03/17/2024
Just kidding! I’m still here. I’ll be here until I see the urgency in schools that we should have seen over 20 years ago when it was apparent that our students were not learning to read. Well intentioned teachers like me were not taught HOW to teach kids to read, but we knew what we were doing wasn’t exactly the right way because it never made much sense. When we stated that, however, we were immediately and harshly reprimanded. In 2003, when I was pregnant with my twins, I was severely harassed by an assistant principal and “reading coach” for not turning in a running record on time. I’m not positive, but I’m pretty sure that AP is still a principal today. Also, I DID turn in that running record. I certainly didn’t need to keep it since it gave me 0 useful information about my kids.
The point of that is to say educators WANT to do their best for students. If not, they’d all quit because, if we’re being honest, there are no teacher perks anymore. Gone are the days of having summers off, leaving at 3 pm, and leaving “work at work.” Teachers work all 12 months of the year, have to use personal leave to go to their own child’s Christmas party in the same building where they work, and are often required to work or attend meetings well after quitting time. If you don’t believe that, you’re living in the dark ages.
The only reason for our reading proficiency scores to STILL be in the toilet is lack of teacher preparation, lack of appropriate training, and lack of FOLLOW THROUGH (coaching). Achievement and proficiency are not the same, and although achievement is up across the nation, proficiency is not. There is little that teachers themselves can do about lack of appropriate training and follow through. Once we know that current research debunks a popular and widely used reading method, it’s up to us to retrain teachers and follow through with classroom coaching that supports their learning. Teaching kids to read is not an impossible task! It begins with the three Ps ~ Plan, Prepare, & Practice.
After all, the expert at anything was once a beginner!
