Flexible Scaffolds for Emerging Learners

After reading "Providing Scaffolds for Student Learning" in our Smagorinsky text, I have really changed my thinking about scaffolding.  At the beginning of the chapter he begins the reading with a quote from "Integrating Visual and Language Arts" that resonated with me:  "It took me so much longer last year to plan [during student teaching].  And I think it was because I was thinking in terms of, many times, 'What do I need to teach today?'  And I've shifted that now to, 'What do my kids need to learn?'" (Smagorinsky 19)

During my student teaching experience, I have struggled with the planning aspect.  What should I teach?  What lessons will engage my students as well as cover the standards?  How much scaffolding should I incorporate?  I ask myself these questions on a daily basis.  However, after reading the above quotation from a student teacher who changed her thinking, I have begun to think seriously about what my students need to learn. 

We have all learned about the "I do", "We do", "You do" approach to scaffolding.  This approach is great of course.  Modeling is extremely important, especially for my CWC Freshmen.  But how do I move them beyond simply mimicking me to actually generating their own ideas about how to do the task?

Smagorinsky encourages the flexible scaffold:  "...the teacher does not simply expect students to do things as modeled, but encourages them to generate new ideas about how to do the task.  The purpose, then, is not to get students to mimic the teacher faithfully but to use the teacher's modeling as an opportunity to learn a new way of thinking about something."  (25)  I think this is great.  Of course we all want our students to generate new ideas and not regurgitate the teacher's ideas and style.  

The one idea from this chapter that I would love to try in my freshmen classes is the double-column response log.  We have done something similar to this and I have modeled for them but they have basically mimicked my model.  For emerging learners, some find it difficult to ask questions about literature.  Many of them have been given comprehension based assignments (I am definitely guilty of this) instead of assignments that will get them thinking about the text and asking higher level questions.  If I can get these students to find important passages from the text on their own and also get them to share their opinions and questions about the text, I feel that they would benefit greatly; they will see literature not as something to endure but something to be enjoyed.

My question is this:  How do you create flexible scaffolds with emerging learners?  Emerging learners need direct scaffolding but I would love to become more flexible and get my students to generate their own ideas.  Any ideas?

Student Teaching Will be Scary

Student teaching will be scary.

You will wake up late, unprepared,

with only a vague idea of what you are doing for the day.

You will forget your lunch

that you painstakingly made the night before.

You will neglect your boyfriend, friends, family –

You won’t remember the last time

you had a night to yourself.

You will be observed by two different veteran teachers

who might tell you that you are a horrible teacher,

you should really just quit now.

Your CT will leave you all alone.

With freshmen. 

When you haven’t learned all their names.

A student will be disrespectful, assuming incorrectly that

you have no authority.

You will correct her assumption by speaking firmly and

you will agonize over whether or not she hates your guts.

The KPTP deadline is looming in the distance.

You will have barely finished Task 1.

This is the least of your problems

because you will be asked things that you don’t know, and

you struggle to say, “I don’t have a clue”

even though this is the complete truth.

You will have units to plan, assessments to create,

and class to attend every Wednesday night.

No matter how amazingly engaging your lesson is,

you will have two freshmen who fall asleep and refuse participate.

Every time.

You will take every sleepy, unengaged, disrespectful student personally

even when your CT tells you “Don’t!”

You will be terrified of failure.

Lessons will fail, activities will fall flat, some students will fail your class.

You will fail

but you will improve the lesson, or activity so it will not fail the next time.

You will remember that this is a learning experience

and that it is all right to fail and make mistakes.

Student teaching will be scary

but you’ll live.

Genre Reflection #2 "How to Not Quit Within Your First Five Years of Teaching"

You’ve heard the horror stories.  Half of all teachers quit within their first five years.  You’ve heard this dreaded statistic from everyone:  your family, your friends, your professors.  You think to yourself – oh god!  What if I become one of these teachers? You think to yourself, how will I survive?  You think about all of the lessons you will have to plan, all of the students you will encounter, and all of the papers you will have to grade, and your head starts spinning. 

