In this stressful time of the school year with the start of second quarter, weather changes, a break still a few weeks away, this song reminds us to continue to see all the good in our students and find the glimmers throughout the day!
By Patty McGee
My dad said these exact words to me once. “Patty, I cannot hear you with all of your talking.” To this day it simultaneously cracks me up and gives me pause. This Yogi Berra-ish statement holds much truth, especially in teaching.
Case in point: A few years back, I was demoing a student conference for a group of teachers. They specifically asked me to work with a student named Estrella. Her teacher found conferring with Estrella extra challenging – no matter what the teacher tried, Estrella remained quiet and seemed disconnected. So I gave it a try, even though I doubted I could make any further inroads with her.
After I modeled a strategy for Estrella, I decided to pause and say nothing for what felt like an eternity – about 30 seconds. We could see that Estrella was thinking. Then she began to take what I taught and use it. A light bulb lit up in our heads. We realized that simply saying nothing and giving each individual student the time they need to process and act could be incredibly powerful.
I don’t know if you find it as easy to fall into the trap of constant talking as I do. We educators often feel the need to fill every moment with our voices, thinking that more words equate to deeper learning. However, I’ve come to realize that sometimes the most powerful moments in teaching happen in the silences.
I am deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative classroom environment, and I’ve also witnessed the transformative role that silence plays in promoting student-to-student collaboration. It’s a tool that, when used thoughtfully, can elevate the learning experience, nurturing a community of learners who support, challenge, and grow together.
A few months back I demo’ed a small group session in a classroom. After the session I asked the three students I worked with to each meet with another student in the class and teach them what they’d just learned.
I’d written down the steps I taught on a sticky note for each of them. Without me saying another word, the three students huddled together and decided to follow my lead.
“After we teach another student, let’s hand over a sticky note and ask them to find another person in the classroom to teach,” they decided. “That way, everyone can learn from each other.”
And that is exactly what happened. All of the grown-ups in the room stood back, said nothing, and watched the learning pollinate throughout the classroom. It was beautiful, visible learning in action!
What’s more, this silence-induced collaboration brought out the voices of those who often remained on the sidelines. It was a clear reminder of the untapped potential that lies within each student.
Through experiences like these, I’ve learned that silence is not just the absence of noise – it’s a powerful pedagogical strategy that fosters an environment of mutual respect, active engagement, and collective discovery.
One of my mentors texted me the other day simply saying, “Silence is the space that allows us to listen. Silence helps to create belonging.” That feels so true to me.
What once felt counterintuitive – turning the floor over to students and genuinely listening to their voices – has reshaped not only my teaching approach but also how students perceive their own learning journey.
Listening – for us and for our students – is far more than a passive act. It’s an active engagement, a way to truly connect with each other on a deeper level.
When I shifted from being the primary voice in the classroom to being a keen listener, I uncovered a world of insight into my students’ understanding, their challenges, and their unique ways of seeing the world. This transformation has not been easy, as it required me to reevaluate my role as an educator. However, the rewards have been immeasurable.
In my practice, especially during time for direct feedback, I’ve witnessed the tangible benefits of listening. It’s in these moments, when I’m wholly focused on understanding a student’s perspective, that I’m able to tailor my teaching to their specific readiness. By listening, I allow them to articulate their thoughts and, more importantly, to own their learning process.
My commitment to listening has opened up new avenues for feedback. Instead of assuming what my students need, I ask, I listen, and I adapt.
Perhaps the most heartfelt lesson I’ve learned through listening is the trust it builds. In fact, if I do say anything during the listening/feedback cycle, I repeat the mantra, “I trust in your ability to work through hard parts.”
Establishing and confirming trust makes the classroom a safer space – a place where risks can be taken and vulnerabilities shared. This trust is the foundation of a learning environment where every student feels they belong, where they are understood and supported not just academically but emotionally and socially.
Incorporating silence into my teaching has been a revelation. As I continue to explore the nuances of feedback, I am constantly reminded of the transformative power of pausing, of giving learners the time to process. In the quiet, in the stillness, there is a world of understanding waiting to be unlocked.
Thanks, Dad, for the clever saying that has shaped my teaching for the better.
