April’s Teaching Blog

I actually re-read my blogs from time to time.  I am a reflective learner, and I thrive on new ideas and constructive criticism.  All of my blogs have had really nice comments and positive feedback, and that makes me feel successful in this endeavor.  In the beginning, I was like blog?  Skiiiiiiiiiiiiirt (brakes).  I’m not on facebook, I don’t frequent blogs, and part of me thinks its weird and stalkerish for people to write about their lives for all to read.  When I was little, I had a diary.  The diary had locks, and no one was allowed to read about who I had a crush on.  This seemed a little counter-intuitive for me, but you know what?  I really liked it.  It really gave me a way to thoughtfully reflect on my reading, and I really like writing, so it worked.  I also really liked reading what people had to say about my blog, it made me feel happy.  I liked that people were reading what I had written, and although I don’t think that my blog was super-insightful, I’d like to think it was slightly enjoyable to read.  The blog helped me to remember what I had read, and it was also nice to read other people’s takes on the same readings.

I hate that I’m not teaching this year because this class has really given me a new lease on literacy teaching.  Last year I felt like I was a pretty good literacy teacher, especially for a first year teacher.  I had lots of engaging activities, and all my kids grew.  They liked reading, they liked writing, and they rarely complained about anything that we did.  God bless those little souls.  One of my favorite parts about this class was reading the research.  I’ve never had a class that required the readings of recent research, and I have to say that it is really interesting.  The Kidwatching Project was a great way for me to get back into the classroom, and the inquiry project gave me great ideas about creating a Family Literacy Night, but my favorite part by far was reading and blogging, which at the beginning of this course, I thought would be my least favorite.  I love being surrounded by teachers who love to learn, who have opinions, and who care as much about teaching their kids as much as I do. 

It would be hard on here to wirte each and every thing that I have learned over the course of this semester, but the most important things that I will take away are:

1.  DO NOT USE DEFICIT THINKING.  It helps no one, and it really has caused me to reflect on every child that I encounter, even some adults. 

2.  Vocabulary is key.  Encouraging the development of a rich vocabulary in children gives them a wonderful foundation for all literacy activity they will do in their life.

3.  My fellow teachers have lots of valuable opinions that I take to heart.  I listen to what people have to say in class, I read what they say on their blogs, and I reflect on these.  I am a moderate, though, and I see all sides of an argument.  It is really hardly ever black and white for me, and I’m sticking to that.  BUT, what everyone has said in class has instigated reflection and even changed my opinion on subjects.

Literacy is for lovers.

I thought that the article for this week, “Diverse Perspectives…” was a nice synthesis of a lot of the things that we have learned in this course.  I have to admit, though, with the Kidwatching Project hanging over my head, I haven’t analyzed this article as thoroughly as I have others. 

With my mind on Kidwatching, I appreciated that this article had bold titles for its sections, making it really user friendly.  Since this article is an essay on a book review, almost a Cliffs Notes for the book, I really enjoyed it.  I don’t enjoy reading things that I feel are bogged down in unimportant information, and this article definitely was not.  It was right to the point…fabulous.  Side note… Sometimes I really feel as though my generation is unamused and almost annoyed by things that are not fast-paced and user friendly.  I feel like an old person saying that, oh you know, those young whippersnappers don’t have patience for anything, but I do feel like that.  I fit into that stereotype of the “me” and “technological” generation.  Imagine what these kids in our classrooms will be like in the future…they have never known a time with no computers, ipods, nintendo DS, internet, and lots of colorful, stimulating toys.  I think that in itself makes our job a little harder, it is really hard to compete with pokemon or whatever they like.  Its like, ooooh pay attention to me, I have books and pencils, when at home they have way more entertaining things to look at on TV.  I like that it keeps me on my toes, but reflecting on that makes me want to raise a simple child.  Side note done….

The biggest thing that I took away from this article is INTERVENTION.  So important, and it gives a child the best hope for overcoming and compensating for differences.  We really have to identify these kids early who may need some type of differentiation, and modify our instruction to that.  I like how the author called the home life the “situation variable”.  What a nice euphemism.  Throughout this class I have been searching for a way to not use deficit thinking, but to address the obvious home situations.  SITUATION VARIABLE!  That is so key in understanding, helping, and intervening for a child.  You have to know the home situation first and foremost in my opinion, because at 5, kids are a TOTAL product of what they have been exposed to.  It’s not deficit thinking, its recognition thinking. 

