jaimie k's reflection to graves ch. 4 & 5...
These two chapters are very interesting; but to tell the truth, they kind of scare me. It sounds like there’s so much to do and this is only for one subject area. It seems overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, the ideas are great and they sound very effective. I like the idea of modeling writing for the students. It’s a great way to get kids started on their writing.
I guess it was more chapter four that worried me. There were so many angles, so many things it seemed Mr. Bang had to establish just to get through writing. He had conferences, but in order to do that he had to make sure the rest of the class didn’t bother him. And to make sure they didn’t bother him he had to go over with them what helped, what they knew, new helping roles, and increase the access they had to each other. All this just so he could have quiet, uninterrupted conferences.
What if I as a teacher can’t accomplish this? What if it’s too much for me? What if I can’t see all these little goals that need to be achieved to get to the big goal? These thoughts frighten me. Make me think that maybe I won’t be as great a teacher as I hope to be. Of course I’ll try my best; but there’s only so much trying you can do before you realize you’re stuck. Everything sounds simple to do when you read it in books, but will I be able to apply them in real-life situations?
I guess it was more chapter four that worried me. There were so many angles, so many things it seemed Mr. Bang had to establish just to get through writing. He had conferences, but in order to do that he had to make sure the rest of the class didn’t bother him. And to make sure they didn’t bother him he had to go over with them what helped, what they knew, new helping roles, and increase the access they had to each other. All this just so he could have quiet, uninterrupted conferences.
What if I as a teacher can’t accomplish this? What if it’s too much for me? What if I can’t see all these little goals that need to be achieved to get to the big goal? These thoughts frighten me. Make me think that maybe I won’t be as great a teacher as I hope to be. Of course I’ll try my best; but there’s only so much trying you can do before you realize you’re stuck. Everything sounds simple to do when you read it in books, but will I be able to apply them in real-life situations?
posted by jaimie k | 11:12 PM
2 Comments:
Jaimie - You bring up an important issue. I hope you don't mind me sharing "my answer" to your question. Here it is: the beautiful thing is once you understand the process and know how it relates to how children learn -- and you "have a go" at its elements (such as modeled writing)... then you are there. It's not hard to keep the process going... and you keep learning along the way. And one more thing...you won't have to do all those long lesson plans... because except for the mini-lesson, you are going to be using the same process every day. The planning involves the mini lesson and targeting any particular youngsters who you have discovered need a conference. Your question shows that you are trying hard to make sense of this and that you are serious about trying to visualize yourself in the role that Graves describes. Good for you. Greg
Hi Jaimie -- You know how our kids enter the classroom in the morning, grab their ID's, order lunch, then go straight to their desks and quietly start their DLP? Each step was something that our teachers initially had to establish as part of a routine and by the time we got there, it just flowed. I have great confidence that you'll be able to see what needs to be done because working with you has shown me how intuitive and detail-oriented you are. You will be a great teacher!
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