books address issues of diversity related to identity development, difference, and sexuality. These books also help readers explore and understand the world: how it was formed, how we are connected to and impact the Earth, and what happens beyond our world and solar system. We hope teachers, parents, and children read, re-read, and ponder these “great reads” to find what resonates.

 

GRADES K-2

 

Empson, Jo. (2012). Rabbityness. Auburn, ME: Child’s Play Inc. 

Rabbityness is a debut book by author/illustrator Jo Empson. In vibrant water-media paintings, readers see Rabbit explore his artistic and musical interests–very un-rabbity things to do. Rabbit’s friends enjoy the color and life he brings to the forest until, one day, he disappears. His friends are left wondering what happened to him, and are overcome with feelings of sadness and loss. Rabbit’s friends find a way to remember him and bring joy back to the forest and their hearts. Empson deals with the topics of difference and loss in both sensitive and poignant ways that are appropriate for young children. Her bright, colorful illustrations, reminiscent of Stephen Gammell’s artwork, balance the heaviness of the topic of losing a loved one.

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

Rosenthal, Amy Krouse, & Lichtenheld, Tom. (2013). Exclamation mark. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Exclamation mark “wasn’t like everyone else. He was confused, flummoxed, and deflated” by his difference until he met a friend who helped him discover his abilities and possibilities. With one sentence per page and sparse black-line illustrations, this appears to be a simple book about punctuation marks and their usage; however, it deals with complex and ageless themes of feeling different from others and finding one’s place in the world. Children of all ages can explore the layers of meaning in this picturebook: trying to fit in, being discouraged and confused, thinking about running away, being imprisoned by not being one’s self, and learning to be confident in who you are.

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

GRADES 3-5

 

Cavanaugh, Nancy J. (2013). This journal belongs to ratchet. Illus. by Jillian Rahn. Naperville, IL: Jabberwocky.

Summer is here. Eleven-year-old Ratchet, aka Rachel, has big plans to improve her life. In her homeschool language arts journal, awash in variety of writing styles, poems, and drawings, she outlines steps to become, stylish, make a friend, and discover more about her mother, who died when Ratchet was five. Told in the lively and longing voice of a lonely girl being raised by an eccentric, environmentalist father and who is wishing for a social life and a mother, Ratchet reveals her dreams to “turn my old, freakish, friendless, motherless, life into something shiny and new.” How she accomplishes this, while saving a park, winning an essay contest, connecting with her father, and making friends with a boy whom she helps to build a go-cart, is an engaging and uplifting read.

- Beverly Vaughn Hock, Co-director of Nye Memorial Children's Literature Study Tours

 

Cooke, Lucy. (2013). A little book of sloth. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books.

Despite the occasional use of anthropomorphism, this is a delightful, informational book about a little known animal–the sloth. Cooke helps readers to see sloths in a new way–as affectionate, smiling, cuddly creatures that need care and sanctuary when they are orphaned, injured, or fall into the hands of cruel people. Cooke shares surprising information about how sloths can’t make their own body heat, how they use stuffed animals as surrogate hugging partners, and how some form strong friendships with other sloths. Readers will fall in love with the sloths of the Aviarios del Caribe sloth sanctuary as they read this book. While the purpose of this book is to educate readers about sloths, it can also serve as a lens into a different way of life.  Throughout the book, the author tells readers to take a tip from the sloth’s “slo-mo lifestyle” and “just chill.” With older readers, parents and teachers could facilitate discussions and inquiries about different cultural ways of being and different ways of perceiving time and the pace of life.

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

Kelsey, Elin. (2012). You are stardust. Illus by Soyeon Kim. Toronto, Canada: Owl Kids Books.  

In You are Stardust, Elin Kelsey describes how people and the Earth (even the universe) are intimately connected, from the beginning of time and into the present. We began as stardust–elements formed during the lifecycle of stars that eventually became the elements that make up our beings. Saltwater serves as the fluid of life on Earth, in the wombs of mothers, and in our bodies. And each breath we breathe out spreads microscopic pollens through the air to flower the plants of the world. The interconnectedness of all life and nature is conveyed in a magical, wonder-ful way through both the writing and So-yeon Kim’s three-dimensional, diorama images. Kim uses thin threads to visually represent the connectedness of people and nature in her whimsical, cut paper images. Visit www.owlkidsbooks.com/stardust to read more about the scientific explanations for the statements in the book and to view teacher resources for facilitating students’ inquiries.

