Quote: "Our students bring so many rich language experiences and differing levels of understanding of schooled language that we need to build our teaching around difference as opposed to a standardized one-fits-all approach..."
Comment: I am a strong believer in the need to teach reading and writing in unique and varying ways. Each student in our classroom comes with their own unique personality and learning style, combined with independent life experiences. They cannot be expected to all learn in the exact same way. It is for this reason that I feel that the reading curriculum should be taught in a flexible manner. Projects assigned have multiple ways of being performed. For example, instead of assigning students a normal book report allow them to choose different options. Give students a list of subjects about their book that must be discussed in their presentation in a certain amount of time. Than allow them to choose whether they want to work in a group or alone, create any type of representation they'd like to use to present their book to the class. This includes a poster, a written essay, interpretive dance, small skit or anything else their dear little minds may come up with.
Question: How can you, as a teacher, ensure that each student is given the opportunity to learn in the best way they can when teaching literacy?
As I teacher, I need to know my student's individual needs, what learning style works best for them (which will require me to try out as many as I know on them), and I need to be patient. I have such a passion for reading, and I want my students to as well, which means that I have be enthusiastic about the literacy block. I know that if I'm not interested in it, then they won't be either. I have to know my stuff and teach it with genuine enthusiasm.
ReplyDelete-- Ali Spittler (my name will say Ali and Brian, which is my other blog.)