Learning Letter

Learning Letter

1.      I learned an enormous amount about myself and teaching through the three big projects we were assigned this quarter. 

The book talk was a great way to introduce us to new books that might appeal to our young students, or even ourselves.  Had I known better, I would have chosen a different book other than The Secret Life of Bees.  I was sort of disappointed to find out, after I had chosen it, that it has already been widely used in schools.  However, I still think it is a great book and teaching tool, and if I can implement it into my classroom, I will.  I have an obsession with United States history and the evolution of civil and social issues through the years, so any book relating to that intrigues me.

The mini-lesson was a great experience to share with this group of students.  It takes patience and deep thought to create a lesson, but honestly, I was happy with the way my Poe lesson turned out.  I know I could have benefited from more critical feedback than I got, but maybe I was on point that day.  I want to get as much practice as I can, teaching lessons, before the big game.  It’s nice to present to familiar faces.  I felt that everything went well, and I gained experience, not only in teaching, but in lesson planning as well.  I can’t wait to use that feedback and lesson with my own English class one day.

The Literature Unit Plan was a major lesson in patience, creativity, and will power.  I know I could have done much better, and I knew within minutes of putting the book together that there were so many aspects I could have changed.  I like what I put together, but there is always some tweaking to do.  I started putting ignoring my perfectionist side towards the end, because I had gotten too far to make any major changes. But, all in all, it is a good start to something that has the potential to be great, and useful.  My favorite parts of my unit plan are the two summative assessments I created for my “students”.  History is an essential part of literature, and being able to implement a historical English lesson will always make me happy.  I ask my students to create an alter-ego that lived during the 1920’s and write about them and their cahoots.  I have a strong belief that when given the chance to be creative, students run with their ideas and make something amazing.  The other summative assessment was a character analysis essay using evidence from the text, but encouraging a personal interpretation of the character.  Again, creativity, self-expression, and keeping work personal brings results.  I know I will use these assignments in my future classroom, or some version of them.

2.      We were given so much amazing pedagogy and teaching method material that it is difficult to choose a favorite.  I loved the idea of Andrade, et al of incorporating pop culture into learning literature.  Fiere fights for the weak, and Tovani gives lots of comprehension ideas.  The only one I didn’t like, but may appreciate later was the Kelly Gallagher book.  I know he is considered to be one of the greats in pedagogy, but for some reason he rubs me the wrong way.  Nothing personal.  Every piece of reading material we were handed will be useful at one time or another, and I am grateful to have  the beginning of an amazing arsenal on my book shelf.

3.      This class has been nothing less than an exercise in self-reflection.  Having like-minded people in the same room to share my thoughts with, was an amazing experience.  I know that this is a rare opportunity, and it most likely won’t ever happen again.  I appreciate our encouragement to be casual, comfortable, open-minded, and unedited.  It’s not often we get to really say how we think or feel without being judged or argued against.  I am a different, more educated version of the person I was before I walked into this class.  I have become more pensive, more competent, more willing, and more capable of doing things and talking then I ever thought was possible.  I have learned to embrace questioning others, especially pedagogical information, and I have stopped being the rug to walk on.  My experience in this class has helped me in other classes, and in my practicum classroom.  I hope every department has a class like this to offer to their education students.  It really makes you think, and develop more of an identity as a teacher.  Most of what I learned was from collaborating with my classmates, but the materials we were given were obviously very well researched and geared just for us.  I often complained about the amount of work we were expected to do, but in the end, it was all worth the tears and fatigue.  I am grateful for every second I spent in this class, and I feel we need more of these in the Education Program.  Maybe not the workload, but definitely the content.

Cheers to you my friends, and best of luck in our not so distant future!! 

Sherman Alexie- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian

             What a book!  I am not privy to life on the Reservation, but I have heard stories (stereotypes) of what life is like growing up Native American.  Unfortunately, Alexie continues the stereotype through Arnold’s family.  The poor kid has everything going against him, he looked weird, he sounded weird, he came from an unstable family.  Most kids would have given up, but Arnold didn’t.  He kept going when the going got tough-and boy, was it tough for him!

