I had the good fortune to spend a few days in a classroom outside of Chicago. I spent lots of time watching one of those teachers you just hope your child gets. You’ll get a chance to see Cathy in action when we add our clips to the classroom strategies section of our website. Until then, trust me when I say that this is a teacher who has created and nurtured a real community of learners. The kids treat each other with respect, they function independently within the classroom, and the lessons the teacher plans are ones the kids don’t want to miss.

It’s the climate of the school too. As a visitor, I was greeted by a large sign in the front hall: Estar Aqui, Estar Listo. It’s been while since my high school Spanish class, but Cathy helped: Be here, be ready. We talked about what it meant, and I’ve thought about it since. It’s great advice to give kids. It’s also great advice for teachers.

“Being here, and being ready” as a kid means pretty tangible things. Come to school, eat breakfast, and have a sharp pencil for the day’s activities. For teachers, I think it’s more about the intangibles: being ‘present’ with your kids, and seeing them as humans, as individuals. Being ready to change what isn’t working, being willing to try something new, or going back to something old. What matters is what works, for each child.

What about you? What does ‘being here’ and ‘being ready’ mean to you as a teacher or a parent?

About the Author

Joanne Meier has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education, including serving on the faculty at the University of Virginia for six years where she trained reading specialists and future classroom teachers. Dr. Meier was Reading Rockets’ research-to-practice consultant from 2002 to 2014, where she wrote the Page by Page blog — sharing best practices in supporting young readers at home and in the classroom.

Publication Date
March 31, 2011

Related Topics

Classroom Management, School-Wide Efforts, Struggling Readers
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