Libraries As the Heartbeat of Schools

           In this Knowledge Quest article, veteran teacher/librarian Amy Brownlee (she’s now teaching the children of some of her former students) describes the way she leverages the power of the libraries in her rural Kansas school district: 

• Getting to know learners – Brownlee learns the names of all 500 students (and how to pronounce them correctly) in the first two weeks of school, has students fill out a Getting to Know You questionnaire, pays attention to the books they request and their evolving interests – animals, trains, gymnastics (Simone Biles!), karate, soccer, swimming, biographies – and keeps track of older students’ sports events and chatter on social media. 
• Engaging students and staying relevant – Brownlee and her library paraprofessional write a new joke on the library whiteboard every two or three days and students and colleagues drop by for a chuckle. She uses music, movement, author talks, news of books that win awards, designing bookmarks, contests (was this line of poetry written by Robert Frost or Taylor Swift?), and other activities to jazz up the library, and makes sure students know about new book acquisitions. 
• A safe, inclusive space – “It is essential that our libraries welcome every learner and staff member in the school,” says Brownlee. She accomplishes this by curating a diverse collection of books and magazines (mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors) and assuring students and colleagues that their checkout history and research interests will be kept confidential. “Learners know they are free to seek the information they want without fear of judgment or comment from others. Now more than ever our library ethics guaranteeing privacy and confidentiality are essential. The freedom to read is at the heart of what libraries provide.” 
• Giving learners a voice – Brownlee tries to accomplish this by encouraging students to request books; displaying students’ artwork, projects, and writing; showcasing connections to classroom learning; letting kids serve as library aides; and maintaining a student advisory board. 
• Tuning in on life outside the library – Brownlee praises students for their accomplishments and displays around the school, tries to attend student performances and athletic events, and chats with parents about what students are doing. 
• Leveraging the power of books as a bonding agent – She is a fan of Kylene Beers and Robert Probst’s Book, Head, and Heart (BHH) framework, which encourages students to think about books at three levels: 
• Book – What is this about? Who’s telling the story? What does the author want me to know? 
• Head – What surprised me? What does the author think I already know? What changed, challenged, or confirmed my thinking? What did I notice? 
• Heart – What did I learn about me? How will this help me to be better? 

Brownlee modeled the protocol for her students using the Shel Silverstein poem, “The Little Boy and the Old Man” and created a poster encouraging students to think about all the books they read on the three BHH dimensions. 

 “Building Bonds With Young Readers: The Power of Relationships” by Amy Brownlee in Knowledge Quest, March/April 2024 (Vol. 52, #4, pp. 16-23); Brownlee can be reached at amybrownlee93@gmail.com.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1032 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.

"Studenting" Behaviors That Are Essential to College Success

          In this Chronicle of Higher Education article, Emily Isaacs (Montclair State University) says too many students are arriving in college without certain proficiencies. ”The absence of those skills does not reflect on the individual’s capacity for creativity, critical thinking, or even advanced reading, writing, and problem-solving,” says Isaacs. “It doesn’t necessarily mean the student is incapable of the intellectual rigor of a college education. But their absence does make learning and college success very difficult.” 

          During the pandemic, many instructors dialed back their expectations, but now that in-person instruction is back, Isaacs says it’s time to raise the bar. She urges her colleagues to explicitly address “studenting skills,” and hopes K-12 educators, especially in high schools, will do the same. Students shouldn’t have to guess what their instructors want, which is especially important for students who enter school with any kind of disadvantage. “I see explicit instruction in writing skills, along with challenging content and assignments, as an inclusive pedagogical approach,” says Isaacs, “leveling the playing field and enabling students who are unfamiliar with the implicit rules of the ‘culture of power’ to succeed.” 

          Here’s her list of studenting skills; note their reciprocal nature, with students and instructors both having agency and responsibility: 

• Attending regularly – “Make attendance matter,” says Isaacs. “If students can learn everything they need to know without coming to class, why would they show up?” 
• Being engaged in class – Teachers need to build in active student involvement and be clear about cellphones and earbuds put away and students contributing without being called on. 
• Being savvy about study skills – These include annotating readings and using the retrieval effect and spaced review to commit important information to memory. 
• Doing homework – Out-of-class assignments need to be meaningful; if students need help managing their time, they should be pointed to counseling resources and online tools. 
• Completing assignments on time – Policies for late work and personal emergencies should be explicit up front, says Isaacs. “Students should experience consequences for late work early in the semester so they learn from their mistakes while recovery is still possible.” 
• Resisting digital distractions – Many students need to learn strategies like Pomodoro work/break scheduling, deleting certain apps, finding quiet places to work, and putting their phones out of immediate reach while they’re studying. 
• No more Lone Ranger – Students should take advantage of all available help to maintain balance and achieve – office hours, study groups, tutoring, online resources. 
• Staying healthy – Psychological distress is a real issue. Students need support coming to terms with their mental state, keeping their lives in balance, and getting counseling when they need it. 