            What’s cool about this book? It’s local.  The entire book is based in Spokane and surrounding areas and students would be able to connect with that aspect.  Also cool? The experiences Arnold had, actually happens in real life.  Some kids have it really rough, so this story of perseverance can really hit home and teach kids that tomorrow can be different, and one day their world can change.  What’s not cool? The language…Arnold uses many (too many for a youth book) expletives to express how he feels.  Realistically speaking, adolescents use these words, but are they too young and impressionable to understand when and where to use the curse words?  I don’t know.  The subject matter is pretty rough, too.  Even though the main character is a young teen, I don’t think I would assign this book until 11 or 12^th grade just because of the subject matter and language.  Yes, it’s reality, but kids live this stuff every day and they shouldn’t have to relive it through literature.  Learning opportunity? Yes.  Curriculum book? No.

            I did some education research on this book, and parents have tried to have this book banned from certain school districts.  Banning a book is a bit of a wild venture, but taking excerpts from it can be beneficial.  As an educator and mom, I am on the fence about whether or not I would teach this book, or allow my 9^th grader to read it.  It might just depend on the group, the situation, and maturity levels.  I enjoyed the story, and I was proud of Arnold, but we should probably be careful with which kids we share it.

Night, by Elie Wiesel

            Night is one of those books that hits hard.  The story of a Jewish boy who survived a concentration camp should only be shared by a survivor, and Elie Wiesel did it best.  It has been taught in schools for so long, and for good reason.  I remember reading it in high school, but it is one of the stories that sticks with you, and gives a firsthand perspective of one of the most devastating events in history.  I don’t remember how my teacher’s taught it, but even if I don’t, the story itself teaches more than any class could.  The Holocaust can only be truly understood by learning through the words of a survivor.  I am not certain if English and History departments work together to implement this book during the study of World War II, but they should.  Night brings reality to an often misunderstood war.  Elie Wiesel provides an account the history books can’t.  Pretty soon, there won’t be any survivors of World War II around to tell us their stories, and it will just be another event in history, so by keeping this and The Diary of Anne Frank in schools, the people who suffered so much loss will always be remembered.

            Teaching history through literature is one of my favorite parts of becoming a teacher.  Literature is history, so by emphasizing that fact and presenting students with a firsthand account of historical events, is, in my opinion, one of the greatest gift we can give them.  Books like Night do double duty and can really bring students a taste of reality.  Our teens are so consumed by themselves, by the drama of celebrities, and by the football game last Friday, that they NEED to experience books like Night.  Sometimes, a little dose of reality goes a long way and encourages students to be grateful for what they have and what they haven’t had to see.  I hope this book never gets taken out of curriculum because it is one of the most touching accounts of courage, hope, and humanity.

Graphic Canon

            Well, I had a huge realization that I loathe the graphic novel.  I know there is a purpose for it, a student it can reach, but it is something really need to get into more to find an appreciation for it.  Three of the five selections we had to read are some of my favorite stories, but in the graphic novel, the literature was taken away, the stories were summarized, and the way they were laid out made reading chaotic.  I was so distracted by the art, the words disappeared, and gaining an understanding of the story was difficult.

            Typically, I am a lover of art and a lover of reading, but this genre did not tickle my pickle.  Various art forms were used to summarize classic literature, but instead of giving a clear idea, in an organized fashion, the ideas were all over the wall and not done consecutively.  I wish I knew which type of student and what grade level/reading level this type of organization could reach.  Instead of using this as an English text to reference, I might use it as a representation of visual art.  Honestly, the whole thing confused me.

            Pride and Prejudice was robbed of its witty dialogue, beautiful word choice, and imagery.  The mystery and detail of the characters and scenery of The Great Gatsby, I felt, was misrepresented by the short picture rendition.  Alice in Wonderland’s color was ripped away and put in black and white.  I was unfamiliar with Faulkner’s The Hill before this canon, but it didn’t make me want to read the original text, and A Modest Proposal, was just that, a modest representation of the original.

