A favorite quotation... "When teachers are fully successful, they are successful beyond any of their conscious intentions about particular subjects: they make converts, they make souls that have been turned around to face a given way of being and moving in the world." - Wayne Booth
I love that quote, too! Teaching is about so much more than just drilling information into children's heads; it's about helping them find themselves and their passions!
This was also a favorite quote of mine. I think one the main reasons many of us decide to become English teachers is so that we can share our passion for literature. We want our students to feel the emotions you gain from reading a great piece of literature. I also found the quote from page 57 to be interesting. “The problem is that it takes more effort to tap intrinsic interest than to say, ‘Listen up, folks, this is going to be on the test.’” I can definitely relate to this feeling. The only way to get students to work is by placing a grade over their head. In schools today, success is measured by grade letters instead of how long your book list/vocabulary list has grown.
I agree one hundred percent. I have found in the classroom that if a student asks me "Is this graded" and I respond with even "I'm not taking it up today," the student often closes her or his notebook and immediately shuts down. I definitely think we need to be promoting self vs. grade motivation.
Traci, on page 117 of our text, Jago quote Daniel Willingham as saying " people are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers, unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking". She goes on to explain a teaching strategy in which student listen to chapter 1 of a novel, do an exercise to generate a description of the main character, then read the chapter again themselves. Wow! this sounds like such a luxury! Teachers feel so pressured to hurry along to get through a text, but wouldn't it be so much better to take the time to help our students have a deeper understanding from the very beginning of a text?
"Luxury" is exactly the word I would use. I've been feeling the pressure lately to cram in as many readings as possible. It's not working. My students don't read in the first place so asking them to read it a second time would be a waste of breathe and time. Yes, theoretically we would all love to spend time making sure our students understand everything and feel emotions, but it is so difficult. Right now I'm trying to find that break through little by little.
Teresa, I agree that it would be nice to have the time to reread chapters for students, but I am also fearful that students would grow weary of reading the same information. On the other hand, it would be nice to have the time to really delve deep into the meaning of a text and experience meaningful simulations and other enactments.
I wondered about this as well. I'm at Howard Middle and the literacy coach came by this week with a whole lesson on the Harlem Renaissance she is requiring the 6th grade teachers to teach. One of the activities is to read an information piece about NYC and the time that the HR was happening. It is a great wealth of knowledge and it's important for students to have that background information but she was having the kids read it (a page-ish in length) about 4 times. Come on! They are not gonna be down for that! Like you other ladies said, it's hard enough to get them to read something once let alone 4 times! And that would take up most of a class period. I completely understand the theory behind it but it's just not realistic.
As we've discussed, reading could not be more important. I have not had a chance to implement a reading workshop but I did have the time to look at my classroom library. I checked out two books today both to reluctant readers so we'll see how they respond. I will have my ninth graders start their logs when we get to that point. I love the idea of having the student hang on to the log throughout their high school career. Of course, that is extremely difficult for those that can't hang onto their study guides until the next day. A log like this can tell next years teacher what the student likes and what they are like by what they read.
I like the idea of a log (reading history) also. It would be nice if the school would keep it for the students and let it follow them. I have very few students that would keep up with their personal log from one month to the next, much less one year to the next!
Teresa, that does sound wonderful! I have trouble motivating my students to read or do homework when they get home. I always feel like if I want something done, I have to make sure it’s done in class under my supervision. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the school day to do it all. I guess that is why we need to learn how to make reading more fun.
I have highlighters and marked so much in this book it's hard to know where to start. One of the books I added to my "to read" list is An American Childhood by Annie Dilliard. I love the excerpt from the book on page 3 (talking about when children become submerged in a work of literature), especially, "They hate the actual world. The actual world is a kind of tedious plane where dwells, and goes to school, the body, the boring body which houses the eyes to read the books and houses the heart the books enflame." That is who I felt (and still feel) when I get lost in a book and one of the reasons I chose teaching was to share that passion and lead students to find it themselves.
Another quote that spoke to why I must teach and my goal as a teacher: "I know exactly what I want my students to retain: a love for the things that literature can do to them. It is less important that students are able to recall the minutiae than it is for them to have been moved by a book," (p. 60). It isn't about having your students be able to recall every last detail of every last chapter or scene, it's about what they learn of themselves and their world.
