Reflection

This has by far been my favorite class I've taken thus far. I LOVE the set up of the class, the choice of books, the activities, EVERYTHING. I don't think I've ever loved an evening class more! I've had evening classes before that just dragged on and on and I never felt that with this class. I've always felt that it moved fairly quickly for a 4:25-7:05 class. I wish I could take the class again because I L-O-V-E young adult literature and finding out ways to think about texts as a teacher. It was a totally different experience than any English/reading class I've been in and I loved it. I don't think I could say I loved this class enough. On top of everything, the textbook actually provided REAL, RELEVANT information that I will actually use in my career. I'm really excited now for the class next semester with Dr. Pytash because I really enjoyed her style of teaching. Happy Winter Break Everyone!

14: Finding the Right Book

I really loved the description for "the right book" because it talked about things I wouldn't have considered otherwise. Things such as white space and and illustrations are often overlooked, I feel, by many teachers. I also really liked "Suggestion 5: Create a Good Books Box." I feel that this is KEY! When students are looking for places to find books they might want to read and are sent to the library, that can be extremely overwhelming because they don't know where to start. This is one MAJOR reason I want to start a classroom library. It is CRUCIAL to have books to recommend to students because otherwise they might not know where to look and just give up. Knowing "good books" to suggest and having access to them is a key thing that teachers should do. Also, "good books" should NOT mean just the teachers favorites. Having access to all types of books is what needs to happen because not all students have the same taste as the teacher.

13: Creating the Confidence to Respond

This chapter contained a lot of valuable information to increase participation. I think the easiest thing to do is on page 265 where Beers talks about students knowing each others names. It makes each student feel valued in the classroom instead of just a person in a seat that no one acknowledges. On top of instilling value in the student, it also makes it easier for students to respect one another. Another point I thought was good was providing various ways for engagement. Just like the online literature circles discussion, providing different methods to participate can really benefit most students, especially if they are shy and do not like to speak out in class. I also LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the section of questions teachers can ask students. By asking the RIGHT questions, participation can be increased and more authentic learning can take place. I plan on using some of those questions in my own classroom and maybe even tape a copy to my podium (if I have one) or in the front of whatever book we're reading in case discussion seems to be lagging.

10: Fluency and Automaticity

I think my favorite part of Chapter 10 would be the "Suggestion #5: Prompt, Don't Correct" section. "Whether done out of kindness, offered out of frustration, or offered because we don't know any other strategies, telling the dependent reader the word encourages more dependence."
I find this statement made by Beers to be the strongest statement that sums up the chapter. Teachers NEED to know other strategies because teachers NEED to teach and not just chug on through the material. If teachers prompt and use other strategies to help the child learn, it will create a long lasting impression on the child instead of instant gratification by receiving the answer from the teacher.