Martha Christopher Blog Post

Classroom Spotlight

Blog Project

June 19, 2020

Do you remember last February, before illness, social unrest, and the political season had taken over our lives? Back in the seemingly good ol’ days when we were planning Valentine’s Day parties, beginning to worry about upcoming MAP Testing, and wondering if we would make it to that far away mystical place called Spring Break? 

On one of those long ago February days we had a surprise snowstorm. It started as a rain, then changed to hard, little balls of ice, and then finally big, fluffy snowflakes.  By that time, my students could stand being inside no longer (and neither could I) so we put our work away, put on our coats and mittens, and went outside to play in the swirling white snow.  Amid the shouts of joy and shrieks of glee my students became wet, muddy little people.  So, long before we were ready, we headed inside to get warm and dry.

In order to regain a sense of normalcy and a little bit of quiet in the room while I helped students dry off or change clothes, I put on the movie The Snowman. The Snowman  If you are not familiar with this video it is based on a wordless book by Raymond Briggs. The Snowman, R. Briggs As students began to settle down, I started hearing snippets of conversation:

“Hey, this movie doesn’t have any talking. It’s like a wordless book.”

“Shh, I can’t pay attention to what’s going on if you talk.”

“Look at the pictures, it’s like the illustrator just used colored pencils and textures.” 

“This is a fiction story.”

“The setting is a long time ago.”

“It’s mostly about that little boy and a snowman, they’re the main characters.” 

“Wordless books make you use your imagination.”

These snippets of conversation made my little teacher's heart swell. On their own, my class had started analyzing a movie, discovered it was from a book and used literary terms and ideas that we had talked about over and over in class to carry on a conversation between themselves without any prompting from me. 

In the book, Engaging Students in Disciplinary Literacy, K-6: Reading, Writing, and Teaching Tools for the Classroom, Brock, Goatley, Raphael, Trosty-Shahata, and Weber, Teachers College Press, NY, NY. 2014. Engaging Students Book Link the authors aptly point out that, “When teachers engage students in meaningful conversation and encourage students to talk with each other, they set a context for deep conceptual learning.”  (p.79) The above conversion between my students took place after many weeks of discussing books, books parts, the role of authors and illustrators, and different parts of book structure. I had also allowed my students to participate in “turn and talk” activities as we discussed the ideas in the books we read together as a class.

The authors point out that according to CCSS, “productive talk prepares students to participate effectively in a  “range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own (ideas) clearly and persuasively.” (p 81)  

While the authors present their material in their familiar “Core Design Principles..” format, I think it is important to focus on Component Three: Norms for Talk Vary by Culture and Discipline. As adults we are easily able to shift our talking styles between colleagues, friends, and family. We speak differently to our students than we do to our own children. We can speak professionally about concerns within our district to our superintendent and just as easily discuss the latest college football game with him, sometimes in the same conversation. Teachers need to teach their students how to carry on conversations as well. 

Teachers need to remember that student’s cultural backgrounds can influence how they interact with other students and adults. While it’s important to not discount a student’s cultural heritage, it is important to teach students that there are different places for different styles of speaking. Just as we teach students the difference between “inside voices-shh” and “outside voices.” In some cultures children are typically not comfortable speaking out with adults. Teachers need to take the time to encourage these students to participate in class discussions and that talking out or speaking your mind isn’t discourteous or disrespectful, it’s how you participate in classroom discussions. Another example is the use of certain words or phrases, --you know which one’s I mean, the words that make middle-age women’s hair stand on end--may be perfectly normal in a home conversation or a conversation with friends, but, students need to be taught that use of those words is not acceptable in a school setting.

⇨Just as important as teaching children how to talk to teachers, teachers are especially tasked with learning their students, their cultures, and how to communicate best with the students so that the students can achieve their highest potential in the classroom. (82) The authors give an example of white teachers and a classroom of Native American students.  When the teachers “recognized the differences (in communication) and sought to build a bridge between communication norms,” the Native American students became more successful in school.(p. 82) 

Teaching children how and when to talk in a classroom is a never ending process for K5 teachers. There are rules to be followed. Don’t talk when the teacher is talking. Don’t talk over your classmate who “has the floor.” Speak respectfully when disagreeing with your teacher or classmate. Use an inside voice when speaking to your class group or table partners. Listen respectfully so others will respect you when you are speaking.  

Learning to speak is a Common Core standard that needs to be taught, modeled, practiced, and assimilated into the classroom. And, as you practice these skills with your students, maybe, you too, will be privileged to listen to a conversation similar to the one above where your students reward you with a little insight that they are learning what you are trying to teach them.