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

Zullo, Germano. (2013). Line 135. Illus. by Albertine. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Belonging is a feeling that every child needs and seeks. Some children don’t ever find a place they connect with or a family to belong to, but perhaps Line 135 will help readers envision the unlimited possibilities of places to belong. The unnamed girl in Line 135 belongs to two places: her house in the city and her grandmother’s house in the country. She travels between the two places on a green rail train through pen-and-ink landscapes embellished by her imagination. She yearns to be a child of the world, however, and not just of her mother’s city and her grandmother’s countryside. Her mother and grandmother tell her it is “impossible” to know the entire world, as the girl desires. The girl refuses to be deterred from her dreams by the pessimism of her well-meaning mother and grandmother. In powerful language that evokes a poetic feeling, this translated book conveys a child’s curiosity about the world and her yearning to explore its wonders. 

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

GRADES 6-8

 

DeCristofano, Carolyn Cinami. (2012). A black hole is not a hole. Illus by Michael Carroll. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc.

Carolyn DeCristofano hits a home run with this fascinating book about black holes. She takes a sophisticated scientific topic and breaks it down into clear, manageable concepts that middle grades readers will be able to grasp, beginning with easier concepts and gradually moving to the more complex ideas. Through the skillful use of figurative language and comparisons and contrasts, DeCristofano helps readers understand extreme gravity zones and the distortion of space that happens as dense matter interacts with it. Two extended comparisons–a black hole being like a whirlpool and being similar to a hole in an object–help readers to visualize the abstract scientific principles at work in black holes. Readers are also guided through “thought experiments” to image how light is absorbed and bent by black holes as well as what it might be like to travel into a black hole. Descriptions of recent scientific explorations of black holes and “supermassive” black holes will leave readers with additional inquiries that can be investigated with the support of the backmatter and references listed at the end of the book. A Black Hole is Not a Hole is a powerful informational book that helps children understand the world, our solar system and galaxy, and the galaxies beyond.

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

GRADES 9-12

 

Gansworth, Eric. (2013). If I ever get out of here. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine.

Lewis is the only kid from the reservation in the “brainiac” track at school. At best, the other kids don’t talk to him; at worst, a bully whose name affords him immunity from punishment brutalizes him. When a new kid in town crosses the barrier and befriends him, Lewis finds himself in new territory, literally, as he is invited to visit George’s family on a local military base. Embarrassed by his extreme poverty, Lewis lies to keep his friends away from his own home. Strains from Beatles and Wings soundtracks, with “guest appearances” by Queen’s Freddy Mercury, provide the back beat for this 70s period piece that is at once funny and poignant. With nuanced, respectful characterization and richly detailed narrative, If I Ever Get Out of Here addresses the hard questions of poverty and prejudice—its roots and realities—while also celebrating family, community, and the gifts of culture.

- Sue Christian Parsons, Oklahoma State University

 

Konigsberg, Bill. (2013). Openly straight. New York, NY: Arthur A. Leviine Books.

Rafe is openly gay, has loving, supportive parents, and his mother is president of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). They live in progressive Boulder, Colorado where his gayness is generally a non-issue. The problem is that Rafe feels like he is defined by “the gay kid” label and wonders what it would be like to be just Rafe, not gay Rafe. Attending an all-boy boarding school across the country in Boston seems like the perfect opportunity for Rafe to figure out who he is without the label. Rafe is able to develop new friendships that he wasn’t able to when he was known as “gay Rafe.” His scheme of being openly straight (or just not mentioning that he’s gay) seems to be working. But as Rafe’s friendships deepen and a bromance turns to romance, he slams into the realization that a relationship can’t be built upon deceit. Rafe’s story doesn’t end all neatly packaged and tied with a bow, which makes it feel all the more real. Koningsberg skillfully and sensitively weaves issues of love, identity development, homophobia, coming out, and trust in a compelling and witty plot that revolves around complex, captivating characters.

- Jennifer Sanders, Oklahoma State University

 

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online. The International Reading Association partners with the National Council of Teachers of English and Verizon Thinkfinity to produce ReadWriteThink.org, a website devoted to providing literacy instruction and interactive resources for grades K–12.

 

 

WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL (Annick Press, 2013)
Written by Sharon E. McKay and illustrated by Daniel Lafrance
Grades 6–12

Unfortunately, the plight of child soldiers—the focus of WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by Sharon E. McKay and Daniel Lafrance—has become a topic that we are all too familiar with, especially after the KONY 2012 campaign, which sought to bring attention to the issue. WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL is based upon McKay’s 2008 novel of the same title. The story features Jacob and his school friends and their experiences, after being kidnapped from school, of serving as child soldiers in the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda. Both the original novel and the graphic adaptation are based upon true events and extensive research.

