Earlier in the term, I read an interesting text about what effective readers do in reading to learn. I meant to share it but I got super busy this winter term. I had three heavy content courses that I was taking.
Here is the short information on the 7 Strategies of Highly Effective Readers* do:
1. Activating background knowledge: Connect your prior knowledge of what you know about the topic from the text you read. Recall relevant schema and experiences from long-term memory in order to extract and construct meaning from text.
2. Inferring: Bringing together what is spoken (written) in the text, what is unspoken (unwritten) in the text, and what is already known by the reader in order to extract and construct meaning from text. Basically, gather information from the text, reading between the lines and your schema to create your own meaning from the text.
3. Monitoring-Clarifying: Thinking about how and what one is reading, both during and after the act of reading, for purposes of determining if one is comprehending the text, combined with the ability to clarify and fix up any mix-ups if necessary. In other words, you are monitoring your comprehension while you read or after you read.
4.Questioning: Engaging in learning dialogues with text (authors), peers, and teachers through self-questioning, question generation, and question answering.
5. Searching-Selecting: Searching a variety of sources to select appropriate information to answer questions, define words and terms, clarify misunderstandings, solve problems, or gather information.
6. Summarizing: Restating the meaning of text in one's own words--different words from those used in the original text.
7. Visualizing-Organizing: Constructing a mental image or graphic organizer (ex. mind maps or T-charts) for the purpose of extracting and construct meaning from text.
All seven strategies are ways for you, the reader to connect to whatever text you're reading. Why do you read? What is your purpose for reading? Reading is to create meaning. By creating meaning, our minds are engaged.
*Resource: 7 Strategies of Highly Effective Readers:Using Cognitive Reserach to Boost K-8 Achievement by Elaine K. McEwan.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
My Math Philosophy Statement
Here is my math philosophy paper:
Method of Teaching
I believe that children learn better in a problem solving classroom. In addition, direct teaching is needed when students are confused and learning new math vocabulary. I want students to discover the math concepts in fun ways and having them to think while they learn. The way I was taught, I only knew one way to do many math problems. When I came to a problem I had never seen before, I would get frustrated and would give up. I would give an answer to the problem to say I solved it even if my answer was wrong. In my classroom, I want to guide my students in learning math concepts. I want to build their communication and reasoning skills so that they can show people how they solve the problem and justify the answer. On the other hand, I believe that teaching math strategies explicitly in solving problems and summarizing the learning is a part of the math teacher’s role.
Teachers still need to be in control in keeping order but also knows what is going on in the learning community of their classroom. On Day One, the teacher teaches explicitly about the classroom norms, how grouping of students work, and how the students are to behave in class. The teacher and the students collaborate on how the learning environment is to be. They work together to create a peaceful, supportive, and respectful learning environment where everyone is safe to learn and take risks without negative feedback. The students are in control of on-task behavior, thinking and doing math activities, helping each other and asking questions to continue their learning.
As a math teacher, I will adapt and be flexible when instructing the best way for my students. I know what the best way is based on my assessing my students on their progress, process and responses to the learning. The best way is also using teaching strategies and best practices to engage students on their thinking and learning. I will teach various strategies so students can learn many ways to solve problems. When they come to a problem they have never seen before, they would have a toolkit of strategies they can use to solve the unfamiliar problem. I will be a model to my students as I think aloud through a problem so they can learn how I solve something or how to deal with confusion while still persevering in solving the problem. I want to create a learning environment where taking risks and making mistakes are okay. We will use questioning strategies to push each other’s thinking.
I will continue to reflect on my teaching practices and keep students’ goals in mind. To be successful, I will need to be very organized in keeping track of state standards, objectives, lesson planning, student assessments, gathering materials and other teaching duties so I can better serve my students. As a teacher, I would need to check on state standards before I plan my lessons. The objectives will fit the state standards. When I plan my lessons, I have to make sure each step is aligned with the state standards. Before I implement my lessons, I need to gather materials so they would be ready during the lesson time. If I scrambled for math materials during the math time, it will waste my teaching time and students’ learning time. Assessing students is important for the teacher to know how the students are progressing and attaining or not attaining the math concepts expected by the state standards.