If I were to model a demonstration lesson in your classroom, the first thing I would do is ask your students to tell me their names. As they sat in the meeting area, I would make eye contact with each one and listen to each person say their name. Then I would say it back. Kids would smile and confirm, or they would correct my pronunciation.
“Your name is important,” I would remind them. “Let me know if I say it correctly.”
After six or seven kids said their names, I might go back down the line and repeat their names, associating faces and names and locking their names into my brain. If I’ve forgotten a name, I’ll ask the student to tell me again, and I’ll repeat it a time or two. This process takes two or three minutes.
From that point on, I’ll know every name in the room.
Because I teach a lot of demonstration lessons, often packing a classroom with more teachers than students, I know what one of the first questions will be during the reflection after the lesson.
“How do you remember everyone’s names?” You might wonder the same thing. Many times kids ask me before I even leave the classroom. They are often surprised that I know their names.
The simple answer is this: I listen.
Yet there’s more to listening than a quiet passivity. Listening is more than letting someone talk, leaning in, and nodding in an effort to make them feel like you are paying attention. We actually have to pay attention.
Listening is an intentional act to understand, participate, and remember. It is an essential part of conversations in our classrooms (and an essential part of conversations in life). So, how do we teach kids to listen?
An ideal time to lean into this teaching is when students are engaged in a turn-and-talk. The purpose of a turn-and-talk is for students to engage in ideas and deepen their understanding of a concept. Here are three ways we can up the ante for listening during turn-and-talk.
Once students finish their turn-and-talk and are ready for the remainder of the minilesson, I ask, “Do you remember what your partner just said? Don’t answer that question out loud, but think about it for a minute.”
Instantly, eyes turn up and faces become sheepish. Sometimes I ask students to give a thumbs-up if they remember what their partner said. If this is the first time they’ve ever been asked that question, it is likely that most kids will not remember.
This is a prime time to teach students that the purpose of a turn-and-talk is to learn and understand more, and to do that, we must pay attention and remember what others say. Offer the invitation to return to the conversation and find out what their partners said.
Typically after kids finish a turn-and-talk, the teacher facilitates sharing some responses. Rather than ask kids to share their own thoughts, we can invite students to share what their partners said. We might say, “Does anyone have something their partner said that is valuable for everyone to hear?”
When students share, help them use their partner’s name. A sentence frame that works well is
[Partner’s Name] shared _____________.
As students begin to expect that conversations will help them deepen their understanding, we can adjust the sentence frame to
[Partner’s Name] shared _____________. This helped me because _____________.
Don’t underestimate the power of teacher modeling in supporting students’ development in sharing others’ ideas. Before opening the invitation for students to share, the teacher can share key ideas after a turn-and-talk ends. Use the same sentence stems that you will encourage students to use later. By hearing this language before using it themselves, students will be invested in sharing other people’s ideas. They will also experience the positivity that comes when someone hears your idea and then considers it valuable enough to share publicly.
An additional benefit to asking students to share their partners’ ideas is that we hear more voices. There are students who do not like to speak publicly or do not have the confidence to share their own ideas. The students who love to take the stage and talk will jump in with sharing another’s ideas. Those who want to contribute but lack the confidence to do so will feel more comfortable giving credit to their partner’s ideas. This is a powerful way to build equity in hearing every voice in our classrooms.
A satisfying conversation is one that builds upon ideas. Too often conversations in schools leap from one idea to a totally different idea. You can easily observe this if you spend a little time in the lunchroom. Don’t join a conversation, but watch from the outskirts. You will hear one student talk about the special treat in their lunch and the next talk about his dog. Another will jump in with a story about her baby brother giggling at a new toy, followed by someone telling a story about swimming in the lake.
There isn’t a thread to the conversation; it is driven by each individual’s desire to talk about their own lives. I’ve watched these conversations unfold in elementary, middle, and high school, and they typically evolve the same way. Each person talks about what is important to them, rather than listening and continuing on the same line of conversation. (This happens at my own dinner table, too!)
We can help students develop conversation wherewithal by teaching them to ask a follow-up question of their partner. Rather than jumping in with what they are thinking, they can choose to linger on the idea their partner suggested. This isn’t something humans do naturally; it is something we choose to do because we value other people’s ideas and we learn that our own thinking can deepen when we hear more from others.
