So my DRTA strategy was not as successful as I had hoped it would be... since I gave you all Wilhelm's directions, I am sure you will be able to take it and adapt it to suit your students' needs. If you try DRTA with your classes, please let me know how it goes or let me come watch maybe you could show me how to do it right!
What do you think about what Wilhelm had to say about teachers being at a disadvantage because we are the experts?
Did your students' lexile levels surprise you? There is other information we can look at in our MAP Toolbox. Take a look at that information and see if any of it would be helpful to you.
After reading Chapter 7: Building a Community of Learners, tell me what you think about building community in your classroom. Has this reaffirmed some of your thinking or changed it in any way?
On a personal note: I would like to say that you all are awesome!!! Thank you for being such a great study group!!
Please post your comments for our February 12th class and reading assignments under this thread.
10 comments:
In Chapter 7 of Subjects Matter, I came across a very simple idea that really hit home. The reading was discussing valuing student questions. It said to have students confer after a lesson in small groups to formulate any questions they might still have about the topic. (As opposed to simply asking "Any questions?") I thought this type of group work might be interesting, but it was the next step in this process that really stood out. The authors suggested that the teacher researches the answers to any questions that arose and then returns the next day not only with the answers but also with an explanation of how s/he was able to locate the information. In this simple plan, the teacher is then able to address thoughtfully any student concerns and to provide two types of learning: the unknown information as well as a process of information gathering. I had been considering for a time trying to make exit slips (such as the ones we use in class) a daily part of my class routine. I guess I was concerned about using up more of our precious time, but that is a ridiculous notion when one considers that the most important part of education is learning. If the students are not learning the information, then it does not matter if we attend to all of a day's activities. Again, this is all common sense, but for some reason it really stood out to me.
As far as the discussion of classroom climate, I was surprised to find that a lot of the suggested activities for building community are ones that I already implement on a daily basis. I just feel that I need more information on how to really teach the students to respect one another in the classroom. I have found it very difficult to break their "teasing" habits. The students can pause and recognize what they said/did that was inappropriate, but I do not think they truly understand why name-calling, etc. is offensive. It is very much a part of their culture and life. I don't want them to treat each other with respect just because Ms. Stone discourages disrespect but because they honestly understand that they should be kind to one another and treat each other with respect.
Reading Reflection: Ch.7
Chapter 7 discusses the risks for students. Did this concept make sense to you all? Reading risks for the students? I would like for my students to do more read alouds in the target language. I have shared with them my struggles in learning pronunciation and that reading aloud helps that. Building a community of learners in class definitely requires knowledge of student interest which can be obtained through surveys. I plan to include that suggestion next semester.
This school year I have regretted not knowing my students more and not having a more “community”-oriented classroom. I think back on really great students I have had in the past, and I regret missed opportunities to know them and help them more individually. I faced this recently when one of my students from last year came to me asking for help with reading. I wanted to crawl in a corner because I wondered if I had accomplished anything for any of his classmates that semester; surely, I should have known if he struggled with reading! I also think back on those students that tried my patience to no end or for whom I held little hope for much progress or success: how could I have reached out more to those students? I have that situation with a student in my AP class—someone who lacks the finer skills and strong work ethic to be successful in that class. But, recently I wondered what she thought of me: does she read how frustrated I am with her? Does she sense that I’ve given up on her? Is she afraid of me? The longer I teach, the more I realize that I don’t work with short adults; I work with young people who are becoming adults. They have feelings and sensibilities, opinions and convictions, strengths and weaknesses, and aspects of their lives that they yet know how to manage. I believe the best teacher is one that understands this—the idea of the “whole” student—and creates a classroom that holds students accountable but provides the structure for students to be successful through and in spite of their mistakes. So often I am caught up in my own world of my “job” and what I’ve “got to do” that I fail to see the human beings that are the whole reason for my work.
One of the most difficult issues teachers face these days is developing trust in the classroom. One look at yesterday's The State headlines tells us that students come to us with so many issues and so little willingness---or reason--- to put a great deal of faith in adults. I have encountered students'fear of reading aloud and fear of getting up in front of the class to speak in every class this year. That has been one of the issues I have tried to address by speaking of my own mistakes, letting the students know it's all right to ask a question, and trying to create an environment in which effort and attempts are lauded as well as successes.
I agree with Wilhelm's premise that boys in particular are more engaged when reading and learning provide benefits within the experience , so I try to provide books and magazines that spark their interest (gained from surveys done earlier) but many of these texts "walk away," so I need to "re-think" my system.. I do plan to try to get another grant this year to restock. Funding classroom libraries is another issue we face, especially when we can't keep the books we have already purchased.(I love the fact that they want to keep the books for themselves, however.)
