The readings from this first week really brought to the surface how simple it can be to engage children in reading and writing. By simple I mean it makes sense what a teacher needs to do to engage their students in reading and writing activities, and help those children become enthusiastic and feel positive about what they are doing. I really like the point about teachers being models for their students. Many teachers think that they are simply there just to get the material across to their students, but the most effective teachers are those that really create a connection with their students and get down on their level.
I also like the idea of setting aside a certain amount of time for children to do independent reading each day, along with the weekly conferences. This is something I would like to do with the children I work with to get them engaged in a reading activity each day. Something I found interesting was how the book material related back the article we read on ten steps towards making a difference. Both authors emphasized the importance of setting goals for students and making those goals visible so they know what they need to do in order to reach their goals.
One thing I would like to know in regards to the effective instruction article is how long those teachers have been teaching. If they have had many years experience then they have had many times to master their skills. How long would it take me to become such an effective teacher?
Sometimes articles make things sound so clear and simple when in reality they can be challenging. Giving students time for independent sounds like a simple enough goal but most of the teachers I observed last year were constantly complaining about not having enough time to do everything.
ReplyDeleteI also saw the connection between the Ten Steps article and this week's readings. It pointed out that we should be patient with ourselves and that becoming an effective teacher takes time. The article also pointed out that networking with other teachers is important. Find the best teachers at your school and learn everything you can from them.
Jennifer Evans
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteI also picked out the idea of teachers being models for the students. I think it is crucial for students to have teachers demonstrate the skills rather than simply give instruction. Children learn by example and teachers can be the best examples they have! I also agree that the readings make it sound simple to engage students in reading and writing. Of course, teaching is not so simple when you get down to it. Students need a lot of time spent on reading and sometimes that is hard to find the time in the busy daily schedules in elementary school. I like that the readings emphasize teaching reading and writing across different curriculums. By incorporating it in to science and social studies, studies can spend at least half the day focuses on reading even when they are learning other information.
-Perri
I had the same reaction as you... is it possible for me to be such an effective teacher? It seems pretty simple to just use all their wonderful ideas but I wonder if it would work as well for me as it does for them. The only problem is not having enough time in the day to do the activities they mentioned. However, I do think over time we will learn how to fit little things in here and there and how to manage time well in the classroom. For example, they talked about the last 15 minutes of the school day being a perfect time for doing the "reading chair" or some other activity.
ReplyDeleteI think it's very interesting that everyone keeps mentioning "not having enough time." Reading all about all of these awesome and effective teaching techniques seems great in theory, but I wonder how that will change when we actually become teachers. I don't think any of us can really say we fully understand what it will be like to live under the regulations that the state is placing on teachers, but the fact that we are already talking about it I think prepares us better.
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