            I will keep this canon just in case I find out which student it is for, but as far as it being used for deep understanding or appreciation of literature, that idea is lost on me.

Poe Mini-lesson edTPA

Department of Education College of Arts, Letters and Education 312 Williamson Hall Cheney, WA   99004

TPA Lesson Plan #__1_____

Course: English 10

1. Teacher Candidate	Nathalie Hostutler	Date Taught	March 6,2017
Cooperating Teacher		School/District	EWU/ENGL 493
2. Subject	English	Field Supervisor	Diane Ball
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Edgar Allan Poe- “Evening Star”-figurative language	5. Length of Lesson	1 day-20 minute mini-lesson
4. Grade Level	10

6. Academic & Content Standards (Common Core/National)	CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
7. Learning Objective(s)	·         Given the Figurative Language Handout, students will understand different types of figurative language, by reviewing the terms as a class. (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5) ·         Given the Figurative Language Activity Handout, students will understand the different types of figurative language used in writing, by collaborating with a partner and completing the activity. (DOK 2) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1) ·         Given “Evening Star” by Edgar Allan Poe, students will understand figurative language, by determining what kind Poe uses in his poem with a partner. (DOK 2) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 ·         Given the class discussion, students will determine the central idea of Poe’s “Evening Star” by interpreting the text and developing a personal interpretation of it. (DOK 3) (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2)
8. Academic Language demands (vocabulary, function, syntax, discourse)	Vocabulary: figurative language, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification, alliteration, idiom, irony, onomatopoeia, puns Discourse: group discussion about terms Syntax: students will complete figurative language activity sheet to determine types of figurative language present in the poem.

9. Assessment

Formative Assessment: During class, students will review the figurative language terms.  They will complete an in class activity, with a partner, determining and defining the type of figurative language presented on the handout which we will discuss as a class.  Students will then use Poe’s “Evening Star” poem to define the types of figurative language Poe used, in partners.  We will discuss, as a class which types of language was used in the poem.  Students will then discuss, their personal interpretation of the poem. Summative Assessment:  At the end of this unit, students will be assigned a written assignment.  They will develop a stylistic imitation of a poem of their choice, focusing on figurative language and personal meaning. **Attach** all assessment tools for this lesson

10. Lesson Connections

According the Wendy C. Kasten, “learning begins from the whole context”.  In this lesson, I am beginning with a lesson and discussion about figurative language and how it can be used, followed by an example from Edgar Allan Poe. Whole language lessons and learning,”…is viewed as the dissemination of information to be absorbed by young minds and subsequently evaluated by an objective assessment tool” (Kasten 112).  In this lesson, students will be assessed through discussion and their completion of the figurative language activity.  Students will be collaborating with peers and “use each other’s capabilities” to accomplish their objectives. Stephen Brookfield says that for class discussion to be successful, teachers must model first, provide guided questions, and be involved in the discussion process.  In this lesson, the answering of guided reading questions will be followed by a teacher-led class discussion. (Brookfield 2006) Previously, students had been introduced to short stories and some poetry.  This lesson provides a deeper connection to poetry by defining figurative language used in writing and allowing for personal interpretation.  This lesson will help students become more active readers and better writers in the future based on an increased knowledge of writing stylistics.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies Sequenced Instruction
Teacher’s Role ·         Present objective for the day ·         Present figurative language handout ·         Review figurative language terms and definitions as a class ·         Present students with figurative language activity ·         Pair students with their elbow partner to complete handout ·         Discuss handout answers as a class ·         Present Poe poem on DocCam ·         Ask students to skim poem for examples of figurative language ·         Ask students to develop a personal interpretation of the poem ·         Ask one or two students to share their interpretation ·         Teacher will be available throughout the lesson and activity to provide clarification, if needed.	Students’ Role ·         Students will review figurative language handout as a class. ·         Students will complete figurative language activity with their elbow partner. ·         Students will use Poe poem to define figurative language with their elbow partner. ·         Students will show their understanding of figurative language by providing examples of it in Poe’s poem. ·         Students will understand that they will need to remember the new information for a stylistic imitation at the end of the unit.
Student Voice to Gather Throughout class, students will be asked for their understanding of the material their formative assessment.  When given instructions teacher will ask students to show their understanding by a thumbs up or thumbs down.

