Jayna Lehrer – Blog Post (December) Chapter 4 – Teach with a Sense of Urgency

 

While Reading this Chapter titled, Teach with a Sense of Urgency, I learned that it does not mean that we teach quickly with anxiety, rather we teach with a sense of purpose and make every moment count. We need to be mindful of where we need to get our students and how little time we actually have to do so.

 

I can relate to her discussion on shared demonstration for that is what I do on a weekly basis in Kindergarten. She states that “in the instructionally rich sharing situations of participation or hand-in-hand learning lie the most fruitful situations for powerful teaching. pg.45” I love to have my students “pair-share” about certain topics from the shared reading. This provides my students with a way to communicate with their peers, on their level, about something of interest. They love to work in partners and by letting my students do this I feel as though I am fostering a safe environment for them to communicate and share ideas about what they are reading or what has been read to them.

 

I look forward to implementing her idea of creating our own texts for shared, guided and independent reading. She states that “relevant texts that students write with our guidance are especially powerful for readers who struggle. Reading their own written text on a topic they are passionate about can be a springboard to becoming a reader. pg. 54” I am excited to put this idea into action within my own classroom. I know that my students will love to take ownership of shared reading and it will in turn boost their confidence as readers.