As you know, it's my professional goal to incorporate practice of a reading strategy in each unit of Foods. I figured this aligned with the building goal, as well as our department and vertical team goals. This is something that I'm very excited about, I was a struggling reader, and wished that someone taught me how to pull out key concepts, etc.
The Jr. High recently started using the services of a literacy expert, Elise. She stated training the English department two years ago and now she is training the other areas, to help spread literacy practices though out the school.
This is where I get a little agitated with this goal and the way that it has been addressed. The literacy initiative has been working in phases, the core classes: English, Math, Science are first to be trained. Then Social Studies, ELL, Special Ed and Physical Education. Then somewhere around year three that we have been working on this, they decide it's important to include the elective areas (Art, Facs, Music and Language Arts) If this is a building wide goal....shouldn't be be trained at the same time?! Do we read and write any less because we are an elective area? I just feel like we are a second, or third after thought.
In a discussion in BLT we were talking about upcoming staff development. I expressed the concern that some areas (electives) may not feel supported in this goal. Nothing was really said except, it takes time to train everyone. The question is will the same time, attention and services be provided for these people? Or will the other staff be expected to teach us what they remember? Maybe it should be voluntary not required, if you want the training here it is.... if you careless....good luck.
During my last observation I had a discussion about this same topic. If it is a building wide goal, why isn't everyone having access to the training of best practice. She didn't really have an answer but she said something that really stuck with me. "This is what good teachers do. They vary texts, the check for understanding, they teach tricks and tips. This is something that you do Larissa, you are a good teacher." Sure it's frustrating that I'm not getting "support" but I'm sure Elise doesn't have all the answers, and I won't either. I'm committed to incorporating literacy in FACS, because yes we DO read and write, even if we are a second or third after thought.
Isn't it hard when we get the training after everyone else?! I know how you feel! Is there anyway you can sit in on the trainings with the core subjects (such as English) or is it too specific to that subject? Just a thought!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you're incorporating reading into your class. Last year I created literacy warm-up activities where the students would practice literacy skills in an active way.
My professional goal this year has to do with literacy in my science classroom. Even though it is a Junior High initiative, duh, of course students will be able to learn the content more easily if they are better readers. Reading informative text is a tricky thing for students. It is one of the strands that students most often score the lowest on for the MAP reading test. Students need to be shown how to pick out the factual information and walk away from a reading with some comprehension. Teaching vocabulary is also something else that is challenging when it comes to scientific texts. 9th grade science had a wonderful opportunity to purchase some leveled readers last year. This year we are really trying to be cognicent of utilizing these resources. My professional goal is to utilize these readers at least once a quarter and implement/introduce a new reading strategy every time they are used in class. My hope in doing this is for students to find a technique that they feel comfortable using when it comes to reading factual text in science class.
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