I like to remind myself and students that we already know what we think. A conversation is a chance to find out what other people think. Often the best ideas aren’t the first things that are voiced; they happen after a little talking has occurred. Be the kind of listener who asks a follow-up question. A question for students to begin using is
“Will you tell me more?”
As they become stronger listeners, you will be able to teach ways to ask more specific follow-up questions.
Learning to listen is a skill we can teach and one way that time spent engaging in a turn-and-talk can become even more valuable.
MO SW-PBS has identified eight classroom practices that have been shown to increase the likelihood
of appropriate behavior and decrease problem behavior while increasing academic learning time.
These Effective Teaching & Learning Practices (ETLPs) are the following:
1) clarifying
expectations
2) classroom procedures and routines
3) strategies to encourage expected behavior
4)
strategies to discourage inappropriate behavior
5) active supervision
6) opportunities to respond
7) activity sequencing & choice
8) task difficulty
The first four are to help keep students in class while practices 5-8 help keep students engaged in class. Together, these eight practices impact academic learning time and ultimately student achievement
while ensuring a positive learning environment. Implementing these evidence-based practices has been
shown to maximize learning for all students while minimizing discipline problems.
This chart below shows some additional ways to enhance these practices based on the function of behavior students are exhibiting (ex. gain attention, avoid attention, avoid a task)
For more information on each of the Effective Teaching and Learning Practices, click here.
See also https://pbismissouri.org/tier-1-workbook-resources/
By Regie Routman
A humane approach to teaching, learning, and living well goes a long way to making all aspects of our lives more generous, authentic, and joyful.
When we prioritize supporting, guiding, and celebrating learners ahead of required standards and curriculum, we are teaching readers, writers, and thinkers – unique human beings with vast potential; we are not just teaching reading, writing, content, and test taking.
In my latest book, The Heart-Centered Teacher: Restoring Hope, Joy, and Possibility in Uncertain Times, I define what it means to lead a heart-centered life:
It is that peaceful state where we live our core values with compassion, generosity and authenticity – even in the midst of sadness and strife. In a heart-centered life, we take care of ourselves and others as we seek to establish and sustain loving kindness, trusting relationships, and daily gratitude. We have respectful conversations where we “see” and hear the “other,” not just with our minds but with our hearts. In a heart-centered life, teaching, learning and living are interwoven and seamlessly integrated. We become our truest selves. (page xx)
These are not idle words. In spite of the challenges we have faced and continue to face from the pandemic, toxic politics, work demands, ongoing stress, and issues outside of our control, we can still find some equilibrium, meaning – and even joy – in our daily lives. But we must intentionally seek it!
What follows are principles and actions we can embrace as we strive to live a more heart-centered life, in and out of the classroom. To that end and based on the Washington Post daily briefing of most important things, THE SEVEN, which I enjoy online, here are my seven things for focusing on what’s most important. (All of what I discuss in this article is elaborated upon in The Heart-Centered Teacher and the free website which accompanies it.)
1. “Seeing” our loved ones and those we hold dear
Through childhood and my teens, I don’t believe I was truly “seen” by my parents or teachers. My parents loved me and I felt loved, but looking back that love revolved around my meeting their expectations of being the “good girl” who followed the rules and didn’t disappoint them.
In school it was much the same. I got excellent grades, was polite and soft spoken, and didn’t raise my hand much to share my thinking. Just as it is for our students and family members, not being “seen” limits and delays personal and intellectual growth. So what exactly does it mean to “see” our loved ones and those we hold dear?
► Respect and affirm learners’ language, culture, and identity.
► Notice and emphasize learners’ strengths and assets before focusing on needs.
► Let go of differences as deficits.
► Be deliberate about finding ways to get to know learners – conferences, interviews, conversations, surveys, quick writes, communications with families.
► Incorporate learners’ interests into literacy, curriculum, content areas, and standards.
2. Holding high expectations for all learners
In the opening story of The Heart-Centered Teacher I tell write about Ted, a 53-year-old adult I tutored in reading, twice weekly at his request, after he’d lost his job during the pandemic. With no technology except our phones, I was able to teach this up-and-coming reader how to read and to enjoy reading. I began with getting to know him, finding out and utilizing his interests and strengths, giving him choices in what we would read, and holding high expectations for him. I began with the assumption that Ted was smart and would succeed; failure to teach him was not an option.
