No More Independent Reading Without Support
Section 1 - Not This: Is There Enough Time? And Is Time Enough to Support Independent Reading?
Finding the Time...humph, that's something we never seem to have enough of in the classroom.
How can you find minutes?...okaaay, but the days are packed to the gills already to make sure all that needs to be taught is taught.
What benches are you guarding? ...benches? Wonder what that is all about.
More than just DEAR or Sustain Silent Reading? ...well that's a definite.
These were my first thoughts as I read the table of contents for section 1. Reading this at the end of an already long day, I was tired and probably not in the best frame of mind for this type of reading. But the task needed to be done so I plunged ahead. It wasn't long before I was making connections with other articles that I've read recently and the adjustments I've already began to make.
Miller echoes Atwell in "The Pleasure Principle," Mills/Clyde in "Children's Success as Readers and Writers," and Johnson in "One Child at a Time." Independent reading is essential in student success. The teacher plays a critical role in how instruction is driven, reading is structured, and how the student plays a role in his/her learning. First and foremost, students learn to read by reading. The old adage "practice makes perfect" is absolutely true. But not unsupported reading time as in DEAR or SSR, but rather time spent reading with teacher support through a reading workshop framework.
Time, however, is a very real struggle for teachers. The story Miller shared about "Bureaucracy 3" from Eduardo Galleano's short story really brought it all home for me. Galleano writes how a bench has been guarded outside a barrack in Seville every day and every night. That's right...a bench! For years, without fail, someone has been posted to guard a bench. It remained so until someone finally questioned why and requested the original order. The reason? Over 30 years prior, an officer had ordered a guard to watch over the small bench that had just been painted to keep someone from sitting in wet paint.
The story really resonated with me. Talk about making a teacher stop in her tracks! I caught the analogy right away and immediately thought...what benches am I guarding? What am I taking the time to do each day that needs to stay, needs to go, needs to change? Do I actually have more time available in the school day that I didn't realize? Now, I'm starting to think! I am a firm believer in working smarter, not harder. So let's get out that schedule and start whittling away!
Even after a long day, you were reflecting on your reading, connecting great ideas, and applying them to your practice. The bench story was one that I wish all of our teachers (in the course or not) could read. It's so important to approach our profession with an open mind focused on growth. There is never one correct way to meet the needs of every single individual in our classroom. It's important that we don't "guard benches" and instead use what we know about our current students to drive our instructional approaches. Great observation!
ReplyDeleteHi Olivia,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how at the end of a long day you were connecting to the author's ideas and considering ways to apply them into your teaching practice. You mentioned how you wanted to critically consider your schedule and the various activities and instructional practices that fill your day to see if there are any "benches" you are guarding and if there is any time that you can carve back for your students to engage in meaningful reading,writing, thinking with you and with each other. Let me know what you discover and how I can continue to support you. Sincerely, Dawn
Olivia, the beginning of your post made me laugh out loud. I had the same reactions when I read this chapter. So much of what you wrote reflects exactly where I am and what I think. Whenever my students moan and groan about reading and finding those just right books, I remind them that reading is no different from the sports that they play. They must practice to improve. As a young person, they couldn't keep up with Michael Jordan on the basketball court, so reading a book that is way above their level serves little purpose. We are all at different levels, so they shouldn't worry about being able to read exactly like a friend.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the bench story. This made me think about whether or not I had some benches too. Self-reflection may not always be pleasant, but it is necessary!