Hey everyone! Hope you are all well. It’s currently snowing... again... here 🤪 I’d love to know your thoughts on why ELA is so hard for teachers. Do you agree with my 5 reasons or do you have a different reason? Share it in the comments. Have a lovely day!
This video hits on so many levels. I just wrapped up my first year teaching and it was a roller coaster. With all things considered (covid, 6th grade kids that were behind from ‘19-‘20 school year, and exams I had to take) things weren’t a complete disaster to outsiders. For me it still felt like an episode of Shameless. I agree with all of your reasons. I didn’t struggle w/ #1 personally but lack of resources and too many online was an issue. It led to me spending hours scouring the internet trying to figure out what to use. That experience ultimately highlights the major problem that administration doesn’t spend time to develop us when it comes to standards. Girl, I’m not kidding when I say no one and I mean not a soul sat down with me (a 32 yr old career switcher never taught a day especially 6th grade) this year to go over 6th grade ELA and Intensive reading standards. What they told me was make sure they’re posted so district can see. If it weren’t for my ESE inclusion teacher I wouldn’t even know that it’s best practice to say it [standards and learning targets] to the kids and have the class or a few of them repeat it so we all know what we’re working towards. I know that last bit seems obvious to most but for someone who didn’t go to school for education, I figured it’s on the board they’ll read and know. Boy was I wrong. 🤦🏾♀️ Anyways, your video is spot on and timely as I prep for next year in 7th grade 😫. Thank you! 😀
Second Grade here... and I began the year with half of my class below grade reading level... never happened before! I struggle with doing the phonics AND the literacy curriculum (which has minimal phonics, so I am supplementing BIG TIME)... I am struggling to fit it all in. I know that the most important thing is to raise these low kiddos up... but, it’s always a cram session!
I feel the same way!!! I’m teaching first. So this is the point that they start to take off reading. Not to mention 95% of my students are ELL and I speak 1 language. We also may be doing the same curriculum. There’s a mini lesson, read aloud, shared reading, and phonics. The skills seem to breeze by quickly week by week and nothing is sticking. I went back to the basic vowels this week. I’m stumped! And a first year teacher by the way
I cannot tell you how much this video and the resources will help me this coming week! Thank you for constantly giving me (a 7th and 8th-grade history teacher) ideas that go beyond articles and lecture powerpoints!
The school district I work in has a team that creates the plans for the entire district to follow. We use the Wonders curriculum and they tell us what to teach, how to teach it, and on what day to teach. What to assess, what to read, everything. For all subjects. I feel like it was a good idea at first, giving the schools a firm idea on where they should all be, but it stifles teachers’ creativity. I also think it leads to a lot of frustration because each classroom is different and it just leaves people feeling like they’re always behind or not able to dive far enough in if necessary. What is a teacher supposed to do in this situation?
I agree. A district that is forcing teachers to stick to a curriculum is focused on management not that every child is getting that they need. I have always been a big believer that a curriculum (even mine) is a tool not the end all be all. There are too many moving parts in ELA and with every classroom, school, district that is working to serve a variety of learners you CANNOT follow a curriculum to the letter. When I decided to stray the path in kindergarten, and even at my current school, I created a plan that covered what and why I wanted to change in my instruction. I met with my principal and discussed my concerns and what I felt would be beneficial. I then asked if I could try it for X number of weeks and report back with data. This has always helped me. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose?
This is me right now! Our curriculum is the benchmark, and I feel my creativity is out the door. My students aren't excited about reading because I'm rushing to keep them on track with the curriculum map.
Knowing, understanding and owning standards are key! One other big thing I have noticed through the years is ELA is NOT teaching the standard once and done. As students and the teacher are reading throughout the year, those standards come back again and again. The more you authentically read and have conversations, the more mastery or ownership the students have in truly understanding text and applying those skills into their own writing with meaning.
