Assignment Nine: Final Course Reflection
Take a look at the last section in Regie's text, Writing Essentials, it's chock full of great resources!!!
Teaching in Action: Lesson Essentials 5 Day Lesson Plans & Appendices
• Secrets of Second Graders• Heart Poems• Procedural writing• Hero writing• Persuasive writin• Appendix survey
Be sure to look through this section. If you haven’t already done so, look at Appendix A (page A-2.) Re-examine your beliefs about writing by re-reading the statements about the writing process and marking true or false in your book. Did you change any of your previous answers? Would you consider bringing this page to your team or even to your entire school to jump-start discussions about writing? Take some time to look through the appendices. There are several useful examples included. One we’d like to point out to you is Appendix L- The Genre Characteristics Excerpt on page A-13. Look to the Writing Essentials companion website at www.heinemann.com/writingessentials for the entire chart as well as directions to assist you playing the DVD.
ASSIGNMENT NINE: Final Course Reflection - Critically examine your current literacy program and develop realistic goals to improve your instruction. Also reflect on the balance between your home and school life. If our students are to become happy, literate people, they need happy, balanced teachers. BRIEFLY, share several of your goals with the class by posting them to the blog for this final assignment.
Thanks for taking our course!!!! Mary & Jackie!
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I was already sold on the importance of teaching writing and its power to enhance learning prior to taking this class so reading Regie’s book was like preaching to the choir for me. I was all in from the beginning. I am not working at a school at this time, so I don’t have a literacy program to comment on and I don’t want to write about ones I have been a part of because I did that in an earlier post.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to say is I think teaching always boils down to what will be best for my students and myself within the parameters of the teaching situation. I have experience teaching almost all levels from a kindergarten student, in a one on one situation, to teaching in a classroom with up to 70 college sophomores. Regardless, I think the principles and practical ideas Regie discusses in her book can be adapted and applied to all these situations. I did not always think this but somewhere along my educational journey I made that change. Now, if I am not directly teaching writing, I am using writing to enhance learning. Writing Essentials and reconfirmed my decision.
Striking a school and home life balance has always been a challenge for me. In the past, I tended to over prepare and stress about small things. By thinking about my life and professional training, I have made a conscious effort to figure out what causes imbalances in my life and then try to resolve them in an effort to improve my teaching and life. This is an ongoing process.
My goal as an educator is to become more efficient and proficient. I want to make the best possible use of my time in order to teach effectively without burning myself out.
Finally, I want to say this class met my stated expectation from my first post. It has refreshed my memory of best practices, taught me some new things, confirmed my conviction about the power of writing, challenged my thoughts, strengthen my teacher’s mindset, and gave me a little shot of adrenaline to take into the classroom.
Tom, thanks so much for your kind words! We're so glad the class met your expectations. I think you really summed up what should be all teacher's goals: "To become more efficient and proficient and make the best possible use of (your) time in order to teach effectively without burning out."
ReplyDeleteIt's been a pleasure working with you this term. I'll email your final grade. Thanks for taking our class.