Reflection

I really enjoyed this class. It really helped me start thinking as a teacher rather than a student when it comes to reading. Enjoying all the book demos and sharing each others' choice projects my book list is very long. I thought the book we had to read and write the blogs about was WONDERFUL. It helped in every way to think about every type of student that could be in the classroom and how to relate to their reading habits. Doing the book reviews was a great way for me to understand what makes a book useful in the classroom and enjoyable for students to read.

Chapter 14

This is what I think the fun of being an English teacher would come in. How to find the right books that fit the class personality and the content. When Beers brings up the point of choosing books strategically according to the length of the book, personally I believe that it is how the book is presented that decided whether students are going to read. But I do like the theory of choosing books that that student can relate to their characters and who may be facing similar choices. This could bring up great discussion in the classroom. When dealing with non-fiction, teachers should try to collaborate it with another subject or lecture to tie everything together for the big picture.

Chapter 13

When it comes to confidence, especially the point where teachers are to keep their expectations high, I kept thinking about Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. Teachers need to know where that line is from too hard and too easy to get students to learn. It really frustrated me that teacher,like that ones mentioned in the book, basically refused to challenge their students with work. A great way to get students involved in a challenging text is to get them thinking about it in a creative manner. "We need to give students the opportunity to form their thoughts, mull it over, and decided what they want to say or ask about what they've read." (pg 268).

Chapter 10

This chapter is so important because it is basically the foundation of good reading and comprehension.Teachers need to be able to pinpoint those readers who are dependent or independent. Measuring fluency is a great way to provide this. One stratgey I thought was a great idea was to read aloud to the students. Using the educator as a model, the dependent students will be able to learn appropriate expression, phrasing, and pacing. Another important suggestion Beers has is that teachers should prompt students when reading, not correct. If students are constantly told their wrong, it will not only discourage them from reading but also it can be hard for them to correct their own mistakes.