blog 7: formulaic writing

I am a little confused about where to start; I know exactly what I want to write about for the later part of the assignment, but not so much for the CCCSS. When I browsed over the CCCSS, all I saw was what to teach in a classroom, and sometimes the structures behind it. But I saw nothing creative within. I guess that is what is being asked, how a teacher would make it imaginative and creative. First off, I really agree with what Mrs. Maier did in her classroom; she created an environment that made reading and writing seem like it is the greatest thing in the world. I want my classroom to be just like hers and I think all classrooms should do the same. I don’t see why not all children don’t already love reading and writing! It is essential and such a beautiful thing life when a child gets the spark from reading and/or writing.

Wiley is warning us about not being able to stray away from the formula and being able to write freely. He states “Formulaic writing of the kind Schaffer advocates forces premature closure on complicated interpretive issues and stifles ongoing exploration. In attempting to take the mystery away from writing and make it more accessible, the formulaic approach winds up hindering students from exploring their ideas, reactions, and interpretations-the rich chaotic mess from which true insight and thoughtfulness can emerge” (64). I do not know if I agree with this because I was able to break away from the formulaic writing, but maybe I am an odd student. However, I could see how children would have a hard time with this; many students do not know how to do something that has not been taught to them.

            When it comes to Wiley, I can completely relate to his article because I was taught the Jane Schaffer method when I was in high school and we used it throughout my AP English classes. This article did give me a better understanding about myself because I realized I was able to transition into non formulaic writing easier than most students and that I had a really good teacher. I like writing the Schaffer way because I the system, I like having a strict way of writing. I understand that it is not ideal for all essays but it is a good place to start.

           

Blog 6: co-authoring classroom texts

I chose these first two pictures because it reminded me of the vast library Mrs. Maier had. The way Joanne Larson discussed how many books the children would read and on average a week and a year astounded me. It also amazed me to hear that the children were reading between 10 and 12 books a night when they took them home in the zip lock bag. I think it is simply amazing what Mrs. Maier has set up for the children and how she grasped their interest in books and turned it into something so much more. Because she was able to have the children read so often – and love doing it – makes me believe that she has forever impacted how they will view reading in high school, college, and for pleasure. I want to be able to install reading into children like she has, so it will be viewed as a happy thing, and not a tedious punishment as some children think.

 

 






 
Writing is such a useful and necessary tool in life, but it is also a way of expressing thoughts, feelings, and imagination. The second picture was chosen because I wanted to talk about the excitement the little boy has when he ran in from the playground, excited to write and share his thoughts. It’s this excitement for reading, writing, and learning that made me want to be a teacher; I love seeing this excitement in the children. When he ran in, I knew I was going to want to read what Mrs. Maier had done in her classroom so I could do the same. I want to be just like her now; I want make the children WANT to read and 
WANT to write and WANT to share their thoughts.

I chose this third picture because it reminded me how Mrs. Maier would walk around the room during writing time and stop to “work with students. She did not pull students to a separate area to talk, but used this opportunity both to instruct individual students in writing directly and to instruct those students sitting at the same table indirectly” (487). I thought this was a very good learning/teaching tool that I should remember. Also, I could not find a picture that portrayed a teacher modeling writing so I figured I would just talk about it here. I have always thought that teaching writing should mainly be done through modeling; it is when I look at an example and compare mine to it when I learn the most, so why not start at young age with this technique? I loved how Mrs. Maier actually wrote in front of her students; she wrote her feelings and her thoughts, showing the students that they should do the same. She gave them the beginning of some sentences to help kick-start their writing, which I also thought was great, and after writing she would read it. Every night she would take their journals home and read what they wrote and respond. This made writing personal and fun for the student. Also, at every major holiday event she would look at every individual student’s work and look at their progress. Wow, I do not know many teachers that would take the time to do that. I enjoyed this reading.

Blog Post 5: Teacher Identities

To me, teachers have played a very important role in my life and who I am today. I remember all of my teachers I have ever had, what I thought about them and the experiences I had in their classroom.

            My fourth grade teacher, Mr. Grady, was an amazing man the incorporated music into everything he did. He had all different kinds of plants throughout the room, creating an easy, calming environment. My favorite part was the music, the way he involved us as well and made us a part of the learning instead of just listening. It was the way he used the music that interested me to get more involved in dance, which has now become my passion. Also, the way he spoke to us also, he always used a gentle voice that, I believe, in turn made us more calm and under control. He didn’t treat us like students, he treated like children, eager to learn, inspire, and play.

