By now, we've had a chance to get to know our students.
We know who gets started right away and who takes a little longer. We know who always seems to have a question, who quietly figures things out, and who looks for us the moment something doesn't go as planned.
The first weeks gave us a chance to teach and practice together. Now, all those little moments throughout the day can help us see what our students are ready to take on for themselves.
There are certain moments from the classroom I can still hear.
“Mrs. Boushey?”
“Mrs. Boushey?”
“Mrs. Boushey?”
Sometimes I had barely sat down beside a student before another student needed me.
Where do I put this?
What do I do when I’m finished?
Can I get another book?
I can’t find my pencil.
I’m done!
For a long time, I thought of these as interruptions. There was always something to answer, solve, find, or redirect before I could turn my attention back to the student in front of me.
But those questions were also telling me something.
They were showing me all the little places my students still depended on me.
Some had nothing to do with whether they could read, write, or do the work in front of them. They simply hadn't learned what to do when something didn't go exactly as planned.
And once I started noticing those moments, I could teach, or often reteach, them.
What can you do when you’re finished?
What can you try when you get stuck?
Where can you find what you need?
What can you solve without me?
Each answer gave students a little more ownership of their day and gave me a little more space to give my full attention to the student beside me.
Here’s something to try this week
- Listen for the questions your students ask while they’re working.
- Pick one you hear again and again.
- Instead of answering it one more time, think about what students could learn to do without you.
- Then teach (or reteach) that.
When students know how to keep going without us, learning can continue across the room while we give our full attention where it’s needed most.
Gail
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