Differentiation
No two students learn the same way or at the same pace. The teacher need to differentiate so all students can be successful learners. Through flexible grouping during the guided practice is a great way for all students to learn together. These groups should be heterogeneous so the low achieving students can learn from the higher achieving students as well as vice versa. This would be a good time to give high level tasks for all students to explore math concepts. In doing so, the high achieving students may learn something from the lower achieving students. In partner and small group work, the students with special needs or ELL will learn through peer-assistance; this is another way to support learners with challenges.
As for struggling learners, I need to explicitly teach the task and problem solving strategies at first. I will do the gradual release method where they are scaffold in problem solving on their own. For example, they will be given easier tasks at first so they could feel successful. Next, they will receive challenging tasks to push them further in problem solving until they reach the lesson’s objectives.
In our diverse communities, there are many students whose first language is not English. These ELL students need better support to help them learn in the American classrooms. Here are strategies for teaching math to them: 1) Write and state the content and language objectives; 2) Build background; 3) Encourage use of native language; 4) Use comprehensible input; 5) Explicitly teach vocabulary; and 6) Plan cooperative/interdependent groups to support language.
When the teacher share the objectives with the students, everyone would know what they are expected to learn and to do. Students are comforted that a road map is provided so they know what they are learning is meaningful in which this engage them in their learning. To build background on something the students do not have prior knowledge of, the teacher need to link students’ prior learning of previous lessons or a real-world problem. Encourage the students to use their native language when processing something new or thinking on the task so they do not get overwhelmed with trying to think in English and not be able to understand the concept being learned. The teacher need to make each lessons comprehensible through clear language, use of gestures and motions that link to the vocabulary, model the instructions, use visuals, use manipulative, real objects, demonstration and picture books.
ELL students do not acquire the math vocabulary on their own. Math teachers need to teach math vocabulary and academic language explicitly through word wall, clear explanation, concept maps, personal math dictionaries, and time to practice using math terms in meaningful ways. As I mentioned previously, ELL students can learn from their peers in small groups or in partners. This gives them a chance to speak, write, talk, and listen in nonthreatening situations. Though, it is important to not isolate ELL students of low level English by placing them with native English speakers. In small groups and in pairs, there should be at least one other ELL student similar in language level as well as speaks the same first language or a bilingual student so the ELL student do not feel frustrated and alone.
Assessment
As a teacher, I would use assessment to gather information in my students’ progress of their learning and their achievement in attaining the math concepts. Assessments should be use to encourage students’ learning and making instructional decisions. The appropriate assessment reflects on the full range of mathematics; they are concepts and procedures, mathematical processes, problem solving, reasoning, communication and productive deposition.
There are so many strategies to assess students’ learning. I will share only a few of my favorites. First, in before the lesson starts, the teacher can find out what students know through popcorn activity or Post-It responses on the KWL chart. During and after the lesson, there are anecdotal notes, observation checklists, math journal entries, ticket out (where students fill out a short questionnaire on what they learned and what they are confused about still), performance-based tasks and post unit tests. For students who struggle with writing, the teacher interviews the students so they can orally share what they learned.
Intervention
Students need intervention assistance if after assessing them, they are still way behind on knowing math or not able to learn concepts based on the grade level state standards in a regular math class. Intervention methods are different for each school. I am not sure where I would be at as an elementary school teacher. If the school I am hired at has math pull outs, I would have to follow the school’s procedures. Though, I hope to work with the math specialist closely so I know how the students are progressing. I also hope to impart with the specialist about where my class is in math so the pull out students can maybe have similar math tasks. I would want the pull outs to happen during my normal math time so it would not interfere with the other content areas that I would be teaching as well as any specials such as P.E. and music. I do not want these pull-outs to happen permanently. This type of intervention help is need-based and flexible enough when the students gain the concept knowledge, they can rejoin the math class fully. For those students who may need intervention and are not part of an intervention program, I have supplied some examples of supportive assistance in my differentiation section of this paper.
