Kathleen at Leadership High School in San Francisco is celebrating Valentine’s Day with love. She is challenging her students to read a book of their choice above their Lexile level.
Kathleen has been meeting and conferencing with every student. The conferences are conversations about what students are reading. They’re also how Kathleen is sharing with students their results on the latest online reading assessment.
When hearing their Lexile levels, this is how students have responded:
– “Thank you.”
– “It’s important for us to know the truth.”
– “How can we improve, if we don’t know the truth of where we are?”
– “Thank you.”
This truth-telling is a form of love. So is giving students choice. So is pushing students to challenge themselves with books above their Lexile level.
Here is a photo from Kathleen’s classroom.
What a great way to move into Valentine’s Day weekend. As Kathleen says, “Rigor is love.” I’m lucky to be able to partner with her on this Kindle Classroom Project.
This is so, so good. Thank you! What an inspiration!
Just seeing Kathleen’s handwriting makes me smile- Rigor is love!
This article does not even begin to explain the learning experience one receives in Kathleen’s Classroom. It is not the posters nor the paintings that make one feel loved in her classroom but the genuine care for her students that is profound. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love that she tells the truth to all her students but is that not what she is expected to do? Are there teachers out there who lie to their children about their lexile levels? So what is it about Kathleen’s teaching that creates this loving atmosphere. I can tell you one thing for sure, it’s not lexile levels and posters. It is her unique ability to connect with each student on a personal level and engage the passions of her students. Kathleen does not fear engaging love into her curriculum, and that is what makes her an astounding teacher
Thank you, Jordan. I love you.