The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
July 18, 2009
The Unwowables
Wonder is
involuntary
praise.
Edward
Young
When we finished our workshops last fall, "The Sisters" (Joan
Moser and Gail Boushey) and I had an extra evening together.
We decided to celebrate by treating ourselves to a spectacular dinner
out.
The restaurant we visited wasn't just any old cafe - it's a small place
on the Maine coast which has been visited by reviewers from the New
York Times and Gourmet magazine over the years, with everyone from top
national publications to the folks writing at foodie websites giving it
rapturous reviews. Walking up the steps to the charming
building was like entering a fairyland by way of a bistro, with tiny
twinkle lights and the kind of details that let you know someone put a
lot of care into creating the perfect dining environment.
It was Monday, a quiet night, and the early crowd was just us and one
other table that arrived a few minutes later. Joan, Gail, and
I were tucking into the second course of our five-course lobster
tasting menu while the other diners next to us still hadn't
ordered. Finally, a man from their table motioned the server
over. "We're leaving," he announced. "Just give us
a check for these drinks." The server assured him she would
send it right over, and then asked why they weren't staying for
dinner. He glanced around, waving his hands, as he proclaimed
loudly, "This place, this menu - it just didn't WOW us."
"It just didn't wow him? It just didn't WOW him?!" I
whispered loudly to Joan and Gail, as they shushed me. Now
granted, we are country gals, and not long ago "upscale dining" for us
was any restaurant that didn't include a "with cheese" option
for all the entrees. Even so, it was hard to believe anyone
wouldn't think this restaurant had the wow factor down, from the unique
entrees to the warm and trendy decor.
I've thought about it since, and came up with three possibilities for
why that guy wasn't wowed:
1. He takes pride in never being wowed. I've come
across people like him in professional settings, and they are never
impressed. Their identity is wrapped up in having higher,
better standards than everyone they work with. In my
experience, these people are deeply insecure about their own work
performance, often with good reason.
2. He wanted something that wasn't on the menu. It
might have been a two-pound steak, or a kumquat - who knows?
But when the item wasn't there, his needs and wants weren't met, so he
walked away.
3. He couldn't afford the prices. It was a lovely
but very expensive restaurant, and "not being wowed" was a way to save
face.
You might be hard at work right now on a project, presentation, or
classroom display that you are sure will wow everyone. Part
of why we spend so many more hours than we should on our work is
anticipating that moment when faces will light up and everyone will be
amazed by what we've done. Just remember there is always that
one person who will not be wowed, will likely never be wowed, and has
the ability to send you trudging back to your car at the end of the
day completely deflated. When that happens to me,
too often I spend the drive home worrying and obsessing over that one
person who said, "Meh, I've seen better," instead of celebrating the
dozens or hundreds who loved the effort.
The server's attitude was just right. She asked for feedback,
thanked the group for stopping in, then quickly prepared the table for
the next diners. She never missed a beat, throughout the
evening answering all our questions and delivering every course with
flair and good humor.
Don't worry about the unwowables - it may be insecurity that keeps them
from acknowledging the quality of your work, or a fear that they will
be held to the same standard, or even their need to claim allegiance to
the one program or curricular idea that fuels their own teaching and
learning. At some level you're a threat, and their response
isn't about the work at all.
Of course, it's easy for me to write these words, since I don't have a
boss or colleague I have to deal with every day who is
unwowable. But it's still good advice, because if you're a
person who routinely produces incredible work, the unwowables can grind
you down and keep you from doing your best. And that's a loss
for everyone else in your community who appreciates your efforts.
In the year since that dining experience, Joan, Gail and I have enjoyed
our new catch phrase often when we're together. Whenever we
read a spectacular book or walk into a gorgeous classroom or view a
particularly thoughtful lesson together, one of us is likely to wrinkle
our nose and whisper, "It just didn't WOW me." Then we all
cackle like idiots. It's our code for highlighting
and enjoying beautiful work - and reminding ourselves of all those
"wows" in our midst, and what fun it is to share them with others.
This week, we've got resources for thinking through how to welcome
students to your classroom and reorganize materials. Plus
more as always - enjoy!
Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy
Free for All
A classic from the Choice Literacy Archives for building community, and
making great use of a bulletin board or wall as you're getting your
classroom ready. Suzy Kaback created the "All About Us"
display with her 5th graders, but it works equally well with older or
younger students too:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/227.cfm
Looking for some great writing quotes for the walls, nooks, and
crannies of your classroom? The Adventurous Writer Blog has a
round-up of "best writing advice" quotes, with links from the authors
quoted to their blogs:
http://tinyurl.com/neljza
The Quote Garden also has an extensive compilation of writing quotes:
http://www.quotegarden.com/writing.html
Can YouTube actually be used to encourage reading? The Book Choice Blog
has compiled a collection of links to videos that build interest in
favorite children's books:
http://tinyurl.com/kutfgr
From Scholastic, a list of "starting school" books for read-alouds with
very young learners:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3133
The final Choice Literacy Workshops in 2009 will take place in
Rockland, Maine October 17-18 at the beautiful Samoset Resort. Topics
include CAFE Assessment with The Sisters, Assessment with Clare
Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan, Delight in Words with Franki Sibberson,
and Literacy Coach Jumpstart with Jennifer Allen. If you have
never been to this venue on the rocky Maine coast, you are in for a treat. You
can download the two-page PDF brochure describing the workshops at this
link:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/samoset09.pdf
For Members Only
Are you moving to a new room this year? Ann Marie Corgill
switches from first to sixth grade this year, and finds herself
immersed in rethinking the "learning landscape" as she unpacks boxes
and sets up her classroom. While the room looks a little different,
the principles for classroom design are the same. She shares
her process in this photo essay:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/926.cfm
If you're looking for routines that meld community building and
learning essential skills, you might enjoy Andrea Smith's "Our Daily
Question" activity with her 3rd and 4th grade students.
Classmates share interests and build data gathering and analysis skills
together:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/930.cfm
Katie Doherty and Ruth Shagoury present "The Book Lovers Quilt
Project," a fun way to launch (or close) the year with middle schoolers
and discover the best-loved books of students from previous
years. This project can be adapted for any age level:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/929.cfm
"Some people suggest that in summer's ease, we have the time to rethink
our curriculum, to read and select books we want to use next year, to
consider how we will begin again in the fall, to get better organized.
Yes, we do. And, yes, we could. But somehow just thinking about all
that makes me tired." If you couldn't agree more with these words from
poet Shirley McPhillips, you are sure to enjoy her latest poem, "Days
Ease." It's perfect for the natural rhythms and mind's
wanderings of mid-July:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/927.cfm
That's all for this week!
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Jennifer Allen
