How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Try Unison Reading
I’ll admit it: I spent the better part of this school year in a state of Genre Practice paralysis. This is not to say that I closed my eyes and ears to it; throughout the fall and early winter, I read all the literature I could get my hands on—articles by Cynthia McCallister and David Olson, alongside work by Gordon Wells, Dennis Sumara, and others. On paper, a teaching approach focused on student engagement and accountability sounded intriguing and promising. But I was new to the school and I was teaching reading to a seventh grade whose reputation preceded them. “Oh, good luck,” was the most common reaction I got in late August when my new colleagues asked what grade I’d be teaching. Now, in early June, I can report with great pride that our 116 seventh graders have made a real transformation this year, both academically and emotionally. But in November, they were still reminding me on a weekly basis that I was “retarded” (to say nothing of how they treated one another.) What would it take to get them to feel truly accountable to a text, to the whole meaning-making process, to their learning in general? To one another’s learning? For now, I thought, it was safest to stick to my basic reading workshop and just keep engaging with Genre Practice on a theoretical level. Fast forward to March, when the ELA test was behind us and the City—and my relationships with my toughest students—finally began to thaw. I became part of a cohort, a group of three other middle school teachers who met weekly to discuss, model, and troubleshoot our Genre Practice experiences. During the first month of these meetings, we focused primarily on implementing the Unison Reading approach in our classrooms. This involves children in selecting short texts to share, organizing themselves into reading groups, and together reading aloud and discussing texts (a short article describing the approach by Cynthia McCallister will appear on genrepractice.org soon). In our cohort, we facilitated Unison Reading groups with one sixth grade teacher’s humanities students. In those sessions, I began to see the possibilities of Genre Practice and Unison Reading unfold in real-time. I watched these (calm! well-behaved!) sixth graders wrestle with texts in new and exciting ways. Of course, there were still issues to work out—group dynamics, Unison Reading processes, etc.—but with a room of only 18 (seemingly) more manageable kids, the challenges felt less daunting. However, although my students had already made real progress with both behavior and academics, I still couldn’t picture them engaging in the same way. They were more sarcastic and less willing to be vulnerable than the sixth graders; would they go for Unison Reading? And although they now responded quickly and respectfully when redirected, if I was engaged at one table with a Unison group, would the rest of the class hold themselves accountable to their independent work? Luckily, I work alongside some very wise and adventurous teachers who, on a Monday in late April, had heard enough of my buts and told me to just dive in. “Try these Unison groups for a few weeks,” they said. “What’s the worst that can happen?” I forced myself to let that question be rhetorical, nodded, and spent a couple of hours that afternoon hammering out how I would officially get Unison Reading groups—and true Genre Practice—rolling on a large scale. In my next post, I’ll discuss the systems and structures I put in place to make this possible, and zoom in on a few of my first group meetings. (Spoiler alert: they actually went pretty well…)
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EVENTSAMERICAN EDUCATION RESEARCH ASSOCIATION Unison Reading: Engaging, Effective, Heterogeneous Small-Group Reading Instruction, K-8 INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION Genre Practice: A 'Principled' Pedagogy for Adolescent Literacy Genre Practice: A Pedagogy fo Student Responsibility for Literacy Learning Unison Reading: Engaging, Effective Small-group Reading Instruction, K-8 Genre Practice: A Pedagogy for Literacy that Supports Avoidant and Low Achieving Students Research Poster Session by Cynthia McCallister, Kim Greene & Kerry Decker NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH Supporting English Language Learners with Genre Practice Engaging Reluctant Learners through Genre Practice: Literacy Instruction that Supports Engagement and Achievement Genre Practice: A Model for Accountability for Literacy Learning Radical Freedom and Genre Practice: How Children Still Learn What's Expected When They're in Control of Reading Workshop Feelings, Emotions, and Genre Practice: Restoring Joyfulness into Standards-Based Literacy Education
59th NATIONAL READING CONFERENCE Acquiring English Literacy through "Genre Practice": Accounts of K-8 English Language Learners
RECOMMENDED READING
"The Cambridge Handbook of Literacy, by David R. Olson and Nancy Torrance, is a comprehensive and descriptive survey of literacy across a full range of social and psychological functions. The authors' treatment of the topic of literacy extends far beyond the narrow concerns of learning to reading and write, offering a constellation of insights that hold promise to guide the reconceptualization of literacy instruction." Cynthia McCallister, Ed.D. FRIENDS OF GENRE PRACTICE Jenny Brown, has a great web site devoted to childrens' books. It's called Amy Simone Piller is a poet, teacher and blogger.