Technology
Technology is part of our world and many professions require some kind of technology. The use of technology in a math classroom is beneficial for students so they can learn concepts in a different way, connect it to the real world application, connect to symbolism and making math engaging. I will allow use of calculators. The benefit of calculator usage are used to develop concepts and enhance problem solving, used for drill, improve attitudes and motivation, and used commonly in society. I will also allow the use of the computer if it enhances students’ learning through games, graphing programs and other supplemental websites. The benefits of using technology that it requires different mental action in doing math, it provides unlimited materials with easy clean up, and it accommodates for different purposes.
Language Skills (Speaking, Reading and Writing)
The math teacher is also a language teacher. Mathematics has its own vocabulary and organization. Math students need to be literate in the math language as well as the written language to be successful in our society. Math requires reading for students to read the directions or story problem that they are trying to solve. Writing requires students to put down their thinking and learning on paper. Speaking requires students to verbally think aloud in processing their learning as well as talking about math.
First of all, I would require reading in the math classroom. As a whole group, we read each task or directions together. Next, students can work in groups or pairs for writing and speaking to learn concepts together. As the math teacher, I need to model explicitly on how to speak using math terminology with the task at hand. I would provide plenty of practice time for the students to converse using math terms in meaningful learning tasks with each other. Students would have opportunities to record their thinking, data collecting, attempts, strategies being used, and other comments before, during and after the lesson in writing and drawing. For the students who are ELL or with special needs, I would provide sentence frames or cloze sentences to help them voice their thinking. They can also draw and label as another way to share their work with me and with other students.
Student Learning
I believe all students have the ability to learn math at high levels. Teaching through problem solving is a great way to engage students and it gives them confidence in doing math. Rigor is having high standards for students’ learning and doing math. As teachers, we need to ask high level questions to engage students into thinking deeper. By doing this, they can see that math is not just about computations, but it is about relationships, patterns and number sense. Making the lessons rigorous will challenge the students and they will feel excited about learning math. For struggling students, they too can be challenged. They need to be built up for these challenges by teaching them problem solving strategies, give them plenty of time to practice these strategies and give them small challenging tasks to do at first. These students should given easier problem-based tasks so they could feel successful. However, I believe they need to be given a tough problem (still solvable to them with assistance) that they would fail at and guide them in how to deal with the failure so they persevere in continuation of solving the problem.
Drill and practice can be effective for memorization of basic math facts. I like teaching through problem solving because for the students learn connections in a way that is best for them; they seek different ways to solve problems; and they need to justify their answers and processes in solving them. I admit that I will need extensive training to teach math through problem solving. I did not grow up having teachers who truly taught through problem-based tasks.
By Stacey Moy
Method of Teaching
I believe that children learn better in a problem solving classroom. In addition, direct teaching is needed when students are confused and learning new math vocabulary. I want students to discover the math concepts in fun ways and having them to think while they learn. The way I was taught, I only knew one way to do many math problems. When I came to a problem I had never seen before, I would get frustrated and would give up. I would give an answer to the problem to say I solved it even if my answer was wrong. In my classroom, I want to guide my students in learning math concepts. I want to build their communication and reasoning skills so that they can show people how they solve the problem and justify the answer. On the other hand, I believe that teaching math strategies explicitly in solving problems and summarizing the learning is a part of the math teacher’s role.
Teachers still need to be in control in keeping order but also knows what is going on in the learning community of their classroom. On Day One, the teacher teaches explicitly about the classroom norms, how grouping of students work, and how the students are to behave in class. The teacher and the students collaborate on how the learning environment is to be. They work together to create a peaceful, supportive, and respectful learning environment where everyone is safe to learn and take risks without negative feedback. The students are in control of on-task behavior, thinking and doing math activities, helping each other and asking questions to continue their learning.
