As winter transitions to spring, there is an argument in the skies. High winds, thunder, rain, and more rain. In parts of my state, flooding. Transitions can be ugly, hard, and unpredictable.
In a digital classroom, transitions come slowly and with less fanfare. In fact sometimes the transition is barely visible. You have to look hard to see it happening.
On Thursday, when winter was fighting with spring outside, inside the room was quiet. Every student was focused on the work of reading and writing. I didn’t want to breathe. I was afraid to make a sound for fear this was a fleeting moment.
When I look at this scene through the reflections of my students’ faces, I realize that they have become exactly who I had hoped they would be…independent learners.
Later that night I took some time to read their blog posts. I saw independent writers making craft moves, writing with voice, and creating complete stories. While I wasn’t looking, the transition happened.
There are some reasons for this growing independence:
- Routine: Students thrive on routine. They like to know what is expected and when. Within a routine, students feel comfortable to be themselves.
- Writing Daily: We have been participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge. Anything that you practice daily gets better and better. My students are no longer afraid of the blank screen. They usually walk into class knowing what they will write about that day.
- Freedom: Within the framework of routine, my students have freedom of choice. They know the checklist and expectations, but they can choose what they write about and how they respond to learning.
- Safety: Building a safe environment for students is at the top of my list. I respect (and love) each child and expect them to treat each other with kindness and respect.
March may be a turbulent time in the weather forecast, but inside things are calm and running smoothly.
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This is a great post! Nice for summing up the journey, but also a good one to revisit in the fall, when the hard work of setting up those routines results in some sore muscles and self-doubt.
Lovely reflection of what was and what is now. This would be great for the students to reflect on too.
It sounds as though your students, like March, came in “like lions” and will go out “like lambs”–because you’ve given them structure and freedom and truly engaged them. Great post!
Your students have become pilots of their own learning and they are making great choices from what they do to how they do it. Choice, voice, and opportunity are so present in your classroom. But I think the biggest factor here are the relationships you have built. Beautiful results come from that.
You have to start somewhere in order to transition, right? You started them off with the routines and ideas so that they could transition to this place. We are the facilitators of the transition.
It’s like magic when students get to this point! (And you’re the magician!)
As you said, we’re on polar opposite sides of this transition thing today. But your kids showed the power of taking ownership – well done!
Love the list, Margaret. It almost seems like a gift you give yourself as a teacher working patiently through the year, trusting that it (that independence) will be. I hope you are okay with all the storms that I’ve seen on the news.
Linda, we are fine. Most of the rain fell north and east of us. There is much flooding in our state.
Margaret, I have watched your students benefit from your instruction over the past few years. I love this line from your post: “My students are no longer afraid of the blank screen.” They are fearless writers who have sprouted their wings.
Safety is crucial – I love how you value it here.
[…] DigiLit Sunday under the leadership of Margaret Simon focused this week on Transitions. Margaret delighted in the transition her students made to independent learners through the workshop approach in her classroom.Carol Varsalona discussed the importance of transition words in writing and in movies for her photography gallery. I love that she wrote her ideas in a poem. […]
Your list is so straightforward, yet it can sometimes be difficult to keep the daily routines in place. Love the weather analogy you use in the beginning of your post!