1. "I consider teaching a craft" (p162). This statement is simple and yet serves as fuel for me. Teaching is complex work, a blend of artistry, compassion, and intellect. Not everyone can be a good teacher. This simple phrase is my armor against all the naysayers who believe that studying teaching and education is "mickey mouse."
2. "Stories can shape students' beliefs about how we treat each other, how we work together, how we live on our land, what's important and what's worth working for" (p163). This statement is more of a credo for me, reminding me and my students of the importance of literature--our cultural memory--in helping us decide who we want to be as individuals and as communities and societies. Stories that are written down and that survive generations have something to teach us. We need to be open to listening to what they have to say.
3. "I pore over student papers; I observe students as they write, read, talk, and listen. I ask questions as I watch them in class..." (p164). Here, Linda reminds us that in order to be effective teachers, we have to be careful and informed observers of youth. We have to listen intently more than we talk. We have to watch with eyes that care, that seek out small truths in our students, that look for signs of life and signs of sadness. I love this stance; I love the idea that I am a student of my students, that I learn from my students as I listen to them and observe them. It is so freeing to think of teaching as a responsive craft--before we can respond to our students, though, we need to watch, and listen.
4. "I don't give reading quizzes or tests" (p175). Linda goes on to explain that over her years in the classroom, she has designed ways to "immerse students more thoroughly in our readings." Tests and quizzes serve a purpose--to see if kids can remember stuff. Given the prevalence of attention disorders and the high levels of distraction our students' live with each day, memory is not something we should be testing for in schools anymore. We don't need to remember the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird when we can look it up on Wikipedia in two seconds on our phones. So, what DOES matter, then? What SHOULD students be holding onto when they read a text? I think we know this answer...the efferent reader versus the aesthetic reader. Right?
5. Character Silhouettes!!!!! (p177). This activity is SO awesome. After reading The Things They Carried, I want us to do character silhouettes of the soldiers. I'll even let Jill be Jimmy Cross.
Dr. Cook, I agree with all of the quotes you chose, especially number 3 because it reminds me that as much as we need to know content and pedagogy, it all means nothing if we don’t get to know the people in front of us.
ReplyDeleteHere are the quotes I loved (and it was really hard to narrow it down to only 5!):
1. “Real teaching is like grass farming, not industrial farming” (163). This quote really stuck out to me first because I love anything having to do with farming and second because the analogy is really effective in getting me to understand what real teaching is (according to Christenson.) The image of a farmer who actually cares about his land and nurtures it to grow well is so much more appealing than the industrial farmer who destroys the land in order to get a product; the image of the teacher who cares about her students as people and takes care to help them grow their minds is so much more appealing than the teacher who applies strategies blindly to students who may or may not thrive because of it.
2. “I want students to feel hopeful about tackling tough issues, to know that others who came before them saw the problems and rolled up their sleeves to work on them” (167). When I think about being an English teacher, I don’t necessarily jump right to teaching sentence structure or Shakespearean sonnets. Obviously content is a major part of teaching, but another large part is the preparation of students for the “real world” and giving them the hope that they can fix the major problems of the world is something I want to try to do – and having Christenson validate that this can be done is why I love this quote.
3. “If we think of a unit as a journey, then we’re stopping at cafes, reading historical plaques in rest areas, and walking by the ocean as we move forward” (175). Comparing something done in the classroom (the unit) to a way many people choose to learn outside of the classroom is such a novel concept, even though it makes so much sense. I love the idea of learning things that might not be of huge historical or literary significance but is still interesting (like what usually happens when we read historical plaques – we might never need to apply that information anywhere else but having it enriches the way we think.)
4. “I need to be a friend of my student’s minds…” (190) My experience with teachers is that they explain things and assess you, not that they are a friend to your mind – and I love the way that sounds! Our minds are constantly bombarded with frightening news stories and statistics and reality shows that insult their intelligence that it would be so nice to have a teacher that helps your mind collect things that are good for it!