As a math teacher, I will adapt and be flexible when instructing the best way for my students. I know what the best way is based on my assessing my students on their progress, process and responses to the learning. The best way is also using teaching strategies and best practices to engage students on their thinking and learning. I will teach various strategies so students can learn many ways to solve problems. When they come to a problem they have never seen before, they would have a toolkit of strategies they can use to solve the unfamiliar problem. I will be a model to my students as I think aloud through a problem so they can learn how I solve something or how to deal with confusion while still persevering in solving the problem. I want to create a learning environment where taking risks and making mistakes are okay. We will use questioning strategies to push each other’s thinking.
I will continue to reflect on my teaching practices and keep students’ goals in mind. To be successful, I will need to be very organized in keeping track of state standards, objectives, lesson planning, student assessments, gathering materials and other teaching duties so I can better serve my students. As a teacher, I would need to check on state standards before I plan my lessons. The objectives will fit the state standards. When I plan my lessons, I have to make sure each step is aligned with the state standards. Before I implement my lessons, I need to gather materials so they would be ready during the lesson time. If I scrambled for math materials during the math time, it will waste my teaching time and students’ learning time. Assessing students is important for the teacher to know how the students are progressing and attaining or not attaining the math concepts expected by the state standards.
Differentiation
No two students learn the same way or at the same pace. The teacher need to differentiate so all students can be successful learners. Through flexible grouping during the guided practice is a great way for all students to learn together. These groups should be heterogeneous so the low achieving students can learn from the higher achieving students as well as vice versa. This would be a good time to give high level tasks for all students to explore math concepts. In doing so, the high achieving students may learn something from the lower achieving students. In partner and small group work, the students with special needs or ELL will learn through peer-assistance; this is another way to support learners with challenges.
As for struggling learners, I need to explicitly teach the task and problem solving strategies at first. I will do the gradual release method where they are scaffold in problem solving on their own. For example, they will be given easier tasks at first so they could feel successful. Next, they will receive challenging tasks to push them further in problem solving until they reach the lesson’s objectives.
In our diverse communities, there are many students whose first language is not English. These ELL students need better support to help them learn in the American classrooms. Here are strategies for teaching math to them: 1) Write and state the content and language objectives; 2) Build background; 3) Encourage use of native language; 4) Use comprehensible input; 5) Explicitly teach vocabulary; and 6) Plan cooperative/interdependent groups to support language.
When the teacher share the objectives with the students, everyone would know what they are expected to learn and to do. Students are comforted that a road map is provided so they know what they are learning is meaningful in which this engage them in their learning. To build background on something the students do not have prior knowledge of, the teacher need to link students’ prior learning of previous lessons or a real-world problem. Encourage the students to use their native language when processing something new or thinking on the task so they do not get overwhelmed with trying to think in English and not be able to understand the concept being learned. The teacher need to make each lessons comprehensible through clear language, use of gestures and motions that link to the vocabulary, model the instructions, use visuals, use manipulative, real objects, demonstration and picture books.
ELL students do not acquire the math vocabulary on their own. Math teachers need to teach math vocabulary and academic language explicitly through word wall, clear explanation, concept maps, personal math dictionaries, and time to practice using math terms in meaningful ways. As I mentioned previously, ELL students can learn from their peers in small groups or in partners. This gives them a chance to speak, write, talk, and listen in nonthreatening situations. Though, it is important to not isolate ELL students of low level English by placing them with native English speakers. In small groups and in pairs, there should be at least one other ELL student similar in language level as well as speaks the same first language or a bilingual student so the ELL student do not feel frustrated and alone.
