Hi everyone I am just coming off the CCIRA conference and am sooo fired up! Nancy Atwell was one of the Key Note Speakers. I loved what she reminded us all of and that is book talks. Getting our kids into those "just right" books for them is about books that will speak to them. She said that all the teachers at her school make it their goal to book talk loads of books especially at the beginning of the year. Exposure I guess you could say is so important especially for those reluctant readers, right? They have at their website http://www.c-t-l.org/kids_recommend.html among other things recommended books from their students by grade level and boy/girl lists. You can read her beautiful expectations for their students at the Center for Teaching and Learning. She said, and I agree, real reading (not fake) and real writing make people happy. I am reminded of a student I had a couple of years ago who to quote him, "I don't read books." One day in October slammed a book shut that he was reading and announced to the entire class during our silent reading, "I can't believe it I just finished an entire book on my own!" Everyone was startled but erupted in applause! So our job is to find the books that speak to the kids. Every year I have sixth graders like this young man who enter my room and say, "I don't like to read, I don't read, good luck Ms. C!" Yeah well I tell them they haven't spent time with me and I love a good challenge. Those kids that read like crazy aren't my concern initially it is those kids who see themselves as a non-reader. There are too many good authors to not hook kids on reading. So book talk and be passionate about it and they will come to the book and open the cover and find page one and off they go! I have also found that those avid readers are my allies in this endeavor. I invite them to tell about authors they read over and over, books in a series they adore, etc. The second question you pose Jennifer about the teachers who are eager to improve and passionate while others are satisfied with the status quo...........hummmmmmmmmmmmm I have struggled with this long and hard and find at times I am alienated from others because of my desire to read and improve on my teaching etc. A colleague of mine we are going on our second year of conducting a Professional Learning Community and I know from my reading how important it is to have dialogue with peers yet once a month we try to gather people together to talk (in this case Writer's Workshop) and it is very hard to get everyone on board. However, I have come to the conclusion that the small group we have acquired that comes every time is enough. My principal always reminds me of the stinky cheese concept (Who Moved My Cheese)! So my colleague and I keep plugging along and for me I am focused on those that are there and not those that are not there. It is a beginning. I do know this work is hard, rigorous, and reflective. It takes time. Maybe time that not everyone can give to it?
On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 5:02 PM, <cnjpal...@aol.com> wrote: > > Hello Understand list members! > We have been pretty quiet since the holidays. I am going to try again to > stimulate a little discussion. We didn't have much to say on Chapter five so > feel free, if the urge hits you to go back to those pages and share your > thoughts. > > In the meantime, let's focus as a group on chapter six for the next two > weeks. > > On page 136 Ellin writes: > " I began to wonder if the decline in that initial curiosity and energy for > learning must be inevitable. I know that some students seem likely to lose > their interests and passions, but also that some never do. Why do these few > retain the freshness of desire to learn?" > > What are you theories about this? Let's go one step further and apply it to > teachers...why are there some of us that are eager to learn and improve and > are passionate about improving instruction while others are satisfied with > the > status quo? > > A second question... > On page 149 Ellin argues for a more "moderate approach to book selection." > She says she understands how students who consistently read things that are > too > easy or too hard can lose interest in reading but also believes that > readability formulas are very limited in utility and do not account for > student > schema and interest. What are your views on book selection and how do you > handle > this in your classroom? What is your belief system and how do you use what > you believe to make decisions about what reading materials you use? > > Choose either or both to respond to ....OR start your own thread. > Jennifer > > **************Know Your Numbers: Get tips and tools to help you improve your > credit score. > (http://www.walletpop.com/credit/credit-reports?ncid=emlcntuswall00000002) > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > Understand@literacyworkshop.org > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
