Kendall Children's Lit. Spring discussion

3. What key ideas do you want to remember for your own students?

I really enjoyed that she had every student picking out books and checking them out from her own personal classroom. I found this to be a great idea because I know that I will be a teacher who has a classroom full of children's books. I also really liked her idea of giving students the surveys to find what each ones personal interest. I think this could be beneficial for helping them pick out books, but could also help with ordering new books for a classroom based on common interest among students. I think it also very important that she stressed the importance of encouraging every type of reading and finding books that fit all of their interests. I felt that she was an inspiring teacher and would have loved to have an instructor like her in upper elementary or junior high class.

The key part that I will remember and take with me to my classroom is to have a large number of books and of all different genres. Now, when I pick out books, I tend to choose the books that interest me the most. In a classroom, there are children from all different walks of life and interest and ability levels. I need to be able to accommodate all the different students and their interests. Having a large number of books in the classroom with not allow students to have a large number to pick from but it will encourage them to read since the students can see that there are so many different books out there. I would not only have books at the grade level I would be teaching but some below level and some above level. This would allow the developing and the underground readers to have more opportunities to read while in the classroom. Also, for me, I like reading books that are called young adult even though I am well above that reading level. So having books of all different levels will allow students to read what is interesting to them.

I loved the idea under the category of responsibility; By setting reading goals for students but then having them complete those reading goals by choosing their own books within certain genres, I think students will gain the most. Instead of a certain book being required reading, having the genre in mind but not a specific book would be really freeing. Why not let students pick books that interest them, as long as they are reading they are enhancing their vocabulary and critical thinking skills. I could see each student telling their classmates about their book and giving other students ideas about other options; opening the reading pool for students.

I really liked the concept of immersion and surrounding the students with books of all kinds. Allowing the children to find what interests them and picking out their own reading material. I also like the idea of picking out books within a genre but not requiring the class to all read the same book. I think this really says to the student I trust you to make a decision and I know you will read the book. This is also a good way to create dialog within the classroom and create interest in a number of books so that other students will perhaps be intriqued enough to read what a classmate has suggested.

I guess the main key idea that I would like to use for my students is where she gave them a survey that did not just ask about reading it also asked about the children's likes and wants. This I feel was a really good strategy because then you get an idea of what books the child might be interested in. Also this could help you as the teacher branch out onto different genres of books for the students because they may have many different likes so they can read all kinds of books. I think something to keep in mind is that forcing children to read is not fun. SO you should find a way to make it more enjoyable. Not every student likes to read or maybe will understand the book that they need to read, so by making it more fun with things like activities with the book, then maybe you can help the struggling students and also show other students that it can be fun to read.

What I would like to remember about this for my own students is how grateful Mrs. Millers students were for their freedom to choose. I think that having that freedom motivated the students to work harder and read more. I also think it made the reading so much more enjoyable for students because if they did not like a book they could simply choose a different one. There were no pressured discussions or tricky quizzes, just reading and enjoying. I also liked how she asked students to read a certain number of books from each genre but they could choose from there. I think think this is important in broadening their experiences and also helping them discover something they could like that they never knew.

I want to remember the terms that she used for the different types of readers; developing, dormant, and underground. I think it is a really good thing that she has these names for her readers because that makes them feel better about where they are at as opposed to struggling reader. Another thing that I really want to encourage in my classroom is the freedom of choosing their own book. There are absolutely going to be times where there is required text but students are more likely to read and get more out of it if they are reading something that interests them. Also students like freedom. They like that sense of control in their life. A third thing that I want to emphasize in my class is reading every day. Making sure that there is time daily to get reading in, whether as a class, small groups, or silently. I think it would be ideal to have a large amount of personal books in my class so the students have options at all times. I hope I can get to that place at some point in my teaching career.

I absolutely loved her style of teaching. When I begin teaching, I plan to have students pick out books the first day of class. It starts the year off right by telling the students that reading is important. While allowing the students to look at and touch all the books, it is also vital that the students are allowed to choose the books they want to leave. Another thing that I want to incorporate into my classroom is setting the goal to read forty books during the year. Because she allowed the students to choose their books and didn’t force them to write book reports on each one, the students were more inclined to read in their spare time. Instead she just talked about reading concepts, helping the children learn to read and choose books. One last concept I would like to incorporate is having the students fill out an interest survey. Getting many new students at the beginning of the year can be overwhelming. You have to learn as much as possible about the children in a short amount of time. If you make the students fill out an interest survey like in the reading, you can quickly learn about their likes and dislikes. It was very clever to choose a stack of books that might suit each individual child. Miller had many different strategies that I would definitely use in my future classroom.