Assessment
As a teacher, I would use assessment to gather information in my students’ progress of their learning and their achievement in attaining the math concepts. Assessments should be use to encourage students’ learning and making instructional decisions. The appropriate assessment reflects on the full range of mathematics; they are concepts and procedures, mathematical processes, problem solving, reasoning, communication and productive deposition.
There are so many strategies to assess students’ learning. I will share only a few of my favorites. First, in before the lesson starts, the teacher can find out what students know through popcorn activity or Post-It responses on the KWL chart. During and after the lesson, there are anecdotal notes, observation checklists, math journal entries, ticket out (where students fill out a short questionnaire on what they learned and what they are confused about still), performance-based tasks and post unit tests. For students who struggle with writing, the teacher interviews the students so they can orally share what they learned.
Intervention
Students need intervention assistance if after assessing them, they are still way behind on knowing math or not able to learn concepts based on the grade level state standards in a regular math class. Intervention methods are different for each school. I am not sure where I would be at as an elementary school teacher. If the school I am hired at has math pull outs, I would have to follow the school’s procedures. Though, I hope to work with the math specialist closely so I know how the students are progressing. I also hope to impart with the specialist about where my class is in math so the pull out students can maybe have similar math tasks. I would want the pull outs to happen during my normal math time so it would not interfere with the other content areas that I would be teaching as well as any specials such as P.E. and music. I do not want these pull-outs to happen permanently. This type of intervention help is need-based and flexible enough when the students gain the concept knowledge, they can rejoin the math class fully. For those students who may need intervention and are not part of an intervention program, I have supplied some examples of supportive assistance in my differentiation section of this paper.
Technology
Technology is part of our world and many professions require some kind of technology. The use of technology in a math classroom is beneficial for students so they can learn concepts in a different way, connect it to the real world application, connect to symbolism and making math engaging. I will allow use of calculators. The benefit of calculator usage are used to develop concepts and enhance problem solving, used for drill, improve attitudes and motivation, and used commonly in society. I will also allow the use of the computer if it enhances students’ learning through games, graphing programs and other supplemental websites. The benefits of using technology that it requires different mental action in doing math, it provides unlimited materials with easy clean up, and it accommodates for different purposes.
Language Skills (Speaking, Reading and Writing)
The math teacher is also a language teacher. Mathematics has its own vocabulary and organization. Math students need to be literate in the math language as well as the written language to be successful in our society. Math requires reading for students to read the directions or story problem that they are trying to solve. Writing requires students to put down their thinking and learning on paper. Speaking requires students to verbally think aloud in processing their learning as well as talking about math.
First of all, I would require reading in the math classroom. As a whole group, we read each task or directions together. Next, students can work in groups or pairs for writing and speaking to learn concepts together. As the math teacher, I need to model explicitly on how to speak using math terminology with the task at hand. I would provide plenty of practice time for the students to converse using math terms in meaningful learning tasks with each other. Students would have opportunities to record their thinking, data collecting, attempts, strategies being used, and other comments before, during and after the lesson in writing and drawing. For the students who are ELL or with special needs, I would provide sentence frames or cloze sentences to help them voice their thinking. They can also draw and label as another way to share their work with me and with other students.
Student Learning
I believe all students have the ability to learn math at high levels. Teaching through problem solving is a great way to engage students and it gives them confidence in doing math. Rigor is having high standards for students’ learning and doing math. As teachers, we need to ask high level questions to engage students into thinking deeper. By doing this, they can see that math is not just about computations, but it is about relationships, patterns and number sense. Making the lessons rigorous will challenge the students and they will feel excited about learning math. For struggling students, they too can be challenged. They need to be built up for these challenges by teaching them problem solving strategies, give them plenty of time to practice these strategies and give them small challenging tasks to do at first. These students should given easier problem-based tasks so they could feel successful. However, I believe they need to be given a tough problem (still solvable to them with assistance) that they would fail at and guide them in how to deal with the failure so they persevere in continuation of solving the problem.
