Are They Getting It?

Photo above from
Help for Billy: A Beyond Consequences Approaching to Helping Challenging Children in the Classroom
by Heather T. Forbes

I recently led Writing in the Margins: Getting the Most from Professional Books, the first session in our new coaching series. The initial thing many participants had to confront was their fear of writing in books. And not just writing, but drawing, underlining, and questioning with arrows, numbers, and circles. The term for the marks and notes people make in the margins of books is marginalia.

With the purpose of enhancing comprehension and recall, I have enjoyed marking up books for as long as I can remember. It is like having a blank canvas where I can add to the text in my own way, with a bit of flair. I love it so much that I wanted to share it with others in the hopes that they too would get more out of their reading.

It was important to me to make sure that everyone was getting it. It is the same goal I have every time I instruct children in the classroom. Here’s the thing, though: we were all at our own computers in different rooms, cities, and even countries. It felt vastly different from being able to read the room. But it really wasn’t so different—especially when I relied on five things we all do every day with our own students:

• Clearly communicate the learning target.
• Ask questions to hook learners and get thinking started.
• Encourage frequent interaction and participation.
• Tie everything together with a recap at the end.
• Provide a follow-up opportunity for further communication (in this case, on our discussion board).

Based on how things went during the session, I can confidently say yes, the participants were getting it. But now the important part comes. Will they apply it? Will they start writing in their books? Will adding marginalia help them engage more deeply, connect more personally, and remember what they are reading? I’ll have to reengage, watch, and listen to find out.

Did you miss the coaching session? It will be available to all-access members on July 12. Sign up now for our July session: Using Favorite Picture Books for Instruction.

Do you write in the margins of your books? We’d love to see. Post on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook using the hashtag #TDCcoaching.