My recent experience in an ELA
classroom has tremendously influenced my beliefs about goals for my students to
achieve and the welcoming, encouraging environment I will strive for in my
classroom. I have specific traits I want to enforce and inspire in my students.
English class is crucial for a student’s literacy. This is where they refine
critical thinking skills and learn how to express these skills in cohesive,
effective ways. I think that it’s important for them to be reading texts that
are of high interest but beyond just entertaining. I want my students to read
and write texts that they can relate to and that they can learn and grow from
as they progress in the school year and beyond.
Students need to learn that writing
is a process. Worthwhile, thoughtful writing cannot be created on 26 lines in
one interaction. Yes, they have to learn that skill for the STAAR test; but, if
they are taught to write well in any format, and at any length, they sill
certainly be able to successfully complete that task and countless other
writing tasks. The STAAR essay should be taught as a genre of writing but
definitely not the only one, or for that matter, the most important one for
them to complete. They need to realize that their linguistic practices are
something to take pride in, not change to fit in with mainstream, “proper”
English. I understand they’ll have to be able to write academically for certain
tasks like tests and academic essays but there needs to be space where they can
write anyway they like, their native language if it is not English.
An English class is a place where
group discussions, whether they are whole class or small groups, should be
cultivated and respected. The expectations for class discussions needs to be
set at the beginning of the year and upheld throughout. Eventually, my goal
would be that the students lead and carry the conversation on their own with
little or no interruption from me, the teacher.
I think that SSR and/or reflective writing
in a notebook should be held as often as possible and while they read I want to
conference with the students about their thinking as they read. I’ve seen SSR
used to really benefit students’ literacy but I’ve also seen it as a random act
that isn’t connected to anything at all. It is just a 10-15 minute way to get
the students to sit passively and relax before starting “real work.” That is
why I want my students to read with a purpose. That purpose can vary depending
on their various needs that we can figure out together through conferencing. I
want their reading to extend past independent SSR by sharing their thoughts on
their books with one another. My hope is that my students see me as someone who
is their advocate and someone they can trust with their thoughts and creative
writing.
