Laura Keller Routman Chap. 4 - Teach with a Sense of Urgency

"Complacency will not get our students where they need to be" says Routman and is a statement that I can truly embrace.  I know that it would be easier if we could use the same lesson plans year after year and hope that our students would learn.  Sure, a few would learn, but would we be doing the right thing for our students.  We have such a short time to teach them all of this wonderful knowledge that we have.    One statement that really speaks to me is that we need to keep our expectations high.  This is so true because if we give them a high expectation, most of the time, students will rise to meet it.  While reading this chapter there were several checklist that were included to "ensure students become excellent readers".  I really love the list that Routman has adjusted because this list fits easily into my teaching with Science and Math.  The 4th point on the checklist says "Teach Strategies students need to know to process and understand text".  I can check this off much easier now that we had our Coaching Cycle.  It was wonderful to teach strategies which in turn has helped my students in Science.

Okay, so back to the meat of the chapter...as the chapter progresses, the section of Promote Joy in Learning, discusses putting the learning responsibility on the student.  I find that this is so important. Once learning strategies are demonstrated, students need to experience Independence so that they realize their own capabilities.  This will also help with their intrinsic motivation once they know that success can be their own.  

No matter what subject you teach, the essentials mentioned in this chapter can be applied across all.

Terri Gowdy – Blog 7 – March/April – Ch 6 & 7 – Plan for and Monitor IR/Make Assessment Instruction’s Working Partner

I had skimmed through these chapters, but finally read them from beginning to end! After trying to do a complete “overhaul” on my classroom library at the beginning of the year, I think I was afraid I would find out I had done I all wrong – and I could not bear the thought of that! J Actually, what was confirmed in reading these chapters was that I am on the right track, but that my classroom library will be in a constant state of change and development, depending on the needs and interests of my students. That has certainly been true for me this year.

I gained some great insight and helpful reminders in this chapter. One thing is to DE-emphasize their reading levels, and rely on teaching them to be skilled in choosing “just right books”. I do check their book choices through conferencing, but I do find myself encouraging my lower readers, in particular, to read on their correct reading level. I realized the woes of my ways when one of these emergent readers had a shark book in his book box that was 2 levels higher than he should be reading. When I conferenced with him he pulled it out to read to me. I was about to tell him it was not on his “level”, when to my surprise, he began to read it to me! His obvious passion for sharks had provided him with enough information to figure out much of the vocabulary in this book. I was so proud of him, and ashamed of myself! It confirmed that choice is critical in successful reading, and that reading about a topic of interest can stretch a reader’s performance! This chapter also reminded me of the importance of nonfiction for my class library. I am planning to increase the accessibility of nonfiction titles and periodicals (Time for Kids, etc.) and how they are sorted for selection.

In reference to the chapter on Assessment, I have found monitoring the students as they practice reading is critical for me to know exactly how they are doing as readers. I try to see 3 to 4 students each day during independent reading. I try to do mini lessons as well to enhance their getting the most out of reading. I loved the “Chatterbox” ideas on page 89 to add to their engagement, as well as encouraging them to apply strategies we are working on in class to their independent reading books.  I want my first graders to be “successful, self-regulating, self-monitoring readers” and I am finding that the imperative element in achieving that is through the type of independent reading model described in this chapter.

Suits- Blog Post 7- Routman Ch. 4

I'm not sure I remember walking into the doors of Anderson Mill not feeling the "sense of urgency" in my teaching.  Sometimes, yes, that is prompted by anxiety, but most of the time it comes from knowing and understanding the potential of every student that walks through my door.  I know they have average intelligence and are more than capable of learning. I know that they need a special teacher to influence then and instruct them in a different way than any other teacher in the building. I know that my students need to understand why the learn differently and how that understanding is so powerful for them.  I only have each group, each student for 50 minutes a day. I have so much to back in.  I try hard to make every minute count, whether its sharing weekends, decoding strategies, or a good book someone once read. I try my best for every conversation to have a direct purpose.

