This chapter discussed
the effectiveness of reader’s workshop (with conferring and reflection) versus
sustained silent reading and DEAR time with the differences being that reader’s
workshop is structured and instructional, while SSR and DEAR are not. The points that stood out most to me were the
amount of time needed daily to allow students to read on their own and the
importance of teacher feedback during that time. Since I started teaching, I
have utilized reader’s workshop, but have never set aside thirty to sixty
minutes for just reading. It seems that centers and other “reading related”
activities took priority. I felt that I needed to keep my students busy, lest
they lose interest and cause disruptions. The balance of it all has constantly
been overwhelming.
As I re-read this
chapter, my mind stuck on how much I don’t know about my students, especially
their reading lives. I know what kinds of books they like and their reading
levels, but I haven’t spent regularly scheduled time with them, allowing them
to read to me so that I can hear and see their growth.
This chapter changed
my view of reader’s workshop. As a result, I will restructure my ELA block to
include more independent reading time. The last 5-10 minutes of the block will be
a time for students to reflect on what they read and their
thoughts on the feedback I provided during individual conferences. I look
forward to getting to know my students better and, just as importantly, to
helping them become better readers.
Hi September,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the time and thought you put into this reflection, not only reading the suggestions offered by Miler but also taking time to reflect on your classroom practice and which areas you can improve. You mentioned how you wanted to learn more about your students as readers. If you restructure your reading block to where the majority of the time students are focused on independent reading you can spend time conferencing with students individually and even in small groups and find out what topics, genres, and authors they are interested in. This information can help you organize your classroom library in ways that make it more accessible for your students and it can drive your instruction through influencing your mini-lessons. Thank you for thinking about how we can improve our instruction to help us grow independent readers who love to read! Sincerely, Dawn
September, I so appreciate that you were reading thoughtfully and reflecting on your practice. It is those subtle changes that can make such a big difference for our students. I think too that you will find that when students are engaged with a good read there will be few disruptions. Now that you are making time for independent reading, you might begin conferencing one-on-one with students.
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