Book Reflection #12-Rosa

Nikki Giovanni

2007

Title: Rosa

Isbn: 0-439-89884-6

Book would be good from 3rd grade and beyond to learn about Rosa Parks life.

I first read this book when my niece had checked it out to do a presentation on Rosa Parks in school. This book told all about Rosa Park and the incident on the bus where she sat in the wrong area, not for African Americans. It also informed kids about Martin Luther King Jr. It was an excellent book that I will definitely have in my own classroom. It does a good job of showing a clear picture of what it mean to be of any other color besides white. Teaching about such issues is so important.

Last internship reflection

The last day was sad but also exciting because I know that my career in teaching is getting closer everyday. The students were really upset to see us go. They took pictures with us, hugged us, got email addresses etc. I have already received three emails from the students begging me to come back before Christmas break. I think  I am going to try to make it down there again soon to see them and bring them copies of the pictures we took the last day.

The last day, I didn’t do much teaching. I sat with the children in the library and helped them pick books out at their reading level. The girls taught me some different hand shakes they have learned. We played paper, rock, scissors at lunch time. It was a great day. I will really miss all the students a lot. I know that I am going to have to get used to saying goodbye to my students every year and that is where I think I’ll have a hard time. I guess, I look forward to trying to be the best teacher I can be and leave a memory in their minds of our experience together.

Book Reflection #11- Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

Cloud with a chance of meatballs-title

Judi Barret- author

Illustrator- Ron Barrett

Isbn: 0-689-70749-5

Children’s Publishing Division of Simon and Schuster 1978

Summary: Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers- until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

What I love about this book the most is that it gets the reader thinking. It encourages one to imagine this little town where the impossible becomes possible. I want to see my kids using their imaginations when thinking about any story and this is one of the best in my mind.

I think you could read this out loud to about any age group. It’s a fun book for me as an adult!

Creating Reading Fluency

1. What are the 3 dimensions of fluency? How can you assess each dimension?

Accuracy in word decoding- The reader should be able to sound all the letters out in the word and this can be graded by how many words in each grade level the student can do correctly. (percentage grade)

Automatic Processing- Mentally, a reader can process the information they are reading. This can be assessed by taking a child’s reading rate when reading a passage.

Prosodic Reading- This reading is when the reader can see the text that they are reading as a whole and are able to use reading expression in their voice and really make the text their own characters etc. You can assess a student’s ability to do this by having having them read a passage to you out loud.

2.    Rasinski refers to fluency as a “bridge” between decoding and comprehension. What does he mean by the “bridge” metaphor?

I think that Rashinski is saying that their is a direct relationship between the ability to decode and comprehend the text. If a child can learn to decode, they will then see meaning in the word and in their head make a connection that will lead them to comprehending the text.

3.    What instructional methods does Rasinski suggest for students with difficulties in automatic and prosodic reading?

Rasinksi recommends that a teacher see where the child needs help the most within the 3 dimensions of fluency so they are helping them where they mostly need the help to better understand. You could use assisted reading and repeated reading to help them if they need help with automaticity and prosodic reading. A child will get quicker at reading the more they read and the more they learn how to decode and comprehend.

4.    Multidimensional Fluency Scale (MFS) is used to measure prosodic quality of oral reading. List components of the MFS and describe what each refers to (p. 49).

Expression and Volume – this is assessing prosodic reading, Phrasing-the assessment of automatic processing

Smoothness- this is assessment of word decoding, Pace- this is the other three wrapped into one.

 

I thought this article was important for all future teachers to read. It showed us how fluency comes with reading and how it will get better with time. Fluency gives the reader to give the text meaning and allows them to make the story their own with different reading expressions. As a teacher, we should point out the student’s that read with expression so that the other students can see that it is important in make text become alive.

Internship #4

This week was pretty good. It was a short week because of thanksgiving. I really am getting attached to the students and can see me being that teacher who cries the last day of school every year. Today was just a lot of fun. I didn’t really get to teach much because we had a science presenter come in and that took the bulk of the time that I would have been helping more. I did go help a few students pick out library books in the library at their reading level.

The teacher gave Kim and I a tour of the school and talked to us about some of their struggles as teacher at Glen Alpine. She talked to me about working in Title one schools and getting tuition costs paid for which was interesting. I can tell that the students really like Kim and I and they are always so sweet in including us with everything they do. I will be really sad on Monday when we have to say goodbye to them. I have really gotten to know all of the student’s on a personal basis. I have talked to them all about their interests, what they want to be when they grow up, if they have brothers/sisters etc. I think they really really really really appreciate the small talk stuff that doesnt relate to academics.

Internship #3

I really adore the kids. I am really just uncertain about the teacher. I was astonished at one point in the day when the teacher proceeded to read out every students test grades in front of the glass, applauding the ones that did good on the test. She then asked each individual students in front of their classmates whether they got A or A/B honor roll, perfect attendance, if they were on certain club teams, met their AR goal or if they had won any other awards. I just felt like it was very rude and creates an environment where the student doesn’t feel safe with their teacher.

 

I hope to be a teacher that can look at each student as an individual. I want to be able to spark an inner enthusiasm about learning in every student. I just am not seeing this same idea, hope, or passion in the teacher. It makes me sad/mad because I have high expectations for anyone teaching our beautiful young people. Everybody deserves a voice, a chance, and someone who can guide them to follow their dreams. The teacher is THAT teacher who gives out more worksheets than you could imagine.

I know there are indeed great teachers, schools and philosophies out there. I just wish that more teachers were in the career for all the right reasons or even try to remember the drive that got them to where they are today. These are the teachers of our children. I find that very scary, maybe its just me because I have a daughter. I want her to feel safe in her classroom, and feel as though she can ask any question or present any idea and it will be welcomed. I hope we can all remember the reasons why we wanted to teach when we get our own classroom and try to keep that passion alive! I know that everyday is not going to be perfect but the general environment must remain the same safe place for our kids.

Intern Reflection 2

Today made me feel much better than my previous experience. The teacher seemed to be in a much better mood and more patient. She did different things that made me think that she was enjoying her time there. I have come to see that the teacher is also very sarcastic, which I could have easily misunderstood for true comments and attitude.

 

I have gotten to be friends with many kids in the class. They are all so thoughtful and make sure that Kim and I are well taken care of– examples being: making sure we do indeed have a drink at lunch (ha), making sure we have every book in every class to follow along with them in, and they also tell us the inside scoop on EVERYTHING you can imagine. I have really been loving all of the children and hate that I can’t spend more time getting to know each of them.

Book Reflection #10- Kites Sail High

Kites Sail High- A book about verbs

Ruth Heller

ISBN- 698-11289-6

Really cute book teaching verbs through catchy phrases and illustrations. I actually learned a few things myself.

It would be an engaging grammar lesson.

The Putnam Berkley Group

Book Reflection #9

Many Luscious Lollipops-A book about adjetives

To further a child’s understanding of the meaning and how to use adjectives, this book full of beautiful illustrations will

provide a deeper understanding of how to use adjectives. The visuals are really interesting and designed to make reading more rich and fun for kids

Book reflection #8-Ruth Heller

Ruth Heller

Ruffin Books

Published by Penguin Group

Isbn- 0-698-11875-8

A book about Interjections and Conjuctions

The Rhyming and pretty art work that allows the words to pop.

Simple enough for students, yet still interesting for adults too.