Professional development. As teachers we all know the importance of growing professionally -- of continually learning and refining our practice. But when it comes to professional development opportunities, they can often be a disappointment, not worth the time it takes to plan for a substitute or the time it will take to make up the tasks missed while out. The Day of Reading, however, never falls into that category. DOR is one workshop where teachers can expect quality learning experiences to occur. And when Cris Tovani headlines, the learning is guaranteed.
I’ve had the opportunity to see Cris on several occasions and she never disappoints. My first experience with Cris was at DOR several years ago, and I’ve followed her work closely ever since, reading all her books, incorporating her strategies with students in my classroom and reading intervention groups, and now sharing her expertise on instruction with teachers as a literacy coach. As a current practitioner, Cris’s ideas are practical...and, they work.
From this year’s DOR, several ideas on student engagement resonated with me. Students cannot learn if they are not engaged. We can throw all kinds of fancy lessons and technology their way, but if they don’t care and if they are not the ones doing the work, they will not learn. As teachers, we know this; but, we often fail our students by considering only cognitive engagement. Students must also engage emotionally and behaviorally in their education. They have to care about their learning and have the tools and desire to learn. Reaching each students in all three realms is our challenge.
To that end, I recall some poignant quotes from Tovani that will guide my coaching conversations with colleagues:
1. Provoke kids to read, write, and think -- Provocation involves getting kids emotionallyinvolved so much so that their behaviors support their learning. We must look for ways to connect their learning and critical thinking to what matters to them; And, to show them that the ability to read, write, and think gives them power in this world.
2. Know your why-- Know why you do what you do, and be able to articulate it. Stay abreast of research and be ready to defend your instructional decisions; but also, know why what you’re doing is worth the time and trials you put into it.
3. Give the students a reason/a purpose -- If you know why what you’re doing is important, make sure the students know why they are doing it, too; this leads to engagement and engagement leads to learning.
4. Whoever’s doing the reading, writing, and thinking is getting smarter --When the students are doing the work, they are engaged... when they are engaged, they are learning.
5. Coverage does not equal learning -- It’s about planning -- plan what your students will do, not just the moves you’ll make. Plan little makes and big makes throughout a lesson or unit. Give students multiple ways to show their learning. Covering all the units in your curriculum does not mean students walk away with that knowledge; the moves they make during the unit lead to knowledge attainment.
After DOR this year, I add these five to my growing list of Tovani Tenets that guide my professional life.
Kim Hollis
Geneva Middle School South
Reading specialist
