It Really Is Rocket Science

This past week, I took a course in the Wilson Reading Program through the Stern Center. I'm very proud of the fact that in Vermont, to earn a leadership endorsement, you must have an educator's license. So besides my principal and superintendent endorsement, I have a PK - 6 educator's license. The week's reading class reminded me of the incredible effort it takes to teach students how to read. 

In the fall of 2001, I stepped into my first-grade classroom, overwhelmed, to say the least. Not only was I teaching a grade level I had never taught before, I knew how critical literacy was to the development of the minds of the twenty-four five and six-year-olds on my class list. I had just completed my Master of Science in Teaching degree and was well armed with plenty of manuals on teaching reading. And still, nothing could prepare me for how daunting this task was. Literacy is such a basic skill and a lifelong need for humans to be in the world. 

I was brought back to that very classroom at 250 Stuart Street in Boston this week by the course I took. Wilson takes a structured literacy approach, much like I learned as a graduate student and like the literacy program when I was a first-grade teacher. From long and short vowel sounds to closed consonants, high-frequency words, and the importance of word recognition and structure, it all came rushing back to me, especially how hard it was. 

The difficulty in teaching reading is never far from my awareness because of who I am in love with. My Wife is a Reading Specialist. After leaving the classroom (because of her frustration with not reaching all readers) for the past twenty years, she has had her own practice, working one-on-one with students, especially those with dyslexia, who struggle to learn how to read. Her work has been compared to that of a tutor, an aide, a crutch, or an unfair supplement. The work she does has been minimized in many subtle and some not-so-subtle ways. We were once at a party, and when she described what she did, one of those at the party (a teacher of another discipline) said, "Oh, I do that, even across the curriculum that I teach." 

The level of complexity in teaching, in general, is never far from my mind either. The work that teachers do, even pre-pandemic, is incredibly challenging. There is a reason it's called a profession. There's a reason we invest precious public tax dollars. There's a reason we are slow and deliberate in our hiring process. Education is never for the faint of heart, let alone when there are physical distancing requirements. The importance of it cannot be minimized, ever. 

I was presenting at an Informational Night in one of my first years as a superintendent, and a community member was asking some tough questions about our budget. At one point, the individual said out loud, "I don't understand why this is so hard. I went to school. I can teach." I took a deep breath and responded as humbly as I could, "Sir, saying something like that is like me saying, 'I had a haircut this weekend. Want me to cut your hair?' "

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Find a teacher. Thank a teacher. Whether it is a teacher who is currently teaching one of your own children or a teacher you had. Thank them for all the hours of unseen work. Thank them for the commitment to all students, not just the ones who do their homework. Thank them for turning their profession upside down this year in the face of a global health pandemic. Thank them for always creating a safe space for all students. Thank them for never giving up on a student. Thank them for choosing to see the good in every child. Thank them for crying at their desk after everyone leaves. Thank them for their undying promise to each and every child that crosses their threshold. 

It's not easy. None of it. And all our teachers ask for is our support. We can and do uphold the highest professional standards for a reason. 

After this week, I can confirm that teaching reading really is rocket science. 

Photo Courtesy of @NEAToday