Writing Essentials Chapter 12

If in chapter eleven, I was overwhelmed, chapter twelve allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.  There is light at the end of this tunnel we call teaching and "teacher accountability."  In reading this chapter, I felt as though Regie Routman were speaking to me directly, telling me to take a breath and concentrate on what is important.  Her tips are invaluable because she knows how it feels to be a teacher in this day and age.

I read through about reducing paper and worksheets.  I can completely relate to their overuse.  When I teach my MAP Prep class, all I use are packets of work.  I need to stop and think about how is that packet really teaching students.  I need to be mindful of the time I have with students and reflect on what and how I am teaching.

I do need to ask myself "so what?"  What was the purpose of that lesson or what did the students learn?  What was the point and the outcome?  I think too many times we move onto the next unit without thinking about how we taught the previous that we can be making the same mistakes with our students.  I know that I do not evaluate and assess myself and how I am teaching, and I need to.  I want to improve my student's learning, and the only way that they are going to grow, is if I grow as well.

Writing Essentials Chapter 11

I was flipping through Chapter 11 about using the best research and practices and I was once again overwhelmed.  I feel as though many teachers know the best practices and know the research, yet we do not know how to incorporate all of these things into the day.  I was looking at the "Key Research Findings" page 263.  I know many of these things, for many of them are common sense, but how to integrate all of this in the day.

I just feel as though there is not enough time in the day to work through all of these things.  I know how important it is for students to write and to want to write, but how can I make that happen throughout the day?  I feel as though my principal gives us 30 minutes of writing instruction a day.  That is the only time the students are to write.  How can I possibly improve their writing ability in only 30 minutes?

I realized that I had to take a step back and think about how I use writing.  We work on stories, poems, and nonfiction pieces, but many times they do not tie into the reading, math, and science curriculum.  As I am reading through this chapter, I see now that I have to integrate.  The students have to write about what they are learning.  I need to not just have the students write during our writing block, but have them writing across the curriculum.  I feel that by using what the students are already learning, they will write more, and have more of a willingness to write.

Writing Essentials Chapter 10

Assessments.  I dread them, and I think we all dread them as educators.  The assessment that concerns me the most is the state assessment.  It can determine if we do not make AYP that we will fall into the different levels of improvement.  It feels as though with the emphasis on passing the state assessment that much of the joy of teaching has slipped away.

It's a shame to think that for me from January until April, I am thinking about preparing my students for the MAP test.  We are continually doing practice writing and reading exercises.  We are reviewing math skills. I feel as though so much time is actually wasted because I am in a panic to prepare them.  I realize now that I may be causing a detriment to my students.

In reading this chapter, it shed some light on how to prepare for assessments.  On page 245, it states that "high achievement and high test scores result when what is tested is woven into daily teaching and challenging curriculum in a relevant manner."  I think that I need to take a step back and realize that in order to prepare my students for The Test, I need to actually stop preparing them.  My students will do fine if we work all year on the skills they need to learn and if they have lots of practice writing.

I do have my students write a lot throughout the year.  I make it a point to have them write every single day, but I don't grade their work.  Because of the grading system my district uses, it seems pointless to actually grade their work.  I realize now that perhaps I do not need to grade it, but I need to assess it.  My students and I need to develop criteria for how their work should look when they go through the writing process.  I think that the students will be better writers if they think about basic guidelines for their writing.  One of my goals in my professional development plan is to improve self-assessment for the students.  I think that having the students self-assess their work will also improve their writing.  

I think that with these goals, the students will not feel the anxiety of the MAP test, but more importantly, i think that I can relax and focus on preparing my students in a more constructive manner.