The following text by Timothy O’Keefe is an excerpt from by Heidi Mills, Timothy O’Keefe, and Louise B. Jennings (NCTE, 2004).
Something else that makes a difference in the lives of students and teachers聽is for us to be active and sincere learners ourselves.
How can we teach聽kids the importance of recreational reading if we don鈥檛 make space for聽it in our classrooms and if we are not readers ourselves? How can we聽teach writing if we don鈥檛 write? Don鈥檛 you know teachers who teach聽biology, and聽during the entire study there isn鈥檛 a living organism in the聽room other than humans? How do we teach astronomy and never look聽together at the night sky? How do we teach magnetism and not really聽know (or care) how it works?
I鈥檓 not suggesting that we reinvent the wheel every year. You聽don鈥檛 need to start from scratch every time you plan a unit of study. But聽there does need to be authentic inquiry going on鈥攅ven for us teachers.
Don鈥檛 simply take down your October box or pull out your animal聽unit file. Try a new experiment, something you really don鈥檛 know the聽outcome to. Try a new field study; invite in a new guest speaker. Be聽amazed. Don鈥檛 underestimate the power of your own amazement and聽its effect on your students.
During writing workshop, set aside enough聽time to enjoy what you ask your students to enjoy. Be more than a聽model鈥攂e a writer.
Children develop trust in what we say when we are brave enough聽to try out what we are having them do. How many of us consider ourselves聽to be writers? Scientists? Mathematicians? And yet isn鈥檛 that what聽we demand of our students?