You think about failure constantly.  You think to yourself; How will I plan units and asses my students effectively?  What if I don’t teach them well enough?  Classroom management?  What is that?  How am I going to manage a room full of teenagers? You think about the relationships you will have with your students.  Their parents.  Other teachers.  Will they all hate you?  Will they like you too much?  How will you ever live up to the expectations that you have for yourself?

You think about the students you will have in your classrooms.  The students who come to school hungry, tired, abused, unloved.  You think about how you will reach these students.  How will you make them care about learning?  How will you convince them that school is important when they have bigger things going on at home? 

Yes, being a teacher is scary.  Yes, it is an awesome responsibility.  And yes, we are all scared of failure.  But don’t quit! Stick with it and it will be the best decision you will ever make.

First thing you need to do:  Stay positive.  This means staying out of the teacher’s lounge.  Stay away from all of the bitter, cynical, jaded veteran teachers who will bring you down.  Always remember that you didn’t become a teacher for the money. (Because let’s face it, the money stinks) You did it for the students. 

Second thing:  Remember that you are not only a teacher.  You have a life outside of school.  Don’t let teaching consume you.  Remember your family and friends.  Reach out to other teachers.  Don’t isolate yourself.  You are not in this alone.  Surround yourself with others who are positive and care about the students. 

Finally:  Always remember why you wanted to be a teacher in the first place.  You want to make a difference.  You want a life that has purpose because so often you will be the only caring adult in a student’s life. You want to teach, inspire, and change the lives of your students.  You know that you will fail but you will be prepared for failure.  You know that you won’t be able to reach every student, but that’s okay, because you will reach at least one, and that’s enough. 

How to Become an LGBT Ally (Reflection #3)

As the semester is coming to a close, I have realized how little support I've seen for LGBT students in my placement.  I have also never seen the integration of any texts that explore LGBT issues.  Why is this?  Are teachers afraid to integrate these texts into their classrooms for fear of reprisal?

As educators, we should be fostering an environment where students feel safe and welcome.  How can we do this if we refuse to acknowledge LGBT issues when we have LGBT students?  Simply including books in our classrooms that explore gay-straight themes can help foster an environment where all students feel welcome.  In the article "Open Eyes and Change Lives:  Narrative Resources Addressing Gay-Straight Themes," Alex Sanchez explains the importance of including these texts: "Gay boys and girls, like any others, need positive images and affirming stories to help guide them through the often painful and confusing terrain of childhood and adolescence, to glimpse a world in which they're not bad or shameful but in which they're part of the good world.  Books can provide a moral compass, a system of values, a way to understand feelings." (Sanchez 47)  In order for me to become an ally I need to include these types of books in my classroom.  It could be as simple as including these books in my classroom library or giving students the option to read these novels during literature circles or independently.  It is important for our students to know that they are welcome in our classroom, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. 

In order to foster a safe and trusting environment, we also need to stop ignoring or looking the other way when we see students being disrespected or bullied.  Unfortunately, I have seen teachers choose to ignore and address the use of homophobic remarks.  The saying That's so gay is so prevalent in our classes that many teachers have become immune to this saying which results in their lack of acknowledgement.  "What are we teaching students when we downplay or ignore acts of hate and prejudice?" (Mason) At the beginning of each school year, it is important for teachers to establish the "Respect" rule.  This also means, however, that teachers should refer to this rule throughout the year when someone breaks it.  Being consistent and explicitly telling students what is inappropriate will help curb any negative remarks made by students.  It is also important to remember that we should NEVER ignore any remarks and, more importantly, we should never make those remarks ourselves.

To become an ally, I need to critically review my own language.  Is it inclusive or exclusive to LGBT students? An unintentional misuse of a pronoun could cause a student to mistrust me.  In Michael Weinberg's article entitled "LGBT -- Inclusive Language," he explains the need for teachers to use careful thought when using language:  "[it] can not only help promote self-acceptance in LGBT students; it can also model respect and fairness for others." (Weinberg)  Here are some things we should be careful about: don't assume all students are heterosexual, don't assume a student's gender identity and biological sex are the same, and be careful about unintentional heterosexism.

