When reading Chapter 1 some things popped out to me. One thing that I thought was important was how in Ms. Johnson’s class she gave the students different ways to learn about the Titanic. If I had a teacher that explained things like she did, I believe I would have been able to understand them better. She taught her students in a variety of different languages and I thought that was awesome! You can teach your students by using different languages in every subject. As I kept reading it talked about a categorization system and said that this may be frustrating for students because an explicit definition may not be found in the body of text. This is exactly how I feel sometimes and I hate feeling frustrated because then I just want to stop reading all together. I loved reading this line from the text: reading comprehension does not simply happen through lots of reading; it is developed through activities designed to teach students about what good readers do. I am a hands on type of person so this definitely fits me. I hate reading anyways and this just proved that reading doesn’t always help comprehension. Another line I like from the text was that one of the most transportable teaching strategies is think-pair-share. I completely agree with this statement and I enjoy when we do this strategy in the classroom because it gives me an insight of what other peers are thinking about. As I read a statement in the text that said that reciprocal teaching was found to positively impact standardized testing on reading comprehension, I just wondered how long it took them to realize this and if they are trying to get teachers to really push reciprocal teaching? At the end of the chapter I loved this statement: it is not a program, a set of books, or a box of materials that creates a high-achieving school. It is always teachers who matter, and what they do that matters most. And a teacher’s ability to teach reflectively ensures continued professional growth. In chapter 8, I like how Mr. Hayden uses the information his students write to get to know what they understand about the topics and what the students may not understand completely. I like writing prompt known as RAFT. I think that would be a wonderful idea to use to incorporate writing. Also, incorporating math with writing to learn, I thought it was neat how Mr. Hayden uses Name That Math! for when his students come into the classroom everyday.
I really enjoyed the student think center this week. A lot of things she talked about I haven’t really thought about before. I think it would be a wonderful idea to have tables that you could write on and tear off like especially for like writing classes and math classes! I enjoyed how the atmosphere was so relaxing and comfortable. I just wonder what the exact reason for them designing the room like that was for?
Hi Adrianne,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, thank you. Particularly like how you hone in on how Mr. Hayden and Ms. Johnson are using literacy practices specifically in their classrooms–shows your close reading but more importantly pushes others with your insight. For example, you write, "One thing that I thought was important was how in Ms. Johnson’s class she gave the students different ways to learn about the Titanic." I concur, she comes at it through different angles. I wish I had more teachers that did that for me. Also appreciate the way you reference the text explicitly, "I loved reading this line from the text: reading comprehension does not simply happen through lots of reading; it is developed through activities designed to teach students about what good readers do. I am a hands on type of person so this definitely fits me. I hate reading anyways and this just proved that reading doesn’t always help comprehension." You raise a good question about the design of the STC classroom, I'm going to steal your question to spark our STC discussion today if we make it there.
"At the end of the chapter I loved this statement: it is not a program, a set of books, or a box of materials that creates a high-achieving school. It is always teachers who matter, and what they do that matters most. And a teacher’s ability to teach reflectively ensures continued professional growth."
ReplyDeleteWow, if this statement doesn't want you to be the best teacher you can be then I don't know what would! Thanks for quoting this. It is definitely inspiring to know that you will have such a huge effect on students. Sometimes I lose track of what really matters and this put it into perspective to me.
In my opinion, the STC was designed to allow students freedom. The went against the "average" for cement walls and brought warmth into the room. I felt so comfortable while in there. The couches were also a big plus!
I absolutely positively agree with you on not liking to read! I didn't think as deeply about the vignette in the book but this would have helped me as well. Many times teachers only believe that they have to go by the books and maybe it's because of the strictness of the test. But, if we as teachers give our students more than just the textbook it creates more memorable moments and helps the student to remember. It also motivates our students to want to read and to learn. I love your insight on this chapter. There were many things that you picked up on that I did not.
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