As stated above, stories like these have become well-known, but McKay’s text has several features that make it a unique and high-quality version of these events. Jacob and some of his friends manage to escape their LRA captives and eventually return home, but McKay doesn’t end the story here. Instead, she follows her characters as they try to rebuild their lives. Although certainly victims of the LRA, many of the returned child soldiers are viewed as dangerous; in some ways they’re seen in the same light as the leaders of the LRA. By continuing the story McKay provides a more complete picture of the long lasting impact of being forced to serve as a child soldier.

The second feature of McKay’s work that sets it apart is the quality of the graphic novel adaptation. Much of this can be attributed to Lafrance’s visuals. Lafrance is particularly skillful in his use of color, especially in enhancing emotions, throughout the text. Varying perspectives are another visual strength of WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL.

Finally, McKay and Lafrance don’t attempt to soften the horrors experienced by this group of child soldiers, but neither do they seek to glorify the violence either. While the topic and the events make this book inappropriate for younger audiences, the sensitivity with which the violence is handled does not preclude younger readers from experiencing the text.

The one drawback of the text is that while it fosters an emotional connection between the characters and the readers, it does not provide suggestions for steps readers can take to help stop the practice of using child soldiers. However, while the text does not provide guidance for action, readers and educators can find, create, and contribute to these opportunities themselves.

Cross-Curricular Connections: History/Social Studies, Geography, Politics, Service Learning, Language Arts/English, Visual Literacy

Ideas for Classroom Use:

Next Steps

As noted above, WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL does not provide any suggestions for how readers can help to end the use of child soldiers. However, the Internet is full of resources and recommendations for action. Educators and students can work together to harness the passion fueled by WAR BROTHERS and focus it towards ending the practice of child soldiers.

Teachers can organize this activity in numerous ways, including having small groups find or design a way to help the cause. They can then present their ideas to the class, and the class can choose between all of the proposed methods. Students can prepare for these presentations by using the Persuasion Map Student Interactive from ReadWriteThink.

For older students, this activity provides an opportunity to dive deeper into researching nonprofits and their practices. Unfortunately not all organizations make the best use of the funds raised on their behalf, nor utilize volunteers to their full extent. Savvy contributors and volunteers often research organizations before contributing time or money. These same approaches can be used to evaluate the media and to strengthen critical media literacy skills.

Translating into Another Format

Many people might be surprised to read about child soldiers in a graphic novel. However, the graphic novel format can be used to tell almost any story.

In this activity, students will translate a portion of WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL into another format. For example, students can write a short story based on part of the story. Students could also assume the identity of a character from WAR BROTHERS and write a letter from that perspective. Songs, timelines, or even Facebook pages—the possibilities for alternate formats are unlimited.

This activity will foster students’ ability to read and understand information in a variety of formats. It’s particularly targeted toward understanding visual information to the extent necessary to present it in a different format.

Paired Reading

SON OF A GUN by Anne de Graaf, previously published in the Netherlands, would provide a beautiful companion text to WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL. It tells the story of a brother and sister who were captured and forced into service in the Liberian Civil War. This 2013 Batchelder Honor Winner (awarded to books previously published outside of the United States in another language and later translated into English and published by an American publisher) is based upon interviews with former child soldiers. On deGraaf’s blog, she posts pictures from her research in Liberia.

Additional Resources and Activities:

WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL Workblog
THE WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL Workblog is a unique resource for this text as it provides insight into some elements of the book’s creation. Lafrance supplies some before and after sketches as he plays with different artistic techniques in order to find the perfect way to illustrate the story. There is also a tab for latest news about the LRA and additional web resources. This may be a good starting point for finding service projects and more information.

Amnesty International Child Soldiers
Amnesty International’s fight for human rights extends to child soldiers. While there are many sources regarding child soldiers on the Amnesty International websites, the above link is for a unit on child soldiers including lesson plans and suggested activities.

Emmanuel Jal TED Talk: The Music of a War Child
Prior to becoming a hip-hop star, Emmanuel Jal was a child soldier in the Sudanese rebel army. The stories from this time in his life, which began when he was seven years old, fill his songs. Jal has dedicated his life to fighting poverty and child warfare. The TED talk includes several of Jal’s songs, which likely will appeal to middle and high school viewers.

