Zoooooming In

My future ELA classroom: Part 2

I am excited to teach ELA in the near future.  My motivation to create fantasticsuperawesome ELA experience is rooted in my predominantly negative association with ELA during my school years.  Sometimes I struggle with writing in a sense that I can feel demotivated and find myself deliberating intensively in my mind before putting words on the page.  In terms of reading, it took me a lot of time and encouragement from peers before I really started to invest myself in books for pure enjoyment.  I am human and have my own quirks but I really believe that a different ELA experience growing up could have positively influenced my views towards reading and writing.
As a student in ELA, I felt disengaged and demotivated.  The writing I reflect back on was mostly structure based, stripped of creativity and one dimensional.  In addition, we had little choice in literature and rarely read books that I could relate to.
This motivation derived from past experiences will be coupled with strategies and ideas I have developed through our ELA education class and critical thinking this class has prompted.  Yes indeed, I hope for my ELA class to be fun and engaging, which can be achieved through choice in speaking and writing, relevance to personal interests, encouraging humour and using drama to extend creativity.  Beyond these initial ideas and conditions I endeavoured to fill, I now believe it will be extremely important to start to practice the art of writing myself-writing in ways that I will be leading my students.  I need to be able to show them first hand the enjoyment and possibilities in writing.  I will try to experiment with them in collaborative writing, keep my own journal of class activities, create a class blog and be there during each step of the writing process.  I want to provide the time it takes to go through the writing process in producing well crafted pieces.  I will work to create a classroom where reading and writing are intertwined and "the power of teaching in a workshop grows from making a place where students and a teacher can say “I don’t know” and feel [like] “I think I can find out.” The tension of knowing and not knowing— writing, reading, my students, myself—becomes a continuous adventure and a source of inspiration for a lifetime" (Atwell, 484).  In this sense my classroom will be a place for collaboration and the sharing of ideas to bridge over troubled water and help each other connect their dots.
I must say I enjoy reading and telling stories.  This is something I will bring to my classroom with enthusiasm.  I will try to set up a story sharing corner (story telling time) each week or regularly.  This will be half volunteer half firmly prompted.  My students will have the opportunity to share aloud a short story, poem, or chapter from a book they're reading (personal writing or something they are reading/read).  Maybe it's a graphic novel, comic book or comic strip.  The idea is to have them sharing/telling the story orally, using their voice in different ways and hopefully enjoying the material they present.
I think the main difference between my current vision of my ELA classroom and my vision from a short time ago is that I am going to need to focus of the way I present material and prompt written work and oral language and not just what I present to my class.  Trying a variety of strategies to prompt writing and continually reflecting on the effectiveness of these strategies will progress my teaching and enhance my classroom.  My classroom will be an open learning space where the sharing of thoughts and ideas will always be encouraged.

Writing and Representing: How and what to teach students

To write or not to write?  That is not the question.  Writing as an exercise has the possibility to tap into thought and creativity that might otherwise only pin ball around inside the blossoming mind of an adolescent.  Writing as a skill can provide the opportunity to express one's thoughts, opinions, ideas and stories at varying levels and for a diverse range of purposes.  The key here are the "possibilities" and "opportunities" that writing as an art form present.  

As a student in elementary school I was provided with opportunities to use creativity in creating stories, reflect on personal experiences through journal writing and generally write about "stuff" that was interesting to me.  Entering middle school I experienced a sharp shift in the expectations from my writing.   It seemed like creativity and personal interests were replaced with structure and mundane topics and this trend echoed through the majority of high school.  The possibility of developing a passion for writing was displaced for much of my school career.  As I shift into the role of a middle school teacher, I feel that I will need to foster opportunities for students to continually explore different forms of writing, develop and exercise writing as a process and motivate disengaged writers with alternative goals.

By the end of each year indeed, I hope that each student is able to write a five-paragraph essay.  That being said I hope that I will have instilled in students the idea that they can still be creative within this structure.  All forms of writing have some sort of structure.  Even stories need a beginning, middle and an end in the very least, but structure should not limit freedom of expression and creativity of delivery.  In the Structure and Freedom article, the sixth grade students felt like "essays were written to please the teacher, reflecting the teachers ideas, never the student's; they were always dull, boring, factual, voiceless..." (Casey & Hemenway, p. 71).  It will be important to give students the opportunity to employ creativity in more formal essay writing and teach them to take ownership of assignments in keeping connected to their writing.  Teaching writing in middle school should not completely focus on formal writing, as there needs to be balance so that students are practicing and experimenting with their new skills and using them across their writing.