Thank you for your detailed video! I taught 1st grade for the past 4 years and it’s been great! In September, after school began...I was asked to help and teach third grade. I think you’re right with for 5 reasons, but the one that hit home is that there’s so much to teach in ELA with so little time. I love to have discussions with the class, but they dive deep which doesn’t allow for me to teach everything in our plans some days. Lately, I have started minimizing multiple choice questions and that takes longer for some children to complete than others. I don’t regret it because they’re really improving with writing in complete sentences and expressing their thoughts. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips!
Such mad respect goes out to you!! Thank you for being such an encouragement in these very CRAZY times in the world of teaching. Thanks for being so real, and inspiring me to keep going!
I loved this video. I am just 13 but I feel like when I do eventually become a teacher ELA I'd something I really want to teach and build into my classroom and lessons.
I agree with everything you explained especially the lack of time given to kids to truly process and practice the skills. School systems have pushed teachers into thinking more will help kids progress more/better. There needs to be more professional development that integrates the standards with how the brain processes and use information at a certain age/grade level. If we use these two things together than educators will not be incline to use the catch phrase "the student is falling behind". And use "the student is approaching/developing/exhibiting mastery of the skill". This would help teacher to plan and provide instruction more authentically.
I agree with all your points you made. This year I got moved up to teach ELA for 5-8th grade. It has been a roller coaster for sure. I agree that understanding the standards and making that connection between writing and reading is the biggest struggle for me. It has been difficult for me to adjust to four different grade levels while being online.
Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time. It will get better. Take this year with a grain of salt. There is a lot going on that is making it even more difficult than normal. Wishing you all the best! 5-8th grade .... WOW. YOU GOT THIS.
It’s amazing that we all know we have to do this because the curriculum we have been given isn’t good enough. I wish we just had curriculum that worked.
I feel that you completely defined all of my team’s issues this year. Every time you presented a new struggle, I said, “Yep, check.” Unfortunately, I’m in the 2nd grade realm, and I saw it wasn’t part of the Bridging Literacy program...
I don't have anything built for second grade yet, but the concepts and methods that surround Bridging Literacy is still there. When I taught Kindergarten I was doing something similar to Bridging Literacy and didn't even realize it at the time.
Thank you for the video!! I have taught ELA before but for the past six years I have been teaching the 6th grade Dual Immersion class at my school. At this point the students receive their instruction inSpanish for Language Arts and Socials Studies. Do your units have a way of being translated or do they cover the Common Core en Español? Thanks
I will work on getting it translated to Spanish. That is a big goal of mine. I will also check through the common core for Spanish. I am sure it will work for it.
Love this video, especially your push for utilizing authentic texts. Middle school ELA here. How do I get involved in the Bridging Literacy community? It sounds great.
I am just now watching this video today and noticed your comment. I don't know if you will see this notification, but here is the link to join the Bridging Literacy Community: www.theletteredclassroom.com/bridging-literacy
Thanks for this! I’m about to teach 8th grade ELA and I swore I wouldn’t teach middle ever again. But, I like what you said about resources, and thanks for the links! Do you have any suggestions for apps?
This video rocks. I wonder if you have any advice. We use the Wonders curriculum and are required to use data from the weekly assessments provided, which are multiple choice tests. My students really struggle with these because the questions ten to provide multiple answers that could be right but one that is most correct. We are working on test taking strategies to try to "fix the problem" but I feel that these tests are unfair because students that I know understand the standard and could come up with a good defendable answer are scoring poorly because they have trouble choosing the best strategy. Multiple choice tests are not an accurate representation of my students' understanding and use of a skill/standard. My admin wants assessments that are "reliable" meaning I can't write my own or get something off TPT to asses my students' knowledge. Any ideas about what we could do?
