Outside Voices from the Inside: Cindy Minnich

Cindy Minnich teaches high school English in Elizabethville, PA and is one of the founding members of the Nerdy Book Club. Cindy and I have "known" each other via Twitter for a couple years but finally met in person at NCTE back in November and it was like running into an old friend you hadn't seen in a while. She is an amazing educator and it is clear from the way that she talks about her students that she was meant to teach high school English.

Follow Cindy on Twitter: @CBethM
Read Cindy's blog: Charting by the Stars



How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching full-time since 2004.


What initially drew you to a career in education?
I honestly had no idea I would be a teacher when I graduated high school. Or when I graduated with my BA in psychology. I had planned on a career in medicine, not teaching. But I was waiting to see what grad school possibilities were out there when I took a job substituting in neighboring school districts. I subbed and enjoyed it most days and felt grateful that it was giving me some space and time to think about what I really wanted to do. I didn't realize that teaching was what I wanted to do until I had a chance conversation with a teacher I'd subbed for.

I'd gone in to sub for a high school English teacher at my alma mater. The plans were to have them read one of the many literary incarnations of Faustus. (Perhaps Marlowe's?) There were notes for the students read and do the questions at the end of the selection, but I figured that I'd better get them thinking about what the idea of the story was before doing anything. I gave them the premise of the story and then told them that I probably would have traded my soul for a prom date at their age. Such a loaded statement got a reaction and led to questions and discussion - and students willingly dove into the text to see what happened.

I ran into the teacher a couple of weeks later when I was back subbing for someone else. She told me that the kids really understood what they read and were eager to talk about it when she returned - and she asked what I was certified to teach. When I told her that I was only emergency certified to sub, she told me that I might want to reconsider.

Up until that moment, teaching as a profession had never crossed my mind. But after that, I couldn't get the possibility out of my thoughts. I'm grateful for her suggestion and haven't regretted one single moment.


What motivates you as a teacher?
I won't lie - I'm motivated by successes, but challenges keep me moving as well. And there is nothing better than a student saying, "Thank you."


What has been your best classroom memory thus far?
I am always happiest when I am talking about books and reading books with my students. When I read this question, I had a beautiful montage of former classes doing just that playing in my mind.

But if I had to pick the best days, they were when I invited authors to be part of my classes. The day that we Skyped on World Read Aloud Day with David Macinnis Gill, Sarah Darer Littman, and Gae Polisner and the day that Gae Polisner came to my class (in person!).


What do you want the future of education to look like?
I want the future of education to be more about questions and problems - how students can engage in searching for and finding answers and solutions. We shouldn't be testing them on what's been done - we should be encouraging them to apply that as a means to do something more. And that something more should be authentic.

In that future of education, the lines between subject areas would blur. Sure, it'd be messy and uncompartmentalized, but it would be meaningful and memorable...and useful.


What makes you stay in the classroom?
What makes me stay? The fact that I will always have something new to learn in this career. I learn from the kids, I learn from my colleagues, I learn from my reflections - and I get to try to do each day, each unit, each year better every time. There's no chance for boredom because there is no way to reach teaching nirvana. This means I'll get to be a willing student for the rest of my life.


What do the words "use your outside voice" mean to you?
To me that translates to, "Speak up for what's right." We are the experts in our field. We live the realities of public policies in action. We need to use our outside voices to let others know what we know: that funding cuts hurt our students' educations, that what is tested is what is taught, that test scores reflect far more than what's been taught, that people do really care what students think no matter what Mr. Coleman says.

On the corner of bitter and sweet

Today was my last day in my classroom. I'm a trifle sad, but I'm also looking forward to what the future holds for me, namely, the absence of an 84-mile-a-day commute.

I will miss the school, the students, and my wonderful colleagues, but it's time to move on. A la John Green's "Thoughts from Places", here's me saying goodbye to room 202
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Cross-posted to A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

When you give students choice...

As I read through my students' end of the year reading reflections, as I always, I was excited and my heart was full by their responses. It's amazing what growth you find in your students when you give them choice in what they read.

My students and I are celebrating our reading for this year

Yesterday I took pictures of my students holding up a sign with the number of books they completed during the school year.  It was so heartwarming to see their proud smiles, relishing in their accomplishments.

Rather than writing a manifesto on why setting aside time in class to give students choice in what they read is important (which I have done many times before), I thought I'd let you hear directly from my students...

Lauren K:
My reading preferences changed this year because I used to not know what kind of books I liked . Now I know my favorite types of books are historical fiction.

Elizabeth Z:

My reading life poster looking rather worn out

My goals at the beginning of the year were to like reading and achieve more in the year. I now love reading and I achieved more this year than any year ever.

I hated reading. I would never read. Now I love reading. I think it is one of the best things in the world. Also one of the most important. I hated fantasy and I would not go near the Harry Potter series with a ten foot pole. My dad wanted me to read them forever. Then Mrs. Shaum assigned Harry Potter as a lit circle book. Now I love fantasy!