Writing is sometimes spontaneous and words can seem to flow together effortlessly.  The reality; however, is that writing takes time and employs a process to take an idea and produce a refined work.  The ELA IRP supports this notion and emphasizes the writing process through a "scaffolding" analogy in which students are guided along each step to support skill building until independence is achieved (BC ELA IRP, Grade 7, pp. 22-33).  Student's writing will become more effective if they learn to draft and refine their work.  As a teacher I will need to consistently reinforce this aspect of writing and more importantly give students suitable time to refine and reflect on their writing.  In class we drew pictures and then had a short amount of time to create a story; however, I was unable to formulate creative thoughts under this pressure.  I use this as an example of how the pressure of time can sometimes frustrate and disengage individuals from writing. 

Being disengaged from writing brings me to my final point.  In regards to ELA, I foresee my toughest challenge to be teaching students who have been totally turned off of writing.  In this case, it is imperative to teach these individuals the power of written language and its usage across many aspects of life.  We touched on this idea in class in talking about certain individuals who have certain interests such as mechanics.  In attempting to reach everyone "we must plunge into possibility.  We must free adolescents from writing sentences and papers and help them write their lives…we prepare writers by challenging them to think deeply and craft with passion (Kittle, 212).  Writing will be apart of everyone’s life in some capacity so it becomes ever more important to connect disengaged students to the utility of writing and just maybe that will spark further interest and tap into a hidden passion.

Writing should never be one dimensional, it can never be forced or rushed, and it is for everyone.  As a middle school teacher, I feel like I am entering a make or break period in time in terms fostering life long writers.  Life is starting to get serious for adolescents, but that does not mean that their writing has to as well.  Writing is an art form that needs to always have a degree of freedom attached to it, otherwise it risks becoming a mechanical process.  It is a creative process and it must always be taught with this in mind. 

     

Podcasts, Voicethreads and Many Possibilities...

When I first started to think about the specific use of podcasts in the classroom, I will admit I was sceptical. I thought, "ok sure, it is an interactive tool to explore".  I still do not think that "podcasts" specifically are the most important tool to be used in the classroom.  Simple voice recordings can be very useful for students that would be less inclined to speak in front of the class.  They can also be an additional way to experiment with "mantle of the expert", or "historical interviews".  I think the idea of podcasts could be of most use for students that may have trouble reading.  The majority of middle school aged kids have ipods or some sort of mp3 device.  What better way to support a students reading then getting them to download an audio book to follow along when their reading.  Also, this helps reduce anxiety they may have about their reading because they will blend in with every other student who has ear phones in their ears.  Another idea that may be a great creative activity would be to have a school radio station that uses podcasts to share the media through a school website or alternate source.  Lastly, podcasts/audio threads can be very useful for students learning english as a second language.  Using Itunes, I found a plethora of language support podcasts that are all free- ex: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/english-as-second-language/id75908431.  This particular podcast deals with hints on innuendos in english and runs though a scenario, then follows with an explanation.  It is for a more advanced english speaker but is a good example of what is available.  Overall, I personally see more use of podcasts and voice audio from the creation side as far as teaching and using within a classroom.  Listening to podcasts is more beneficial to an individual listener who uses them to supplement their reading.

