I CANNOT READ.

Of course you can read. You are reading right now…. Tell me what the story is about. I would love to listen…. Yes. That does say bear…. I can help you with other words you may not know. I know more words than you because I have been reading for a long time, but even though I read a lot, I don’t always know all the words…. Picture books are great. I wish I could draw like that…. I love graphic novels too…. That looks like a great choice. May I read with you?

“If we really want students to be leisure readers, we must find ways to inspire a desire to read in students who do not get such inspiration at home.”

I CANNOT WRITE.

Of course you can write. Tell me what you want your writing to say. When you say your story aloud the way you just did, you are writing in the air. Would you like to write in the air, and I can catch your words on paper? Or, I can type your words as you say them….You can write even if you don’t know how to spell all the words. You can string letters together and listen to the sounds. You can think about what you want your words to say. Then, you can bring me your writing. If I can’t read a word, you can read it to me.

“It is important for children to scribble because it teaches them that print on a page represents what they are thinking or saying: that writing (scribbling) has meaning.”

I AM NOT GOOD AT MATH.

I am sorry you feel that way. Let’s get out rulers and measure things…. Let’s see how many Pokémon Cards long this is…. Let’s fill up this jar with bouncy balls. Let’s see if we can figure out how many bouncy balls are in the jar. Now, let’s see how close we were. Let’s count them…. Let’s get out the Base Ten Blocks and make numbers. I will make a number and you tell me what it is, and then you can make a number and I will tell you what it is. Wow, look at you measuring and counting and making numbers. See, you were wrong. You have great number sense. You are good at math.

“It is critical that when parents interact with children about math they communicate positive messages….”

I TRIED MY BEST.

I know you tried your best. I never doubted that. Not understanding something does not mean you did not try your best. It can take a long time to understand something.

“We expect so much from them, and they feel the pressure.”

IT ‘S TOO HARD.

Learning new things is hard. It’s about the journey; it does not mean we will always get there.

This photo was taken on October 23, 2010. Hannah skated until she left for college in 2020. Tonight, she told me that skating was the hardest thing she did when she was a kid (I knew she would say that). And even though she never made it to the Olympics, she still loves the sport and still skates when she comes home. The other night we texted together to discuss the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Olympic Team.

“The takeaway is that when your child is struggling on something or has setbacks, don’t focus on their abilities, focus on what they can learn from it.”

YAY. IT’S FRIDAY.

What about Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday? I thought I was making learning fun. I am sorry. I will do better. I want you to like school, not just on Fridays.

A thought for teachers: Mondays Read aloud a great picture book. Tuesdays Eat with your class. Wednesdays Estimation Jar. Thursdays A messy science experiment.

Many teachers now wear t-shirts on Friday that say Friyay. Maybe now they can add a Monyay, Tuesyay, Wednesyay and Thursyay.

WAS I GOOD TODAY?

You were good today. I am sorry I did something or said something to make you feel that you needed to ask that.

Please say goodbye to behavior charts and hello to private conversations.

“Let’s build relationships that promote growth of the whole child — and the skills each student needs for a lifetime of positive interactions and success.”

I FORGOT….

Let us talk about why you did not do your math problems last night. I will listen. If you are not doing something, I want to know why….If you are not bringing things back, I want to know why. How can I help you remember to return your book? Is there a reason you are not bringing back your book? Your permission slip?

“Intentionally making strong connections with every student creates a learning atmosphere that’s built on empathy and understanding.”

I DID NOT WANT….

ICE CREAM. TO DRESS UP. TO MAKE A HUNDREDTH DAY HAT. TO WEAR PAJAMAS. TO BRING A FLOWER FOR MY TEACHER. TO GO ON THAT FIELD TRIP.

I am sorry that our school sells ice cream on Wednesdays. I am sorry that kids dressed up for picture day when you did not have what you wanted to wear, so you did not dress up at all. I am sorry that nobody took you to Michael’s to buy you supplies to make the perfect hat. I am sorry that you did not like the pajamas you had and did not want ones that somebody gave you. I am sorry that nobody stopped at Publix to give you a flower to bring to your teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week. I am sorry you were not able to afford the trip to St. Augustine. I am sorry that our county does not do better.

Almost two years ago, I spoke at a School Board Meeting to address the inequities I see in our schools. It was March of 2018. Somebody called me to ask me more about what I said and then schools were shutdown and I never heard from anyone again.

I am ready to start a new conversation.