(Side note: in a reading conference with Elizabeth, she told me that she thought her dad had talked to me and that's why she was assigned Harry Potter as a lit circle book. I knew nothing of her dislike for the series other than the fact that most kids I assign this book to are in the same boat I was: wanted NOTHING to do with the series, were coaxed into it, and then ended up loving it.)

Vicky S:
Now instead of reading before bed, I read at the dentist, doctor, in the car, instead of watching TV, in my room when I'm punished (most of the time) AND before bed.

Nicole S:
Mrs. Shaum got me to read (well listen to) The Hunger Games and she got me to really like authors I have never even heard of: John Green, Christopher Healy, Ruta Sepetys, and especially RJ Palacio. She also got me and my mom to have reading competitions.

Mickey K:
My reading habits have not changed very much. I still read often at home. My preference for books changed when Mrs. Shaum came back from NCTE with a bunch of books and did book talks on them. Another time they changed was when our classmates did book talks. 

Grace R:
My reading habits have changed over the year. I am now reading young adult books. Last year I was reading books below my grade level. I'm glad I'm reading more. Young adult books give me ideas for stories too.

Bea B:
When I started I really only liked realistic fiction and mystery. Now I have grown to like fantasy and historical fiction. I also used to only read when I was told to. Now I read whenever I have the chance.


What these students have to say show exactly why lower test scores don't always equate to lack of progress:

Maria H:
My reading rate went down but I can explain. I'm reading a biography that's a very tall book with small text. The other books I read were shorter and even bigger text. I probably would have done better if I read the same book from my last encounter of doing reading rate.

Tommy S:
Throughout the year my reading rate went down. I was reading harder books. I also started to think about the words more so I understand all of the story.

My reading habits have changed because during the summer I used to read every morning. Now I read whenever I can, which is never in the morning. I used to absolutely only read fantasy, but now I also read some realistic fiction and historical fiction. Not to mention mystery and classics.

Outside Voices from the Inside: Katherine Sokolowski

I have known Katherine Sokolowski via Twitter for a few years now but I finally met her in person at NCTE last year in Las Vegas. If I ever have the opportunity to travel around and visit classrooms of my Twitter PLN, Katherine's classroom in Monticello, Illinois would be one of the first I'd visit.

Read Katherine's inspiring blog: Read, Write, Reflect
Follow Katherine on Twitter: @Katsok

What grade(s), subject(s) do you teach?

  

I teach fifth grade, three classes of reading, one class of writing.

How long have you been teaching? 

This is my fifteenth year teaching.

What initially drew you to a career in education?

My mom taught third grade for years. I would help out in her classroom. Also, my first grade teacher had me read to her classroom. I was hooked.

What motivates you as a teacher?

I want kids to see their potential and work hard to help them realize it.

I also love to teach the kids who can’t sit still, who have had a rough time up to fifth grade. Those kids who don’t like school. Getting them to change that viewpoint and see how successful they can be is very rewarding.

And, of course, I love helping students find a love of reading.

What has been your best classroom memory thus far?

Wow, that’s a hard question. There have been amazing memories every year, every week, every day. I’ll go with a current one so I don’t have to think so hard.

A boy in my class came in this year very angry. He hated school and reading. He did love graphic novels, but didn’t think I would count them as real books. (Of course, I did.)

Last week we added up how much he had read this year. He’s read over 200 books, has grown almost two years in relation to reading. He jumped up six levels in Fountas and Pinnell and increased over one hundred words per minute in regard to reading fluency. When he and I conferenced at the end of the year, he hugged me and said he’d miss my classroom. That was a good day.

What do you want the future of education to look like?

Student centered with student voices being heard.
Choice in regards to reading and writing.
Authentic work being done in the classrooms.
Teachers being viewed as the experts in their classrooms.
Time given for reflection instead of just cramming more on our plate.
Teachers viewed as the experts they are and the profession treated with respect.

What makes you stay in the classroom?

The students. I love interacting with them, seeing them grow, visiting with former students year after year and hearing what they took away from our time together.

 What do the words “use your outside voice” mean to you?

That we need to speak up and tell the world what we know to be true:
 We are the ones inside the four walls of our classrooms. We know what children are capable of at the age we teach. We know what is important that children learn. We should not sit back and let others dictate how and what education looks like. We are the experts, the artists. It is time to take our profession back.

Why read alouds are important: from the mouth of middle schoolers

There is the presumption that when kids get older, like upper elementary, middle, and high school, that they don't need to be read to anymore. I was under that presumption for a long time, but then I realized after building a supportive personal learning network on Twitter what opportunities I was missing by not reading aloud to my class. Read alouds build community, they allow students to experience a reading role model, and they give a class an opportunity to just sit back and enjoy a great work of literature.

Often teachers think they don't have time to read aloud to kids when they get older because there's just too much curriculum to cram into a day, week, month, and year (high stakes testing certainly doesn't help with this presumption). 

A few years ago, I decided to make a commitment to setting aside time everyday to read aloud to my sixth graders, and their responses this year to their favorite read aloud only solidified my reasons for sharing this experience with my students, no matter how old they are.