12. Differentiated Instruction

Students with hearing difficulties will be aided by the presence of the activities and poem on the DocCam. Kinesthetic learners will be given the opportunity to complete the figurative language handout. Aural learners will benefit from the class discussion and hearing the terminology read aloud.  Student interest will be intrigued by sharing their personal interpretation of the poem.

13. Resources and Materials

Brookfield, S. (n.d.). Discussion as a Way of Teaching. Discussion as a Way of Teaching. Retrieved from http://webshare.northseattle.edu/Sustainability_in_Healthcare/Discussion_as_a_Way_of_Teaching%20INC-Learning%20Circles.pdf Great Minds. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2017, from http://www.commoncore.org/ CCSS Standards Kasten, W. C. (1992). Bridging the Horizon: American Indian Belief's and Whole Language Learning. Anthropology & Education Quarterly,23(2), 108-119. Retrieved February 9, 2017. ReadWriteThink. (n.d.). Retrieved March 02, 2017, from http://www.readwritethink.org/ Figurative Language definitions worksheet Poe, E. A. (2009). Complete Tales and Poems. Castle Books. Poem Choice TeAch-nology.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2017, from http://www.teach-nology.com/ Figurative Language Activity Handout

14. Management and Safety Issues

The teacher will be involved in the majority of activities presented during this unit.  Students will be monitored during use of school technology and during group activities to ensure their use is appropriate, safe, and on target.  If students have cell phones out during the lesson, they will be asked to put them away, if caught with it out again, cell phone will be removed until the end of class.  Student will be given a warning for the next class session. If the problem persists, I will send a note home to be signed by the parent or guardian.

15. Parent & Community Connections

At the beginning of a new unit, parent letters will be sent home informing them of the new topic of study, the assignments due within and at the end of the unit, and encouraging them to learn alongside their student.  Parent involvement is integral to student success.

Book Talk- The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd

Nathalie Hostutler

Summary:

Growing up in Sylvan in 1964, Lily Owens is surrounded by the racism of the south.  Her mother died when she was young, and at 13, almost 14 years old, she believes the death of her mother has shaped her personality.  She has had trouble making friends all her life, which she blames on that event.  The kids always thought she was weird for not having a mother, so they avoided her at all cost.  Lily has lived with her father, T. Ray, and the maid, Rosaleen, since then.  Her father is not the kindest man.  When he thinks Lily isn’t working enough, or he finds her reading books instead of being productive, he forces her to kneel on grits.  On her birthday, T. Ray forces Lily to work the peach stand and told her she wasn’t, “Queen for the Day” (25).  Lily hates her father for all of his abuse.

Rosaleen, a black woman, the maid, has been Lily’s best friend and mother figure since she can remember.  Rosaleen is uneducated, but kind and loving, and teaches Lily all about bees, God, and love.  Lily keeps a jar of bees on the dresser in her room.  She is amazed by them.  After telling T. Ray she had some feminine trouble, he allows her to go to town for the day with Rosaleen where they happened to run into the three most racist men in town.  Rosaleen planned to register to vote that day, but after having been harassed by the three men, Rosaleen had had enough and poured her jar of snuff spit across their shoes, which landed her in jail, and Lily had to go too.  An angry T. Ray was called to collect Lily, but he left Rosaleen in jail.