Drill and practice can be effective for memorization of basic math facts. I like teaching through problem solving because for the students learn connections in a way that is best for them; they seek different ways to solve problems; and they need to justify their answers and processes in solving them. I admit that I will need extensive training to teach math through problem solving. I did not grow up having teachers who truly taught through problem-based tasks.
By Stacey Moy
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Reading Philosophy Paper
Today, I accomplished finishing my reading philosophy paper for my Reading Essentials class. It was a long process. It took me two weeks to write it. I'm so happy it's done. I already finished my final papers for my teaching math and language development classes. I will share my math paper another day.
Here is my reading philosophy paper:
“The books that help you most are those which make you think the most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty,” said Theodore Parker on books, an 18th century minister and abolitionist. The author of Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson said about reading, “It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations—something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.” These quotes summarize to me what reading is all about. Reading is about thinking and connecting to what is read from various types of text. A well-balanced reading program is needed so students can become proficient readers, in doing so, they will continue to read for pleasure all of their lives. A good reading program requires these components: comprehension, accuracy, fluency and extended vocabulary. To implement a well-balanced reading program, I would need to focus in curriculum, assessment, instruction, classroom environment, and how students affect in relation to the teaching of reading.
First, I would investigate the state standards and review the curriculum provided at the school I am placed. The state standards set the tone on what the reader of a particular grade level need to know on reading. When I plan lessons, mini-lessons and guiding reading groups, my objectives need to be aligned with the state standards. As I mentioned previously, I also need to review the curriculum if any provided by the school. The curriculum must align to the state standards. Ideally, I would like to have Professional Learning Community (PLC) with the same grade level teachers to plan together on basic lesson plans and thematic units. This will help me greatly because I could continue to learn from experienced teachers about teaching reading. It is also nice to share the load since if I plan everything on my own, it would take too long. For example, in my courses at Marylhurst, it takes me about a couple weeks to create one lesson plan together. In reality, as a classroom teacher, I do not have that much time. With the PLC time with fellow teachers, we encourage each other and share teaching strategies that individually did not think of at first or provide resources that individually did not have. From there, I would modify these lessons to personalize them to better serve my own students.
Second, I would use assessment to gather information in my students’ progress of their learning and their achievement in attaining the reading level and concepts. Assessments should be use to encourage students’ learning and making instructional decisions. The appropriate assessment reflects where the students are at in reading through using running records, reading interviews, anecdotal notes, and observation checklists. By using these assessment tools, I could better plan lessons and guided reading groups.
Third, I would adapt and be flexible when instructing the best way for my students. I know what the best way is based on my assessing my students on their progress, process and responses to the learning. The best way is also using teaching strategies and best practices to engage students on their thinking and learning. I will teach various strategies so students can read at deeper levels and be engaged with what they are reading. I would teach several comprehension strategies explicitly and have plenty of practice time in learning these strategies. Teaching various reading strategies is important because it helps students continue to learn to read while giving them the independence to read on their own. The more practice a student have to reading, the better this person gets.
Furthermore, ideally I want my literacy block be uninterrupted for two hours each day. Though, a 15 minute morning break between reading and writing would be good. Students do need a break from learning since a short break will aid students’ retention of learning. In addition, play time is important to young students since the act of playing is about imagination, cooperation, and many other beneficial aspects to a well-balanced child. Back to my point about my instructional time, as a reading teacher, the cognitive strategies I teach my students will be surface and deep level structure systems. In my literacy block each day, there would be read aloud, interactive read aloud, shared reading, guided reading groups, sustained silent reading, and writing time. I want to create a learning environment where reading is fun and everyone is a reader.
