Thursday, March 22, 2007
"The Drive-by Workshop"
What a day!I'm so glad we are done testing.I have no idea how to get back to the regular school routine.The kids semed really off today.I need to reach deep down into my bag of tricks to survive next week till everything gets back to normal.In spite of that, I ended my day well...I finally got to meet Kylene Beers-author of our 'Holt and Rinehart' textbook series.She's so sweet and her workshop was eye-opening.One of the things she said that struck a chord with me was that since fluency is synonymous with reading,then we as teachers should not hesitate to have students reread a text to develop fluency.I know I've been guilty in the sense that I have often wondered why anyone would reread a book-ain't that boring?However when you think about it, it makes sense.Kylene left me wanting to hear more because she had some simple and practical approaches to teaching struggling readers.How many times have you seen a student-that one whom when you think about him/her,you'd rather call outsick!The kid comes to school every day -without fail.But yet they don't do crap-no homework,unprepared for class,constant talking while you're trying to teach.According to Kylene,we need to rethink our approach as we try to connect with this type of student. Are you 'failing' the student in the sense that you could not 'diagnose ' their learning style?This kid comes to school everyday,hoping with each new day that you'll finally get it right...I'm telling you now-I'm on the road to recovery!But wait a minute...I hope I still feel refreshed tomorrow morning.
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3 comments:
Hi there, I know just what you mean about rereading a book -- seems like such a colossal waste of time to me too. But then I think about my mom, whose great passion in life has always been reading. I think one of the reasons my father divorced her in the 60s was because she let everything he cared about (cleaning the house, doing the laundry, making soup that didn't come from a can, etc.) go down in flames because it was much more important to mom that she finish reading her book instead. But I digress... anyway, here's what my mom does: she devours a book, stuffs it back into the bookcase, and six months later, it's a brand new book to her. She rereads that book and discovers all the details that enrich a story and make it last -- details she missed the first time because she was so caught up in the thicket of plot that she raced past the trees along the way.
I have similar trouble watching a play. I love dramatic theater, but I work so hard to follow what's happening that I have trouble later remembering the details of character and setting, etc. I always wish I could buy two tickets, one for now and one for later, because the next time I see it I would have a much better sense of what's going on.
All this is to say is that even though personally it may not appeal to us, I can see where rereading a book would be a satisfying experience. If a reader is only just getting it the first time around, then (as you say) it makes sense that rereading would be not a tedious exercise but a welcome chance to unpack the book on all the levels that a book has to offer.
I really love your description of Kylene Beers and her workshop. Makes me wish I had been there! I never thought very much about this subject before. Thanks for bringing it up. It might even help me get along better with my mom. :)
This was a great workshop.... I did feel rejuvenated... and I did feel ready to begin "a new day" in my teaching style...
I completely agree!!! I have seen her four times but Kylene is insprining! But pat yourself on the back...some of the same strategies from her book "When Kids Can't Read" are embedded in the middle school curriculum and you have already been using them!! ( It Says- I Say, Probable Passage, etc.) Although reading the book is NOT the same as seeing her in person, the conversational tone and actual classroom examples will make the strategies come alive!
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