The next day, after T.Ray blamed Lily for making her mother “run off and leave her,” she decided she had had enough of him.  Lily packed up her duffel bag at 2:40 pm and decided to run away.  Her first stop was to see Rosaleen in the black wing of the hospital. Rosaleen had been hit in the head by a police officers’ flashlight which needed medical attention.  Lily was shocked, and decided right then and there that she was going to break Rosaleen out of there and take her to Tiburon with her.  Tiburon was where Lily’s mother had been there once.  She wanted to go to the town the picture her mother left behind was taken, so she could feel her.  Rosaleen and Lily hitched a ride to just three miles outside of Tiburon.

Along the way in Tiburon, and after inquiring about a jar of honey with a black Mary on the label in the town store, Rosaleen and Lily go to August Boatright’s house.  She was the beekeeper who bottled and sold the honey Lily had seen.  August lived with her sisters May and June, who welcomed them into the house.  After a few lies about trying to find a family member, August saw right through the lies, but invited them to stay for the night.

The night Lily and Rosaleen stayed turned into a lifetime.  Since their helper, Zach, was on vacation that week, the Boatright sisters accepted Rosaleen and Lily’s help with the beekeeping and honey jarring.  It was harvest time.  The two women learned the ins and outs of beekeeping. Lily and Rosaleen meet all of the Boatright sister’s “Daughters of Mary” group.  When Zach comes back from vacation, he is delighted to meet the two new women.  Soon after, a confused Lily develops feelings for the young man. 

Since Lily had been told her whole life that it would never be possible for a white girl to love a black boy, she tries to fight her feelings, until she can’t anymore.  Zach has feelings for Lily, too.

Lily and Rosaleen stay with the Boatrights forever, working with and loving each other and the bees they keep.

Rationale:

Even though Lily was born in a racist town where white people only employed black people, but she knew, with every ounce of her being that what she had observed all her life was wrong.  At 14 years old, she had the tenacity to stand up for what was right and she knew what real love was.  It wasn’t from her father, but from a black woman, Rosaleen, who “took over” motherly duties after the death of her mother.  Lily was punished her whole life for standing up for what she believed in, she fought against her own prejudices, and finally when she had had enough, she fought back.  She was strong, determined, and tenacious.  Lily is a wonderful example for young people to learn how to stand up for themselves and others, and to follow their hearts, no matter the consequences and no matter the skin color.  It is a story about courage, the meaning of real love, the real power of community.

Age Group:

Students in grades 8-12 can read this book.  With guidance, readers of all levels can read, enjoy, and learn from this story.  This book is easy to follow, the language isn’t too advanced, and the story is appropriate for 13-18 year olds.

Teaching Ideas:

Lessons about symbolism (Black Mary, bees)

A comparison between the book and the movie

Personal narrative exercise about struggles the students have experienced in their lives and have overcome

Obstacles? Administration? Parents? Students?

Students who come from abusive backgrounds may have trouble with the story.  It could trigger emotional discomfort.

Racism, violence, punishments, and language

Lily breaking Rosaleen out of jail illegally and running away. Parents and administrators may be afraid this topic could encourage children to run away also.

Students may be shocked by the racism and sadness in the book, but if they are given an open space to discuss what they are reading, they will learn an enormous amount from it.

I think administrators will welcome this book into the curriculum.  The content is historically accurate, but it is a fictional account of a young girl who fought for what was right.  I believe administrators would consider the same obstacles as I have, but realize it is more than a story about pain and running away.  Instead, it is a story about strength, love, believing in yourself, the goodness of strangers, and overcoming personal obstacles.

Final Thoughts:

The Secret Life of Bees has the potential to teach students so much about courage and standing up for what is right.  I think it will benefit both boys and girls at this delicate age.  They will learn about a girl who stopped being afraid of what she knew, embraced the unknown, fought against the status quo, all while learning who she was.  Adolescents are still able to be influenced, and Lily would be a wonderful mentor for them to learn from.