I have found read alouds to be a great success. Using books written by engaging authors who connect with students' lives make this activity a real pleasure.
There were many issues that were pertinent and personal to me in this chapter.
Reading Reflection: Chapter 7
The students who enter my class have typically been experiencing problems since 2nd or 3rd grade. All of them have varying degrees of behavior problems, and are removed from the regular ed. classes for this reason. As a result, their social, behavior, and academic skills are far below their age appropriate peers. They feel isolated when they come to self-contained, so I have to create an environment,a community, where they are willing to work on their problems.
The strategies listed on page 170 are things most teachers do already, and they produce positive results. I liked the way the authors broke down each one and gave examples of how they worked in different classrooms.
The Read Alouds have helped the most in my room. It really doesn't matter what I read. They open up with each other afterward, and make connections to their own lives or tell things they have heard about.
Building a community:
Since I've had a few different types of schedules (7 periods, A/B block, 4 block, year-long, semester-long...), I think that a year-long class offers more opportunities for community building. And that is also on my end--i don't feel that I really get to know the students as people until about November. I can know some facts about them, but the real KNOW them takes some time--even with a few of the typical English class activities (discussion, read aloud, reading plays, group work).
One thing that I've just found recently that works better for getting students to share ideas is something I've started doing with each novel or Unit--with slight variations: the best, the worst, what i'd change, and ratings. Or Questions for character(s), questions for author, Final word. I can sometimes ask a discussion question until I hear the crickets chirping and nobody chimes in, but these little short exit-slip sort of responses seem a good way to get opinions/thoughts/ and ideas out there that never did make an appearance before.
I also think that sometimes, the mix is just odd. and no amount of "let's make up a list of class rules" is going to get them together. An odd mix is an odd mix. My academy classes are the best example. We have them all year and sometimes there is just a gel--they come together and are so bonded, it's great. (that was two years ago--they're juniors now)...and other times, they remain an "eat their own young" sort of group (this year's sophomores!).
I wanted to respond also to something the Elizabeth said above--a student coming to her for reading help. I know she questioned herself and what she'd done year(s) ago--but I thought it spoke a lot about her ability to make a student comfortable enough to come back to her--so obviously a bond was formed--if not among the students, then at least one student felt bonded to her! No beating up self-- you did a good job, EAH! :)
Chapter 6 talks about how to use a textbook to make it easier and more useful to students. WE have been ingrained over the years that we need to cover material in the book in a traditional and mechanical way. This commitment over the years has not seemed to work well. There are different levels of importance of content in different levels. Wiggins and McTighe identify for filters to use to identify core ideas. All are pretty much based on the big idea, topic, and process to present the material.
There are different ways to use textbooks effectively. Some of these include; having empathy, helping kids get started, not leaving students alone with a book, choosing assignments wisely, and supplementing richly.
One main problem I have found with textbooks is that they are too hard to read and comprehend. Most of the time I feel we should choose a better book, as suggested in this chapter. I think in my particular field that we use the wrong textbook and need to re-evaluate what we get for students to use.
I think we have to be aware of the teacher as the expert issue - which really crosses many professions. I think we can get so caught up in 'job responsibilities' and using what we know that we can lose sight of the human side of our jobs and the ultimate beneficiaries of our hard work. This is difficult not to do when so much pressure is placed on teachers with accountability, high-stakes testing, technology proficiency test, national board certifications, endorsements... so much attention in education is placed on the what and where, some on the how but often the who gets pushed aside. In a more narrowed focus, I can see how easy it would be to have a hard time relating to struggling readers as teachers sometimes because our reading ability is at such a level of automaticity.
The nature of my class sizes has lent itself to creating a "classroom community" much sooner than last semester. I feel this batch has been much more willing to share, and engage, because their voices don't get drowned out by 20 other voices (or snores, for that matter).
However, lately I have been greatly impressed by their willingness to read aloud! Last unit, it was like pulling teeth every day to get another voice, other than my own, to speak up. But since we've started reading Julius Caesar they fight over parts. Now all of this could have something to do with the format of the text. Perhaps it's easier to read aloud if you're playing a part...If you adopt Brutus or Caesar's voice as opposed to your own. Just a theory...but I have been very thankful for the enthusiasm!
A community of readers, I think this year the Book Club that was form between my Teacher Cadets and Special Education-ESL students is exactly that.
The cadets reach out to help and in the same time the students reach back and help the cadets.
The cadets learn as much if not more about their abilities to teach.
What a powerful thing. You could see the excitement in the cadets faces when the students responded to them.
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