Chelsea's Reflection (On Solid Ground, Ch.13)

Chapter 13: A Time For Response was mainly about children being able to respond after they have read something, whether it be orally or written. It also mentions that children don't get to read as much if all a teacher does is assign them a written response every time they read. I know that when I'm reading a book, I'm not going to want to stop and write a response about what I had just read. I want to keep on reading without being bother. For children it's different because as teachers we want to make sure they understand what they are reading so we have to butt in and interrupt their reading. It would be better if we could just let them read, but how would we know their understanding? I like that Sharon has a set routine for her children and that she sometimes mixes it up to make it interesting. I especially like that she had a little routine for when her children have to give her their reflections after they read about what kinds of strategies they used and which strategies they think can use again. She also mentioned that she likes to ask the same question every time so that the students are better prepared to answer her question. She also asks them to explain further on what strategies they used so that they don't just go up in front of the class and state any strategy they can think of. She wants them to show evidence that they have used the strategy they are telling the class about. Another think I like is that she has a special rocking chair that the kids can sit on when they come in front of the class to speak. I like the homely feel Sharon provides in her classroom. If possible, I want to decorate my own classroom giving it a homely feel so that my students can feel comfortable, but not too comfortable to where they fall asleep.