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My Unison Reading Attempt
When I initially heard about Unison Reading, I had a difficult time understanding what it meant. However, as the semester continued, I've learned a lot more and have seen it in action. Just this weekend, I decided to try it with my class. My students at first looked at me blankly and did not really understand this idea. But I encouraged to take the risk and that it was alright to be unsure of this new method. By the end, they were beginning to read in sync (with their partners) and enjoyed it. While I have just delved into the process, I am excited that the initial response was positive. I look forward to becoming more assertive in using Unison Reading in my class from now on.
refreshing!
It's really refreshing to hear that Unison Reading is going well in classrooms that aren't in schools that have been developing Genre Practice for the past few years. One concern I had was that I was getting all excited about Unison Reading and that I wouldn't be able to do it in my own classroom. However, I've heard many similar stories like yours - at first the children are hesitant, but then they seem to enjoy it. Also, it seems that it can be worked into any curriculum, as sort of a first step toward Genre Practice.
Thanks for sharing!
I think I would have similar
I think I would have similar apprehensions about giving students, who seem difficult to manage, more freedom. Couldn't doing so make the situation worse? What happens if things get out of control and I have to admit the approach doesn't work - to those students? Would I feel up to trying something new once the levy broke? I am happy with the spoiler and very curious to hear exactly what "pretty well" looks like! :) Please enlighten us!!
The Daunting Process of Change
Meredith,
Thank you for being so candid about your apprehension with Genre Practice. As someone on the outside of PS 126, I often wonder how new teachers acclimate to the curriculum change and how they are supported. The theory sounds so promising, but the day to day processes of getting acquainted to a new school (or curriculum) can be overwhelming. Your story is uplifting because most teachers can relate to your experience and it is motivation to persevere. It can be difficult to change, but oftentimes the results are extremely rewarding. I look forward to hearing more about how the transition into Genre Practice is going for you and your students.
Unison Reading
Like many other teachers, I would consider myself a "control freak." When I taught 2nd grade, I had the entire day's schedule displayed. I had a classroom library organized without a book out of place. I had sharpened pencils in one cup; pencils to be sharpened in another. You get the idea. Like you, Meredith, I would have a difficult time diving into something new that meant losing "control." But we all know that doing the same thing over and over again will just produce the same results. Without change, the outcome will always be the same. So kudos to you, Meredith, for trying something new!
Unison Reading
Until this fall I hadn't heard of Unison Reading. To be honest, when I heard about it I had a hard time believing that it would work well, for various reasons. However, last week I had the opportunity to try Unison Reading myself, as a student. With a couple of by peers we read an article from the New York Times. At first it was difficult, but once we got into a rhythm, it was actually really neat. We each noticed different things and had different thoughts on the article. It was a great way to discuss and learn about the literature. Through my experience, I see how important it is to have a healthy class community. I don't know that my group would have spoken up and questioned so many things if we weren't already friends. Practicing Unison Reading was a great experience that helped me gain new perspective on it's significance in the classroom. I encourage others to try it out as well.
Letting Go
Hi Meredith,
I often feel that way and worry about letting go and trying new things, especially in the classroom. The thought of "not knowing how things will work out" or "if I make a mistake, will I be able to fix it?" constantly goes through my mind. I definitely want to do what's best for my kids in the classroom but one day, just like you, I had this thought and realized that I'm trying to teach my class to be risk takers and that mistakes are OK. I should definitely go with that attitude also in my teaching when it comes to trying new things. I think it's great that you stuck through the whole process and watched your students grow.
way to stick with it!
Meridith,
Change is always difficult, and it's great to see that you were able to assimilate to the genre practice way! I'm looking forward to hearing how it's going thus far in this new school year, and if you're having the same or even better success using Unison Reading and other genre practice approaches in the classroom. When I start teaching next year, I hope to be at a school that is open to ideas similar to genre practice. I'm sure I, as well as others, will go through the same process you did before we get comfortable with the idea of letting go, and allowing students to have so much control and choice. It's certainly easier said than done! Way to stick with it, and thanks for sharing!