Readicide

            The first half of this book was a major bummer, because it focused on the damage English teachers re doing to their students, but readicide is definitely a real tragedy in our schools, even in college.  Honestly, I did not choose to become an English teacher because of any other texts besides Shakespeare and writing.  Literature, real literature (Not Amy Schumer's autobiography, even though I loved it) was ruined for me long ago when teachers decided to force us to pick apart every single part of a particular text.  It still happens in my college literature classes, and it ruins my interpretation of what the piece should be.  The “chop-chop” as Gallagher calls it, happens every day, and it only deters students from enjoying the beauty of literature.  This activity has happened so much in my education, that reading for pleasure hasn't happened in a long time.  While there is something to be said for the creative, ambitious, and exuberant teacher, the over analysis of text murders individual thinking.  Gallagher says it best on page 90, “…I know some of my students will like 1984, and I know some of my students will like 1984, but my goal is that all of them attain something valuable from their reading.”  I often question (since I’ve been in college) teacher reading choices.  What drives their selection choice?  Why do I have to read something someone else thinks is good?  What am I supposed to gain from this?  All of these questions are important, but I think the last one is the most important.  I think that is the question on most students’ minds (besides: This is lame. Why do I have to do this right now?).  Questioning the teacher and the text choice is an important step in gaining something from a reading selection.  I like that Gallagher is realistic in that he knows there are certain texts teachers have to teach due to curriculum mandate, and finding methods for students to understand those texts is challenging.  I like that Gallagher is unconcerned with whether his students like the text or not.  Gaining something from “lousy classics” should be the goal.  Many of my teachers and professors have said, “You don’t have to like the book, but you do have to read it and think about it.”    But that brings us to how do we get our students to think about something they loathe.  Teaching reading is important, making a text relevant and comparing it to the modern world is important.  But, if we teach reading alongside writing, both concentrations will begin to improve.  Read the “classic” text, talk about it in terms students can apreciate, make it relevant, write about it.  This is a sure fire way to improve reading, writing, and thinking skills in our students.  That’s the idea, right?

I read it, but I don't get it

“I Read it, But I Don’t Get it” had so much good information about the struggles of reading and reading comprehension.  It’s true that most students do not have a solid background in reading comprehension skills, and these need to be taught.  The term “resistive readers” in Chapter 2 fully defines the type of student we will be encountering when the moans and groans begin when assigned a text.  I don’t care what class you’re teaching, the students will have to read, reread, and try to problem solve or think critically.  What we don’t realize as beginning teachers, is that the foundation of these skills probably aren’t there which is usually the reason behind the moans and groans.  The Redefining Reading section and the “Shouldn’t They Have Learned This in Elementary School” sections, although early in the book, really brought it home for me.  As an avid reader, and one without comprehension issues, the list of HOW to redefine reading for those struggling (along with the tools provided throughout the book) were eye opening…especially the Elementary school portion.  I often think about this question.  I naturally have high expectations for my students, o to think their teachers before me were unable to build the foundation for successful reading comprehension is hard to imagine.  However, many teachers do what they can with what they know and most often, skills and strategies do not stick with students.  As with many other skills, repetition is the key to success, each year builds, or should build (scaffolding) on the previous year’s skills.  We need to teach our students patterns, how to ask questions about the text, and how to recognize when they have questions.  I love the idea of guided reading questions, text to self connections, and the “I’m Stuck” activity (I would choose another word than “stuck," but I digress). 

