We are now in our 8th week of school and I am still feeling uncomfortable with the changes I have implemented in my classroom. It's a good uncomfortable. It's an uncomfortable that has me really examining what matters and what is important for my students as they ready themselves for college and the world.
They will all vote (or be able to ) in the next presidential election. They will soon be thrust from the nest (and we often coddle and hold their hands too long) and making all of their decision on their own. What skills do I want them to have? What skills do I want my own children to have? These are hard questions along and then to balance those answers with all the other factors and pushes in education is even more difficult.
I reflect everyday about if what I am doing works and if I'm seeing progress. I have students who have never finished a book in high school and so far this year have read 2 or 3 novels. That to me is success. I see seniors in the halls before school starts reading books instead of playing on their phones. That is a success.
Part of what I want students to leave my class with is knowing that reading can be enjoyable--it isn't all about tests and essays (that plays a role--but books are awesome and that there are many books that are fun/enjoyable to read). I also want them to develop a habit of reading (college reading loads are heavy) and learn how to carve out time to get the reading done. We still study books--but my students now understand there is a difference between reading a book and studying at text. I think that is a success.
I want my students to be able to evaluate information and to think critically. We are doing that through writing--we write in class everyday and revise almost every time we write. I need them to be their own critics. We aren't there yet. Many of them still feel like their first draft is good. I am pushing them to see otherwise. I am still working on how to get them to see that. I have them writing one essay every two weeks--I am thinking of revising that a bit for next semester. I am torn between college expectations and high school expectations. In college, many will write one to two page papers each week over their reading and they'll have to be able to produce quickly and well. I need them to be ready for that.
Change is hard--I am happy that I have changed the way I structure my English courses. I still worry about what it looks like to the outside viewer. As we all know, we are judged on how we teach. I stand by what I am doing and welcome suggestions that help me create the best learning environment I can.
Those of you who workshop in high school--what's your advice?
They will all vote (or be able to ) in the next presidential election. They will soon be thrust from the nest (and we often coddle and hold their hands too long) and making all of their decision on their own. What skills do I want them to have? What skills do I want my own children to have? These are hard questions along and then to balance those answers with all the other factors and pushes in education is even more difficult.
I reflect everyday about if what I am doing works and if I'm seeing progress. I have students who have never finished a book in high school and so far this year have read 2 or 3 novels. That to me is success. I see seniors in the halls before school starts reading books instead of playing on their phones. That is a success.
Part of what I want students to leave my class with is knowing that reading can be enjoyable--it isn't all about tests and essays (that plays a role--but books are awesome and that there are many books that are fun/enjoyable to read). I also want them to develop a habit of reading (college reading loads are heavy) and learn how to carve out time to get the reading done. We still study books--but my students now understand there is a difference between reading a book and studying at text. I think that is a success.
I want my students to be able to evaluate information and to think critically. We are doing that through writing--we write in class everyday and revise almost every time we write. I need them to be their own critics. We aren't there yet. Many of them still feel like their first draft is good. I am pushing them to see otherwise. I am still working on how to get them to see that. I have them writing one essay every two weeks--I am thinking of revising that a bit for next semester. I am torn between college expectations and high school expectations. In college, many will write one to two page papers each week over their reading and they'll have to be able to produce quickly and well. I need them to be ready for that.
Change is hard--I am happy that I have changed the way I structure my English courses. I still worry about what it looks like to the outside viewer. As we all know, we are judged on how we teach. I stand by what I am doing and welcome suggestions that help me create the best learning environment I can.
Those of you who workshop in high school--what's your advice?