So it must be for our students and all children. Sadly, in many decades of working in schools, almost all of them in high-needs, under-resourced neighborhoods, I have never been in a school where expectations are too high; without exception, expectations – on the part of adults for what students can accomplish – are low.
► Examine our belief systems about learning to read and write to ensure they align with research and principled practices.
► Find out each child’s special gifts and interests and capitalize on them.
► Provide scaffolds to ensure learner’s success (See number 5.)
► Honor learners’ language, cultural identity and heritage, and find ways to bring those assets into daily reading, writing, speaking, and creating.
► See and honor possibilities students see even if they’re not our possibilities.
► Read aloud complex, high interest texts, not just texts at their reading level. Students often understand texts they listen to even as they cannot yet read such texts on their own.
► Do not use trauma as an excuse for holding low expectations.
3. Creating and sustaining a culture of trust, respect, generosity, and celebration
Especially these days, when life is so uncertain and unpredictable for so many, creating a “belonging” culture of stability where learners feel valued and safe – physically, emotionally, and educationally – is a necessity. Making our classrooms and schools a sanctuary can be a lifesaver for students who lack security in housing, relationships, food, and much more.
► Show kindness daily.
► Develop routines and rituals with students.
► Acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of children, families, and cultures.
► Value and celebrate efforts as much as successes.
► Give second chances whenever possible, e.g., extend a due date; provide opportunities to redo an assignment.
► Provide more choice in reading and writing texts and in “showing what they know.”
► Adopt a mindset of “Good is good enough” as students are in the novice and apprentice stage as learners on their way to becoming expert and excellent.
4. Valuing and seeking stories
A storytelling culture – in the classroom, school, and home – is a happy place. Everyone loves a good story. Stories – ours, theirs, history, science, nonfiction, fiction, and other genres – can be entertaining, validating, provocative and inspiring, and introduce us to all kinds of literature and information that can enliven and widen our knowledge, perspective, and sense of self and possibility.
Ensure reliable narrators for the stories, that is, that students get to tell their own stories and that news, historical, and scientific articles are reality and fact-based (not alternative facts.)
► Read aloud every day – picture books, fiction, news, texts of all kinds in multiple formats.
► Establish an equitable and accessible classroom library with students. For the school library, involve students in making recommendations for purchase of new books and organizing the collection and displays to maximize student interest and engagement.
► Read aloud every day, several times a day; include picture books regardless of age of the students.
► Establish equitable and accessible classroom libraries; include texts that are class-authored and student-authored.
5. Providing scaffolds
“A scaffold is an instructional practice where a teacher gradually removes guidance and support as students learn and become more competent. Support can be for content, processes, and learning strategies.” (via Google.)
Providing suitable scaffolds and supports is a great motivator for encouraging learners to put forth best efforts. If I know in advance that I can count on a loved one, colleague, or competent other to show, guide, and give me hands-on help, I am more likely to make a good faith attempt.
► Do more demonstrations along with more daily, shared and guided experiences.
► Prioritize a whole-part-whole mindset approach to teaching and living, not skills-in-isolation.
► “Put the language in their ears” is my go-to strategy – not asking more questions – when a child doesn’t respond. “How about if we say it this way?”. . . “Or you might try. . . “ or “Put what I just said (or a peer said) in your own words. I’ll help you.”
► Structure more small group times where we can listen in, hear students’ thinking, observe behaviors in a group, and see where more support – or less – are needed.
► Employ more partner reading and other small group collaborations.
► Use one-on-one and public conferences often.
6. Engaging in ongoing, professional learning
After five decades of teaching, demonstrating, coaching, and collaborating with teachers, principals, and educators at all levels, I can say with certainty that without excellent, embedded, professional learning, sustainable, schoolwide change will not happen.
And without a whole school of dedicated and knowledgeable professionals, we will continue to shortchange students and teachers for what’s possible in academic and personal achievement and in attaining a thriving school culture.
► Be cautious about over-relying on commercial programs, the best of which provide a workable framework and guide.
► Do not over rely on research or “miracle cures.” Use evidence-based research judiciously. Teachers who are informed, knowledgeable, and caring are capable of making smart decisions related to their students.
► Apply practices and strategies that support learners to become more independent, self-monitoring, self-correcting, goal setting learners.
