16 Years Old
A 16 year old 8th grader. His rare presence at school haunts me, his absence haunts me more. DJ is tall, but his eyes reflect the truth that he is really just a boy still. He has only been to school four times this year. Already though, I can tell he can barely read. Still, he smiles. He smiles at me when he walks by in the hallway. He smiles with a surprising humility and says, “Hi, miss.” This strikes me; this simple gesture screams out to me that this towering young man is really just a boy. I’m still unsure of which period he is supposed to be in my room, but I think of him often. I wake up in the night thinking of DJ; thinking about the some 1,800 days he has been enrolled in school; signed up for learning and supposedly being taught. I wake up thinking of the extraordinary injustice that this young man represents: 1,800 days and still barely able to read. We have failed him. There is no easy way to say it. There is no other truth to be said. I want to cry typing these words; I want to scream out. Scream out for him – scream out for all the ones we have failed. Think about all the DJs you have met along the way; all the DJs you have heard about; all the DJs that sit in cells rather than classrooms. And then, ask yourself, how and why has school failed these children? The function of public education is to educate everyone. So, why is it that so many of our youth aren’t meeting basic educational expectations - so many leave without even a high school diploma. Educators and policy makers have sought to simplify and measure the very complicated process of learning; to itemize knowledge and understanding. Learning has been turned into a series of small steps that are dictated by teachers and followed by students – but only those students who buy into it and feel the system serves them. But, what about those who can’t follow those steps and who know the system only provides for those who can; those who know that the system is not really about them, not really structured for them? School is not a place that nurtures DJ. Schools have ignored him, punished him, suspended him, isolated him, and literally held him back. DJ is the reason that the moment for change is now. We have all heard this before, “If not now, when? If not us, who?” I don’t think any phrase could be more perfect for what Genre Practice represents. Genre Practice is about responsibility, intention, commitment, and actual engagement – it’s going up against the system of education as it is. Asking kids to make choices about their learning; to make plans for how they will meet standards; to reflect on where they are in their own learning process and to decide what they are interested in – all of which, goes against the way public education has been structured. I know it’s hard to see how I can claim that this “literacy” approach is this big, this important. But imagine schools where children are working on projects they have chosen with the help of their teachers; where they follow lines of thought and questions that lead them to understand the world better. Imagine schools that are places where real learning, analysis and critical thinking take place. Imagine schools that really respect students as agents of their own lives. If you had asked me four years ago to imagine a way to reach DJ, I would have said that I hoped I could. But, I would have doubted the ability of any student like him – 1,800 days of school and still unable to read – to actually take responsibility for themselves and their own learning. But, ask me now. Now I know that my role as a teacher is to teach children, all children, how to be agents in their own learning. And now, I feel that we have no choice. With Genre Practice, we can give the DJs of this world back their hope, choice, and their voices. We have to give them all a chance to understand this world better – it’s the only way THEY can grow up to change it. The time is now.
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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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It's their life and their choice...
As educators we are quick to want to fix a problem and help a student. What you have shown here is the best way for a teacher to help a student is to empower and motivate them to fix the problem themselves. After all, it's their life and their choice. I do agree that Genre Practice is a good way to empower and motivate students.
Thank you for sharing!
HOW ABOUT NOW?
EMILY,
HOW IS GENRE PRACTICE WORKING OUT FOR DJ NOW? HAS THERE BEEN OTHER "DJ'S" THAT YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED SINCE HIM? HAVE YOU BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN HELPING TO 'TURN THEM AROUND' USING GENRE PRACTICE? HAS GENRE PRACTICE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ENCOURAGING SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND MOTIVATION FOR DJ AND STUDENTS LIKE HIM?
Spread GP
What scares me is that after reading your story many people still will not view this approach to creating a meaningful and motivating environment as the way to go. In fact, it might cause some to want to create more structure and punishment. I do really hope that the changes we want to see in our educational system comes to pass though; to say it is extremely necessary is an understatement. Heres to hoping Genre Practice spreads.
Hope for DJ
After first hearing your story about DJ at the Genre Practice conference a few weeks ago, I have found myself constantly being reminded of it. I walk down the halls of my school and I can easily pick out a handful of students just like DJ who have been failed by the school system. Unfortunately, there are too many students out there that are not naturally motivated to learn, and see school work as a chore. As a new teacher, I am still trying to find the best ways to inspire my students and give them the skills to be life long learners. I think that if all the DJ’s in the world were introduced to Genre Practice in the early years of schooling, maybe the situations would be much different. I think Genre Practice makes reading and writing enjoyable and exciting for students, and has so much more to offer by making the curriculum relatable to the real world. Students like DJ would most likely thrive in this safe social learning environment.
Powerful!
