I was so fortunate to attend the same conference as Jennifer this week (we work in the same county). I was actually there when Jennifer was scarfing up those last copies of To Understand! I agree, that being able to share the experience with colleagues was a huge benefit to me and I was fortunate to be with other professionals who still have a passion for our profession and for the students they work with. We often attended different sessions and would share what we were learning with each other at lunch. I was able to bring a different teacher with me every day and it was a great way to open the door to new thinking for them. I agree that asking teachers if you can borrow their students (when you don't have your own class) is a great way to get teachers to look at things in new ways. I am a true believer in self-assessment and evaluation - one of the reasons I try to read professional literature constantly. It always makes me THINK! A few weeks ago I realized that I was not getting anywhere with a group of struggling second graders. That weekend I dug out some of my "old favorites" and began rereading about strategy instruction and went into school with a whole new "can do" attitude. Instead of doing "guided reading" with these children "to get them through the basal", I am am reading quality literature, thinking out loud, and showing them how to listen to the voice inside their head. It is working! Suddenly this group of children who couldn't get past the literal interpretation of the text have some very profound things to say. They are making all kinds of connections and inferences. They loved How Many Days to America by Eve Bunting and they each walked away with a post-it with her name on it so they could go to the library and get more of her books. I love the Ellin's term "Literacy Studio" - it conjures up an image of an artist's studio with lots of different things going on at different stages using all kinds of mediums. And isn't that what our classrooms should look like - our students involved in different things at different stages? As I read through Ellin's descriptions of the composing sessions and invitational groups, I could just see the students laying on their stomachs, or lounging on comfy pillows, or rereading part of writing that they were trying to get just right. I think Ellin's example of fervent learning when her Mom got sick brings home that we strive to understand things that have personal meaning to us. I also read Kushner's book (When Bad Things Happen to Good People) in 1982 when my third child was born with a physical disability. I read everything I could get my hands on to help me understand her disability and why this had happened to her. I needed to know. And, no, it didn't change a thing, except help me to understand better what was going on and it helped me develop a way to cope. I loved the story about Kevin and remember, sadly, a time when I was a student and my curiosity was squashed. In 10th grade biology, we studeied genetics and inheritance - I was facinated - the only A I got in Biology that year. When I asked the teacher if I could do an independent study on genetics, I was turned down - I wasn't one of the "smart" kids so I'm sure he felt I couldn't handle it. It bothered me for a long time and it's one of the few things I remember from high school. I wonder how many times as a teacher I squashed a student's cuiosity because they weren't "smart"? (I hope not many) Laura Hocker Literacy Leader Darlington Elementary School
_______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