7. Facilitating meaningful conversations
I am writing this last section having just had an hour long conversation via Zoom with my younger granddaughter, who is a junior in college. We affectionately call these talks “coffee and conversation.” Today we talked about the uncertain state of the world, feeling overwhelmed, how we can make a worthy difference, movies we’d seen, what we’re reading, enjoying being with friends, scrapbooking, and more.
These conversations, now established and beloved rituals, have been going on since early high school days as a way to ensure that our talk moves beyond the superficial and mundane to deep conversations that matter to us both.
Think of “curriculum as conversation.” Our level of discussion, questioning, learning, and taking action depend on the quality, accuracy, and depth of the texts we and our students are reading, viewing, hearing, writing, accessing, and debating.
► Set up conversational structures that ensure we “hear all the voices.”
► Work to keep libraries free thinking zones for all the voices.
► Adapt curriculum so it is culturally relevant for the actual students we are teaching.
► Actively listen – listen first to hear and understand, not to respond.
► Study and become actively involved in issues that impact our local and national worlds.
► Read and write for real-world audiences and purposes. See the extensive lesson plan on Environmental Citizenship and the Responsibility of Citizens in Literacy Essentials for facilitating high level conversations, scaffolded experiences, and deep learning.
This last action is crucial. Living well and making the world – even our most local one – a little bit better than we found it is a notable accomplishment worth embracing. Then we are going a long way to ensure that what we do and are asking our students and loved ones to do will result in personal and professional growth, gratitude, generosity, and – even – sparks of greatness.
Regie Routman is the author, most recently, of The Heart-Centered Teacher: Restoring Hope, Joy, and Possibility in Uncertain Times. (Routledge/Eye On Education 2024.) She is a mentor teacher and coach, who works and presents virtually and conversationally, side by side with teachers, principals and educators at all levels in diverse schools, districts, and provinces. For more information about her work and her many books and resources, see regieroutman.org.
I recently heard about a new research study that defines characteristics of the most inspirational leaders. As I listened to different podcasters discuss this study, I couldn’t wait to go and read it for myself.
As I read, I found myself completely enamored with the results of the Bain research study. Bain research defined 33 characteristics of inspiring leaders You don’t need all 33 attributes. Although this is fascinating, and I love the way we can intentionally develop characteristics to be more inspiring, it’s not the part of the study that has me consumed.
The part of the study that has me talking to anyone who will listen is that the researchers boiled down their findings to one attribute that is the most important. And this one attribute is surprising.
It turns out that centeredness is the most important attribute of a leader who creates inspiration in others. It is the axis of the other 32 characteristics.
From the study:
Just as leaders need to be able to meet their performance objectives to be rated as satisfactory, for example, we recognize that leaders need to be able to stay centered to inspire. Being centered is a precondition to using one’s leadership strengths effectively.
Centeredness means being fully present. In a world that is designed to swipe our attention and distraction runs rampant, if we want to be inspiring to our students and colleagues, we must learn to anchor ourselves in the present moment. https://choiceliteracy.com/article/september-13-2024-create-space/
Other interesting information from the study:
The most powerful combination
How many of these inspiring behaviors does someone
need to reliably inspire others?
The key developmental insight from these findings is
that an individual can increase his or her inspirational
leadership ability by excelling at just a handful of intrinsic strengths and converting weaknesses to neutral.
The data also shows that it’s more effective to develop
a distinguishing strength than to neutralize a weakness:
On average, investing in adding a distinguishing strength
is one and a half times more powerful at building inspiration than neutralizing a weakness.
Calibrating a strength
Why create a leadership program focused overwhelmingly on strengths? A growing body of research has
shown that encouraging people to bolster their strengths
is more effective than striving to fix their weaknesses.
According to Gallup research, the odds of employees
being engaged are 73% when an organization’s leadership focuses on the strengths of its employees vs. 9%
when they do not.
“One of the things we know is that when things are negative, people see fewer options, [and] they’re less able
to problem solve. It shuts down the brain,” said business
psychologist Jennifer Thompson, an associate professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
“When people have positive environments, they’re more
creative. They’re more productive.”
To read the full study:
https://www.bain.com/contentassets/2024cdcfe439496d99d49e84e4c489d9/bain_brief_inspirational_leadership.pdf
In this stressful time of the school year with the start of second quarter, weather changes, a break still a few weeks away, this song remin...