It is simple to become an LGBT ally.  Simply fostering a classroom environment that includes all students and is a safe, trusting place is an easy way to begin.  Also, as English teachers, we should include a wide variety of texts in our curriculum and that includes texts that explore gay-straight issues.  When I have my own classroom, I will have either an equality sign or a safe zone sign so students know that I am an ally and know that my classroom is a safe place free from bullying and abuse.  I will also include texts that explore LGBT issues, address negative, homophobic comments, and commit to reviewing my own language to make it more inclusive.  I hope that this simple commitment will positively affect my classroom environment and, therefore, my students.

To My Freshman Class (Genre Reflection #1)

Dear Freshman Class,

            I know that I am still new and that we are just getting to know each other but I am truly enjoying every minute I get to spend in our class.  You guys are a lot of fun and Mr. Smith and I talk about what a good class you are (most of the time).  Although I am still considered a “student” myself, remember that I am still a teacher in your classroom.  This means that even when Mr. Smith leaves the room, this is not a ticket to start acting like five year-olds.  Yes, I called you five year-olds.  When you begin teasing each other and throwing paper airplanes around the room, this makes me question your maturity and sometimes my own sanity because I cannot believe that you are the same class as five minutes before.  All I ask is that you show me the same respect as you show Mr. Smith and we’ll get along just fine. 

Here are some of my expectations:  keep your head off your desk (Hey, I’m tired too!), keep your cell phones out of sight (Yes, I see it sitting in your lap), please don’t make me talk over you (it really hurts my throat), when I tell you something once please don’t make me repeat myself (this is one of my pet peeves), and most importantly – participate! (this will make class go by so much quicker for the both of us). 

So now that I have gone over some of my expectations, I know that the rest of the year will be smooth sailing – right?  You will all be perfect students who love coming to room F104 and cannot wait to discuss all things English.  Mr. Smith and I really do think you are one cool class but I hope that you all start thinking of me as a teacher too and not just Mr. Smith’s helper. 

Sincerely,

Ms. Tanner

What to Read? (Reflection #2)

            This past week I have been thinking extensively about what texts we should teach as English teachers that will fully engage and excite our students while also encouraging meaningful reading and response.  According to our Bomer text, students begin to hate reading once they hit Middle School.  Before they reach this educational level, many young children and adolescents enjoy reading and even look forward to shopping for books.  So what happens?  Many believe (myself included) that this happens due to lack of student involvement, therefore interest, in classroom texts. 

So what texts should we choose?  Should we be teaching the predictable high school English canon which includes books like To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Odyssey, The Grapes of Wrath, Lord of the Flies, etc.?  “The purpose in secondary and tertiary education was to make sure they read good things; the result is that they don’t really read anything.” (Bomer 71) Where are the more contemporary texts that our students actually might want to read?  I’m not saying that these books should be excluded entirely but shouldn’t we be looking for texts from this decade?  We should be choosing texts that students will be able to connect with in a meaningful way.  But how do we do that? 

In many of my placements, I have seen most of my cooperating teachers promote independent reading by taking students to the library and letting them choose any book that interests them.  This is a nice idea, but most students wander the aisles of the library not knowing what to choose.  Many of our students don’t know what they are interested in because they have never interacted with any text in any meaningful way. So what happens is that our students choose a book that they have no real interest in and either sleep or zone out during their independent reading time that these teachers have set aside.  This independent reading time has become a waste of time.  As teachers, we need to introduce them to texts that they may have never seen but will truly interest them.  We could do this in a variety of ways:  book talks, lit circles, classroom libraries with reviews.  In one of my placements, my cooperating teacher had an amazing classroom library that included student reviews of each book.  These student reviews were effective because they were written by students for students.  I have also seen literature circles in another placement.  This worked well because students were able to choose the book they were assigned and were able to discuss and connect with the text with other students.  I hope to use all of these ideas in my own classroom because I have seen very few teachers who have classroom libraries, who do book talks, or even include lit circles in their classrooms. 