Timeline Student Interactive
ReadWriteThink.org is a collaboration between the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE); the site provides a plethora of resources for a wide span of grades and subjects. This popular interactive guides students through the process of organizing information in timeline form and results in a polished finished product. It’s particularly useful for the “Translating into Another Format” activity outlined above.

Aimee Rogers is a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota studying children’s and adolescent literature. Prior to her return to school, Aimee taught high school students with special needs, in a wide variety of settings, for ten years. She misses working with adolescents but is developing a passion for working with undergraduate pre-service teachers. She has a growing interest in graphic novels for children and young adults and is making them the focus of her dissertation.

by Judith Hayn

Cremer, A. & Levithan, D. (2013). Invisibility. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Stephen and Elizabeth share a love story set in NYC; however, this 16-year-old boy was born invisible, and new neighbor Elizabeth is the only human who has ever seen him. Told in alternating first-person accounts, the story follows the pair as they determine to free Stephen from his grandfather’s punishment. The vengeful old man cursed his wayward daughter through a cloak of invisibility for her son. Indeed, Stephen is the focal character here, and his voice is poignant and powerful; he lives isolated in an apartment although financially supported by an absent father who remarried after he left them. His mother has died, and he is indeed alone, wandering the city isolated in his own shell.

This changes after Elizabeth, her mother, and younger brother Laurie move to NY from Minnesota after Laurie was savagely beaten by gay bashers. Her mother works many hours, which leaves the trio of teens able to focus on the curse and attempt to reverse it. Cremer and Levithan create a tale of love and magic in their first collaboration. Traveling with this paranormally gifted couple through a city populated by cursecasters and spellseekers results in a tension-filled tale as the inevitable violence threatens and then erupts. Can the forces of justice ever truly prevail over the malevolent? Can love really conquer all? Fans of the genre will love this riveting novel.

Dr. Judith A. Hayn is a professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

This article is part of a series from the Special Interest Group Network on Adolescent Literature (SIGNAL).

 

 

by Regie Routman

None of us perform or learn well in a culture where fear trumps joy and mistrust prevents risk taking. Yet, strict accountability measures for teachers and principals are making our educational climate one of increasing apprehension and distrust. Fueled by a belief that teachers aren’t competent enough, rigorous and scientific evaluation systems are being touted as the route to more effective teaching and higher student achievement. Teachers are increasingly being evaluated under tougher, more complicated guidelines with an overreliance on test data to measure student growth. While principals may gain useful data with the new systems, the cost is high. The additional evaluation pressures on teachers and principals are leading to increased job loads and unhealthy, intimidating school cultures that are driving competent educators away from the profession. 

Let’s imagine another scenario and mind set. Instead of beginning with required evaluations, official observations, and worry about meeting the new Common Core State Standards, we begin with celebration and what’s going well—noticing and commenting on the principal’s, teacher’s, and student’s strengths. Starting with genuine celebration is a necessity for creating a school culture where raising and sustaining student achievement is possible. Teachers, principals, and students need to feel they belong to a collaborative community where their unique talents are recognized and appreciated. In my forty-five years of teaching, coaching, and leading, I have never seen increased and sustained literacy achievement without a collaborative, knowledgeable, and trusting school–wide culture.

What Real Celebration Is

Noticing and celebrating what students and teachers are doing well is not a frill or mere paying of compliments. It is honestly and specifically acknowledging a positive behavior, action, or learning activity. It requires re-visioning what we see, say, and do when we walk into teachers’ classrooms. It is how we must begin every professional development encounter and meeting, by celebrating something—a task, part of a lesson, work sample—that a teacher or student has tried, accomplished, risked, or succeeded at. It is only when we feel valued that we are open to suggestions and can willingly consider necessary changes. Starting with celebration makes it possible to build a climate of trust where the principal is welcome in the classroom every day, teachers share collective responsibility for all the school’s students, and learning from and with each other is part of the school’s culture.

I apply celebration to all the work I do in schools, and it is the first step for raising expectations for what’s possible. For the past fifteen years, I have been working in diverse schools and classrooms in the United States and Canada. Using a weeklong residency model where I gradually release instructional responsibility to teachers, the principal, and the students, each morning teachers at and across grade levels are released to observe me teach reading and/or writing to the same class of primary students and to a separate class of intermediate students.

I developed this professional development model when I realized teachers and administrators needed to see “What does it look like and sound like to teach reading and writing effectively?” and “What does it look like and sound like to celebrate a teacher’s efforts and a struggling child’s learning?” Teachers and the principal observe the impact of genuinely celebrating each child as a writer and reader and each teacher as a professional. After each lesson, we meet as a whole group to debrief, and our professional literacy conversations extend throughout the day and week.