Meanwhile I will continue to reflect on my teaching practices and keep students’ goals in mind. To be successful, I will need to be very organized in keeping track of state standards, objectives, lesson planning, student assessments, gathering materials and other teaching duties so I can better serve my students. As a teacher, I would need to check on state standards before I plan my lessons. The objectives will fit the state standards. When I plan my lessons, I have to make sure each step is aligned with the state standards. Before I implement my lessons, I need to gather materials so they would be ready during the lesson time. If I scrambled for materials during my teaching time, it will waste my instructional time and students’ learning time. Assessing students is important for the teacher to know how the students are progressing and attaining or not attaining the reading concepts expected by the state standards.
Next, the literacy block can only happen when the classroom environment is conductive to learning. Teachers need to be in control to keep order but they also know need to be aware of the learning community of their classroom. On Day One, I would teach explicitly about the classroom norms, how grouping of students work, and how the students are to behave during the literacy block. The teacher and the students collaborate on how the learning environment is to be. I would work together with my students to create a peaceful, supportive, and respectful learning environment where everyone is safe to learn and take risks without negative feedback. The students are in control of on-task behavior, thinking and learning, helping each other and asking questions to continue their learning. Teachers do play a huge influence in students’ attitude toward school and learning and whether they succeed or fail. First of all, I would show respect to my students in word and deed. I need to create a classroom environment where everyone is heard and respected. Teachers who let their students collaborate with them on how the classroom environment should be like, everyone would know what is expected and get excited that learning would happen without behavioral distractions.
At last, the students’ beliefs and experiences with reading do affect the teaching of reading. The attitude of the students affects how they want to learn how to read and reading in general. If students come from a low or non-existent reading home, they would have no relationship with the written word. It would be up to the classroom teacher to teach these students how to read and hopefully build a good school-to- home relationship as another place of support for these children. If some students hate to read for the reasons of poor reading skills or no real exposure to pleasure reading, then I need to share my passion of reading as their teacher. I would need to pick books for read aloud and guided reading groups to intrigue all students as well as assisting the independent reading book choices that connect to the individual student’s interests.
In conclusion, I believe that the curriculum, assessment, instruction, classroom environment and students’ attitude of reading play a part in teaching reading. The curriculum, assessment, instruction and classroom environment must align to the academic needs of the students. As a reading teacher, I have influence on how my students relate to reading. It is my job to effuse the passion of reading to my pupils so they would become thinkers and creators. In other words, I end this paper with this quote from Albert Einstein who said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
~By Stacey Moy
Here is my reading philosophy paper:
“The books that help you most are those which make you think the most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty,” said Theodore Parker on books, an 18th century minister and abolitionist. The author of Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson said about reading, “It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations—something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different from their own.” These quotes summarize to me what reading is all about. Reading is about thinking and connecting to what is read from various types of text. A well-balanced reading program is needed so students can become proficient readers, in doing so, they will continue to read for pleasure all of their lives. A good reading program requires these components: comprehension, accuracy, fluency and extended vocabulary. To implement a well-balanced reading program, I would need to focus in curriculum, assessment, instruction, classroom environment, and how students affect in relation to the teaching of reading.
First, I would investigate the state standards and review the curriculum provided at the school I am placed. The state standards set the tone on what the reader of a particular grade level need to know on reading. When I plan lessons, mini-lessons and guiding reading groups, my objectives need to be aligned with the state standards. As I mentioned previously, I also need to review the curriculum if any provided by the school. The curriculum must align to the state standards. Ideally, I would like to have Professional Learning Community (PLC) with the same grade level teachers to plan together on basic lesson plans and thematic units. This will help me greatly because I could continue to learn from experienced teachers about teaching reading. It is also nice to share the load since if I plan everything on my own, it would take too long. For example, in my courses at Marylhurst, it takes me about a couple weeks to create one lesson plan together. In reality, as a classroom teacher, I do not have that much time. With the PLC time with fellow teachers, we encourage each other and share teaching strategies that individually did not think of at first or provide resources that individually did not have. From there, I would modify these lessons to personalize them to better serve my own students.