Emily,
Reading your post sent shivers down my spine. Not only was it inspiring, but it brought back all of the faces, as I've forgotten their names, of people that I've known who just couldn't adapt to school. Ranging in age from young children in elementary school to my own friends in college, these students couldn't seem to fit themselves into the structure of school. Some dropped out as soon as they could, and some graduated high school but had such a bad taste of school that they refused to go to college. Some are very close to dropping out of college. You're absolutely right, a change needs to happen, and it needs to happen across the board. There seems to be a curve in the world of education; primary schools get the first wave of change before it spreads to secondary and higher education schools. People learn in just about the same way despite their age. There are DJ's in our education system at every grade level, and we cannot fail them any longer. I love how Genre Practice provides countless opportunities for teachers to teach children to be agents of their own learning. We need to adapt to the children; the children shouldn't have to adapt to us. Thank you for sharing this powerful post. It really hit home.
Paul
Hope for students like DJ
Emily,
Your story hits home for me, as I'm sure it does for any teacher. It is sad to see students being failed by our school systems. It is so imperative to give students their voices back, but I agree that most schools are not achieving this. Your story is so powerful and really caused me to step back and ask many questions about my own teaching, teaching in general, and the impact of Genre Practice on these struggling students. I wonder, how is DJ doing now? Is he coming to school more and taking an interest in the Genre Practice classroom? Are you seeing glimmers of hope where he may have a new outlook on learning? Or is he disillusioned by the years of teacher driven learning? If all schools were to embrace the Genre Practice ideals, would students of all ages be able to regain agency in their learning? I would love to hear more about students like DJ who attended the school before the days of Genre Practice and are now in the 7th or 8th grade. Do you see major changes in their self-efficacy and motivation? Also, it is more time consuming or challenging to change the mindset of older students than those in kindergarten and first grade? I am interested to hear more of DJ's continuing story.
DJ's of the world
Emily,
As I read your post about DJ about ten students names from my past have crossed my mind. Students I had wished I had more time to motivate, to help realize their true potential but I was only a student teacher, or the system only allowed the teacher to punish rather then foster their learning. I am realizing the true power that Genre Practice can have with students who have been cheated by the system for all these years. Students who needed more time, attention, and understanding but instead got brushed under the rug, put in time out, and as the years passed suspended. Making a difference and being the one person who would always be there for my students is why I decided being a teacher was the only profession for me. If I am allowing all the DJ’s of the world to fail then I am not being the best teacher that I could truly be. I am not giving them the opportunities to realize that the system can be in their favor, and can allow them to succeed even though the environments they are going home to are tough. I really appreciate you sharing this story with us, and allowing me to learn how to motivate all the DJ’s of our lives that we are meant to inspire, and push to reach their full potential.
Baby Steps
I think that the Genre Practice method can do so much for students like DJ. Through class we have had the opportunity to hear about how this method has turned countless students around. I think that by giving a student that has never had a voice in school something to talk about is an amazing thing. Genre Practice allows the student that would have otherwise "slipped through the cracks" have a voice and feel empowered. I wish that DJ would have stuck around so that he could have had the chance to experience Genre Practice.
the DJs of the world
Hi Emily,
This post really touched me. The DJ's of this world are the reason I became a teacher. I want to show them that I care and that they CAN do it. I feel like students like DJ really need the extra attention and the extra push to motivate them. Many times teachers feel like cutting them slack will help but I think we need to make them accountable for their decisions and not let anything go. Sometimes these are the students that need the "tough love". They need to know that there is someone is the world that believes in them and won't allow them to fail. The question is, how do we get them to see that? How do we get them to come to school everyday? How do we get them to work to their full potential? How does GP work for an 8th grader who reads at a 2nd grade level? We need to push through these obstacles and always give it our best because that is what our students deserve, especially the students like DJ.
Thanks for sharing DJ with us.
-Rossana Rega
How Do We Help
Hi Emily,
After reading your post, I was struck by DJ and how the school system has entrapped him. It saddens me to think that this is an often occurrence. However, as educators, how do we help the students who fall under such circumstances? Do we try to motivate the students again? How? As a new teacher, the challenge seems very daunting. I am starting to understand the methodology of Genre Practice and maybe this approach would have helped DJ. I am curious to know if the dynamic in your class has changed since following Genre Practice.
Thank you.
Bharti
excellent question
Hi Emily,
I have most of the same questions as Bharti. It's extremely sad to think about the kids that are failing because the schools are failing the students. If we do enter classrooms that have students like DJ how can we help them now? I love the way Genre Practice and especially Unison Reading encourages cooperative learning and it offers a risk-free and safe environment for students to ask questions, learn, and support each other, but there is always the question of how these DJs will interact with other students. I would like to think that one's classroom can be that judgment free zone, but how can we ensure this and entice students like DJ to want to participate? This is one of the scariest questions that we will face as new teachers.