Slice of Life Day 13: The Light Dawns

Some folks out there know all about my recent foray into crowdsourcing. It’s been a game-changer for my fourth-graders, and it’s been fun to share our discoveries.

We’ve also been working on the importance of using the language of craft no matter what the medium: arts, sports, literature…

So. Today.

I had my kids do a final piece of writing expressing why they like their favorite author. It was my pre-assessment earlier, and today’s writing will show whether they can articulate works written, impact, and specific mention of writer’s craft.

I put on work music and let them go, expecting silence save for Thelonius Monk and purposeful key-tapping.

And then, I heard it. VOICES.

The kids were talking to each other. And I thought, HEY! We’re in the middle of a writing assignment! I’m trying to assess my kids! They shouldn’t be talking to each other.

And then another voice said, HEY, ya nincompoop! LISTEN to what they’re saying. Your kids are crowdsourcing. On their OWN. You didn’t have to tell them to do it. They’ve DONE IT! They’ve LEARNED THE THING! And it’s important enough to them that they’re doing it for themselves!

Wow. Talk about a ton of bricks.

This reminds me of earlier on in my teaching, when I was the type of teacher who did Sustained Silent Reading. I clung to the Sanctity of Sustained Silent Reading with a white-knuckled grasp, admonishing kids who destroyed such Sanctity with whispers and giggles.

And then one day I actually listened to what the kids were talking about. Their READING. And it hit me like a ton of bricks: who am I to stop them from engaging in conversations about literature? That moment marked a clear before-after point in my teaching.

All of which is to say, I keep learning again and again to use my students as a guide. I keep learning to follow their lead so that I can learn alongside them. And I hope I can always keep that spirit.