Starting Out: IRP's and The Students of Today and Tomorrow

IRP?  You mean RIP right?...Rest in peace?  Prior to committing myself to the goal of teaching middle school a couple of years ago, I would not have had an idea what an IRP was.  Slowly I caught wind of the term through friends who were already teaching; however, it was not until very recently that I took an in depth look at this resource.  As I embark on my career as a teacher, the integrated resource package will definitely be a useful resource that I keep close.  Despite being quite daunting in size and composition, the package offers thorough guidance or "considerations for program delivery" that is open ended insofar as it provides suggestions without being directive.  For example, the figure "using reading, writing , speaking and listening in combination to make meaning" displays a concept I believe to be paramount in ELA.  The integration of reading, writing and speaking aims to strengthen understanding and support real world connections.  The specific exercises and texts that will contribute to "making meaning" are discretionary.  I like that the IRP does not inhibit creativity.  The needs and interests of every class will be different and it is important to utilize engaging resources to maximize comprehension and growth.  Switching gears slightly, The IRP provides some very useful basic information as well that, as a teacher, I may have otherwise overlooked.  Specifically, I learned a great while reading over "copyright and responsibility."  Ignorance to copyrights could lead to unnecessary conflict that I would not want to entangle myself with as a teacher.  Overall, the package provides a great deal of insight that is invaluable to a new or experienced teacher.  


As a new teacher, I anticipate entering an ELA classroom where the students require a great deal of encouragement, support and motivation.  ELA students are coming from an ever increasing range of backgrounds and learning environments.  Differences in culture, life experiences, ability, and primary language are all present.  The common factor that will connect these students will be active engagement.  Atwell expresses that learning is more likely to happen when students like what they are doing and when they are involved and active with other students.  I am prompted to think about my own learning experiences in ELA, specifically when I was given the opportunity to work dramatically in small groups.  I gained the ability to think critically through works and my comprehension increased when I was able to listen, share and express ideas with my peers.  I believe this can also be achieved through exercises like the tea party where ultimately the students are initiating the conversation and interacting with one another.  Games or exercises that prompt students to actively listen, process, develop their own thoughts and eventually express them will hopefully make meaning as the IRP encourages.  


I am creative and I have some ideas and strategies for teaching that I believe to be engaging.  With that in mind, I embrace the freedom that teachers have in terms of the delivery of material while respecting the fact that there is a curriculum to follow.  There is much to know and be aware of as a new teacher and the ELA IRP should be a solid framework from which to work.  It successfully hones in on students needs to be involved and engaged leaving the execution or fun stuff up to us.

Me and my future ELA classroom

When I was a wee lad I liked to play, be active, and physical.  I immediately took to just about every game, sport or activity that was offered up to me.  My evenings, weekends and summers would see me involved in organized sports such as hockey, baseball, volleyball and basketball to hobbies (passions) such as skiing and snowboarding.  And in between with friends, my younger brother and/or my dad I was either on the rink across the road, my driveway or my basement playing "mini" versions of my favourite sports.  I just couldn't get enough.  I was encouraged to try some different things-encouraged to read by my mom and play the piano by my nanna, however, my desire to compete and play always won over.

I read books during school and played a few instruments, not so much out of choice, but requirement.  I recall the first book I read out of pure enjoyment- a novel...about baseball.  I read it in a day.  A feat for myself as it was one hundred and something pages and sports were at my fingertips.  I continued to read further books in that series in which various sports were involved.

As I have grown up, my love for reading has evolved and specifically make time to read, however, if I get a call to toss a ball or get out on the ice, I will pause the pages briefly.

These memories make me think that my ELA classroom will be about interest, choice and encouragement. Also, I have had some english teachers that I really disliked and a select few that I genuinely enjoyed and learned with.  The teachers that I enjoyed working with had some factors in common that were without a doubt the driving forces behind their success that I will try to build on during my time...

Active Involvement- Getting children out of their seats, experiencing reading and stories with their bodies.  Using small groups to collaborate, discuss, act out pieces of a work.  Experiencing through reading, writing and speaking intertwined.

"Thinkpot" Atmosphere-  Everyones ideas and expressions and accepted and used to build creativity.

Fun- Writing jokes, telling humorous stories or experiences- using real life to create and bridge learning outcomes.  Opportunities to be very dramatic and present works or ideas.

Interest-  It has to be relevant.  Just like myself and reading about sports.  They need to be into the material to be motivated. 

Choice-  Linked to interest I believe that giving kids choices about what they read, speak, or write about will fuel motivation, build interest, foster learning and create a community to learn from one another.

Finally...Encouragement- Reinforcing each child's thoughts, ideas, work and individuality through positive feedback.

How feasible is all of this...definitely a challenge.  I believe that you need to bring a great deal of energy to the classroom and hopefully I can challenge, motivate and inspire my future students and open up their minds to new possibilities.