Thank you for the comment. One of the most challenging part of ELA is justifying which evidence is best to support an answer. Think about a lawyer in a court case. They have evidence that will prove is someone is innocent or guilty, but not every piece of evidence will have the same "weight". Meaning, some evidence is going to absolutely prove it and some only suggests it. You could have routine practice as a class (make a game of it) that will help to discuss which evidence will have the biggest weight. They can number the evidence or you can have a search and find from the text. I love bringing this real-life connection into the classroom because it shows kids the value and importance of ELA in general.
I love this video, Bridget!! You and Michelle (Pocketful of Primary) have lots of great content in your videos. I love how descriptive you both are in your teaching. Here are questions can you compare the difference in ELA instruction when you taught kindergarten and your muti age students. Was planning of those ELA lessons easier or harder any of the grade levels? What challenges did you face in ELA in both grade levels? What worked best? Will you and Michelle do another video together? You two always put a smile on my face.
Your explanation of "Who am I to say [if you're wrong]?" around 4:30 can be a bit of a slippery slope. YES, essay writing can be subjective, but there is indeed a correct and ethical way of writing persuasively. Students must learn that reputable sources and research do not equate with personal opinion and a wiki search. Like you said with your classroom resources, not all are quality.
I teach 4th grade and for the first 3 years I taught reading. I hated every minute of it. I was not an effective reading teacher. I LOVE teaching math. In math, you can look at their work and see where they went wrong. In reading, you can’t see inside their brain to figure out what the problem is.
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Hey everyone! Hope you are all well. It’s currently snowing... again... here 🤪 I’d love to know your thoughts on why ELA is so hard for teachers. Do you agree with my 5 reasons or do you have a different reason? Share it in the comments. Have a lovely day!
I agree with your reasons.
@@aglaurendance thank you for your input. I appreciate it 😊
Currently n the process of becoming an ELA teacher, this video has helped me realize what I should expect to overcome later on. Thank you!!
This video hits on so many levels. I just wrapped up my first year teaching and it was a roller coaster. With all things considered (covid, 6th grade kids that were behind from ‘19-‘20 school year, and exams I had to take) things weren’t a complete disaster to outsiders. For me it still felt like an episode of Shameless.
I agree with all of your reasons. I didn’t struggle w/ #1 personally but lack of resources and too many online was an issue. It led to me spending hours scouring the internet trying to figure out what to use. That experience ultimately highlights the major problem that administration doesn’t spend time to develop us when it comes to standards.
Girl, I’m not kidding when I say no one and I mean not a soul sat down with me (a 32 yr old career switcher never taught a day especially 6th grade) this year to go over 6th grade ELA and Intensive reading standards. What they told me was make sure they’re posted so district can see. If it weren’t for my ESE inclusion teacher I wouldn’t even know that it’s best practice to say it [standards and learning targets] to the kids and have the class or a few of them repeat it so we all know what we’re working towards. I know that last bit seems obvious to most but for someone who didn’t go to school for education, I figured it’s on the board they’ll read and know. Boy was I wrong. 🤦🏾♀️ Anyways, your video is spot on and timely as I prep for next year in 7th grade 😫. Thank you! 😀
Your school doesn’t deserve you. You’re an amazing dedicated teacher.
Bc students in 3rd and up are expected to write and comprehend college level concepts. It’s completely ridiculous.
Agreed. Some of the upper elementary ELA Standards are a lot for students, especially if you have students significantly below grade level
Second Grade here... and I began the year with half of my class below grade reading level... never happened before! I struggle with doing the phonics AND the literacy curriculum (which has minimal phonics, so I am supplementing BIG TIME)... I am struggling to fit it all in. I know that the most important thing is to raise these low kiddos up... but, it’s always a cram session!
I completely understand. There is never enough time in the day to help the kiddos that need it most.
I feel the same way!!! I’m teaching first. So this is the point that they start to take off reading. Not to mention 95% of my students are ELL and I speak 1 language. We also may be doing the same curriculum. There’s a mini lesson, read aloud, shared reading, and phonics. The skills seem to breeze by quickly week by week and nothing is sticking. I went back to the basic vowels this week. I’m stumped! And a first year teacher by the way
I cannot tell you how much this video and the resources will help me this coming week! Thank you for constantly giving me (a 7th and 8th-grade history teacher) ideas that go beyond articles and lecture powerpoints!
