Terri Gowdy – Blog 6 – Miller - Section 1 & Section 2

I loved the example of the solider guarding the bench…unnecessarily. It made me think of the many things we do routinely without asking “Why am I doing this?” Or “How can I do this better?” or “Is this necessary and is it helping my students?” I am definitely a person that likes routine and consistency, and sometimes that can come at the expense of quality! After reading this chapter I immediately began to think of ways to refine my “daily routines”. I also like Miller’s reminder of connecting the routines to the real world. It shouldn’t require 10 minutes of creative jargon to line the class up! Amidst this chapter and the next one, I was filled with a renewed energy to be actively creating more time for reading, and providing the best explicit instruction and guidance through conferencing that I can for my students. I also was reminded of the importance of encouraging my students in their book selection to seek to read a variety of genres, and particularly to have a balance of fiction and nonfiction books available in my classroom library. I need to continue to support them in book choice. I would like to create a simpler version of the genre wheel for my first graders. I believe that will expand their book selection. I am noticing several of my higher readers are returning to quick easy reads rather than branching out into new genres and authors. I also will go to my library to add some genre specific books such as biographies and poetry in varied reading levels. I am evaluating how to best help my lower readers as they struggle with stamina, and really need individual attention and monitoring during independent reading. It is almost as if they would be better served to do independent reading at a different time than the rest of the class… I am trying to figure that out and would be grateful for any suggestions! Most importantly, these chapters remind me of the importance of being actively involved in the independent reading process with my students, and that is exactly what I am striving and will continue to strive to do!