5. “Because students sometimes select books that they don’t love, I give them a five-day grace period to change books and groups…” (191) Christenson understands and accepts the fact that students are much more likely to have a good learning experience with a book if they enjoy it. Forcing a student to stick with a book just because they picked it originally seems arbitrary counterproductive. Of course there will be books students need to read that they won’t like, but when it comes to an activity where the students do have the opportunity to choose their book, giving them the chance to change their minds seems only positive.
Kathryn--I learned so much by reading your entry! Thank you! Such great "bumper sticker" quotes to carry forward with us. Don't you just love her sensibilities as a teacher? They are so simple and commensensical and yet seem to go against most everything schools are about these days. "Simple, reasonable and responsive" is a good mantra to carry into the classroom with you. Thank you, Kathryn, and enjoy your weekend!!
ReplyDeleteI just finished watching a great documentary called “OT: Our Town” (http://www.amazon.com/OT-TOWN-Famous-American-Infamous/dp/B0006GVPXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1265417056&sr=8-1) about a high school in Compton, CA putting on “Our Town”. Even though it focuses on a theatrical production, it is really good about showing how the teachers create a community among the students in the play, how they get them to appreciate such an old play, overcoming budget and interest issues, and showing the students’ actual perspectives and opinions. I found it really interesting, and helpful, so I wanted to share it! Hopefully, you’ll be able to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. “When choosing literature, I try to pay attention to students, the conditions of their lives, and the events unfolding in the world…” (164). Getting to know and understand your students is an important part of teaching. When we write we never forget two key elements, audiences and purpose. So why not follow this method when choosing literature for the classroom? Understanding your students and knowing their likes and dislikes forms automatic connections between students and literature, which as Rosenblatt points out is the desired achievement. Also, by including current events, students are aware of the world around them and understand how school can work as a direct connection to the outside world.
ReplyDelete2. “…while students might enter my classroom without skills, they don’t enter my classroom without knowledge or talent or potential” (165). Realizing that all students bring something to the classroom is a way to acknowledge students strengths and built confidence. I truly loved this quotes because I feel as if teacher’s are often correcting students and pointing out their weaknesses in order for them to be improved yet forget to encourage their strengths and promote positives for the students to strive for. I believe remembering that all students have the knowledge, talent, and potential reinforces a positive and welcoming learning environment in which most students will want to learn.
3. “I don’t give reading quizzes or tests. If I engage students daily in the content of the book by taking them back to the text through drawings, photographs improvisations, discussions, and poetry, I keep students mentally and physically engaged in the class” (175). I know this quote has already been listed but my list just wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t mentioned! This quote is awesome. It connects to our discussion about engaging students without feeling the need to constantly drill them with unnecessary assignments including comprehension questioning and constant writing assignments. Sometimes a lesson can be just as affective with in depth discussions, connections, reflections, and references back to the text. Personally, I believe this type of teaching is an additional access point for students and reaches out to fully embrace the power of voice.
4. “I don’t assign specific essay topics. Students generate these along the way” (179). I believe student choice in the classroom is an effective way for students to feel responsible and accountable. Allowing students to formulate their own writing topics is a great way for them to write about what they are interested in which will help students during the writing process. As Christensen mentions, she makes it a point to direct her class to important topics making sure they write them down and are able to look back when it comes time to write. Students are given multiple choices and ones that they are of interest.
5. “Most students enjoy a day of crayons and drawing, and a quiet descends on the class as they search their books or draw” (177). Students live very busy lives. Whether they are involved in multiple school activities, work, or care for a younger sibling, children are obligated to many other things besides school academics. I think this quote from the chapter can work as a way for students to escape some of their pressures and relax by going deeper into the book at a slow pace. With this activity they are given the opportunity to express their ideas through drawing as well as writing which caters to multiple needs of the student.
* I also love the character silhouettes and thought this would work well with The Things They Carried and The Red Convertible with a lesson incorporating beautiful language and character descriptions.