I definitely agree that the terms Miller used to describe students was important. "Reluctant" and "struggling" are derogatory and they don't focus on the real issue of the whole thing. Allowing students to self-identify, to choose for themselves what is most important, is a change that more teachers should adopt. By having the reading student-centered rather than teacher-driven, more sustained learning will be able to take place.

I really enjoyed reading this excerpt from The Book Whisperer. Mrs. Miller seemed like a teacher that many students should be thankful to have. With that being said, there are a few key ideas that I want to remember for my own class. I really liked the surveys she gave to the students to get an idea of who they are and what types of things they enjoy. Not only did she ask questions that gage what kind of readers they are, she also asked questions that dug into their personal lives and what they enjoy. This in turn gave her a better understanding of what types of books would interest them the most. Another aspect I want to take to my class is the variety of books that she had available to the students. I think it is very important that every type of student is considered when choosing books, and that there is a large variety in genres and subject matter.

The biggest idea I want to remember for my own students is that they are all different but have similar solutions. Yes each reader is a different reader. However, everyone is a reader all you need to do is find a way to pull the reader out of them. I think Miller does an amazing job by allowing the students to pick their own books but also by having suggestions. I want to be like that for my students. Force them to read but make it in a way that seems like they are doing it on their own. Book reports and one novel for the entire class are very over rated. I agree with Miller, you need to keep the students on their toes and let them read what they want. As long as they are reading, it’ll be ok.

I was very interested by the reading surveys that Miller handed out to her students to gauge their interest in reading; as well as what subjects they were interested in. I would love to do more research on the different types of surveys like this. I also liked that she required her students to read 40 books during the year, I know that for my own class I want my students to always go above and beyond so that they will, having left my classroom, know what it takes to excel. I believe in instilling a good work ethic in my students, and I believe that it will serve them well during the course of their lives. I also want to keep her practice of shaping the reading plans around the students interests, not just some arbitrary books that people think students should be familiar with. Last, and most importantly, I want to make my classroom a place where reading is risk-free and engaging to the students, where they are not judged on what they are reading only that they are reading.

The number 1 thing I want to take away from reading this chapter of The Book Whisperer is to let students have freedom in choosing what they want to read. As a student myself, nothing grinds my gears more than being forced to read something. It doesn't matter what genre the book is, if the teacher is forcing me to read it, I automatically lose interest in it. I could not live with myself as a teacher if I did the same thing to my future students what I detested so greatly in school. I understand that as a teacher, certain aspects of the curriculum must be met, but even giving students a genre and having them choose gives them some sort of freedom.

3. I felt like Miller had a number of key ideas that I would like to keep in mind for my own classroom. Her main idea about simply allowing children the opportunity to read every day is wonderful. Children are excited to make their own decisions. If they are allowed to choose what interests them, then it will only encourage them to read more. I would love to have a class where everyone is expected to read so much, but are excited to do so. I do not see anything wrong with allowing children the chance to pick what they want to read, as oppose to forcing them to read something. They are still getting the reading practice they need, while staying focused on the book, because they actually care about the information or story inside in it. I think if I could take any of Miller’s ideas, it would definitely be to incorporate this openness into my own classroom.

The main key for me is what she described happening to her at the very beginning of the chapter. She was in her third year and was standing before her students, lecturing them on classroom rules and guidelines. I'm sure every teacher does this and every future teacher will do it too. The teacher has to set the tone and tempo of his/her classroom, while keeping it under control. The most important aspect of this situation though is making sure the teacher is reaching to each individual student's education ability, so they are learning.

After concluding her lecture, she was taken aback by a student's question about books and when they could check them out. She was shocked and a little unprepared. She thought quickly and changed her plan right there and allowed the students to search her 'library' right then. Mrs. Miller's example showed she had a guideline and plan that she was following, but sometimes you (the teacher) have to adjust to the students needs.

When it comes to reading, I like her ideas of allowing students to pick what they want to read. And if I know of a book that they have already read by a certain author, then try to gear them to a different book by the same author. I also want to have read as many books as I can in order to be a good source and offer recommendations to my students.

The most important part of the excerpt for classroom management and layout, to me, was that she had a large quantity of books of all kinds of different genres, and the strategies that help with learning. I also think it was very helpful that Miller identified the three different kinds of readers, because most people fall under one of the three categories. I feel that if a classroom has many books in it, children are bound to have their eyes wander and they will become curious about a book. Also, if a teacher can classify their students as one of the three types of readers, that will help the teacher to choose which book would be best for them based on grade level and genre. The learning strategies Miller discussed were very interesting because they were so accurate. They seem like very successful tools in getting a child to become someone who loves reading and is good at it.