I want to do my students justice. I want the time they spend out of their general education classrooms to be more than worth it. I want the time in my room to make the difference in their education.  Lessons should be enjoyable, but involve a lot of different activities that allow to students to pracitce and express their learning.

Suits- Blog Post 6: Routman Ch. 10

Routman's definition of Guided reading is much more broad than mine.  I, like most teachers, have seen and was taught that Guided reading is done with a small group of students as you go through a text together.  Routman's definition involves many different aspects of reading, and is more individualized.  As a special education teacher, I love making instruction individualized! I like the idea of having students do group activities without the teacher.  I think that allowing students to participate in activities and discussions without the teacher, makes reading more enjoyable and fun.  It lets the students think and collaborate on their levels.  I know that after I read a book that I love, I want all my friends to hurry up and read it so we can talk about our favorite characters and story lines throughout the text.  I want my students to experience the same excitement for a book that I do.

I love that Routman provided us with checklists and a framework.  It provides us with lots of different strategies, skills, and even scripts to make sure that our students are gaining the most form our reading groups.  Allowing the flexible grouping gives teachers opportunity to teach to students needs rather than just plowing through a program. I appreciate that attention the guided reading model gives to individual readers.

Decken Blog 7: Routman Ch. 11

The quote at the start of this chapter immediately grabbed my attention!
"None of the exemplary teachers were tied to commercial materials.  Exemplary teachers taught children, and typical teachers taught programs." -Richard Allington

It brought me back to my senior year of high school when I met my teacher cadet teacher, Judy Anderson.  The one thing she ALWAYS emphasized to us was "teach people, not just a subject."  This has always been the thing that runs in the back of my mind when I get so caught up in lessons and the stress of teaching...am I doing all of this to simply teach a subject? If so, let it go. I always strive to make my focus teaching my students!!

Of course, good teachers always build off their best practices and re-evaluating/rethinking how they've taught something.  Like I mentioned a few blogs earlier...I've had to do just that this year! While my best practices didn't necessarily relate to teaching reading, it is still very true to take a step back and re-evaluate what you're doing.  If it's not working, change it. "There is no best program or perfect model." I couldn't have said it better myself!

Decken Blog Post 6: Miller Section 1

This chapter was based on TIME...is there time in the day for IR?  Is that time enough?  I definitely have the time in my schedule (it may be at the very end of the day, and there may be some days we don't get to it) but I definitely don't think I am implementing it as I should.  The text states that it is "more than just DEAR or SSR"...& if I'm honest, I've called it SSR a few times to my students. However, I have noticed this year how much of a struggle it is to get my students to WANT to read.  Some do enjoy it, but there are several that I feel like I nag to pick a book/I have had to help pick a book. I do conference with them as often as I can, just to keep them accountable and know that Miss Decken IS paying attention and wants them to read! In my conferencing, I ask them some simple questions about what they're reading, who the main character is, what the story is about, etc.  I also ask them if I can help them with anything as they are reading.  Most of the time, they want me to tell them how to say a word (which I always make them sound out).

Decken Blog 5: Routman Ch. 4

I feel that I already "teach with a sense of urgency"...as I am struggling to get all the standards taught! However, I need to take a step back on the anxiety meter and just let things roll as they come.  While I realize I DO have standards that I need to teach...what is more important is that the students are learning and getting where they need to be.  I don't need to stay in a place of complacency when it comes to teaching. I know that it is easy to go from year to year doing the same lesson plans and activities, but I need to plan my lessons around my specific group of kiddos that changes every year.  While the infrastructure of my plans can somewhat stay the same, maybe I change up how something is presented if I notice it didn't go over well one year.  I am especially seeing that this year with this particular group of 3rd graders. They do not catch onto things as easily has classes in years past.  I have had to S.L.O.W way down with skills and instruction.  (So much that I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything gets in before SC Ready.)

I really liked the point given about demonstrating "how to do it." This group this year needs that ALOT, so I've been doing it all year.  I guess I also kinda mix in shared demonstrating, too.  While I am demonstrating, I try to involve the students (partly because otherwise they will lose focus and partly because they need that) so that they fully understand what they are about to do independently.