I admit, I chose my independent text due to the testing pressures that we are feeling at school. Our district uses a computerized testing system that has two different names people might call it. It is either referred to as the NWEA or the MAPS test. Whatever you may call it the school district that I work for puts a lot of emphasis in how the students score and their growth throughout the year. Well, this year my kids did not do as well as I would have hoped. So in my research of which book to choose, Reading Essentials, The Specific You Need to Teach Reading Well, caught my eye. I am not a teacher that teaches to the test, but at the same time I want to be successful in my teaching and I want my students to feel successful as well.
When I opened up to the first chapter this is the quote and I love it!
"If we want our students to be excited about literacy, they need to have teachers who love coming to work, who are literacy learners themselves, who find ways to make curriculum relevant to children's lives and who can put high-stakes testing in perspective."
Well said! As I am reading I am feel rejuvenated. Regie Routman is the author and also a visiting literacy teacher. She recognizes the demands that are placed on classroom teachers and the inadequacies and lack of self-confidence that teachers daily. She also is aware of the "scientifically based" programs that we are forced to used and scared to voice our concerns in using our own knowledge of student learning within our own classrooms.
In the next chapter, she goes onto talk about the importance of bonding with our students. Bonding really is one of the many ways that we can show our students that we care for them and that are safe. Although it is not always easy to do, we must give students the opportunity to know about us and in turn give pay attention to their interests, celebrate their efforts and accomplishments and the most important, in my opinion, value them as an individual.
I can't wait to see what she spotlights next!
I am reading the same book...we should have some good thinking to share. I loved reading through the first chapter as well. It makes so much sense. It's just too bad that the powers that be can't read the same message and have a conversation with us. I loved to know what they think teaching should look like.
ReplyDeleteI also dislike teaching to the test. But it is a reality in our culture as teachers. I watch the stress level of the teachers at my school increase, as the SBA's draw near.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your blog
I COMPLETELY agree with what the author says about bonding with the students. My teacher certification program really emphasized the massive importance of building community within the classroom the first two weeks of school. I always focused on that in my 4th and 5th grade classrooms. As I shared myself, my life, and my stories with them, they shared theirs with me and each other. It made a huge difference... you could see it in our interactions compared with classrooms who hadn't focused on that bonding. I never had a "bad year" or a "bad class".
ReplyDeleteMAPs testing is very important in our district!! When its testing time students and teachers become very stressed. I agree that bonding is very important in the classroom. It makes a safe place for our students.
ReplyDeleteI too like the quote that you mentioned. I see too many times that many of the teachers are teaching for a paycheck. Students sense this and it lowers morale.
ReplyDeleteI attended Regies Routman's session at the International Reading Association convention this May in Orlando. You may or may not be aware that she has a blog.
ReplyDeleteThe URL is
http://www.regieroutman.com/thinking.asp
She talks about some of the things here that you mentioned above too.
The particular session I went to was about the Optimum Leaning Model (OLM) for teaching reading and writing. This session had more emphasis on writing which is why I chose it.
Regie Routman - "I do it." "We do it." "We do it." "We do it." "You do it": Applying an Optimal Learning Model to Accelerate Literacy Achievement, Engagement, Enjoyment, and Independence for ALL Students.
The one thing I especially liked about her presentation was that it was about meeting students where ever they are in ability and accepting that; and by appreciating any positive attribute they may be demonstrating in their work, great writers can emerge.
She showed videos from her experiences in residence that were very uplifting. Sometimes as educators we get are undies in a bundle about pedagogy and forget that we're teaching children --not a statistic on the AYP report.
She brought the focus back to the individual.