Before I began to implement Daily 5, I envisioned a lovely, calm morning where a neat little package of evenly distributed rounds made up the ebb and flow of our literacy block. Although high expectations lead to greater achievement, they can also lead to dismay and disappointment when they aren't met. That's what happened when my students entered the picture. I'd be surprised and sometimes even frustrated when the behaviors became bumpy and less independent after two successful rounds. 

It was at a high school cross country meet that I witnessed young runners giving the first mile their all. They were focused, their energy was high, and their pace was even and strong. The leaders were still going strong in mile two, but the pack had begun to spread a little, and by mile three a few near the back had already given everything they had and were struggling to make it to the finish line. It was a bit of an "aha" for me, and I took what I learned back into the classroom the next day.

As we went forward through the year, my whole class had the stamina, energy, and focus to sustain independent behaviors for 25 to 30 minutes on the first round. The second and third rounds might have to be shorter, but if I understood that from the get-go, I was able to plan for small groups and individual conferences accordingly.

By using our students' behavior as the barometer instead of the clock, we will all be able to achieve the lovely ebb and flow we envisioned before students came. The rounds might not be evenly distributed, but when we follow students' leads, each round can be a successful round.

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