            My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Stevenson, is the reason I want to be a teacher. She played games and had playful competitions between the groups of desks we sat at. She had a similar trait Mr. Grady had, they involved the students in their learning, not just giving the information and moving on. I have stayed connected with her throughout my years of high school and now college. She offers me tips on effective studying methods and lets me help out in her classroom to gain experience.

            Lastly, my eight grade teacher, Mrs. Deedon. She and I  created a connection I cannot explain. I was a “teachers pet,” but I didn’t care. I enjoyed getting good grades and helping the teacher out during lunch time and after school. I remember her telling me she was pregnant with twins and that I was the first to know out of all her students. From that point on I felt a sense of importance, and I wanted my future students to feel the same importance; I want them to feel like they have a purpose in this world just as she instilled into me. Sure, the information she released to me may have been inappropriate from aspects, but her family and my family ended up as good friends.

            When it comes to the different identities, I completely agree with Williams in that a teacher must possess, and be able to perform well, many different identities. I am a dance teacher and have been for a little over 6 years, and throughout the years I have developed many different identities. With teaching at my first studio, I developed the identity of a teacher figure, a babysitter, an extremely happy person, a friend, and an observer. Many of these identities have helped me become more patient with children and everyone’s learning curve is different. Also, I have become a really good actor; if I am having a bad day or am not feeling well, I need to be able to turn those emotions off and become the happiest person ever for those students.

I am sure I have more identities I have not realized or even associated with teaching, like my social identities I believe are separate, but I expect to develop many more identities the more experience I gain. I am excited to teach and become an actor of many faces; and who knows, maybe I will become really good at charades as well. 

Blog Post 4: Book Club

I chose to read the book Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts. I chose this book because I feel like I can really relate to it. When I was in high school I really wished they used more examples of "good writing" or how the essay was "supposed to be written." I learn and retain the information a lot better if I see an example and work off of it and make it my own.I feel like I will learn a lot from this book and it will really help me as a future teacher. My second choice was to do Don't Forget to Write because I thought this book would be very practical in having as a teacher; I still might buy it someday however.

Blog Post 3: Rodriguez Questions

Did your family support/value your education path?

It seemed like Rodriguez’s family supported his education path very much, they just did not know how to show it. Rodriguez usually would focus on his current book or studies and rarely interact with his family; it was this lack of interaction that made it hard for his parents to show how they felt. Although, it was said that his mother was always saying “get all the education you can; with an education you can do anything” (604), while his father “recognized that an education … could enable a person to escape from a life of mere labor” (604).

What is the literacy background of your parents?

Rodriguez’s mother came to America and was awarded a high school diploma, even though she could hardly read or write. “On her own, she determined to learn how to type. That skill got her jobs…” and she continued to work hard until she became more fluent ad was able to get a full time job (603). Rodriguez’s father had been doing manual labor before he moved to America, but the move did not change much. He continued to work very hard in dead end jobs and in “clean” jobs (604). Neither parents went past high school. 

What are your experiences with reading? Positive/negative?

Rodriguez’s experiences with reading are positive. He would read anything the nuns told him to read and then he would wait for the next one. He was always excited and looking for the next thing to read. 

What level of access did you have to educational support?

Rodriguez had access to educational support mainly from the nuns. It wasn’t too far into his schooling when his parents could no longer help him. Although, Rodriguez rarely needed help; he usually just sat and did his own work alone. 

Do you speak another language?

Rodriguez and his family are originally from Mexico and their native language is Spanish. When they moved to America, Rodriguez went into the second grade “barely able to speak English” (597).

Blog Post 2: Szwed

Szwed has a very good point in his article, it is important for teachers to teach reading and writing for their life, not just for school; and it is important to think about the nontraditional reading and writing that takes place every day.

There was a sentence in the beginning that stood out to me, it is the thesis, I believe, of this whole article: “it is entirely possible that teachers are able to teach reading and writing as abstract skills, but do not know what reading and writing are for in the lives and futures of their students” (422). When I read this I had to stop, think, and reread it. Then I shared it with two of my roommates who are also going to be teachers. We had a discussion about what was said and we all agreed with this statement very much. There is a certain truth to what was said and teachers do need to start paying attention to what they think they are teaching reading and writing for; it is used for so much more than just reading a text book or writing a research essay.

One of the topics discussed I the article was the fact that not all students read alike. For example “a boy, otherwise labeled as retarded and unable to read assigned texts, may have considerable skill at reading and interpreting baseball record books” (423). I love to read a good dystopian or utopian novel, but hate to read textbooks because I do not like being told what to read. Every child is different in the way they read and interpret what they have read.

This whole article reminded me of the video we watched in class, Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms. Robinson was saying how doctors just fills kids with medications and teachers try to teach the kids in one way, which is not the right way for everyone; we must use divergent thinking.