Here's what some of them had to say:

Connor H:
My favorite read aloud was probably When You Reach Me because it didn't leave you bored at any time. Also it was kind of funny when everyone started arguing of what they think's going to happen.

Alice W:
My favorite read aloud this year was When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. I read it before, but hearing it read aloud is different, better somehow. I noticed details I had sort of mentally overlooked in my excitement to finish the book. I really enjoyed listening to it, as it is one of my favorite books anyway.

Samantha M:
My favorite read aloud this year was When You Reach Me. This was my favorite because there was a lot of suspense and it was very fun to predict what was going to happen. I also really liked Turtle in Paradise because it was easy to follow and in some ways, very relateable.
I hope the new literature/English teacher does read alouds. 

Rosie W:
My favorite read aloud was Wonder and When You Reach Me because I loved reading Wonder by myself and it was even more fun reading it with the class. When You Reach Me had so much anticipation! I loved it!

Andrew F:
My favorite read aloud was by far Wonder by RJ Palacio. It was very descriptive and was really funny in some parts. My favorite part was when Jack was being yelled at, so Justin walked up to the boys that were bullying Jack and showed them his fiddle case. The boys thought there was a gun in the case. They ran away screaming like six-year-old girls.

Tommy S:
My favorite read aloud was awesome. It was Wonder. It really made me think about what Auggie went through. Not to mention that the story was super funny and emotional. You (Mrs. Shaum) even cried! So I loved the book Wonder. It was easily the best.

Bea B:
My favorite read aloud this year was Wonder. I really liked the characters, especially Auggie. This book was very emotional for me and Mrs. Shaum. This book is one of my true favorites and always will be.

Outside Voices from the Inside: Niki Barnes

Niki Barnes is one of the most passionate, enthusiastic educators I have ever met. She was a member of the Nerdy Book Club before there even was a Nerdy Book Club. I had the privilege of visiting her classroom in Dorr, Michigan back in March and it was one of the most memorable days I've ever had as a teacher. Niki's students share her enthusiasm and passion for books and weren't shy at all about sharing that with me. 

Follow Niki on Twitter: @daydreamreader

Read her blog: Daydream Reader

How long have you been teaching?

I have been teaching for eleven years. I’ve taught 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th grade. I’ve been teaching at my current school for the last 7 years. I love it at Dorr Elementary! Plus, I get to hang out with awesome teachers like TravisJonker!

What initially drew you to a career in education?

Well, I didn’t always want to be a teacher. My dad is a math teacher so I wanted nothing to do with teaching at first. Then I worked at a day care in college and loved it. So I decided teaching was for me after all.

What motivates you as a teacher?

I love when my students get excited about books! My favorite quote this year from one of my second grade students was, “I’m a book worm because I love Lunch Lady books!”

What has been your best classroom memory thus far?

I love our classroom celebrations around books and literacy. My favorite celebration was our Fake Mustache party. We read Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger as a classroom read aloud. Then we had a party where we all wore fake mustaches. It was a blast! I don’t know who had more fun…my students or me.

What do you want the future of education to look like?

I am so hoping the high stakes testing craze is on the way out! Sadly, I think testing companies and politicians are the only people that are for it. I would love to see the pendulum swing towards developmentally appropriate learning, hands-on activities, choice and much more collaboration time for teachers. I think teachers are the professionals and should be making the decisions in terms of curriculum and what works best for their students.

What makes you stay in the classroom?

My students!! I stand by the 22 reasons I am a teacher. The 22 reasons are my 22 second grade students.

 What do the words “use your outside voice” mean to you?

I think it means standing up for your students and your profession. Right now I believe teachers need to stand up against what they know is wrong in terms of high stakes testing and teaching practices that are not developmentally appropriate for their students. I think it is important to spread the word that you are making a difference as a teacher. When it comes right down to it “using your outside voice” means shouting loudly about your passion for your students and their learning! We need the public to know that learning shouldn’t be about students filling in the right bubble. It needs to be about students being fulfilled when it comes to their learning right now.

A Beautiful Noise

One of the best parts of my day as a middle school language arts teacher is getting to sit down with my class and reading a book aloud to them. At the moment, we are reading Rebecca Stead's Newbery-winning novel When You Reach Me.

Yesterday we came to the climax of the story where a great deal of the mystery was revealed but there was still enough unresolved where students didn't quite know all the answers. I stopped at the end of this chapter and asked students to create a t-chart in their literature journals of "what I know" and "what I'm still confused about". That writing assignment lasted all of about 30 seconds before students just started shouting across the room at each other, trying to explain what they knew and what they were still confused about. Normally a din in the classroom causes my hackles to be raised and I quickly put a stop to the noise, but in this case, I just sat back and enjoyed the friendly debates. At that moment, there wasn't a single student in the classroom who was talking about anything other than what just happened in the book, what they knew, and what they were inferring. It was a beautiful sight and sound to behold and will probably be one of my all-time favorite classroom memories.