Critical Pedagogy in an Urban High School English Classroom

Relevancy is an important part of the education of an English class.  I was very touched by the efforts Duncan-Andrade and Morrell made to introduce and teach “dead white guy” literature next to pieces of popular culture.  They were teaching specifically in urban schools, but whether a school is in the ghetto of Los Angeles or in the affluent areas of Dallas, relevancy remains the same.  It’s true, most literature can be boring to kids, especially to those who live in a low-socio economic area, because in reality, they are just trying to survive.  They find the music and writings of contemporary artists more relatable than Mark Twain.  Frankly, I understand them.  What these teachers did was pretty innovative for English teachers.  They recognized who their students were, where they were from, what they had experienced, their personal interests.  They asked themselves how they could make important classic literature interesting to their students, and, in my opinion, they did it.  By knowing their students, they were able to incorporate popular culture to keep classic literature relevant.  I think it’s a constant battle for English teachers to make reading and writing attractive to their students, but if we develop a relationship with our students and make the learning about them, reading and writing can become fun.  I loved the idea of comparing popular music lyrics with classic poetry; putting them side by side and finding the similarities and differences each artist used, understanding word choices, determining where the metaphors are (both old time-y and new), and analyzing them to a point where students can use the examples to create their own piece of writing.  I think this is the answer to any English class.  Yes, English teachers in urban areas may have more of a struggle, but I honestly think English teachers in ALL areas fight a similar battle.  It actually doesn’t just stop in English class, it’s important for all teachers to be able to compare modern day events with historical events.  Be in the know, stay abreast of popular culture and use it in the classroom to keep kids engaged.  Stay relevant and relatable.  English classes have the potential to be awesome and student-centered.   

Philosophy of Education-Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Well, if I understood this philosophical (I’ve never been very philosophical) piece correctly, relationship building between teacher and student allows for a more beneficial experience in an educational setting.  Am I right?  I think this goes without saying.  In my experience, the classrooms I have gained the most from, were the classrooms of teachers that genuinely cared about the students.  Unfortunately, some teachers believe in absolute power and treat their students as if they are peons with zero life experience.  The author here describes the students who have encountered such teachers as “oppressed”.  Even though the use of the word is a little exaggerated, maybe misplaced, I get it.  The idea here is that students who are able to develop a relationship with their teacher are better able to gain skills in the content of that classroom.  In fact, this piece encourages free thinking in the classroom as a method for students to grasp, not only the ideas being taught, but to develop their own thinking skills.  While I don’t think the section of the assigned pages to read was necessary (students do need guidance), I think what the author was trying to get at was, if the student wants to read ahead, let them.  I don’t know about you, but I have never met a teacher, especially an English teacher, who has begged students to stick ONLY to the pages assigned.  Maybe I’ve been lucky?  Maybe the idea of free thinking and not being held in a box has contributed to my choice to become an English teacher.  Honestly, I haven’t been able to pin that down yet.  But, if the author is preaching about building teacher-student relationships to create a harmonious classroom and how it obviously benefits everyone, I’m all for that.  I don’t believe the teacher is all knowing (I know I’m not) and I don’t believe students are know-nothings, either.  We can’t go into a modern education system thinking we know it all.  The truth is, we learn as we go, and I think that’s fair to say about any of us.  We will learn more from our students then we think we will, and hopefully we can pass along some of our passion to them.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student to learn, but it is the responsibility of the teacher to make it learn-able through relevancy and relationships.

Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning

In Beach, Appleman, Hynds, and Wilhelm’s piece Assessing and Evaluating Students’ Learning, the section titled, “Alternatives to “Correct Answer” Tests struck me the most.  We are doing this type of assessment in this class right now, instead of testing students for information retained, we are writing responses to the texts we have read.  As suggested in the article, this method is used to allow students to think critically about their interpretation of written text.  As a student and future teacher of English, this method makes so much sense to me.  I am an avid advocate of the interpretation of literature being a personal experience.  Each person will view a text differently, and I feel there is no right or wrong way to do this.  As long as the student/teacher/regular Joe is able to argue their interpretation of it, how can anyone prove them wrong.  Granted, there are different ways to go about analyzing literature, but the interpretation remains personal.  I, for one, loathe the idea that there are right or wrong answers in literature classes at all, but using written responses with specific criteria, as suggested is one way I would go about it in my future classes.  Also, the idea of how students should be evaluated for their work is a grey area, but if the teacher clearly states their expectations of the assignment, rather than create fear in the student of being evaluated, the creation of rubrics for the written work is more beneficial.  Feedback, constructive feedback, of work is also highly beneficial.  Giving the student control and responsibility in the creation and editing of their own work allows them to build the confidence needed in their written interpretations.  There is no right or wrong in literature, unless plot and timelines are being discussed.  Therefore, giving “correct answer” tests are pointless if a teacher is seeking an interpretation of what their students read. Studies show that giving a student a paper marked in red magnetizing all their mistakes does harm to the confidence of the writer.  Rubrics, feedback, and free interpretation seem to be the answer on how to evaluate a student’s understanding of literature.    

