(1) Lesson Sequence Reflection. Explain at least 3 ways in which Penny Kittle would be proud of or impressed by your pedagogical decisions. (Hint: I'm asking you to connect your practice to research/professional learning texts. Cite page numbers, if possible, and name concepts like modeling writing. Also, cite specific moves you make in your lesson.) [2-3 paragraphs]
I chose to begin my lesson sequence with a poetry and literary device analysis for a few reasons. First, I wanted the amount of actual reading to seem manageable for my class within a 43-minute class period. Also, I wanted to engage the students in a genre for which they have, at best, mixed feelings. On page 36, Kittle says that the "first quick write of my (her) classroom is usually a response to a poem," and that she hopes this "daily exposure will shift that (students' hatred of poetry) a little at the end." I am a big believer in multiple exposures in language for ELLs, so they I appreciated Kittle's belief in it for poetry. It is amazing how much students can glean from so few lines of quality poetry, and what a sense of accomplishment they feel afterwards. In my lesson sequence, the poems get slightly more difficult, but I feel that I have designed effective instructional scaffolds so students are able to meet the learning objectives as we move along.
My lesson sequence contains the genres of poetry and memoir. While both include use of figurative language, the memoir is considerably longer and more dense. In the analysis of the language, I hope for students to "read like a writer," (74). When they write their own version of Elie Wiesel's reunion on the train, I want them to consider the richness of the mentor texts and be able to "show not tell" (42) what happened. I feel that all of the reading they will do before the writing will help them to think "outside the box".
Finally, I feel that my unit has Kittle's goal of "rigor in process," (154). I have often thought of the word rigor as being a dirty word in education. What I have come to realize is that Kittle's idea of rigor in process is in sharp contrast to the 'edu-babble' idea of rigor in the product. It is often considered rigorous to assign students an essay with a twenty-box-criteria rubric; this is not what Kittle suggests. She wants students to be "studying writing and creating something original and meaningful," and for writing to be "more than an activity," (154). The twenty-box criteria rubric essay is not designed for students to be successful, nor is it designed for students to think deeply about what they have read. There are likely countless students who have been turned off to writing by these types of assignments. When we make the process gentle, scaffolded, realistic, relevant, and constructive, students can think of writing as a bridge between reading- rather than a wall in front of them.
I chose to begin my lesson sequence with a poetry and literary device analysis for a few reasons. First, I wanted the amount of actual reading to seem manageable for my class within a 43-minute class period. Also, I wanted to engage the students in a genre for which they have, at best, mixed feelings. On page 36, Kittle says that the "first quick write of my (her) classroom is usually a response to a poem," and that she hopes this "daily exposure will shift that (students' hatred of poetry) a little at the end." I am a big believer in multiple exposures in language for ELLs, so they I appreciated Kittle's belief in it for poetry. It is amazing how much students can glean from so few lines of quality poetry, and what a sense of accomplishment they feel afterwards. In my lesson sequence, the poems get slightly more difficult, but I feel that I have designed effective instructional scaffolds so students are able to meet the learning objectives as we move along.
My lesson sequence contains the genres of poetry and memoir. While both include use of figurative language, the memoir is considerably longer and more dense. In the analysis of the language, I hope for students to "read like a writer," (74). When they write their own version of Elie Wiesel's reunion on the train, I want them to consider the richness of the mentor texts and be able to "show not tell" (42) what happened. I feel that all of the reading they will do before the writing will help them to think "outside the box".
Finally, I feel that my unit has Kittle's goal of "rigor in process," (154). I have often thought of the word rigor as being a dirty word in education. What I have come to realize is that Kittle's idea of rigor in process is in sharp contrast to the 'edu-babble' idea of rigor in the product. It is often considered rigorous to assign students an essay with a twenty-box-criteria rubric; this is not what Kittle suggests. She wants students to be "studying writing and creating something original and meaningful," and for writing to be "more than an activity," (154). The twenty-box criteria rubric essay is not designed for students to be successful, nor is it designed for students to think deeply about what they have read. There are likely countless students who have been turned off to writing by these types of assignments. When we make the process gentle, scaffolded, realistic, relevant, and constructive, students can think of writing as a bridge between reading- rather than a wall in front of them.
(2) Sum it up. In one succinct sentence or poem, explain the most important task of writing teacher.
The writing teacher shows the students the plot of land for the garden. The students do the weeding and the tilling. The writing teacher buys the fertilizer and the plants. The students put them in the ground and water them. As the vegetables grow and ripen, the teacher and students eat them together in a salad.
The writing teacher shows the students the plot of land for the garden. The students do the weeding and the tilling. The writing teacher buys the fertilizer and the plants. The students put them in the ground and water them. As the vegetables grow and ripen, the teacher and students eat them together in a salad.
(3) Personal Reflection. What is/will be your greatest challenge as a writing teacher? (i.e., fear of writing, building scaffolds, not having time for feedback, etc.) How will you work on this? What's your plan for overcoming the challenges you might face as a writer teacher -- personally and professionally?
As a writing teacher, my biggest challenge is having my students overcome their challenges with the English language and being able to effectively respond to feedback in editing their work. Too often, by the time my students have written a draft of something, their brains are so exhausted from thinking and writing in English, that they have tremendous difficulty in editing. After all, they 'fought' this hard to get the idea on the page- how can they possibly make it better? This is all the more reason for me to provide them with rich reading experiences, build writing stamina, and enhance their academic vocabulary. My plan is to continue to focus on making the process of writing as varied, engaging, and rich as possible. I also plan to lay out my units for the year in a similar way as Kittle lays out her sample curriculum in the book in chapter 6. Kittle has given me a lot to think about in terms of what I will teach during the first two weeks of school.
As a writing teacher, my biggest challenge is having my students overcome their challenges with the English language and being able to effectively respond to feedback in editing their work. Too often, by the time my students have written a draft of something, their brains are so exhausted from thinking and writing in English, that they have tremendous difficulty in editing. After all, they 'fought' this hard to get the idea on the page- how can they possibly make it better? This is all the more reason for me to provide them with rich reading experiences, build writing stamina, and enhance their academic vocabulary. My plan is to continue to focus on making the process of writing as varied, engaging, and rich as possible. I also plan to lay out my units for the year in a similar way as Kittle lays out her sample curriculum in the book in chapter 6. Kittle has given me a lot to think about in terms of what I will teach during the first two weeks of school.
(4) Feedback to Tiffany. What was your favorite writing activity we did in class this semester? Why?
My favorite activity was the Found Poem that we did early in the semester. I liked reflecting on myself as a writer. It helped me to better align myself with Kittle and her philosophy of showing herself as a writer to her students, and not just their teacher. The activity of the Found Poem can be adapted and taught in so many ways, and is very appropriate for ELLs. I had a great experience pairing it with the short movie as well! This is something I hope to do every year at the beginning of the year with my own students and gives me great insight into how I can begin the school year with more of a "bang" in the classroom.
My favorite activity was the Found Poem that we did early in the semester. I liked reflecting on myself as a writer. It helped me to better align myself with Kittle and her philosophy of showing herself as a writer to her students, and not just their teacher. The activity of the Found Poem can be adapted and taught in so many ways, and is very appropriate for ELLs. I had a great experience pairing it with the short movie as well! This is something I hope to do every year at the beginning of the year with my own students and gives me great insight into how I can begin the school year with more of a "bang" in the classroom.