Thank you so much for the kind response! 😘
The school district I work in has a team that creates the plans for the entire district to follow. We use the Wonders curriculum and they tell us what to teach, how to teach it, and on what day to teach. What to assess, what to read, everything. For all subjects. I feel like it was a good idea at first, giving the schools a firm idea on where they should all be, but it stifles teachers’ creativity. I also think it leads to a lot of frustration because each classroom is different and it just leaves people feeling like they’re always behind or not able to dive far enough in if necessary. What is a teacher supposed to do in this situation?
I agree. A district that is forcing teachers to stick to a curriculum is focused on management not that every child is getting that they need. I have always been a big believer that a curriculum (even mine) is a tool not the end all be all. There are too many moving parts in ELA and with every classroom, school, district that is working to serve a variety of learners you CANNOT follow a curriculum to the letter. When I decided to stray the path in kindergarten, and even at my current school, I created a plan that covered what and why I wanted to change in my instruction. I met with my principal and discussed my concerns and what I felt would be beneficial. I then asked if I could try it for X number of weeks and report back with data. This has always helped me. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose?
This is me right now! Our curriculum is the benchmark, and I feel my creativity is out the door. My students aren't excited about reading because I'm rushing to keep them on track with the curriculum map.
Knowing, understanding and owning standards are key! One other big thing I have noticed through the years is ELA is NOT teaching the standard once and done. As students and the teacher are reading throughout the year, those standards come back again and again. The more you authentically read and have conversations, the more mastery or ownership the students have in truly understanding text and applying those skills into their own writing with meaning.
This is KEY! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. 😊
Thank you for that friendly reminder :)
Thank you for your detailed video! I taught 1st grade for the past 4 years and it’s been great! In September, after school began...I was asked to help and teach third grade. I think you’re right with for 5 reasons, but the one that hit home is that there’s so much to teach in ELA with so little time. I love to have discussions with the class, but they dive deep which doesn’t allow for me to teach everything in our plans some days. Lately, I have started minimizing multiple choice questions and that takes longer for some children to complete than others. I don’t regret it because they’re really improving with writing in complete sentences and expressing their thoughts. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips!
Such mad respect goes out to you!! Thank you for being such an encouragement in these very CRAZY times in the world of teaching. Thanks for being so real, and inspiring me to keep going!
Thank you for the sweet comment. 🥰 I hope you have a lovely week.
I loved this video. I am just 13 but I feel like when I do eventually become a teacher ELA I'd something I really want to teach and build into my classroom and lessons.
I agree with everything you explained especially the lack of time given to kids to truly process and practice the skills. School systems have pushed teachers into thinking more will help kids progress more/better. There needs to be more professional development that integrates the standards with how the brain processes and use information at a certain age/grade level. If we use these two things together than educators will not be incline to use the catch phrase "the student is falling behind". And use "the student is approaching/developing/exhibiting mastery of the skill". This would help teacher to plan and provide instruction more authentically.
I’m not a ELA teacher but I teach Spanish kids in English, so I feel the same struggles...
Thank you for sharing! It’s important to know that not only ELA teachers struggle with this.
I agree with all your points you made. This year I got moved up to teach ELA for 5-8th grade. It has been a roller coaster for sure. I agree that understanding the standards and making that connection between writing and reading is the biggest struggle for me. It has been difficult for me to adjust to four different grade levels while being online.
Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time. It will get better. Take this year with a grain of salt. There is a lot going on that is making it even more difficult than normal. Wishing you all the best! 5-8th grade .... WOW. YOU GOT THIS.
It’s amazing that we all know we have to do this because the curriculum we have been given isn’t good enough. I wish we just had curriculum that worked.