CA Assignment template

The tools, teaching strategies, and assessment ideas in this template were fascinating.  Some ideas had been presented to me in the first education classes I had taken, but I was never told why to use them.  It’s interesting to see the variety of assessments teachers can use to check for understand, or to deepen thought.  I think people often forget that reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking must be taught.  These three skills don’t come naturally to the majority of students, and neither does the teaching of them.  In fact, I think reading comprehension is one of the hardest things to learn.  Writing and critical thinking require scaffolding, but reading comprehension, if not taught well, can become the biggest source of student failure.  Reading is still the number one source of giving and receiving information in school and beyond, and if a student can’t decipher text properly, they will have problems for the remainder of their schooling.  These skills aren’t just useful for school.  Students will need critical thinking, writing, and reading skills in their careers later on, and I think teachers should mention that.  So many students don’t go to college, but these things aren’t just for college-minded kids.  These are skills that everyone continues to use for the rest of their lives.  We have to be realistic about them.  Not all students are going to be able to master each of these skills, but if they have a good enough foundation of them and they continue to be taught with various methods throughout the 12 years of school, every child will be successful in the future. 

Common Core/ Common Core State Standards (Beach, Thein, Webb)

Common Core Standards have been a mystery to me until just recently.  I didn’t attend school in a state, or time, where standards were focused on, but since we moved to Washington State, my children have been elbow deep in the teaching of the standards.  It all seems very complicated to me, especially the math side.  I remember when the No Child Left Behind Act was implemented and I also remember how controversial it was.  Now, with Common Core Standards working hand in hand with the act, more controversy has arisen.  The Beach, Thein, and Webb article does a good job of justifying and describing how Common Core is meant to work for teachers and students, and how it is designed to present uniformity in curriculum so students don’t fall behind if they have to move.  So what’s the problem?  Not all states have adopted CCSS, and family transfers don’t just happen within the same state.

            We moved here from Texas in 2014.  My son was in first grade and had been taught without CCSS for three years.  He had an amazing handle on his academics already, but when introduced to CCSS standards, his academics took a plunge.  Not only did he become very confused, but he was intent on the fact that he was stupid.  He had been taught to memorize and regurgitate and that critical thinking was for “big kids”.  After he finally got a handle on the teaching methods of CCSS, he has blossomed academically.

            In reading the CCSS standards for reading, I noticed each grade requires the achievement of the same standards, only, when students advance to the next grade level, the standard becomes more detailed requiring a deepening of thought and understanding of text.  I noticed sixth through eighth grade have the same standards for three years, and high school standards are lumped as grades 9 and 10, and 11 and 12.  So does this mean a student gets two and three years to master the standard? 

The idea of teaching to the test in Beach, Thein, and Webb’s article really struck a nerve with me.  I feel that the greatest downfall of CCSS and No Child Left Behind is this notion that teaching to the test is replacing real teaching and learning. Schools are so worried about reaching standards and passing the state’s requirements that teachers are losing the passion they had before they started teaching and students are terrified they won’t graduate if they don’t fill in the correct bubble.  I have seen and taken the current test Washington State requires, and it is no easy task.

While the idea behind CCSS is wonderful, and its founders have the students best interest in mind, a big flaw still looms- high-stake testing.  I won’t truly understand the complexities and benefits of CCSS until I begin teaching, but I do see it at work, in my home, every day.  My biggest concern is if this “call to standards” is really going to work, it needs to be adopted nationwide.