Lost sight of my goals...got worried about the state test and forgot what I was teaching...having some students who "grew up" near the end helped a lot also....
Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura Cannon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group'" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 1:18 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] fluency v. comprehension - another POV > Your messages sound like the "old Bill" is back--the optimistic about > youth > learning one, who sounded pretty discouraged about that concept a few > months > ago. I'm glad as I get a lot out of your insights. > Laura C > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Roberts > Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:44 PM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] fluency v. comprehension - another POV > > Maybe I am really missing the boat on the fluency thing...but I >> probably belong with the "old school" way of teaching...even though I >> have >> only been teaching for 8 years. I have a friend who...taught me so much >> when I took over in her classroom. She retired and I took her class over >> mid-year as my first teaching position. She said, "You will find that >> programs and ideas about teaching come around and come around. >> Guaranteed, >> if you teach as long as I have, it will come around a couple times. Hang >> on >> to what you know to be good practice for you and for your kids. Stay >> flexible....calm...and wait. It will come around again." >> >> > Look at any Reading textbook from the 18th or 19th century and you will > see > that they recommend reading orally until fluent. It's been around for a > long time. When the idea of "silent" reading appeared, many scholars were > skeptical of the practice, claiming that the written word was meant to > spoken aloud. NOTHING is new.....BUT if we are to help a student become a > better reader, then we must be prepared to work with whatever skill is > necessary (comprehension, visualization, fluency, etc.) to help that > child. > My main question is this: What is your ultimate goal? Is it reading well > out loud? Is it better comprehension? Passing the state test? Or is it > to > > make them better thinkers, because thinking makes them a better person? > As > teachers, we need to reflect on OUR perceptions and goals as well as the > students' needs. I can't remember the quote exactly, but there is a quote > that goes something like this: > > "The goal of Education is about making a life, not making a living." > > I love it when a child walks out of my classroom saying they are a better > reader, but I also love it when they leave my class a more confident, more > positive, more caring individual....and I think that in a world of scores > and charts and data, we sometimes get bogged down in discussions of > lessons > when we need to remember that we are more than teachers of content --- we > are teachers of youth. > > Bill > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
