Do-ish Don’t

After running from house to house for two hours nonstop, my daughter was worn out! I had let her attend swim team practice before trick-or-treating, so she was more exhausted than her best friend, who had skipped softball practice. When asked if she wanted to keep going, Leila responded, “I do-ish don’t.” When I asked her what she meant, she said, “I made that word up. I am having so much fun, I do want to keep going, but I am also really tired and don’t think I can run anymore.”

The more I thought about this, the more Leila’s made-up word resonated with me. Our students live in a constant state of “do-ish don’ts.” Students do want to grow academically, but they don’t always believe that they can do it. Students do want to please us, but they don’t always want to follow our directions. Students do want to read accurately and fluently, but they don’t always know how to do so on their own.

Students do not always know what they want or what they need, which is why teachers are so valuable. Although our students often find themselves in a “do-ish don’t” state of mind, we are able to guide them effectively using our I-charts, assessments, conferring notes, and engaging Daily 5 and Math Daily 3 routines.