Nicole and Dr. Cook, I love that you chose the quote, "I don't give reading quizzes or tests." Through other projects, assignments, and discussions, we should be able to gauge whether students know the pieces of writing on a literal level and can apply their knowledge when speaking about the pieces on a symbolic/analytical level. Plus, it's more interesting to listen to students' ideas than to see who's been doing the reading with quizzes.
ReplyDeleteSo, here are three quotes I chose:
1. "I'm white. But I don't feel guilt over the past. Instead I identify with those whites who fought for justice" (192). When I read this quote, I thought about Dr. Tricia Rose, who spoke at the Promising Practices conference in November. She had the audience take an oath that everyone in the present is not responsible for what happened in the past but would be responsible for making a better future. It's progressive and helpful to students to point out atrocities from the past and encouraging them to also help make a better world for future generations.
2. "As teachers, our choices in literature signal our beliefs about the world" (197). Christensen believes in reading for pleasure but also to be aware and be part of social justice. The pieces of literature I want my students to read should be somehow interesting and informative, but in the end, I would want them to love to read. Even if they can't connect to the stories themselves, I would at least want them to see the beauty of language. I know of a teacher who mainly chooses Nobel Prize-winning authors' works for students to read, but I don't think literature has to win a prize in order for it to be worthy of speculation and enjoyment. Popular fiction (i.e. Stephen King and Jodi Picoult) has its merits, too.
3. "Through engagement in these learning activities, I want students to find places that ignite their passion for learning while I bring students who have fallen behind back into class" (175). Finding access points is what we've been talking about for the past couple of classes. It's important to have multiple activities, such as character profiles or even a day of drawing and coloring (I've always loved that!), because not every student will find a way into a piece of literature in the same way. These activities can even "bring students who have fallen behind back into class" because maybe they just needed that spark to ignite their interest for what they are reading.
Thanks Dr. Cook for the exciting headline announcing our good news; and, thanks for the confidence you have in us!!
ReplyDeleteSo, as for the Christensen Chapter, I have enjoyed reading everyone’s responses. I agree with what everyone has highlighted. Here are my nuggets:
1) “…as a social justice teacher, I understand that my choice of stories is critical as I encourage students to imagine a more humane, democratic world in my 55-minute class periods” (162). First, I love that she considers herself a “social justice teacher” rather than just an ELA teacher. We are lucky that our content area does give us much opportunity to guide students in their learning, not only about the English language and literature, but about the bigger picture of the world that we are all a part of. Recognizing this power and seizing this opportunity is something that I can say from experience is NOT something that happens in all Language Arts classrooms. The other important nugget embedded in this quotation is it the importance of choosing texts for our classes that can affect the way our students imagine the world. Text choice should not be a casual experience for us as teachers. We need to realize the responsibility that we have when choosing texts and not waste the opportunity to supply our students with something that can potentially encourage them to have faith in themselves and the world around them, to appreciate the beauty where it is present, and to initiate change where it is needed.
2) “I want students to feel hopeful about tackling tough issues, to know that others who have come before them saw problems and rolled up their sleeves to work on them” (167). In this section of the text, Christensen is still addressing the subject of “conscious choosing.” She says that she wants to provide the students with historical and fictional characters who have been activists for justice or who had “become ‘warriors’ because of their circumstances.” Setting this groundwork for examining the juxtaposition of the “consumer driven” American dream against the “satisfaction…[of]…working with other people on issues that matter,” is an incredible goal for a High School Language Arts classroom. The idea that this can be weaved so gracefully into the teaching of literature is empowering. I will also argue that developing an understanding for the unbelievable resilience of the human spirit is a life lesson that will serve our students much better than knowing the rise and fall of “Freytag’s Pyramid.”
