Tuesday, October 27, 2015
August Blog: Section 1 Not This But that
As I read through Section 1 it opened my eyes to what I struggle with and do not do in my classroom, I have really struggled with teaching reading so far this year. I understand this is my first year, my learning year but some days I feel so extremely defeated by my job. I go home confused how to model reading to my students and how to even begin to teach my kids to read and comprehend what they are reading. As I read through section 1 page 7 stuck out the most to me. The author talks about giving the students and example of what it looks like to be "engaged" in a book, but does that really teach them anything? Struggling and reluctant readers are the hardest to reach because they can pretend they are reading all day during independent reading time but are they actually understanding and engaged in what they are reading, eh, probably not. My goal is to actually benefit from reading these chapters and focus on my weakest subject I teach, I hope to help my students grow in reading, but in doing so I hope to grow as a teacher, as well.
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Your reflective approach is so helpful when trying to improve as a teacher. Reading is hard to teach but your attitude toward your reading is a step in the right direction. There is a lot to learn in these books! As teachers, we often forget to teach readers how to engage with a book and focus instead on the rote mechanics of reading. Teaching this then following up with students in conferences is a great way to show them that you are on to their pretend reading. They'll be expected to have read a book and talk to you about it. What better way to convince them that real reading is expected and important?
ReplyDeleteHi Kyra,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty in this post and how you are purposefully choosing to focus on reading as an area to target your own professional growth because it is an area that you believe will impact your students the most. In this section Miller does provide some suggestions of what supported independent reading looks like. Which specific strategies and structures have you learned about that you plan to try out with your fifth graders? Thanks, Dawn