I’ve long been a fan of Rebecca Branstetter’s blog Notes From the School Psychologist, and when she published her first book, I was so excited for her to send me a copy. It’s called The Teachable Moment: Seizing the Instants When Children Learn, and it’s a collection of essays by educators about those ‘aha’ moments…and the many hours of ‘I’m going to stab myself in the eye with a pencil’ that come prior to the pay-off.

Since this is a different format from the type of educational books I usually review, I thought it would be fun to interview Rebecca about her experiences writing the book:

What was your first thought when Kaplan approached you with the idea for this book?

Ha! My first thought was, “Is this some kind of cruel joke? I mean, it’s like an urban legend to have an editor contact you through your blog, right?” Then, shortly after I agreed to it, I thought, “Oh crap, do I HAVE any teachable moments?!?” I think that most people outside of the profession have this idea that teachable moments are plentiful and obvious, like in the movies. In fact, the teachable moments are subtle, and often not realized until many years later.

How were the essays selected? (I know you’re friends with Mrs. Mimi…do you know the other teachers, as well?)

The Teachable Moment is full of essays from my co-workers, sorority sisters, and friends! I am blessed to know so many great teachers personally. I did reach out to other bloggers though, in an effort to make the book less Californio-urban-centric (new word) and more diverse in experience. I adore Mrs. Mimi of Its Not All Flowers and Sausages and we have become Internet BFFs because we experience many of the same challenges on different coasts. I think we are ready for our best friends necklaces (she’s “Be- Fri-”, I’m “-st -ends”). I only wish I had known about The Cornerstone when I was shopping around for authors! Don’t worry, there might be a second edition and you and your readers will be ready to contribute!

Which story in the book spoke to you the most?

Oooh. That is so hard. I’d have to say that Ryan’s Fragility made me cry like a baby. I was having a particularly bad week at work, doubting myself that my hard work would ever pay off in a tangible way. Then I read this piece and it reminded me that you never know what will be meaningful down the road for students. Stay the course and have faith that you are making a difference.

What are you hoping people will take away from this book?

I hope that people will take away some practical suggestions for how to harness teachable moments. There are a ho-jillion moments in an educator’s day where we make decisions about how to teach. Sometimes, the most horrible moments lead to the most growth for us as educators, and for the students. Also, I want teachers and school psychologists to take away the message that every day we are planting the seeds for growth. We may not see the growth right away, but the seed is planted.

Your next book will be a tell-all about urban education, right? (I’m really excited about that!) What’s the message you’re wanting to convey?

I’m so excited for my next book. It is a combination memoir and survival guide. I know it sounds weird to be writing a memoir at age 30-something, but I’m here to tell you, every year in urban education is a dog year of learning. I have over 70 years of experience that I can’t wait to share. My Facebook Fan page will be a big part of the book, as I will be soliciting real stories, real perspectives from educators all over the world. From wardrobe decisions (Just Say No to dressing like the second sister wife in Big Love!) to dealing with dangerous crises and evil school/district politics (aka Bureaucracy Monsters), it will be a resource you will want to have when you first enter the field as well as when you are burned out. We need good educators in urban settings now more than ever. I had a burned out teacher once say to me, “Only the crazy educators stay in urban education”. Well, call me crazy, but I love it.

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The Teachable Moment is a fun read, and as you can probably predict from Rebecca’s interview, there’s a heavy dose of humor throughout the book. I love that each contributor shares not just his or her successes, but the learning curve along the way–that’s what makes the book inspirational without being preachy or condescending. Some of the stories feature undeniable and sudden break-throughs, while others aren’t fully realized until after the fact. And that’s exactly how teachable moments work–unexpected, bordering on the miraculous, and waiting to be seized as a learning opportunity for both the student and teacher. These essays capture the beauty in that, perfectly.