3) “Write down what you believe are the five pivotal scenes from the memoir so far—times when people were confronted with tough choices” (176). I love this idea because it serves the purpose of helping the students to understand the literature that they are reading and point out the important moments in the story (very Freytagish); but, it also gives the opportunity of discuss the idea of “pivotal moments” in anyone’s story. I always have called these moments “defining moment,” in which a decision (be it a split-second decision or a long-contemplated decision) has the potential to define or change the course of a person’s life in either a positive or a negative way. I can see using this initial activity of picking out the pivotal moments in the story as a jumping off point for having the students write about past “defining moments” or “defining moments” that they imagine could happen in the future. The students might come to understand the impact that individual moments can sometimes have on a person’s life (a realization that does not come naturally to most impulse-driven and short-term-thinking teenagers.)
Sorry, the blog said that my post had too many characters so I had to make it into two posts!??
ReplyDelete(Good thing I cut and pasted from Word!! Always a good idea fellow bloggers!)
So here are my last two nuggets:
4) “I admit it might seem odd to read a history book in an English class, but in this literature circle, students are reading historical fiction or memoir” (195). I love the idea of broadening the ideas of what we consider an appropriate text to use in an English class. First, I love Howard Zinn. I first read his work in High School (although not as part of any class.) I felt very grown-up, like I was being let in on the secrets that my teachers had been working so hard to keep from me all of my life. If a teacher had given me that book (A People’s History of the United States) and said, “Look, this is a history textbook that most colleges use. I have complete faith that you can read this too,” I think I would have loved that teacher unconditionally forever!!! I think that entrusting students with information that shows them you respect their intellect empowers students to want to learn. I love that Christensen addresses the issue of reading levels to scaffold the reading of a potentially difficult text so that all students can access the information regardless of if they can handle reading the text on their own or not. I also love the idea of providing various options for reading in an English class. Some students may not particularly enjoy historical fiction, but they may like to read non-fiction. I like that this reading option is available for the students.
5) “I use poetry from published poets as well as from my former students to prompt new poems” (195). I love the idea of using former students’ poems alongside of published poets’ work in the classroom. This is such a great way to validate and encourage the authenticity of student’s writing. I remember a project that I did back in elementary school where we created a book and had the option of donating the book to the classroom library for future students to read. It was so cool to think that my book was important enough to stand beside some of my favorite author’s books. I think that treating students’ writing as valid, authentic, and worthy of study (just as published poets’ work is) is such a refreshing and important nugget to take with us from Christensen!!
Oh man, coming to the party so late means that many of the conversations have already been had! Well, I loved reading what everyone wrote, and I must say, some of my quotes have already been discussed, but here is what I chose:
ReplyDelete1. “I consider teaching a craft” (162). I really feel quite strongly about this statement, because it’s true that not just anyone can become a teacher. It’s so much more than knowing your subject area and being able to spew all the information that you know to the 30 sets of eyes looking at you. It’s a practice, practice, review and revise type of job. If I wanted a job that wasn’t worth trying to perfect, I’d work in retail or data entry…
2. “Real teaching is like grass farming, not industrial farming” (163). I know that Kathryn chose this quote too, and it was probably the first quote to jump out at me while I was reading. It’s just so perfect of an analogy…grass farming is so complex and involves consideration of many variables to work—so much like teaching. There’s the classroom dynamic, the student/teacher relationships, the classroom environment, the time of day, the amount of IEPS, etc. All these variables to consider while planning, while teaching, while assessing. It isn’t easy!
3. “It’s a foolish culture that entrusts the education of its children to corporate textbooks…” (164). Oy! This is so true! I think we all agree that textbooks should be used as SUPPLEMENTS in a classroom, but definitely not as the end-all-be-all of text. I mean, sure, if the district issued text has a story in it that you want to teach in the classroom, go ahead, have at it. But if you want to step out of the box, go ahead and do so. No one should put all her trust into a corporation with it’s own, self-serving agenda.
4. “I look for pieces of literature that ‘speak’ to students” (167). Ok…so we all know that I love literature that “speaks” to me (um, hello, Jimmy Cross!) so it would only be fair to want that for my students as well.
5. “As teachers, our choices in literature signal our beliefs about the world” (197). I truly believe this. As Christensen puts it, our daily choices contribute to continuing or undermining legacies.