Something that stood out to me in these readings was when it said "good writing doesn't result from any particular methodology" because it's something that we as future educators need to live by. A big part of teaching is being flexible, sometimes things work and sometimes they need improvement. We also have to realize that what worked with one student may not work with another, every child is different. I liked how the reading talked about the importance of the teaching writing with her students and sharing her writing. Kids need to see the teacher demonstrate something so they have an idea of how to do it on their own. I remember in a class that I cadet taught for the teacher had her students write "I am from" poems to talk about things that make up parts of who they are. The teacher made her own poem to give her students an idea of what she expected from them. Sometimes it's easier for kids to have a visual representation as an example then for it to be verbally explained.
At my work the kindergarteners are expected to do their ABC's before they can draw or color during homework time. The older kids are expected to write 5 sentences and we then look over them. Multiple times I have had kindergarteners come up to me and ask me to help them write sentences instead of doing their ABC's. They see that the older kids are doing and they want to do it too. They love to experiment with words and sound things out to see if they can do it. And they are so proud once they do. Younger kids make a lot of mistakes so it's discouraging if we try to correct them all in one sitting. The reading talked about how correcting errors isn't teaching. It doesn't do the student any good unless you explain to them how they made the error and what they can do to fix it.
Wendy, I found your connections to the reading with your real life experiences to be awesome and helped me see what you were thinking! I like this. How interesting that they don't allow the students to do one thing until they do another. Do you usually enforce this? I like that you mention that the students don't want to do that so they try to do what the older kids are doing. How great of a lesson they are already learning by trying to invent spelling and such. I wholeheartedly agree with all that we've learned about correcting kids mistakes. The most essential part is that students are writing and getting that creative flow going! Do you agree? When do you think is the time to implement fixing errors?
ReplyDeleteWendy, I agree with your interruptation of the reading; it's so important for teachers to be flexible and realize that what works for one student will not necessarily work for another. I often wonder how one teacher can effectively meet the needs of every single student...it seems a bit overwhelming! But I definitely think that every teacher should make full-hearted efforts to ensure that every student is receiving the education that suits them best. I also really liked that your connection with work! I babysit for a little girl, she's three, and whatever she see's me doing she too then wants to do. Although this sort of thing could be bad, I've learned to use it to my advantage...if I work on saying the ABC's or if I drink water she too wants to do those sort of things. Teachers should be aware of the impact their actions and choices make on their students, which goes hand-in-hand with the idea that teachers should demonstrate ideas for their students.
ReplyDeleteWendy,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you have said in your post. All kids are very different, and each student deserves our full attention. Being flexible is so important! Most recently I have found that to be true when working with my kindergarten student at University Elementary School. He is extremely witty, and always keeps me on my toes. I love how enthusiastic he is about his opinions and that he is not afraid to speak his mind. Just recently I was planning on doing a planning web activity for our recent literacy project, but instead of brainstorming activities, I had to be flexible and change plans. He already made up his mind about what he wanted to do the movie over. Instead, I decided that we should make a list of characters and agree on a setting. Examples like this show how important it is for teachers to realize that plans are never static. I also realize that my attitude toward a project will be a reflection of how my student will respond to the same project. If I acted bored or unenthusiastic about making a movie, I am sure he would return the same feelings. good post!