-Paul
unsure...
I am really unsure if i will be able to implement genre practice effectively in any of my classes. It scares me to think of how much freedom I will be giving the students and how they won't really need me at all. I am worried that my class will be out of control. I really like the idea of letting the students choose their own readings and groups but I am worried that some students will pick up all the slack from the group.I'm hoping that I can learn to let go of my control a little so that my class can benefit. It was nice to read about someone who felt the same way and ended up being happy with the results. Your blog really motivated me to look deeper in genre practice and to look for ways to make it work in my future classroom because its obvious that your students can really surprise you.
Thanks so much for sharing, it was so helpful!
-Rossana
Learning and trying new
Learning and trying new things is always a challenge. It makes you rethink everything that you thought was right and appropriate. I recently had the chance to see Unison Reading in practice in an 8th grade class and was amazed by the level of discussion the students were in. I really like some aspects of Unison Reading but I am still struggling with others, much like you were at the beginning. I am really looking forward to learning what you did on those first few days and how the children coped with the changes taking place in their classroom environment.
Diving In
Meredith,
Your post gives me hope - I can't wait to read about your results with Unison Reading. I teach 11th grade and although I try to implement new reading activities and structures in my classes, many times I succumb to my students' pressure to continue doing what they're comfortable and familiar with, even if it doesn't always work. I hope to also "just dive in" soon.
I'm feeling more relieved!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I feel so much better after reading your post. We share some of the same concerns and questions. I teach at school that still uses the scripted curriculum and I'm currently taking a class for my masters on Genre Practice and I am learning so much. I would love to try to implement some of the aspects of Genre Practice to my current students, but I would one day love to teach at a school that uses this type of curriculum. But I think your collegues said it best when they told you to "just dive in"... Please keep us posted!
Lucy
Unison Reading
Meredith,
After reading your post I began to realize how nervous I would have been to try out Unison Reading groups in many of the classrooms I had been placed into throughout my student teaching placements. The thought of allowing your students such control over so much of their reading time can be overwhelming. I think it’s great that you finally allowed yourself to try it out and allowed for your students to surprise you with that spoiler alert you gave us! As I begin my journey in my Literacy masters program I wonder if giving so much control over to my students will benefit them or lead to chaos instead. I agree that you have nothing to lose by trying out the Unison Reading groups within your classroom. I feel that many times when we give students the opportunities to surprise us it can be extremely beneficial to them and us, as their teachers. I look forward to seeing more of your posts in how the Unison Reading Groups are working for your students and hope to learn more from your examples and insights!
Thank you for sharing
Meredith,
As a graduate student who has spent time in various types of classrooms I can definitely be empathetic to how you described your classroom to be in the beginning of the year. I understand your hesitance and nervousness to try out the unison groups but I admire you for finally jumping into this new way of teaching. I hope more teachers will be brave and try out Unison groups because from what we have learned so far from Professor McCallister they really sound great and I’m sure are successful. I am looking forward to learning more about these groups and the way in which they are run. I agree with other posts that meeting with other teachers is very helpful; it’s always good to get feedback and see how this program may or may not be working in other classrooms. Teachers often learn from experiences, sometimes even from other teacher's experiences. Please continue these much helpful updates!
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Jumping In
I agree I think though many of us teachers may be afraid of how exactly Unison Reading will fit in the classroom. Why not just try it and "jump right in!" This site I feel is a great support for teachers who may decide to try this program in their classrooms. I teach Science and I think I am going to try this in my classroom, during our study of rocks and minerals. Seeing kids at PS 126 engaged in the Unison Reading process makes me feel that it does really work. The children have pride in their groups and their reading. The social aspects really encourages kids to stop and discuss elements in the story that confuse them. I like how they work out their problems together. I bet this is transferred to the playground too! They learn to work things out!
Thank you very much.
Dear Meredith Jacks,
Thank you for sharing your experiences. It is a great opportunity for me to hear about how teacher struggle with their teaching ways and find a solution for a better education. Since I am a student, I cannot clearly imagine how Unison Reading work in class, but it seems that works well in your class. It was also good to know you are surrounded by good teachers who help you.