Make sure you visit Rebecca’s blog, too–she has an unusual perspective as a school psychologist working in urban elementary, middle, AND high schools. She shares excellent tips for handling difficult children and situations, and has a way of turning serious and potentially dull topics (like disabilities and Response to Intervention) into something fascinating, hilarious, and informative. In her most recent post, Rebecca interviewed me, so check it out and learn how I applied the principles of constructing a self-running classroom to the life of, um, my cat. Yes, somehow I divulged that. Enjoy.

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What better way to ease the stress of back-to-school preparations than more adventures from LOLcat skool? I hope your prep days go better than this…

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My husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in St. Lucia in June!  I’m embarrassed to say my inspiration for choosing that locale was, ahem, The Bachelor (next trip: Iceland! JK).  However, the island was every bit as spectacular as it appeared when Jake and Vienna gushed on and on about it. We climbed mountains, explored rainforests, went out on motorboats with the locals, swam, hiked, ziplined through the rainforest, toured the volcano, and soaked in the sulphur springs. Yes, that’s a lot. We did get a couples massage and try relaxing on the beach afterward for like, an hour, before we acknowledged that we’re just not the resort type and rode our rented bikes over to check out some historical ruins.

This summer, I also spent a tremendous amount of time reading, writing, and working on my website. This was both relaxing and incredibly productive. I switched to a new layout for the website which I love because it’s so incredibly easy to update. I added more than two dozen new pages of free teacher resources!  And…I’ve started on book #2! I’ll share more details about it in the coming months as I prepare for publication in spring 2011.

And now? I’m gearing up for the fall…I’ve been helping teachers in South Florida arrange and organize their classrooms, and will be doing the same thing in the NY tri-state area closer to Labor Day. If you’re in either of those locations and would like some help setting up your classroom, routines and procedures, or behavior management system, let me know and I’ll try to fit in a trip to your school!

I’m finalizing dates for both Las Vegas and San Francisco, so if you’re interested in having a classroom consultation or attending a workshop in either of those cities during the 2010-2011 school year, please email me so I can provide you with the details!

And maybe most exciting of all (for those of you who don’t live in any of those places and are thinking, crap, why doesn’t she ever come here?): I’ve also spent the summer creating classroom management on-demand webinars!  The first web seminar series I’m finishing up is based on my most-requested workshop topic, behavior management:

• arranging your classroom to facilitate your procedures and routines
• establishing clear expectations and modeling/reinforcing them
• redirecting students without losing momentum in your lessons
• providing meaningful feedback and rewards
• addressing the needs of your most challenging kids through individualized behavior plans

You’ll be able to register for the webinars at a low cost and watch them on your computer any time. It’s like having your own personal workshop in which I’m speaking directly to you, but better, because you can enjoy quality professional development in your faded pajamas while you scarf down a gigantic bag of Cheetos. I’ll also be integrating some support options so you can ask questions via email, instant messaging, or video chat (Cheetos-dust-covered clothing allowed).

So, yes, many exciting things are happening right now! I’ve got a few weeks left before I start my work as an instructional coach in NYC schools, and I’m using the time to collect lots of resources for my teachers, which of course I’ll share online with you all, too. I’ve enjoyed reading–via Facebook, Twitter, and your blogs–about all the fun you guys have had this summer…looking forward to many more interesting and fun happenings during the school year!  ENJOY IT!

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I’ve never had so many web visitors ask for my opinion on a book as I have with The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades. And as soon as I started reading, I realized why.

“The sisters” are obviously long-lost relatives of mine.

Let’s run down the list of similarities here, shall we?  Gail Boushey and Joan Moser were classroom teachers when they wrote the book and tell about systems they created with their own students, they don’t advocate one ‘right’ way to teach that requires you to throw out everything else you do, and they show you how to teach your students to run the classroom. Check, check, and CHECK. I’m totally on board.

Most of you reading this review are already familiar with the Daily 5 (it’s been out since 2006), so I’ll make this less of a book summary and more of an opinion piece. I loved how readable the book was.  The tone was conversational and easy-to-understand. I loved the ongoing discussion of how their teaching practice has changed and evolved over the years. Not only does this make the sisters seem like real people who didn’t start off as master teachers on day one, but it gives permission to the rest of us to grow and let go of ineffective practices we’ve become attached to.  I also love how the book emphasizes the element of choice for children. This truly is a student-centered way to run your literacy block.