I feel that you completely defined all of my team’s issues this year. Every time you presented a new struggle, I said, “Yep, check.” Unfortunately, I’m in the 2nd grade realm, and I saw it wasn’t part of the Bridging Literacy program...
I don't have anything built for second grade yet, but the concepts and methods that surround Bridging Literacy is still there. When I taught Kindergarten I was doing something similar to Bridging Literacy and didn't even realize it at the time.
Totally agree with what you are saying. Where can I purchase your mentor text list? I quickly checked your website, but didn’t see it.
Hello, your videos are so helpful. I can't find the ultimate mentor guide where you said you made a list of different texts to look through.
Thank you
Thank you for the video!! I have taught ELA before but for the past six years I have been teaching the 6th grade Dual Immersion class at my school. At this point the students receive their instruction inSpanish for Language Arts and Socials Studies. Do your units have a way of being translated or do they cover the Common Core en Español? Thanks
I will work on getting it translated to Spanish. That is a big goal of mine. I will also check through the common core for Spanish. I am sure it will work for it.
Love this video, especially your push for utilizing authentic texts. Middle school ELA here. How do I get involved in the Bridging Literacy community? It sounds great.
I am just now watching this video today and noticed your comment. I don't know if you will see this notification, but here is the link to join the Bridging Literacy Community: www.theletteredclassroom.com/bridging-literacy
Thanks for this! I’m about to teach 8th grade ELA and I swore I wouldn’t teach middle ever again. But, I like what you said about resources, and thanks for the links! Do you have any suggestions for apps?
This video rocks. I wonder if you have any advice. We use the Wonders curriculum and are required to use data from the weekly assessments provided, which are multiple choice tests. My students really struggle with these because the questions ten to provide multiple answers that could be right but one that is most correct. We are working on test taking strategies to try to "fix the problem" but I feel that these tests are unfair because students that I know understand the standard and could come up with a good defendable answer are scoring poorly because they have trouble choosing the best strategy. Multiple choice tests are not an accurate representation of my students' understanding and use of a skill/standard. My admin wants assessments that are "reliable" meaning I can't write my own or get something off TPT to asses my students' knowledge. Any ideas about what we could do?
Thank you for the comment. One of the most challenging part of ELA is justifying which evidence is best to support an answer. Think about a lawyer in a court case. They have evidence that will prove is someone is innocent or guilty, but not every piece of evidence will have the same "weight". Meaning, some evidence is going to absolutely prove it and some only suggests it. You could have routine practice as a class (make a game of it) that will help to discuss which evidence will have the biggest weight. They can number the evidence or you can have a search and find from the text. I love bringing this real-life connection into the classroom because it shows kids the value and importance of ELA in general.
I love this video, Bridget!! You and Michelle (Pocketful of Primary) have lots of great content in your videos. I love how descriptive you both are in your teaching. Here are questions can you compare the difference in ELA instruction when you taught kindergarten and your muti age students. Was planning of those ELA lessons easier or harder any of the grade levels? What challenges did you face in ELA in both grade levels? What worked best? Will you and Michelle do another video together? You two always put a smile on my face.
How can I simplify it when I have everything to cover each day?
Really interesting ideas here!!
This was so helpful!!
gosh i love ur brain
I agree.
You look so beautiful Bridget! :)
Your explanation of "Who am I to say [if you're wrong]?" around 4:30 can be a bit of a slippery slope. YES, essay writing can be subjective, but there is indeed a correct and ethical way of writing persuasively. Students must learn that reputable sources and research do not equate with personal opinion and a wiki search. Like you said with your classroom resources, not all are quality.
I teach 4th grade and for the first 3 years I taught reading. I hated every minute of it. I was not an effective reading teacher. I LOVE teaching math. In math, you can look at their work and see where they went wrong. In reading, you can’t see inside their brain to figure out what the problem is.
Definitely DO NOT AGREE with you.
Thank you for your honesty. Can you elaborate on why?