I am looking forward to reading your next post as the systems and structures that you use sound very interesting.
sticking together
It is refreshing to see a teacher being so honest about adopting new ways of teaching. Even though you had a hard time with the transition, it seems that you knew what was right for your students and decided to dive in even when you were unsure about what to expect. This really helps me to see that there are teachers out there with uncertainties. I have not yet begun teaching but I often think about how hard it would be when there was a change in the school system, or if I was asked to try something new in the classroom. I wonder if I would be able to handle it… It made me wonder if I would be a good teacher… But, you make it seem very empowering to know that you can make a change in the students lives. Especially for seventh graders, transitions can be so difficult! It is also so encouraging to see that there are teachers out there that really stick together. You and the rest of the group of middle school teachers seem to really care about the students and each other. One of the things I have heard a few times now since I started back in school is that one of the most important things for a new teacher is to find a mentor or another teacher in the school that you can talk to about everything that is going on in the classroom. It seems that you have found a group of teachers to communicate with, which I can only imagine is a huge help especially when starting a new type of curriculum.
The Same Fears
Meredith,
I have to admit I had the same fears about Unison Reading before I saw it actually happen. I was watching a Kindergarten class go neatly into their reading groups, and each group read the texts out loud, regulated their pronunciation and their comprehension of the words. It was really cool, and something that I had to see happen before I believed it could. And Kingergarteners were doing it! I couldn't believe how well behaved and into the text they were. Now of course there's a huge difference in watching a well behaved class do this on one random day at the end of June, and actually implementing it in a classroom of my own. But it sounds like you have certainly done your research. I would love to hear how it goes for you. I will have to check back here to see the outcome of your last blog. This whole Unison Reading idea is so novel for me and I find the concept to be amazing as long as it really works. So far, it seems that it does. Can't wait to try it for myself with my own class! (when i get one that is)
Good Luck!
I am intrigued by what I
I am intrigued by what I have learned so far about Unison Reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the honesty present in this article because I feel that many might be afraid to try new approaches. Carly, you brought up the concept that children choose their own texts and short stories and are in that way motivated and excited to read; I am wondering if there is ever trouble because the students are responsible for a large deal of the learning. I remember being in classrooms, even in high school where students would talk about everything and anything (besides the assigned topic, of course). Is this ever an issue? I am really looking forward to seeing this approach in practice!
eye opening!
I found your blog so relative to what my mind has been thinking these last two weeks. I am taking a child development course with Cynthia at NYU and after she introduced this to us I was very skeptical. As a learner coming from standard curriculums and reading from text books and pre-chosen readings I did not see how this could work. I have sat in and observed two classes and I find it amazing! From my point of view they seem to be learning so much and engaged in their work...and this is exactly what I was skeptical about. I am looking forward to reading your next post so I can learn more and especially how you are adjusting to teaching in this style!
Meredith, I love your
Meredith, I love your phrase "more sarcastic and less willing to be vulnerable." It's easy for me to say, but it is refreshing to see these important social issues again being addressed in the "academic" classroom. Thank you for laying out your experiment/experiences for us to see. Looking forward to your second post!-- Bill
THANKS...
MEREDITH,
I TOO GET VERY NERVOUS DOING ANYTHING IN THE CLASSROOM FOR THE FIRST TIME. I'VE BEEN TEACHING THE 9TH GRADE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND AS THEY ENTER MY ENGLISH CLASS, I BEGIN TO COWER AT HOW TO TEACH THE CURRICULUM TO THEM. I TRIED SOMETHING CALLED "ACCOUNTABLE TALK" WITH MY STUDENTS LAST YEAR AND I THOUGH IT WOULD BACKFIRE HORRIBLY. TO MY SURPRISE, IT DIDN'T. IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO LAY THE FOUNDATION OF THE CLASS DISCUSSION WITH THEM AND THEN BACK AWAY AND ALLOW THEM TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER DURING THE DISCUSSION. NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE FOUND THAT CHILDREN NEED GUIDANCE AND WHEN WE, AS TEACHERS, GUIDE THEM RIGHT AND LET THEM LOOSE (WITH OBVIOUS BOUNDARIES), WE WILL BE BLOWN AWAY WITH HOW THEY ARE ABLE TO ADD WHAT THEY KNOW AND LIVE AND FEEL WITH WHAT WE'VE TAUGH THEM. THEY TAKE LEARNING TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AMAZING. I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE ABOUT AND USING THIS 'UNISON READING' APPROACH WHEN I GET BACK TO THE CLASSROOM.