But mostly,  I love the way the sisters emphasize modeling and practice for routines. This is something I’ve been droning on about for years, but I’ve never seen the concept so perfectly explained for the context of literacy routines.  Even if you’re not using the Daily 5, the procedures the book advocates for teaching children to be independent is applicable to whatever literacy tasks you have them regularly complete…and would work for math routines, too. The explanation of how to model and practice is definitely the crown jewel of The Daily 5.

There were two aspects of teaching routines in The Daily 5 that I had never thought about.  The first is doing 3 minute practice periods to build stamina. My practice periods were usually starting at 10 minutes for 3rd graders, but the sisters point out that you must stop before any children have a chance to get off-task: start small so they can be successful and train their ‘muscle memories’ to complete the procedure correctly. The other new concept for me is the premise of not managing with eye control or proximity (my two favorite techniques) when practicing literacy routines. This was a radical idea in my mind: What, no raised eyebrows and the ‘um-i-don’t-think-so-buddy’ glare when a kid starts picking at his shoelaces instead of reading? Not during the Daily 5 stamina-building sessions. Instead, you’re supposed to stop the whole class and revisit the anchor chart so kids can reflect on their own practices. We’re talking student ownership on the next level.

Obviously since I’m obsessed with teaching routines and procedures, I really keyed in on that aspect. As for the Daily 5 elements themselves (Read to Self, Read to Someone, Listen to Reading, Work on Writing, and Word Work)…I can get with those, too. The concepts aren’t anything revolutionary, nor do the sisters claim they are–they’re just best practices that focus on authentic reading rather than teacher-contrived busywork. These elements have been going on in classrooms for a long time under many pseudonyms, and they work. I found yet another commonality with my long-lost sisters in that I, too, started making the switch from assigning reading activities to having kids READ after studying Regie Routman’s Reading Essentials. That book changed everything for me, and it heavily influenced the sisters, too.

The only downside of The Daily 5 being such a short and easy read is that it’s possibly TOO short–personally, I would like to have read a lot more than 100 pages on this topic.  The book left me with a number of unanswered questions. For example, the recommended daily schedule shows whole-group reading instruction being completed solely in four 5-7 minute mini lessons.  How could that be possible, especially if you’re mandated to use a basal or complete daily test prep practice? Wouldn’t longer lessons be needed in the upper elementary grades in which skills are more complex? I headed over to the website to look for support, but was disappointed to find that the online resources are available only for members at the rate of $39 for a 3 month subscription or $69 annually (um, ouch.)  So I started a Daily 5 discussion on Facebook and found, as usual, that teachers have all the answers I’m looking for. Not only did they explain that the Daily 5 Structure is highly adaptable and it’s the teacher’s choice how long the mini-lessons run, they explained just how they use the structure in their own classrooms and gave practical tips.

Wonderful, practical, and free advice from teachers on how they implement The Daily 5 is abundant on the web (especially on the ProTeacher message boards).  I’ve researched their reviews extensively, and the overwhelming response from classroom teachers is that IT WORKS. The Daily 5 has an incredible following of teachers whose students can’t wait for the literacy block each day because they’ve developed such a deep love of reading that’s totally independent of adult direction. What more could we want for our students? Go ‘head, sisters.