The key ideas I want to take with me into my classroom is that I need to listen to what my students need, not what I think they need. I will provide my students with the opportunities to choose their own books to read because this empowers and encourages them. I want to be the knowledgeable teacher who has read many books that when a student tells me what genre they like I will have a list of books right off the top of my head for them.

I think one of the key ideas that I want to take with me into my classroom, is that I need to really read the books that I put in my classroom, and make sure that there's a variety of genres in the room. With a variety of genres, it'll make it easier for my students to find something that can truly interest them. Also, I want to take the time to really get to know what my students' interests are so that I can be sure there are books in my class that will possibly interest them, and that they're at the reading level the students are. I also want to make sure that I can project an enthusiasm for reading so that my students will also pursue and love reading.

I think that Miller gave a lot of really good key ideas. However, there is one that really stood out to me. I really liked her idea of giving books where the student’s interests lie. Kelsey is the perfect example. She was a reader who failed the state test three times, but still progressed to the next grade. She had difficulty reading, but Miller found her interests and gave her books focusing on those interests. Kelsey loved animals, so Miller gave her a book from a grade level, or two below and started Kelsey there. With each passing book her confidence grew, and by the end of the year she read 42 books. She passed her state reading test and became a strong reader. I loved how all of this happened because Miller found something Kelsey loved and gave her an open doorway. I hope that I never forget that story because I want to be able to give my students the gift of reading, but also the knowledge that anyone can become a strong reader.

Miller had a lot of great ideas. I love how she chose let the students read what they wanted to read and then not make them do busy work to prove that they read. I think that if you took away the busy work of book reports and worksheets the idea of reading for an English class becomes less threatening.
I think that it is very important for children to learn to love to read at an early age. The sooner they find their love for books and stories the more they will read in their lifetime. the more they read in their lifetime is more valuable than the tedious test strategy skills that are pushed on kids nowadays.If they learn to love to read their reading comprehension skills will improve, their vocabulary, everything will improve because they are practicing reading more. Reading is what will make you better at reading. It is just that simple and if kids learn not only to read but to love to read they will read. I believe that is the most important thing.

I plan on taking along my growth in enjoyment of reading into my future classroom. However, I know that my reading experiences need to be authentic, whether negative or positive. Although I excelled in reading and comprehension in school, I haven’t always enjoyed reading. In fact, because reading has become such a huge requirement for me, it has turned into more obligatory and not leisurely. So, right there is one key--share my past experiences with reading with my kiddos. That way, all of my readers can make some form of connection with my story and become avid readers. I would also like to make the best use of the library in my classroom, and building too. I plan to remind the students that the books are “ours” and we are all welcome to them. One important key point Miller shared in chapter two, was 40 books requirement of her students. I almost dislike the term requirement in this case, because it sounds mandatory. But then I remind myself that the books are of their choosing!. I think that is a pretty neat way to get and keep my kiddos reading!

A few key ideas that I would want to remember would be allowing the student to have the option to pick their own book instead of assigning a whole class one book and setting restrictions on them. I would also want to remember to have a huge selection available to the students because if they don’t have any options, they aren’t going to want to pick different types of books. The concept of not picking one book for a whole class to read is one that I really love because I know that different people are going to have different interests and that some are going to get bored very quickly and some will be captivated by the material. Instead of a group book, I would want to remember to have the kids be assigned to read a certain number of books with a specific amount in different genres. I also find it very important to keep the classroom positive and not use those negative words such as struggling. If the student hears that word they are going to become self-conscious and realize that they are different from the other students. If you keep the room positive, the students will stay positive too. The most crucial thing would be to keep the students reading, they need to be reading no matter what!

I would like to remember that underground readers need more attention than they usually receive. I need to pay attention enough to spot the underground readers and then make sure I can keep them interested with material. I also want to keep in mind that I have to show the students that reading is important through my own actions and life outside school. They will be able to tell if I truly value reading as a lifelong activity, or if I'm just going through the motions. I think it's important to remember that students need a lot of positive reinforcement throughout their reading experiences to keep them on track. All of my students will be at different reading levels and I need to focus on finding ways to make reading exciting to them. Finally, I want to remember that reading and "practicing" is the best way to help kids who may struggle. Studying can only get them so far if they're not applying the skills in their everyday lives.

While reading, I enjoyed those teachers with a large assortment of books in the classroom. I think that after reading the Book Whisperer, I will also have a classroom library. I was not a fan of being assigned books in school and that is something I want to avoid with my students. Having the ability to choose their own books will keep them interested in literature while still benefiting from reading.

I like the idea of having a large quantity and a large variety of books. If you only have books from one genre in your classroom library you are not giving your students an opportunity to really find the type of books they will like and connect with. If you give them lots to choose from and can help them choose wisely you are setting them up for success. Not every student will like every book, and because of that not every student should be expected to read the same book.