Still smiling after a long day: Teachers at our February 2013 writing residency in Winnipeg, Canada

Instructional Walks

A crucial part of the residency work is ensuring that the principal is a positive and strong instructional leader who knows literacy. Therefore, every afternoon, I demonstrate and coach the principal in what I call instructional walks. I enter each classroom with a mindset of what the teacher is doing well, whether it be some small aspect of the classroom environment, student engagement, level of questioning, or purposefulness of the work. I model the language and demeanor of what to say to the teacher and how to say it, what to look for in a highly functioning reading-writing classroom, and how to take specific but nonjudgmental notes that comment primarily on what the teacher is doing well while also noting particular concerns and school wide patterns of strengths and needs. Starting with what’s going well building-wide, we present our school wide observations, without blame, to the whole staff and jointly decide—considering all available sources of data—what our school wide focus needs to be.

The tone and purpose of these instructional walks is paramount. It is not a “gotcha” situation. Many teachers who are used to a walkthrough process that feels judgmental have told me how devalued they have previously felt from negative feedback or the lack of feedback and/or fearful about how the observational information might be used.

Our first purpose in the instructional walks is to build on teachers’ expertise and gain their trust; I find something to celebrate and honestly comment on it. It is likely that if students are doing something well, it is because of the teacher’s behaviors and actions. I never leave the classroom without speaking directly to the teacher about something positive I have noticed. There are several reasons for that decision. I believe it is disrespectful to come into a teacher’s classroom, take notes, and leave without giving positive feedback. Also, as with students, every time I am in a classroom is an opportunity to teach. Thirdly, I know from experience that giving positive but honest feedback builds a trust and gives dignity, energy, and encouragement to teachers. Someone has noticed what the particular teacher is doing well, and that genuine respect can be transforming.

Transformative Feedback

A few years ago, on an instructional walk, I celebrated a teacher for her demonstration writing, which was highly visible on a chart stand in her classroom. Clearly, she had been attending to the morning’s demonstration on writing for an authentic audience and purpose and was following our recommendation of “try it, apply it.” Her writing, where
she thought aloud in front of her students as she wrote, was full of vivid language, cross-outs, and additions that showed rethinking and revisions, and a compelling lead and satisfying conclusion. Her first response when I commented specifically on all she had done well was, “This isn’t very good.” But once convinced that I was sincere, she burst into a big grin. Sensing I had her confidence, I asked, “Would you like any suggestions?” She was hungry to know how she could improve her writing and the students’, and we engaged in a lively conversation.

In a follow-up residency a year after that instructional walk, the teacher confirmed that the positive, specific feedback she received that day was a life-changing turning point for her. Not only did she develop into an excellent teacher of writing who is always striving to get better, she became a leader in the school change process. In fact, she moved from a teacher who had been viewed by some colleagues and administrators as difficult and a resister to one who is now seen as inspirational. She has become a positive team player who reaches out to colleagues to share her knowledge and to encourage and support them. She is a valued and trusted member of the learning community, and her transformation has impacted the entire staff.

Additionally, because of her close bond with her principal, which began through frequent instructional walks and the corresponding celebrations, she now welcomes her principal into her classroom as a trusted colleague and coach. Formal evaluation visits are separate, and because of the shared trust that has developed between the teacher and the principal, these evaluations are not seen as threatening or devaluing but, rather, as helpful.

Getting the Full Measure

You cannot get the full measure of a teacher through lesson plans, extensive checklists and rubrics, and time-consuming evaluations. In fact, such evaluation can be counterproductive. In focusing on checking off all the bits and pieces, you lose the essence of the individual you are observing. The whole truly is larger than the sum of its parts. The effectiveness of a teacher, like the effectiveness of an artist, musician, or any other professional, cannot be quantified through a formula or composite of complex, evaluative measures. Whatever evaluation process we eventually wind up with, it must be respectful to the teacher, principal, and student and worthy of the time and effort that process takes. And it must begin with celebration!

Regie Routman is a national teacher and author whose current work involves weeklong school residencies where she demonstrates effective literacy teaching in diverse classrooms. Her latest book is Literacy and Learning Lessons from a Longtime Teacher (International Reading Association, 2012). Visit her website at www.regieroutman.org for more information on her PD offerings, books and resources, and blog. She can be reached at regieroutman@gmail.com.

This article was published in the June/July 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!