*review copy provided by Stenhouse Publishers

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The whole-class behavior management system I used for the last few years I was teaching was something I created called the bead system. It’s a simple premise: kids earn beads which are traded in at the end of the week for additional center time. Bead distribution was fairly random and unexpected: the kids never knew when they’d get one because I didn’t dangle the promise of reward ahead of time with bribes like “If you’re quiet, you’ll get a bead”.  Instead, I’d give a task and watch for positive actions to reinforce with specific praise and a symbol of appreciation (the bead): “I love how you kept trying even when the work was hard” or “You were so patient and supportive when you explained that answer to him.”  I’d quietly slip the child a bead and watch her face glow with satisfaction, knowing that she’d made a good choice and it was noticed by someone who cared about her. I loved this system because it kept my focus on the positive things kids were doing, and I felt like most of them responded by doing the right thing because it was the right thing to do, and not in anticipation of earning a bead.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure exactly why the system worked so well until this week when I read Daniel Pink’s book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Drive isn’t a book about education, per se (it’s a Malcolm Gladwell–type read that compiles research studies into really compelling stories), but most of what the author talks about is relevant to teachers since one of our biggest and most challenging tasks is getting kids motivated to learn.

Pink conducted a number of fascinating behavioral studies, including a bunch with children, to see what factors made them want to work hard and try their best. He writes,

When children didn’t expect a reward, receiving one had little impact on [did not detract from] their intrinsic motivation. Only contingent rewards–if you do this, then you’ll get that–had the negative effect. Why? “If-then” rewards require people to forfeit some of their autonomy…and that can spring a hole in the bottom of their motivational bucket, draining an activity of its enjoyment.

Instead of “if-then” rewards, Pink recommends “now that” rewards. The practical application? Think about recess, the classic student motivator. If you tell kids that if they get their work done, then they’ll get to go to recess early or have free time, you’ll take their focus off the work itself. Throughout the assignment (and every time you give one afterward), the class will be waiting for you to offer their motivation, and rushing through the task to get to it. On days when they won’t be able to have extra free time, there will be little incentive to complete the task. Kids not only expect the reward, but often start criticizing or questioning the teacher when they don’t get one.

But the outcome is totally different if you have students complete the assignment and afterward say now that they’re done, you’ll allow some extra recess time.  When you expect kids to do their work everyday with no mention of reward and then surprise them occasionally with a gesture that shows appreciation for their ongoing and continual hard work, they’ll learn to focus their attention on the task and not the reward. When you do provide one after a job well done, kids show gratitude and there’s a moment of shared pleasure as the teacher gets to do something nice for the children she cares about and they actually appreciate it.  It’s a totally different classroom climate (and one that’s completely attainable).

So is there a place for “if-then” rewards? Pink’s research tells us yes.

Carrots and sticks aren’t all bad. They can be effective for rule-based routine tasks–because there’s little intrinsic motivation to undermine and not much creativity to crush. And they can be more effective still if those giving the rewards offer a rationale for why the task is necessary, acknowledge that it’s boring, and allow people autonomy over how they complete it. For non-routine conceptual tasks, rewards are more perilous–particularly those of the “if-then” variety. But “now that” rewards–non-contingent rewards given after a task is complete–can sometimes be okay for more creative, right-brain work, especially if they provide useful information about performance.

“If-then” rewards were the basis of most class behavior management systems in America for many years, and for good reason: they’re pretty effective motivators for rote tasks, drills, and non-creative tasks.  But now in the 21st century, we want our kids to be problem-solvers and critical thinkers. The research of people like Daniel Pink shows us that when kids are involved in higher-level thinking tasks, we have to inspire them, not bribe them, to learn. If you’re using a traditional if-then reward system in your classroom and it’s working, that might be a sign that most of the assignments you’re giving are rule-based, routine tasks.

Ultimately, it might be more effective to focus on the type of tasks we’re giving kids than on how to reward children for completing them.  I’ve noticed that when I give an assignment that provides kids with a lot of choice and control over what they’re doing, they’re much more actively involved and don’t need “if-then” rewards. Instead, most children will work diligently and with a great deal of focus. If you’ve experienced this in your classroom, then you know one of the most beautiful and rewarding moments of teaching is to look around the room and see every child eagerly reading, writing, and discussing concepts they’re excited to be learning about. When creating more of those moments is our primary goal, we don’t have to worry so much about a creating a reward system.

What are your thoughts on motivation and rewards? What works in your classroom? What doesn’t?

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