Last year my sister was on a tour bus in New York City when she saw a strange sight - a line over three blocks long of hundreds of very large people, all waiting patiently to file into the NBC studios. The tour guide explained there was a contestant call that day for the television show "The Biggest Loser."

Many of us long to reinvent ourselves a bit at the start of the year, no matter our personal failings (whether it be diet, clutter, or keeping in touch with old friends). I confess I'm a fan of those home makeover programs that feature miraculous overnight redecorating, and I can't resist magazine stories about people who transform their bodies with a great diet and exercise program (and I suspect a little a plastic surgery along the way, too).

We're locked into the "Ugly Duckling Syndrome" in our culture, always ready to celebrate change that renders our homes, bodies, or classrooms almost unrecognizable. This can be a trap for literacy leaders - have you ever been so enthusiastic about a new reading or writing program that you've steamrolled over colleagues with your enthusiasm, only to pay a price later?

Journalist Roy Peter Clark of the Poynter Institute notes the danger of the Ugly Duckling story in how we perceive ourselves, especially when it comes to learning and growth:

For reasons I don't quite understand, "The Ugly Duckling" has become the dominant story form of American popular culture, especially so-called "reality" television shows, perhaps because the narrative fits snugly into a celebrity culture in which every person dreams of becoming a star...

There's a problem with ancient story forms. They have strict requirements that force us to select some details but reject others. Real life -- unlike reality television -- is not scripted and stated. In real life, the swan was pretty cute as a duckling, and the emperor may not be dressed in gold, but at least he's wearing a golf shirt and Bermuda shorts.

Roy Peter Clark, The Poynter Institute

I recently read through old issues of The Big Fresh, and was horrified at how often I used the verb "transform" to describe literacy program changes. I have to work harder at resisting the ugly duckling trap in describing classrooms and curriculum. The urge to do our jobs better is a positive impulse, but that doesn't mean we have to reject all the good things we've accomplished in our school communities over the past year...or past decade. There is no miracle unveiling in real life of the "new you" - only steady progress over time, with milestones along the way worth celebrating. And Roy Peter Clark is right - I've observed many ducklings on the lakes of Maine, and I've yet to see one that wasn't adorable.

This week, our theme is change, with a new quote collection, and much more as always. Enjoy!

Brenda Power

Editor, Choice Literacy

www.choiceliteracy.com

Free for All

If you're looking for just the right quote on change for a newsletter, meeting with students, or professional development workshop, we might have it in our new quote collection:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/515.cfm

It's tough to make changes if you're feeling stressed or exhausted. From the wonderful Responsive Classrooms organization, a short essay with quick tips from four teachers on how they de-stress and renew themselves daily:

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/19_4nl_2.html

Is decluttering and cleaning up your classroom library, student storage, and meeting area at the top of your "change" list this winter? You might enjoy Simply Organized the newest 60 minute DVD from The Sisters. It features quick changes in two classrooms with time-lapse videography. A free preview of the DVD is available at this link:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/products/item17.cfm

For Members Only

The Sisters have Part II of their three-part video series on a middle school classroom makeover posted. This week, they help Erin set up a small classroom library area for her 7th graders, and talk through decluttering the media cart area:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/513.cfm

Franki Sibberson creates one of her ever-popular booklists - this one is on new poetry collections that can do double and triple duty across the curriculum, and are favorites of her grades 3-4 students:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/514.cfm

Finally, from the Choice Literacy Archives, if one of the changes you're working on is building a stronger home-school connection, "Family Dichos" are a simple and fun way to bring the language and cultures of your students' homes into your classroom. You can read Ruth Shagoury's explanation of dichos and how to use them in classrooms at this link:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/150.cfm

That's all for this week!