“Teaching Students to Be Students” by Emily Isaacs in The Chronicle of Higher Education, April 12, 2024 (Vol. 70, #16, pp. 54-55); Isaacs can be reached at isaacse@montclair.edu.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1032 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.

Responding to Traumatized Students with Campassion (versus Empathy)

            In this Educational Leadership article, Jo Lein (Johns Hopkins University and Tula Public Schools) draws a distinction between empathy and compassion. Empathy, while good-hearted, can lead teachers to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and helpless as they share the emotional burden of students who have experienced trauma. Compassion for the same students involves an emotional connection followed by providing care to alleviate students’ suffering. Compassionate teachers are more likely to maintain their own emotional well-being and not burn out. Here are some examples: 

• Empathy response: I feel your frustration. This experience is so hard for you. Compassionate response: I understand this is challenging. Let’s work on it together. 
• Empathy response: I cannot believe you went through that. It is heartbreaking. Compassionate response: Thank you for sharing. I am here to support you through this. 
• Empathy response: I cannot believe you would do that. It is so disappointing. Compassionate response: I see you are having a tough time. Let’s discuss what happened. 
• Empathy response: I am so worried about you. This anxiety is affecting me, too. Compassionate response: I notice you’re feeling anxious. How can I help you manage it? 
• Empathy response: Your poor grades upset me. I am disappointed. Compassionate response: Your grades do not define you. Let’s figure out how to improve them. 
• Empathy response: Why don’t you care about this? It is frustrating for me. Compassionate response: I sense you are not engaged. Talk to me about that. 

Lein suggests that school leaders keep an eye out for teachers caught up in empathy stress and, in one-on-one coaching meetings, steer them toward compassionate responses. “Let’s Be Trauma-Sensitive to Teachers, Too” by Jo Lein in Educational Leadership, March 2024 (Vol. 81, #6, pp. 62-65); Lein can be reached at jo.mabee@gmail.com.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1027 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.

Keys to Supporting School Leaders

            In this article in The Learning Professional, Massachusetts assistant superintendent Ayesha Farag reports that 20 percent of U.S. principals leave their schools each year, and the average tenure for principals is four years. How can principal supervisors (Farag works with 15 elementary school leaders) support and sustain their colleagues to change these troubling statistics? She believes the key variables are a supportive district ecosystem, aligned values and vision, regular collaboration (including frequent school visits and check-in meetings), and opportunities for continuous professional learning. 

            Farag suggests surveying principals on questions like those below and using the responses to guide districts on providing effective support and creating conditions for success and stamina: 

• What district processes and structures will best support you in your role as a principal? 
• How can your supervisor best support your work? 
• What should trust and transparency look like in the district? 
• What role should principals play in district decision-making? 
• To what extent do you feel that districtwide decisions and policies reflect and promote shared values, and in what ways can alignment be improved? 
• What is the driving force behind your work as a principal? What intrinsic “why” motivates your daily efforts, and how does it show up in your leadership? 
• What will best support your ongoing learning and growth as a principal? 
• What specific skills or areas of expertise would you most like to develop further? How do you imagine doing so would enhance your leadership? 

“How Can We Sustain and Retain Principals?” by Ayesha Farag in The Learning Professional, February 2024 (Vol. 45, #1, pp. 12-15); Farag can be reached at faraga@newton.k12.ma.us.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1025 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.

Recommended Children's Nonfiction Books

            This Council Chronicle article lists the 2024 Orbis Pictus winner and honorees for outstanding nonfiction for children (click the link below for cover images and brief summaries). This award commemorates the first children’s book, which was published in 1658. 