Second, I would use assessment to gather information in my students’ progress of their learning and their achievement in attaining the reading level and concepts. Assessments should be use to encourage students’ learning and making instructional decisions. The appropriate assessment reflects where the students are at in reading through using running records, reading interviews, anecdotal notes, and observation checklists. By using these assessment tools, I could better plan lessons and guided reading groups.
Third, I would adapt and be flexible when instructing the best way for my students. I know what the best way is based on my assessing my students on their progress, process and responses to the learning. The best way is also using teaching strategies and best practices to engage students on their thinking and learning. I will teach various strategies so students can read at deeper levels and be engaged with what they are reading. I would teach several comprehension strategies explicitly and have plenty of practice time in learning these strategies. Teaching various reading strategies is important because it helps students continue to learn to read while giving them the independence to read on their own. The more practice a student have to reading, the better this person gets.
Furthermore, ideally I want my literacy block be uninterrupted for two hours each day. Though, a 15 minute morning break between reading and writing would be good. Students do need a break from learning since a short break will aid students’ retention of learning. In addition, play time is important to young students since the act of playing is about imagination, cooperation, and many other beneficial aspects to a well-balanced child. Back to my point about my instructional time, as a reading teacher, the cognitive strategies I teach my students will be surface and deep level structure systems. In my literacy block each day, there would be read aloud, interactive read aloud, shared reading, guided reading groups, sustained silent reading, and writing time. I want to create a learning environment where reading is fun and everyone is a reader.
Meanwhile I will continue to reflect on my teaching practices and keep students’ goals in mind. To be successful, I will need to be very organized in keeping track of state standards, objectives, lesson planning, student assessments, gathering materials and other teaching duties so I can better serve my students. As a teacher, I would need to check on state standards before I plan my lessons. The objectives will fit the state standards. When I plan my lessons, I have to make sure each step is aligned with the state standards. Before I implement my lessons, I need to gather materials so they would be ready during the lesson time. If I scrambled for materials during my teaching time, it will waste my instructional time and students’ learning time. Assessing students is important for the teacher to know how the students are progressing and attaining or not attaining the reading concepts expected by the state standards.
Next, the literacy block can only happen when the classroom environment is conductive to learning. Teachers need to be in control to keep order but they also know need to be aware of the learning community of their classroom. On Day One, I would teach explicitly about the classroom norms, how grouping of students work, and how the students are to behave during the literacy block. The teacher and the students collaborate on how the learning environment is to be. I would work together with my students to create a peaceful, supportive, and respectful learning environment where everyone is safe to learn and take risks without negative feedback. The students are in control of on-task behavior, thinking and learning, helping each other and asking questions to continue their learning. Teachers do play a huge influence in students’ attitude toward school and learning and whether they succeed or fail. First of all, I would show respect to my students in word and deed. I need to create a classroom environment where everyone is heard and respected. Teachers who let their students collaborate with them on how the classroom environment should be like, everyone would know what is expected and get excited that learning would happen without behavioral distractions.
At last, the students’ beliefs and experiences with reading do affect the teaching of reading. The attitude of the students affects how they want to learn how to read and reading in general. If students come from a low or non-existent reading home, they would have no relationship with the written word. It would be up to the classroom teacher to teach these students how to read and hopefully build a good school-to- home relationship as another place of support for these children. If some students hate to read for the reasons of poor reading skills or no real exposure to pleasure reading, then I need to share my passion of reading as their teacher. I would need to pick books for read aloud and guided reading groups to intrigue all students as well as assisting the independent reading book choices that connect to the individual student’s interests.
In conclusion, I believe that the curriculum, assessment, instruction, classroom environment and students’ attitude of reading play a part in teaching reading. The curriculum, assessment, instruction and classroom environment must align to the academic needs of the students. As a reading teacher, I have influence on how my students relate to reading. It is my job to effuse the passion of reading to my pupils so they would become thinkers and creators. In other words, I end this paper with this quote from Albert Einstein who said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
~By Stacey Moy
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