Anna, I also like the quote on page 60. I think that if we remember the quote from Vgotsky, "What the child can do in cooperation today he can do alone tomorrow. Therefore, the only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it; it must be aimed not so much at the ripe as at the ripening functions." (p. 70), we can help our students develop that love of learning literature.
I have to say I really prefer Jago to Atwell. While I love the idea of Reading Workshop and truly will strive to implement it; Jago offers solutions to teaching required reading. This is so much more practical to me than Atwell. The public school system revolves around what texts are required to be taught and while you may have a selection in your school or have the option of deciding which texts you want to teach from a list of approved topics, you will be required to teach whole texts to the class.
The quote that stood out to me was: "A book constitutes a means of transportation through the space of experience, at the speed of turning a page." To me this is exactly how the students need to see reading. It is not a required, mundane, time consuming task, but an activity that transports you to another time, place, circumstance, etc. It is a chance to explore beyond the confines of your everyday life.
I love the idea of adding more books to my students reading and understand the difficulty of finding the time for that. The curriculum regulates the things we need to cover so it is a challenge to add more. I believe digging deeper into the reading and I find the close readings to be more beneficial to the students understanding of the literature. Kids can read many books yet to understand what they are reading and know how to analyze the literature is to me more important in teaching them how reading can help them in their personal lives.
Jago's book had me from this quote: "The Common Core Standards alone will neither turn students into readers nor improve student achievement. It is going to require the concerted effort not only of teachers but of our whole society-a society that sometimes seems aggressively anti-intellectual-in order for America to become a nation of readers." BAM! Perfect! I could not think of a better way to perfectly sum up my own teaching philosophy. I feel that is it more than vital that students become readers if they are not already. This goal canNOT be accomplished through the mere implementation of Common Core Standards. The Common Core appears to be obsessed with test scores as opposed to actual, useful, critical learning. Students must be coaxed and taught that learning is not passive, but active. Teachers need to be reading with their students, modeling how it is done. We need to be showing students that reading is not merely knowing how to decode a bunch of letters to create meaning. When utilized fully, the act of reading can take readers away to far off lands where they learn how to relate to others, problem solve, and acquire all of the other skills necessary for being a well-rounded successful adult.
A favorite quotation... "When teachers are fully successful, they are successful beyond any of their conscious intentions about particular subjects: they make converts, they make souls that have been turned around to face a given way of being and moving in the world." - Wayne Booth
ReplyDeleteI love that quote, too! Teaching is about so much more than just drilling information into children's heads; it's about helping them find themselves and their passions!
DeleteThis was also a favorite quote of mine. I think one the main reasons many of us decide to become English teachers is so that we can share our passion for literature. We want our students to feel the emotions you gain from reading a great piece of literature. I also found the quote from page 57 to be interesting. “The problem is that it takes more effort to tap intrinsic interest than to say, ‘Listen up, folks, this is going to be on the test.’” I can definitely relate to this feeling. The only way to get students to work is by placing a grade over their head. In schools today, success is measured by grade letters instead of how long your book list/vocabulary list has grown.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree one hundred percent. I have found in the classroom that if a student asks me "Is this graded" and I respond with even "I'm not taking it up today," the student often closes her or his notebook and immediately shuts down. I definitely think we need to be promoting self vs. grade motivation.
DeleteTraci, on page 117 of our text, Jago quote Daniel Willingham as saying " people are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers, unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking". She goes on to explain a teaching strategy in which student listen to chapter 1 of a novel, do an exercise to generate a description of the main character, then read the chapter again themselves. Wow! this sounds like such a luxury! Teachers feel so pressured to hurry along to get through a text, but wouldn't it be so much better to take the time to help our students have a deeper understanding from the very beginning of a text?
ReplyDelete"Luxury" is exactly the word I would use. I've been feeling the pressure lately to cram in as many readings as possible. It's not working. My students don't read in the first place so asking them to read it a second time would be a waste of breathe and time. Yes, theoretically we would all love to spend time making sure our students understand everything and feel emotions, but it is so difficult. Right now I'm trying to find that break through little by little.
DeleteTeresa, I agree that it would be nice to have the time to reread chapters for students, but I am also fearful that students would grow weary of reading the same information. On the other hand, it would be nice to have the time to really delve deep into the meaning of a text and experience meaningful simulations and other enactments.