Winner: 

• Border Crossings by Sneed Collard III, illustrated by Howard Gray 

Honor books: 

• The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of by Kirsten Larsen, illustrated by Katherine Roy
• Game of Freedom: Mestre Bimba and the Art of Capoeira by Duncan Tonatiuh 
• Hidden Systems: Water, Electricity, the Internet, and the Secrets Behind the Systems We Use Every Day by Dan Nott 
• Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock and Edward Kay, illustrated by Kalila Fuller 
• Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Justice for All by Tami Charles, illustrated by Jemma Skidmore 

Recommended books: 

• The Bees of Notre Dame by Meghan Browne, illustrated by E.B. Goodale 
• Benito Juárez Fights for Justice by Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez 
• Breaking the Mold: Changing the Face of Climate Science by Dana Alison Levy 
• Cool Green: Amazing Remarkable Trees by Lulu Delacre 
• On the Tip of a Wave: How Ai Weiwei’s Art Is Changing the Tide by Joanna Ho, illustrated by Cátia Chien 
• Polar! Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth by L.E. Carmichael, illustrated by Byron Eggenschwiler
• Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport by Caren Stelson, illustrated by Selina Alko 
• This is Tap: Savion Glover Finds His Funk by Selene Castrovilla, illustrated by Laura Freeman 

“Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children” in Council Chronicle, December 2023 (Vol. 33, #2, pp. 12-13)

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1024 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.

Getting Students Working on Challenging, Open-Ended Math Problems

            “A good problem-solving task involves students getting stuck, experimenting, and getting unstuck,” say Stephen Caviness (Syracuse University) and sixth-grade teachers Crystal Wallen and Lorraine Stewart (River Bend Middle School, Sterling, Virginia) in this Mathematics Teacher article. “When students approach a problem with uncertainty, they have an opportunity for productive struggle.”

            Using a “Thinking Classroom” format (see Memos 976, 992, and 1013), heterogeneous groups of three students work standing up at vertical surfaces (with one marker) tackling “Open Middle” problems, which have the following characteristics: 

• A “closed beginning” – students get a specific prompt to solve a challenging problem; - Students haven’t been taught a prescribed method for solving the problem; 
• An “open middle” – there are multiple approaches for solving the problem; 
• Problems are designed to be accessible to all students, even those not on grade level;
• Students must approach the problem with their own reasoning and creativity; 
• A “closed end” – there are several possible solutions. 

“The Open Middle structure,” say Caviness, Wallen, and Stewart, “provides ample opportunities for teachers to respond to student struggle and help them to embrace struggle as a norm when solving problems.” 

            They conclude: “These tasks are powerful tools for creating a culture of collaboration in which students acknowledge and embrace the various thinking strategies that their peers have to offer… We believe that Open Middle tasks are worthwhile to implement in your classroom because they help students to embrace uncertainty, persevere through struggle, and be creative with mathematics.” 

 “Embracing Uncertainty, Struggle, and Creativity with Open Middle” by Stephen Caviness, Crystal Wallen, and Lorraine Stewart in Mathematics Teacher: Learning & Teaching PK-12, February 2024 (Vol. 117, #2, pp. 138-141); the article includes three videos of students working on a problem. The authors can be reached at scavines@syr.edu, crystal.wallen@lcps.org, and lorraine.stewart@lcps.org. 

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1023 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.

A Tribute to Robie Harris, Author of "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, and Sexual Health"

            Robie Harris, renowned author of books on children’s sexual health, died last week at 83. Here’s the New York Times obituary. Her best-known book, It’s Perfectly Normal, has sold more than a million copies and been translated into 27 languages. It’s also one of the most banned books in the United States. Here are a few quotes from Robie Harris: 

• Our children do not grow up in bubbles, so they already know a lot about risky behavior. However, they also have a lot of misinformation about what is risky and what is not. That’s why they need to have an honest understanding and not a sugarcoated understanding of sexuality. And I believe that is what serves our children and teens best. 
• I write books for children because in some small way I hope that they will find the words I write useful, reassuring, interesting, and at times humorous, and also in some small way help them to stay emotionally and/or physically healthy by giving honest, accurate, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information.” 
• I would never say that every family, or school, or library, or health organization, or religious group must have the books I write. But those who choose to should have the right to that choice. And yes, all the work I do is also connected not only to my right to read and write, but to children’s and teens’ right to read. 
• I believe that our librarians are the real heroes in our democracy. They are the keepers of our democracy by allowing children, teens, and adults to choose the books they want to read or may randomly come across in the library. This allows them to have access to ideas and information they may seek, or need, or come across by happenstance. Every librarian is on the front line of his or her community, defending that freedom. As a children’s books author, I am only in front of my computer.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1023 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.