Slice of Life: If It Is Really About the Process, Then We Should Assess It! #SOL20 #TWTBlog

I was facilitating a grade-level team meeting.  This team is implementing the Calkins Units of Study in Writing.  The on-demand writing pre-assessment became the focus of our discussion.  This was a new practice and they were not sure how it would go for their students.  We decided to just give it go and walked down to one of the classrooms.  I offered to facilitate the lesson and each teacher chose a focus for observation.

We gathered materials and had the students on the rug.  I explained the process to the students and shared the prompt with them.  I asked for a “thumbs up” to check for clarity and then sent them off to write.  One student stopped me in my tracks, “You did not let us turn and talk.” 

I paused not sure how to respond.

Another student added, “We always turn and talk before we write.  Writers talk their stories before they write them.” 

“Yeah. We call it writing in the air,” added another.

I have modeled this process many times. No one has ever specifically asked if they could turn and talk. I looked at the manual for what felt like an hour.  I could not find any directions that explained if the students could turn and talk, but it did not suggest that students should turn and talk.  The students patiently waited as I struggled to make a decision. 

 I looked up to meet the eyes of all the students and teachers observing.  I nonverbally expressed my cognitive dissonance with the teachers and let them know what I was thinking.  There were immediate sighs of relief, head nods and smiles from my colleagues.  Their agreement gave me the confidence I needed to follow my beliefs and pedagogical values.

“I am so sorry.  I forgot to invite you to turn and talk.  You are the kind of writers who know how important it is to talk through and revise your ideas with a partner before you begin writing.  You may choose to turn and talk your story.”

The students erupted into conversation and then headed off to talk, write and draw for the next forty-five minutes.  I am so thankful that I get to spend my days in classrooms learning with teachers and students.  They constantly remind me of what is important and guide me to make decisions that are best for teaching and learning.

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