"Me" or "We": How Anita Archer Changed my Classroom Culture Around Reading

If you’ve ever asked students to read aloud from a text and suddenly watched everyone avoid eye contact, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The fidgeting, the staring down at the page a little too hard, the quiet hope that someone else gets picked; it’s a very real kind of stress in the classroom. And for a lot of my students, especially those who struggle with reading, it can completely take over their ability to focus.

That’s why Anita Archer’s “Me or We” approach has made such a noticeable difference in my classroom, especially during reading.

At its core, “Me or We” is just being clear about how students will respond, whether they’re reading or answering together (“we”) or individually (“me”). It sounds simple, but when it comes to reading aloud, it changes everything.

Before I started using this consistently, reading from a text could feel like a guessing game for students. They didn’t know if they were about to be called on, so instead of actually following along and practicing the reading skill, they were focused on not getting picked, or panicking about messing up if they were.

Now, I’m really intentional. I might say, “This paragraph is a we. We’re all reading together.” And immediately, you can feel the shift. Students actually track the text. They join in. The pressure isn’t gone, but it’s shared, and that makes it manageable.

Using “we” for reading has been huge for building fluency. My students get repeated, supported practice hearing and saying the words without the spotlight being on just them. They’re not worrying about every mistake, they’re just reading.

Then, when I do shift to a “me,” it’s not a surprise. I’ll say, “This next sentence is a me. Be ready.” That small heads-up gives students time to prepare. It turns what used to feel like a “gotcha” moment into something predictable and fair.

But something I’ve started doing over time, and honestly this has been one of my favorite shifts, is gradually giving that decision to students.

When I first introduced the routine, I was the one deciding: this is a we, this is a me. I wanted it to feel structured and safe while students were still learning what it looked like. But as the year went on, and as I continued to prioritize building confidence across different academic areas, I started stepping back.

Now, when we’re reading, I’ll pause and ask the student whose turn it is: “Do you want this to be a me or a we?”

And that small moment of choice has been powerful.

Some students still choose “we,” especially if it’s a tricky paragraph or a day where they’re not feeling as confident; and that’s completely okay. They’re still participating, still practicing, still building skills.

But more and more, I’ve seen students start to choose “me.”

Not because they’re being forced to, but because they want to try.

It shifts reading aloud from something that’s done to them into something they have ownership over. They’re not just surviving the moment, they’re making a decision about how they want to engage in it.

I’ve had students who, at the beginning of my time with them, would have done anything to avoid reading out loud who now pause, think about it, and say, “I’ll do a me.” And you can tell it’s a big deal for them. Those are the moments that stick.

What I love most about this evolution of “Me or We” is that it keeps the same foundation of safety and predictability, but adds in student agency. It meets students where they are, while also gently nudging them forward.

In my classroom, this approach has turned reading aloud from a high-stress, high-anxiety moment into something much more flexible and supportive. Students still challenge themselves, but they’re doing it in a way that feels manageable.

And at the end of the day, that’s really the goal; helping students build the confidence to take risks, one paragraph at a time.