Chapter 4 Teach with a Sense of Urgency
When a
chapter starts with that title (teach with a sense of urgency) I get very
skeptical about reading it. I was apprehensive
to read about teaching with urgency because I don’t like the ways that sounds. However like any good title should do it drew
in my attention and so I read it. I got
to read the chapter it was nothing like that.
It was about reading with a purpose and making every minute in your
classroom count towards your instruction and the students learning. This is what I strive to do every day!! I make
sure my student know that no minute in class is wasted with a “filler”. Also that
everything they learn is linked together in one way or another. I tell them that “ teacher are very crafty
people and can make Science, SS, Math, and ELA work as one unit and that unit
is You ( the student)”
The
reference of introducing the students to all kinds of genres keeps popping up
in this course and I guess I was very unaware on how this is not practiced in
schools. I would think it would be
common sense to allow the students to search for a topic of reading they like
forms all the topics that are open to them.
People do not all read the same or even like the same types of
books. So why would we close off the
students to any genres of book if we aren’t closed off to them either. Allow
the students the chance to explore the genres on the own independent time. Also, encourage them to express their
thoughts and feeling of the book in a respectful way.
Jess,
ReplyDeleteI was hooked on this blog entry from the first paragraph! You write with such great voice that I can actually imagine your facial expression when you mentioned being skeptical! I can understand how you were unaware that teaching across different genres was not common when I look at how varied your classroom library is. You do a great job of getting many different genres into the kids hands and if you need any more materials, I know you will check out the literacy closet!
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and with Routman that it is important to provide our students with opportunities to learn holistically about topics of interest. If we are teaching students to use reading and writing as tools for learning then they can apply them to any area of study which promotes integration and reading a wide variety of genres. I will have to come by and check out your classroom library based on Laura's recommendation. I appreciate the variety of texts you are offering your students. Thanks, Dawn