The Truth Be Told: It's Clear as Mud!

In this episode, Dr. Gina Pepin takes us to the small-group reading table, where one second grader’s honest declaration—“It’s clear as mud”—becomes the heart of a bigger lesson about teaching and learning. With humor and heart, Dr. Pepin reflects on why confusion is not failure, but a powerful step toward growth.

She reminds us that the “mud moments” in literacy instruction aren’t setbacks—they’re invitations. Invitations for teachers to slow down, lean in, and create a safe space where students can say, “I’m not there yet, but I’m willing to try.”

Join Dr. Pepin as she celebrates the messy, magical journey of reading development, offering encouragement for every teacher who’s ever had a lesson land less than perfectly. Because when we’re willing to wade through the mud together, that’s when the real breakthroughs—and the real magic—happen.

Check out more at www.ginapepin.com

Transcript

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Teacher to Teacher, where we celebrate the messy, magical, meaningful moments of literacy learning. I am Dr. Gina Pepin, and today's story comes straight from the small group table during a reading intervention session with one of my favorite first grade truth tellers. So we were knee deep in decoding some multisyllabic words, bullfrog, sunset moment, you know, all the really fun ones. And I had just explained a new chunking strategy and modeled it really slowly. I looked up feeling hopeful and asked, does it make sense? And this student, without missing a beat, tilts his head and goes, it's clear as mud. I mean, he wasn't wrong, and I loved him for saying it, because that moment reminded me of something essential that we sometimes forget in our carefully planned, color-coded lessons. Learning doesn't always land the first time, or even the fifth. Sometimes the most valuable response a student can give us is an honest one. When a student says it's clear as mud, they're not just being silly, they're trusting us. They're opening a window into their confusion, saying I'm not there yet, but I'm willing to keep trying if you'll keep showing me. And that is really powerful. So as a reading specialist, I don't expect every child to leave my table reading Shakespeare, but I do expect to create a space where it's safe to say, this still feels really muddy. Because learning to read is not linear. It's full of detours, sinkholes, and yes, mud. Our job isn't just to pave the road. Sometimes it's to jump in the puddle with them, to splash around and say, yep, this is tricky, but let's wade through it together. So to the teachers listening today, celebrate the mud moments because they're honest, they're real, and they're the beginning of true breakthroughs. Because eventually after enough practice and enough support and enough room to be confused, the mud clears and patterns will click and confidence builds. And those same students will someday look up and say, hey, I get it now. And when that happens, oh, it's real magic. Thanks for joining me today on Let's Talk Teacher to Teacher. Remember, the most meaningful learning sometimes starts right where it's murkiest. And the best educators, they're not afraid to get a little muddy. Until next time, I'm Dr. Gina Pepin, cheering you on from the small group table.

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