As I kept reading, I saw the checklist to make teaching with urgency work.
- Students having a bond with their teacher. (Love my students and I definitely hope that they have bonded with me. I love our small group time, because not only do I get to see what they know but also how they are feeling, what they did this weekend, and what interests them.)
- A knowledgeable teacher who models the values of literacy as she demonstrates, supports, encourages, and affirms. (Do I always do my best with this - not always. The struggle is real some days when your own personal child has a double ear infection and your alarm clock sounded way too early. I need to remember to slow down and encourage & support.)
- A collaborative learning environment. (Yes!)
- Tasks and skills that are worth knowing and doing. (My students and I might have varying opinions on this.)
- Successful engagement with the task. (I love when I walk away from talking with a student or group of students and think, "That activity really benefitted them or that activity did not go the way that my mind wanted it to in the construction process. Successfulness and unsuccessfulness with a task still gives me feedback as to what my students need and how I can help them.
- Enjoyment and pride in learning. (This is huge, because you want your students to love coming to your class. You want them to be successful.)
What I have learned from this chapter is to slow down and make the most of my time. I need to use formative assessments to guide my teaching. Whether it be a pretest, quick activity or an observation, I need to know where my students are with each standard and be ready to get on the level of each student to meet them at their needs.
Hi Karilyn,
ReplyDeleteI loved this post because of your honest responses - I had so many personal connections to your reflections on each one of Routman's suggestions on her checklist from this chapter. I agree with you 100% that we need to make each moment count not by cramming worksheets or skill and drill practice in every moment but by making intentional decisions about how we use each moment so that it is purposeful and productive. Thanks, Dawn
"Successfulness and unsuccessfulness with a task still gives me feedback as to what my students need and how I can help them." Insightful words! I love that you see the value in a learning experience gone well, AND one that didn't go so well. It is evident that you work hard to meet the needs of all of your learners!
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