Love the diversity of the teacher/students in our class!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Read Chapters 1-4 while on a mini vacation to the mountains...
I have read the first four chapters and have found it to be very similar to what we did as a school for our yearlong professional development (obviously by the same author). I have jotted down a few notes in the margins that I will share later in this same blog posting...off to unpack and do a little laundry. **Continued comments on Chapters One through Four have been added on July 12th.
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Chapter 1-Look Beyond What you See
ReplyDeleteRegie shared many compelling experiences regarding struggling readers (and writers) that had their teacher holding onto their preconceived notions of what the students abilities or lack there of actually was regardless of what their individual label might be such as ELL, EMD, etc.. So often educators (myself included) refuse to consider that all students are capable of learning. Our expectations of all students should be high regardless of their previous experiences or background. I especially like the statement "Literature is one of the most powerful ways we educators can connect to our students."
Chapter 2-Create an "I Can Do It!" Learning Environment
ReplyDeleteThis chapter stressed the importance of the student's "voice" being heard in our classrooms-ALL STUDENTS! So often the voice heard most frequently and the loudest belongs to the teacher or the "high achieving" student (whom ever that may be). It encourages more 'student talk' and less 'teacher talk'. I believe we must set up a classroom environment that is conducive to student participation where students feel safe and secure in their individual feelings and beliefs. Celebrating what a student is doing well or their willingness to take risks is an important function of the child's educational experience. Authentic conversation, reading and writing is so important to grow the child in all areas of instruction, at all levels of instruction.
Chapter 3-Become an "Expert at Smartness"
ReplyDeleteFrom the beginning of my teaching career I have believed in the philosophy that if I have a dollar and you have a dollar and we put our dollars together we EACH have two dollars. Sharing our beliefs and experiences, whether we always see eye to eye or not, is an important component of school-wide collaboration. A willingness to be open to someone's idea is so power not just for the student but the teacher as well. Why do we (I!!!!!) always think our way is the best or only way...
I also believe we must be bold advocates for our students in our classrooms and in their homes!
Chapter 4-Focus on Meaning First
ReplyDeleteMy favorite statement in this chapter was "... adults enrolled in literacy programs with authentic reading and writing activities report reading and writing more in their lives and reading and writing more complex texts." This shows the importance of authentic, personal experiences at all levels is crucial to a successful literacy program. The chapter also stresses the importance of planning with 'the end in mind' and embedding important standards and skills in authentic literacy instruction.