Morning Pages 4.21.16

As a future English teacher, teaching literacy and reading is somewhat of a give in, but that is why I feel like it needs to be talked about even more. Many topics that are "give-ins" are sometimes overlooked, or assumed to be taught when in fact they really are not. This is simply due to the fact that many think, "oh, you're teaching reading, therefore you must be teaching literacy", which is simply not the case. Yes, they are very similar, but they also need to be taught in different ways. Giving the students the gift of literacy is giving them the gift of understanding, critical thinking, and so much more. Yes, they need to learn to read, but they will be better readers if you focus more on the literacy aspect -- the rest will follow closely behind. 

Marginalization of Different Student Groups

Sadly, there are many different groups of students that subject to marginalization - whether it be based on their race, financial background. family situation, ect. But one group that I am passionate about is the disabled student population. A few months ago, I read the book Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, and it was so very eye-opening. It is an easy read, but speaks volumes of what so many disabled students endure in the school system these days. On a side-note, I highly recommend every future educator to read this (it's only $5 on Amazon, what's there to say no to?) Anyhow, the book is narrated by a little girl named Melody, who has a disability that renders her unable to speak. Through reading this book, I found that so many disabled students are treated like they are dumb, or little children when in fact they are in junior high or high school - and yes, their disabilities make it more difficult for them to learn, but it also means that they are simply able to learn in different ways.

Many programs for disabled students barely have any room for the students to expand their learning by excelling through higher grades or levels - their classes simply stay the same throughout their experience. Some schools are getting better at this, but I just think that many teachers think its easy to run a classroom of disabled students because they don't need to be taught complex ideas. The thing is, they may not need complex ideas yet, but at the very least they need enough new material to stimulate growth. They may grow at a slower pace than others, but they still deserve to be given the best chance to try.  

Becoming an English Teacher Ally

There are truly so many students out there that are struggling with literacy because they are also learning a second language, like I mentioned in a previous blog post, but personally I think there are also many young students who are simply just struggling with reading and literacy. Many English speaking students are also slow readers, but sometimes they can be overlooked or overshadowed by so many ELL learners. I think literacy for all students needs to be taught consistently and thoroughly.

 On the International Literacy Association webpage, their main statement is -  
"The ability to READ, WRITE, and COMMUNICATE connects people and empowers them to achieve things they never thought possible. It truly is the basis of who we are and how we interact with the world." 

It is so true! Literacy is the basis of all learning, and it should be a priority to help every student excel in it. As a future English teacher, my goal is to make it a priority in my classroom, even above content. How are students supposed to understand content if they cannot succeed in their literacy skills? I've found during my time in Lesher Middle School that there are plenty of tools out there to help promote literacy while also teaching content. One example I have seen in the classroom I've been placed in is a kind of chapter book that also includes definitions/connotations of more difficult words. It is simple and easy to read, no need to look up the definitions in the back of the book - they are right there on the bottom of each page. The more difficult words are in bold print, and the explanation of them is printed directly below. This way, while students read out loud in class, you can have one student be responsible for always reading and defining the bold words. Then the students are hearing the definitions as well as having to stay on task because of the popcorn reading (and defining) method. 

      

Meeting with Antero

My meeting with Antero is this coming Thursday, but I already know it is going to be a fabulous learning experience & conversation, so stay tuned for all the details coming soon!

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Update! Just had my meeting with Antero today, and it was so eye opening to the simplest of things that people just frequently forget. We talked about ELL learners, and how to make them feel more comfortable in the classroom. How to make them feel respected, how to choose the right words to teach in, how to create a learning environment that encourages them, ect. 

Making ELL students know that their culture is respected is a huge priority for me. Me being from a totally different culture than them, I never want them to feel like I'm talking down in any way, shape, or form. Antero said that bringing it back to the basics, not pushing specific vocabulary, creating an environment where they can share their cultures with one another is the ideal way to do that. One specific line that Antero said that stood out to me was, "If you decorate your classroom only with things that inspire you, you will be putting your students in a cage". That idea really struck me -- I never thought about how visual motivation could be done "wrong". What helps and inspires me or others close to me may not be anything near what inspires my students, especially ELLs. Pictures speak a thousand words, and visual aids within the learning environment are so important to ELL students. Creating a learning environment that helps them start to understand and take in American language as well as support the sharing of their own is imperative. A few tips Antero passed on about allowing students to share their own cultural preferences were to have the students pick the music of the day -- allowing this will let them share a part of themselves with the class. 

Overall, the meeting with Antero was so nice and informative, he is so full of wisdom and love for teaching. :) 

Eagle Rock: a Non-Traditional Education Setting

Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center is located here in northern Colorado, and is a non-traditional high school setting for students who need a different alternative to "normal" education. Their mission statement says it all:

"Implement effective and engaging practices that foster each student’s unique potential and help young people use their minds well at Eagle Rock School and to support schools nationally to do the same.  Eagle Rock serves adolescents who are not thriving in their current situations, for whom few positive options exist, and who are interested in taking control of their lives and learning."

They stand for the importance of supporting fully engaged education. Such an inspiring place!

I personally think that this program sounds extremely effective, caring, and helpful. Everyone learns differently, and simply because a student doesn't succeed in the traditional high school setting doesn't mean they cannot or will not succeed. 

The educational setting that Eagle Rock provides is a place that will consistently keep up with each individual student's needs. Learning in this setting will spark each student's interest, and (hopefully) re-ignite their desire to learn if they have previously lost it due to their experience in the standard school system. I think it will help students find subjects they are truly passionate about, and encourage them to continue with them.   

Becoming an Ally for ELL Students

ELL learners have a special place in my heart because I have personally worked with so many during my time this semester at Lesher Middle School. Recently, we watched a powerful video on how they frequently can only understand a few sporadic words per sentence. They are just as smart as any other student - they just simply cannot understand the language they are being taught in. How are they ever supposed to improve if we as teachers do not take them under our wing? The following is a combination of my sources I have found, and my top takeaways after reading them.

While researching different ways to support ELL learners, I came across quite a few helpful sources. This first one was nice and organized in a list, with creative ideas. 

All twelve of these tips are super helpful, and able to be integrated into many different aspects of the classroom. I think that is the most important part - integrating ELL learning into all different corners of the classroom, to ensure you aren't letting any certain subject take precedent over another. 

I also found a testimony from a local teacher in Denver, who works mainly with ELL students.  

What I found most interesting about her technique was the steady use of activating prior knowledge. Prior knowledge is so very important, especially for ELL students. If you can give them some common ground to grab onto while trying to learn this new language, it will make their understanding so much easier. She also uses scaffolding, which goes along with activating prior knowledge, it basically means building upon that bank of prior knowledge. By using scaffolding, you are ensuring that no gaps between understanding are created. Being a thoughtful ally to all ELL students that are learning not only a brand new language but a new way of learning is our responsibility as true educators.  

Morning Pages 4.14.16

I think the Privledge Walk is a very eye opening exercise and experience, but as for using it in the classroom I think it would depend on the different demographics of students in my room.  For example, I think the age factor would come into play for me as a teacher, because although it is a great eye-opening concept, it can only be fully understood with certain kinds of thinking. It is a heavy concept, and I would hate to spring it on a class full of students who weren't mentally ready. It may create less conflict between students, or it may create more - I think it is a powerful tool that needs to be used carefully and thoughtfully. If a class is too young, I feel like this exercise may make the more privileged students who end up in the front feel guilty, or bad - which is not the intent. The intent is simply perspective, but as an educator, we need to make sure that our students fully understand that before tackling this exercise.