Making time for reflection and other take-aways
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 09:06PM It's not a big secret that workshop presenters themselves learn more about their topic each time they give a workshop - from the participants. My day-and-a-half spent this week with the lively school librarians at the SLMS Leadership Retreat at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, got me seriously thinking about several things from the workshop on assessment, planning, and reporting.
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The graph at the left is one I often use to stress the need for paying extra attention to what we might call today's "C and D" kids who need "A & B" skills. (The source of the graph is in this old column.) The idea led Jacquie Henry of Wanderings blog fame to write me (posted here with permission) and blog.
I have been concerned for MANY years about the "C&D kids in and A&B world". Our school definitely is not successful with them. Yet they are my favorite kids. Many of them "hang out" in my library. They frequently ask me for help - but it is so often "too little, too late". Many of them are readers and thinkers. They just don't care about school. I often feel as if i have failed them. I KNOW our school and NCLB are failing them. I am haunted by one of my favorite students who SHOULD have graduated this year. I really thought he WOULD graduate. But he did not. I do not know what will happen to him. I had a sign up in the library that said "Read. It's hard to think on an empty brain." I watched Nick read that sign last year and watched his face darken. He said - "That sign isn't true. I don't read and I think a LOT." I said - "But Nick - you DO read. I see you here all the time on web sites about cars, and also playing games. You read all the time. You're brain is full of good ideas." Still - I know he was discouraged. I hope he finds his way and that my school can find a way to help the Nicks of the world......
Wow. I hope every librarian takes Jacquie's words to heart and remembers just how important caring librarians are to so many kids for whom they may be the only supportive thing about the school.
A lively discussion about the library media center's response to classroom book collections, led to Chris Harris writing about thinking "outside the box about taking over ownership of classroom libraries" on his Infomancy blog. He picked up some great comments there too.
Also, thanks to Chris for his fantastic participation in the Clapping Institute activity. You ever need somebody to set the bar on role-playing, Chris is your man!
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Finally, the graph at the left is my adaptation of Steven Covey's time management matrix in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I use it in workshops when talking about creating long-term change. None of the things people need to do to create change are very difficult. But what is difficult is finding the time to do them - planning, reporting, assessing, relationship building, etc.
Covey would say the only way to make more time for Quadrant II activities - those that lead to long-term change and a reduction of Quadrant I tasks - is to find Quadrant III and Quadrant IV activities to eliminate. (Like reading this blog!)
So far, this the only time management strategy I've found that makes much sense. Try listing the Quadrant III and IV things you do. Yes, you have them. Everyone does. Now trying cutting back on them and use the time for the important, but not urgent, tasks. Seems I've been fussing about this for over 10 years now.
One of the librarians commented during the workshop, "Shouldn't reflection be considered a Quadrant II activity?" Absolutely. And I think most bloggers would agree that this informal writing is simply reflection made visible. Oh, blogging as a reflective activity also helps solve this problem:
Re-read The Seven Habits. I do each time I teach a library administration class (it makes a great textbook) and gain from each re-reading.
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Thanks again, library media specialists of New York. You are a wonderful group!
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The Blue Skunk will be on vacation and doing workshops in the Jackson, Wyoming, area all next week. Posts only if and when I get the time. If you don't hear from me again, assume I died with a smile on face while whitewater rafting the Snake or taking a photo of something large and feral.
Reader Comments (7)
There were bears in camp two weeks ago when I was in WY. good luck.
Excellent post-need to re-read seven habits myself before school begins;) Have an AWESOME time in WY- truly my favorite place in the world! Hike to Lake Solitude...peace awaits..
Regarding the notion of "classroom libraries..." As an elementary literacy specialist (who happened to spend the past year working part-time in the Media Center), I have experienced both sides of the "classroom library" situation. On the one hand, our need for classroom libraries developed because of "access issues" with materials in the library. In fact, we developed an extensive resource room, with leveled books, educational games and audiobooks. All of this was done to allow easy, convenient access to materials for teachers and students (who might otherwise have difficulty in accessing materials in our library, due to restrictive lending policies, among other issues...if you've read "The Library Dragon," then perhaps you know what I am referring to). However, now that I have seen how the automated lending/inventory systems can work, I believe the Media Center should be the place for organizing, storing and distributing such materials. On my last day of school this year, I began hauling various resource room materials down to the Media Center, and hope that by September, these items will be ready for student and teacher use, thanks in part, to new leadership within our Media Center. I am now confident that these materials will be available for students, and students will actually be ENCOURAGED to use them!
Your post is the second mention of Seven Habits I've encountered this summer. I'm one to believe in signs, Fate's gentle tugging at the sleeve, so I'll be checking it out for the first time in the waning summer days before school begins. Just wanted to say thanks for your post and that I'll be looking to shore up some more time for creating good change for my classroom and suggest it for my building!
Hi Toni,
This is an excellent approach. Obviously there is a need for additional reading resources and if we can help teachers get access to them in any way, we are ahead of the game. Thanks for sharing these ideas with other Blue Skunk readers.
All the very best,
Doug
Doug,
Enjoy the fish ;) or bears ;)
Thanks for sharing your use of Stephen Covey's diagram.
I've been back at work two days and already I feel like in the day-to-day urgency, I've already lost sight of things I"ve learned this summer. There are so many tasks at hand that I can't necessarily do the one that seems most critical to me, personally.
(Unfortunately many of the other tasks are quadrant 4 also--maybe that's why I feel a little stressed--it feels like all the things I have to do are Quadrant 4!)
I can see I need to reread my Covey workbook and try to refocus.
Thanks. My own kids(teenagers/young adults) disdain Covey, but I find his work very illuminating!
Hi Carolyn,
I think it is interesting that your kids dislike Covey. I wonder why. He's written a book just for teens, I think. (I've not tried him with my own children.)
Hope your school year evens out but remains exciting!
Doug