DeleteI wondered about this as well. I'm at Howard Middle and the literacy coach came by this week with a whole lesson on the Harlem Renaissance she is requiring the 6th grade teachers to teach. One of the activities is to read an information piece about NYC and the time that the HR was happening. It is a great wealth of knowledge and it's important for students to have that background information but she was having the kids read it (a page-ish in length) about 4 times. Come on! They are not gonna be down for that! Like you other ladies said, it's hard enough to get them to read something once let alone 4 times! And that would take up most of a class period. I completely understand the theory behind it but it's just not realistic.
DeleteAs we've discussed, reading could not be more important. I have not had a chance to implement a reading workshop but I did have the time to look at my classroom library. I checked out two books today both to reluctant readers so we'll see how they respond. I will have my ninth graders start their logs when we get to that point. I love the idea of having the student hang on to the log throughout their high school career. Of course, that is extremely difficult for those that can't hang onto their study guides until the next day. A log like this can tell next years teacher what the student likes and what they are like by what they read.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of a log (reading history) also. It would be nice if the school would keep it for the students and let it follow them. I have very few students that would keep up with their personal log from one month to the next, much less one year to the next!
DeleteTeresa, that does sound wonderful! I have trouble motivating my students to read or do homework when they get home. I always feel like if I want something done, I have to make sure it’s done in class under my supervision. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the school day to do it all. I guess that is why we need to learn how to make reading more fun.
ReplyDeleteI have highlighters and marked so much in this book it's hard to know where to start. One of the books I added to my "to read" list is An American Childhood by Annie Dilliard. I love the excerpt from the book on page 3 (talking about when children become submerged in a work of literature), especially, "They hate the actual world. The actual world is a kind of tedious plane where dwells, and goes to school, the body, the boring body which houses the eyes to read the books and houses the heart the books enflame." That is who I felt (and still feel) when I get lost in a book and one of the reasons I chose teaching was to share that passion and lead students to find it themselves.
ReplyDeleteAnother quote that spoke to why I must teach and my goal as a teacher: "I know exactly what I want my students to retain: a love for the things that literature can do to them. It is less important that students are able to recall the minutiae than it is for them to have been moved by a book," (p. 60). It isn't about having your students be able to recall every last detail of every last chapter or scene, it's about what they learn of themselves and their world.
Anna, I also like the quote on page 60. I think that if we remember the quote from Vgotsky, "What the child can do in cooperation today he can do alone tomorrow. Therefore, the only good kind of instruction is that which marches ahead of development and leads it; it must be aimed not so much at the ripe as at the ripening functions." (p. 70), we can help our students develop that love of learning literature.
DeleteI have to say I really prefer Jago to Atwell. While I love the idea of Reading Workshop and truly will strive to implement it; Jago offers solutions to teaching required reading. This is so much more practical to me than Atwell. The public school system revolves around what texts are required to be taught and while you may have a selection in your school or have the option of deciding which texts you want to teach from a list of approved topics, you will be required to teach whole texts to the class.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that stood out to me was: "A book constitutes a means of transportation through the space of experience, at the speed of turning a page." To me this is exactly how the students need to see reading. It is not a required, mundane, time consuming task, but an activity that transports you to another time, place, circumstance, etc. It is a chance to explore beyond the confines of your everyday life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI love the idea of adding more books to my students reading and understand the difficulty of finding the time for that. The curriculum regulates the things we need to cover so it is a challenge to add more. I believe digging deeper into the reading and I find the close readings to be more beneficial to the students understanding of the literature. Kids can read many books yet to understand what they are reading and know how to analyze the literature is to me more important in teaching them how reading can help them in their personal lives.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJago's book had me from this quote: "The Common Core Standards alone will neither turn students into readers nor improve student achievement. It is going to require the concerted effort not only of teachers but of our whole society-a society that sometimes seems aggressively anti-intellectual-in order for America to become a nation of readers." BAM! Perfect! I could not think of a better way to perfectly sum up my own teaching philosophy. I feel that is it more than vital that students become readers if they are not already. This goal canNOT be accomplished through the mere implementation of Common Core Standards. The Common Core appears to be obsessed with test scores as opposed to actual, useful, critical learning. Students must be coaxed and taught that learning is not passive, but active. Teachers need to be reading with their students, modeling how it is done. We need to be showing students that reading is not merely knowing how to decode a bunch of letters to create meaning. When utilized fully, the act of reading can take readers away to far off lands where they learn how to relate to others, problem solve, and acquire all of the other skills necessary for being a well-rounded successful adult.
ReplyDelete