In my current placement, the students are currently learning about the elements of plot by reading a series of stories of suspense.  My cooperating teacher has chosen all of the texts that they are currently reading.  Most of these short stories are engaging and suspenseful so most students are engaged and are actually enjoying the unit.  Because of the level of this particular class, my CT has had to model many reading strategies.  This has included mostly whole-class discussions which have been led by my CT and me.  I hope that as the year progresses, we will be able to involve our students more with what they read but I also hope that they will be able to interact with each text more meaningfully. 

The truth is, I still struggle with two questions:  How am I going to help all of my students discover their own reading lives?; and with so many books to choose from, how do I go about choosing texts that will excite them, teach them about the world in which they live, and find authors that they can identify with?  I realize that there is no perfect answer to these questions and I hope to do my best with helping the majority of my students find texts that will excite them and also challenge them while developing their critical reading skills that will turn them into life-long readers. 

The Workshop Classroom (Reflection #1)

It has been an exciting few weeks for me at my placement school.  I finally have all of my students’ names mastered (I think!) and have started to really feel a part of the classroom.  The first few days are always a challenge but I feel that they have really started to see me as a teacher.  My CT and I have started co-teaching which is new for me but I love every minute of it.  I still feel slightly awkward correcting students’ behavior or even disciplining them but hopefully that awkwardness will wear off over time.  I have even asked for clarification from my CT about how he wants me to handle certain situations.  He has assured me that he wants me to be a teacher in the classroom and I should discipline or correct students in whatever manner is appropriate.  This has eased some of my concerns but I will still feel strange about it.  I have begun thinking about how I will handle these classroom management issues in my own classroom and I worry sometimes about how effective my classroom management will be.  I’m sure my first year of teaching will be a lot of trial and error.  I have started a teaching journal where I have written down ideas from my CT and most of what I write down concerns classroom management and routines and procedures.  Hopefully this will give me good idea of what works and what doesn’t before I start my first year. 

My CT starts every class period by reading aloud a chapter from a Bluford High novel. This is a series of novels written for young adults that follow students enrolled in Bluford High School.  These stories explore many issues that are relevant for today’s youth:  poverty, violence, crime, teen angst, family issues, peer pressure, drugs and alcohol, etc.  Many of the students seem to be enjoying the novel but many also either zone out or sleep during the first fifteen minutes of class.  My CT has explained why he does this every class period; he believes that many of his students have never seen or heard how an effective reader interacts with a text.  While he reads, he does it in a way that is very entertaining and is easy for the students to follow.  My question is this:  Is reading aloud for fifteen minutes a good use of class time? 

After he reads aloud, he then gives his students twenty minutes to read their library book.  I do believe that it is important to give class time to promote independent reading.  His students were able to choose any book out of the library that interested them.  Independent reading is integral to showing our students that not all reading is boring and that much of it can be enjoyed.

His classroom is very much the “workshop classroom.”  The students spend the majority of the class time either reading or writing.  In Building Adolescent Literacy in Today’s English Classrooms, Randy Bomer describes the importance of the workshop classroom:  “If we want them to read and write outside school, we have to value it inside school and also give them a chance to get engaged with the work.” (Bomer 13)  I agree with this statement wholeheartedly.  How can we expect our students to want to read and write outside of school if we don’t allow them to do so in school?

The big assignment that they have been working on is “Who Am I?”.  He had them read several short memoirs where they did before, during and after reading activities as a class. He did this so he can model for his students how they should be interacting with the text.  After they finished reading the memoirs, he had them do some pre-writing where they were able to answer “questions for memoirists.”  This was to get them thinking about their life and any memorable experiences that they may have had in preparation for an eleven sentence paragraph that they had to write.  I didn’t realize how difficult it is for freshmen to reflect upon any experiences in their life.  Many of them agonized and claimed that they couldn’t think of anything.  I do believe that my CT did a great job scaffolding the idea of personal narrative writing and this helped many students move beyond their barriers of thinking intrapersonally. 

During this assignment, I had the opportunity to work with many students and was able to read their writing.  Many of them struggle with sentence fluency, transitions, and conventions.  However, I was pleasantly surprised with their creativity and how funny many of their paragraphs were.  I look forward to seeing their improvement as the year continues.