Blog Post #2- The Habit of Kidwatching
While I was reading the article, The Habit of
Kidwatching, I became extremely motivated. I felt good about the things I was
already doing with my students, but knew there was so much more to be done. I
completely agree with the author on so many levels. The value of sitting with a
child and listening to them read is so much more beneficial than seeing a score
on a comprehension test. You actually get to know them as readers.
Making Kidwatching a Habit was the section of
the article that I found most helpful for me. Each teacher has to figure out
what works best for them. I like the idea of starting out slowly. Begin by
writing one sentence about each child every day. Our comments about our
students are much more meaningful than letter grades. This seems difficult for
teachers because we always feel we must have enough grades recorded for our
students. Kidwatching also allows us to get to know our students more deeply.
How much does a letter grade really tell us about our students? Listening and
talking to them about what they are reading is the best thing we can do to get
to know our students as readers.
Kidwatching is not an easy task. If you are
thinking about this type of record keeping, start out slowly. It requires commitment
and hard work, but seeing the value in your students and getting to know them
on such a personal level is a gift a teacher can treasure.
Starting anything new can be intimidating. I agree starting slow can make it seem more "doable." I heard somewhere that you have to "start slow to move fast," and I couldn't agree more. I agree that conferring with our students is so important and can tell so much more than a letter grade can! Try taking notes on a few students a day. You will learn so much about your students and will allow you to meet their needs and build relationships!
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