A cute way of saying, Ms. Washington is up in the dog house.  I’m going to make a confession, and I really hope that it does not make me seem like a bad teacher.  I include families in everything when I teach, family night, I correspond regularly, I call with positive comments about their child, I made a point to write a note home to each child every month and praise them.  But I realized something when I was reading…I’m afraid that I was doing some of these things selfishly.  At parent teacher conferences, I wanted parents to see literacy and school from my perspective.  I feel like I sometimes ignored their perspective, but then I got to thinking more…

At the school that I taught at last year (ps. I only have one year experience teaching, so I’m a little green) I think I would have been uncomfortable asking a parent, “So what types of things do you like to read with Johnny at home?”  I say this because I am afraid I would come across condescending.  I’m afraid it would come across accusatory, so I stayed in my safe zone of talking about what we do at school.  Honestly, that’s all I ever was asked, “How can I help my child with what you are doing in the classroom at home?”  What if the parents didn’t have time to read at home?  What if they didn’t go to the grocery store with a list?  What if they didn’t receive magazines in the mail?  No telephone, so no telephone book?  No money for print on tv?  No activity books?  It was too scary for me because I was working with a population of people, who for the most part, didn’t have a lot of extra money to buy or create print-type materials. 

The readings made me think though.  I think that without realizing it, I incorporated literacy from home in my classroom.  Not to toot my own horn, because honestly, I didn’t really think I was doing something research based, I just thought I was doing what was best.  I’ve used telephone books in dramatic play, mailing letters within our classroom, catalogs, appointment books, bills, money, receipts, recipes, and address books.  All of these things were incorporated into center time, not really into whole group instruction daily, but the kids were exposed to it. 

Bottom line:  Realize what kids are doing at home.  Be in contact with the parents, know what each child’s home life is like.  Love them, do the best you can, and value their culture and home.

English Language Learners are of great interest to me.  I loved learning Spanish, and i stuck with it all the way through middle school and high school.  I took a Spanish course in college, and when I received a 36 on my first exam, i quit.  That’s right, I’m a Spanish drop-out.  I couldn’t hack it.  I had the choice to quit when it got too hard, but these ELL kids in our classrooms, they don’t have the choice.  It doesn’t matter that they struggle learning English, they still have to do it to survive.  I really feel for ELLs.  You come to school with no pre-k experience, you don’t speak the language, and you cant even really make friends because you dont know how to talk to them. And your teacher!  Shes telling all the kids what to do in English, they are doing what they are supposed to, and poor little ESOL child just doesn’t get it.  He feels left out in all senses of the word.  Que triste! (how sad!)  I am currently in a Spanish for Educators course, and it has really helped my remembering of the Spanish that i learned oh so long ago.  I am ADAMANT about making my classroom comfortable and inviting for all, even if it means trying to communicate in a language that i feel uncomfortable with, because in reality, that’s what these kids are trying to do. 

Sarah has the same attitude about ELLs.  I will admit, it can be frustrating at times when a child is hitting another child on the head, and you cant remember the words for “PLEASE STOP!  YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE HIM A BRUISE!”.  But I can say that it is true that just reaching out with the little Spanish you have to your ELLs goes a long way.  There is nothing like seeing a child who is frustrated because he doesn’t understand the task, and then saying “muy bien!  Tu eres muy intelegente!” (very good!  you are so smart!!) and seeing their little face light up like “Holler!  I understand Mrs. Washington!”  In regards to teaching ELL students, a little bit goes a really long way.  Love them, do the best you can with what ya got, and they really will shine.

Oh yeah…and read the research. 

1.  Focus on potentially problematic sounds that the ELL may encounter.

2.  Do the assessments whether their English is limited or not.  Really, all kids have limited English.  So do adults.  It may give you valuable insight.

3.  HIGH QUALITY VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION!

4.  Use visuals.  If someone said to you “fliggenflaggenhiperdonker”…no clue.  But if they showed you a picture or acted it out it all becomes crystal clear.

5.  Give students time to respond.  The ELL student often has to translate and think a little longer about their response.  Give them time.