I would soon realize that I had more to learn.
The challenge
Connecting with students when you don’t know what they are going home to
After eight years teaching junior high, I was assigned to teach Grade 3. I figured I knew plenty about teaching already and that switching to elementary would be a breeze, but I would soon realize that I had more to learn.
In September, I identified a student reading at the kindergarten level, so I implemented a home reading program where I’d send two early-reader books home each night for her to read with her parents’ help. Each morning, she’d hand me the books and the sign-off sheet. As her reading improved, the books increased in difficulty. I was so pleased that she was making gains!
One morning, shortly after starting Grade 2-level books, the student returned with only one book signed off. I assumed her parents hadn’t had time to get through both books, so I sent the book home again. The next day, she again returned with the book and the unsigned sheet. She still hadn’t read the book.
I was concerned. This student had consistently completed her nightly reading, and now suddenly she’d missed two in a row! I wondered what had caused the change. I thought perhaps one of her parents was unwell or something critical had happened. Finally, I asked, “Can you tell me why you haven’t read this book yet?”
The student pointed to the title and said, “Mom and Dad couldn’t read what that says. They said bring it back.”
I was shocked. I felt my stomach drop with the weight of shame. I’d assumed that all adults can read well enough to help their young children, but I suddenly realized that wasn’t the case here. How difficult it must have been for her parents to send that book back twice!
I called the student’s mom, thanked her and explained that helping at home had helped their child make great progress. I then explained a new approach. We'd have the student try the books at home first, then we'd work on them at school the next day.
After implementing this change, I would occasionally send a book home for the student to read to her parents so they could share in her joy.
This experience taught me that, as a teacher, I had to meet each student where they were, without assumptions, and with a whole-child approach. From that point on, that approach became paramount to my job as a teacher and helped me every day.
