Co-Authoring Classroom Texts

Why did I chose these pictures from Co-Authoring Classroom Texts? The first picture was selected because in Maier's classroom, author Larson describes there being over 6,000 plus books around the room for students to choose from. One of the reasons for such success in her classroom, Maier had an abundant option of books the kids could select to read. The second picture depicts the one-on-one confrences the teacher had to help her students improve their reading and writing. It shows her dedication and devotion to her students success. Next, one of the most important points made in the article was that she set her students up to be authors. To me this is showing that she wants her students to have the confidence to feel like they are writers, not students writing. I think too many students have trouble writing for the simple fact that they don't have the right tools to be confident in their writing ablility... and that is exactly what Maier did by treating her students like authors. Lastly, the author describes how Maier had a personal connection with each of her students, and they all knew each other's personal lives inside and out, which helped them in the classroom. Each student was diverse in their own way, which lead them to be cohesive when working together.

Teaching Identities.

Each teacher takes on a different identity, and plays a different role in your life. As we read in the article, some teachers we may be compatible with their teaching identity, some we just don’t ever seem to understand. I can say that I have had teachers form all end of the spectrum.

            In elementary school, second grade to be specific, I had a teacher who would literally yell at us on the top of her lungs. From day one, she had struck fear into our minds. The class of 8 year olds stayed fairly on task, if you ask me but it was not a learning environment that I would wish on anyone. We as young students were more focused on whether or not we were going to get in trouble for doing something a normal 8 year old would do. I don’t think this teacher had the identity of “scary” teacher just to be mean, but I feel like she was very old fashioned and felt there was no other way to control a classroom than to yell when we acted up.    

            On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have had many inspirational teachers that have given me the confidence in not only school subject matters, but also life itself. I plan on obtaining a double credential, a multiple subject and a single subject concentrating in history. If I find myself with the little ones in elementary school, I want my teaching identity to be a cheerleader. At a young age, I think it is essential that you are making it clear to your students that you are there for them no matter what, supporting them. Young children are already hard to keep attention for long spans of time, so if you keep them engaged and show them you care; I believe they will be most successful.

            If I find myself in a high school classroom, the teaching identity I hope to be is a mentor. High school is the time to buckle down before students leave to the real world for college. There is so much more than teaching a student what year the US won it’s independence, or what the Pythagorean theorem is. Teachers at a high school lever should be making their students aware of the real world and what lies ahead. I was a great student who was engaged all four years of high school, but the one teacher inspired me the most was not a great academic teacher, instead he was a coach that helped me feel more prepared than ever before I graduated high school. Teaching identities go all across the board from one end of the spectrum to the other, it’s all how you use that identity to you advantage. 

Book Club Selection

After looking at our Book Club options, I chose Wondrous Words: Writing in the Elementary Classroom. I like how the book focuses directly on how to teach writing in an elementary school classroom. It talks about experiences from all ages and all different levels of writing. The author, Katie Wood Ray explains how students learn to write from their reading. It also teaches how students can use the usefulness of prewriting and reading aloud. I think the book is going to give me a lot more strategies on how students can connect their reading and writing together. Personal experiences are what helps me a lot to see what worked for people and what didn’t. This book looks like it is simple, yet complex on what is being explained. This book got 4 ½ stars on its review, and nothing but positive feedback from teachers and future teachers. If this book is good, I hope to read more books from Katie Wood Ray, since she has many other books that have gotten great reviews as well. I am excited for this assignment because it really is diving into what we are passionate about, teaching.

The Achievement of Desire... Literacy

This article by Richard Rodriguez was very captivating to me. I feel like at certain points I made a certain connections with him. Like Rodriguez, both my parents lacked that education that we had always hoped for. My parents both graduated from high school with a diploma, and the education halted. My parents however have no language restrictions, unlike Rodriguez. Rodriguez explains how education essentially caused a barrier between their family. He was always reading, in the closet, under the bed, for class or for entertainment. He had always loved being in class, and when it came to his later years in grade school, he always was the first to answer the questions. When it came to his home life, his parents struggled to help with his everyday homework, having to rely on himself even more as he got older. This is the same struggle I had. When I was in lower elementary school, my parents were able to help me navigate my way through reading, and writing, but I got older, I was more dependent to get help from teachers at school and other peers.

            I was always an avid reader through elementary school and then middle school hit me and I was forced to read the assigned books that each of us had to read. I normally refuse doing things I don’t want to do, but in the case of maintaining good grades, I continued to read the bland books assigned to me, day after day. I think this variation between the author and I; the love for reading separated both our educational paths from each other. Having parents with relatively similar educational backgrounds, he ended up going to a prestigious school, Stanford, and I find myself in at an average school, in a small college town.

            As far as literacy goes, it is clear how it can affect someone. Not only can lack of literacy affect someone negatively when it comes to jobs, everyday tasks such as driving, going to the grocery store or writing a letter, it can also have a direct effect on a family. Like Rodriguez says, “the first hours of me being home was the hardest, my mom asks, what’s new?” I can relate too. My family does not understand the trials and tribulations of college. They don’t understand why Shakespeare is important, or why we need to be able to write an effective essay. All our families know is that going to college will result in an education, which in turn will find us a great job, meaning a happier life, not all the in between. 

Szwed's Literature

I think Szwed was trying to convey what he thought literature was. In his article, he explains how it is difficult it is to specifically define literature, therefore making it hard to teach to students. Our cultural perception of what reading and writing is happens to be very narrow and strict. I think Szwed got the right idea about the way reading and writing should be used. He says “reading should not be focused on forming a single standard set of skills to be acquired and us as a whole individuals who acquire them in progression of steps which cannot be carried or avoided in learning.” Today, too many young readers and writes are have pressure on them to be “good” readers so they can do good on standardized testing. Instead, reading should be based on enjoyment and what best fits their specific needs. I think Szwed did a great job on how reading and writing should be approached. 

In Class Quickwrite

Kory James

            I am not a huge fan of doing formal reading, for the simple fact I do not have the time on my hands. When I was younger, I had a bookshelf full of my favorite books. I would read for fun, before bedtime and anytime in between. Going through school and being forced to read books that really did not capture my interest made me like reading a lot less. I do however informally read everyday, like most people. Things that I do love to read are social media sites: Facebook, twitter, blogs. Opinion articles on serious and non-serious issues in the world are my favorite reads. Arguing with people is something I like to do, not to make someone mad but to see how others react to other varying opinions, thoughts, and ideas.

            There are many different ways to teach and interpret reading and writing. I want my future students to learn to find a topic that interests them and be able to engage themselves into the reading or writing topic. There are standards as future teachers that we have to meet but I think there are alternative ways that we can make reading a writing more interesting and engaging for our students.