I was asked this week to explain the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher. Part of my answer was that a good teacher made students read and a great teacher made students love to read. A good teacher helps students understand what they are reading and a great teacher helps students connect what they read to how it is relevant for their lives now. As a result, I really appreciated what Gallagher had to say in chapter 8. Students must be content with the answer to "why?" in order for them to really engage with the text.
Two things I walked away from this chapter with:
1. Day 1 of a book is hugely important. This is where as teachers, we must "set up" our novel in a way that makes our students excited about reading it. Whether that is building anticipation about what the book might hold or how it connects to their world, we need to find a way to entice our students in order for them to journey through the book with us. And we are probably going to have to think outside of the box and think creatively about how to do this.
2. The last day of the book is equally important. I loved the last idea he gave about giving students the "final exam" question on day one so that they know what they need to be looking for. What was the author's purpose for writing; cite specific passages to support; how is this purpose relevant today? What a great final exam.....and if students know it ahead of time, they can read looking for the "bigger picture." And class discussions, projects, mini-lessons, etc. can all be geared towards setting students up to do well on the final.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Great points. Responding to your #2, in my practicum that's exactly what my teacher did. He gave them a page with key questions (essentially turning a main points/ideas outline inside out for them to fill out), and as they read they knew exactly what to look for.
I agree with that in day one we MUST "set up" our novel in an exciting way. I look at it like the trailer of a movie...who wants to see it if theyre already bored and uninterested in the trailer, which is just a preview.
We might have to dig deep to show them ways that they can connect to a specific text, but it will be well worth it if they show some sort of excitement in the end!!!
I thought that giving the students the final exam question was a great idea also. It allows them to think about that as they do their reading. You make some great points!
i agree that day 1 of a book is the most important. This is an important idea to keep in mind as we create our lesson plans.
Kendra, I think that you always bring up really good points from out readings.
On another note, the first and last days are the most important. Not only that those are the days that they are going to remember the most, but it gives a beginning and an end, as well as brings thier attention to the forefront and gives them a closing.
Post a Comment