There I sat with my fourth-graders today, in the last class of a heckedy-peg sort of day. Together, we were composing stories inspired by the work of Leo Lionni. The room was quiet, save cello music and scattered tapping of keys.
At one point, I saw a student across the room from me. He wasn’t typing, and he had…a certain look on his face. I called his name and asked, “Are you thinking? Or are you stuck?” He assured me he was just thinking, and we both drifted back into our own reverie.
Several minutes later, I must have had a similar look on my face because a separate student said to me, across the room, “Are you thinking? Or are you stuck?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe a little bit of both? I’m trying to work out my beginning.”
He nodded, satisfied with my answer, and returned to his work. But…how much do I love that he was paying attention? How much do I love that he adopted the language of self-advocacy? How much do I love that he’s doing what writers in a community DO?
It was a hopeful end to a tricky day.
And, if you’re interested in what I was working on, here’s the passage I worked on, complete with the crowdsourcing request for my students:
Soapbox: The Way I see Things 
Lainie, this is just so good!
“Are you thinking? Or are you stuck?” The fact that a student turned that right back to you? That’s classroom culture. That’s language that’s been lived in long enough to belong to everyone in the room. So inspiring!
Thanks, Ana. I’m pretty proud of what we’ve created, to tell you the truth. =)
Talk about modeling behavior. I think it is a testament to you and your style of teaching that a student would not think twice about asking you what you ask students.
Yeah, I thought it was pretty cool. And it comes from a kid who I sometimes wonder…are they listening? Am I getting through? I guess I have an answer on that one.
Posts like this make me long for the days that I taught elementary school. And, I love the “fuzzy time of year.” The tree branches start looking fuzzy too as they consider whether or not to open new buds. I’ve noticed that fuzziness around here over the past week.
Thank you! And…thanks for noticing that “fuzzy time.” I took inspiration from a poet who talks about “mud season.” It just stuck with me – as does all of the dog paw prints everywhere in my house right now…
Totally living and breathing a writerly life in your classroom.
Community and culture!
I would have loved this as a student or even from a peer when I was teaching!
This is obviously a prompt that the students have heard multiple times.
Write on!
Thanks, Fran. I think I would have loved this as a student, too. I try and be the teacher I wanted as a kid, and it’s guided me pretty well.
And believe it or not, I don’t think it’s a prompt I’ve used often. It’s more likely, “you’re the learner” or “I trust your judgement. Which makes it even more amazing to me.
“Are you thinking? Or are you stuck?”
The ubiquitous “They” are noted for remarking on a child’s ability to boomerang one’s words, usually in undesirous check, but this was delightfully in check, and a spot of cheek.
I, for one, am a proponent of lessons that are learned, even when not actively teaching. Well done, both of you.
Huh, “are you stuck?” is such a great way to ask if anyone has questions. I’m going to try to fold that one into my repertoire.
And I do so love that your student adopted the language! What a great act of kindness you are doing for your students.
Thanks, Akila. I’d be interested to know how that goes. And…thanks. It’s not every day that students take note of my practices and adopt them for their own, so I’ll take what I can get!