Contextual Information Narrative

Description of the learning environment
The learning environment was set up in a very safe and orderly manner. The children and teacher worked together as a caring community of learners. They were eager to learn and the teacher was purposeful and enthusiastic in her teaching strategies
Describe the specific learning needs of individual students that require you to change your plans.
There are two special needs children in this classroom and they require more attention then others. There are also students who are ADD and they need tactile experiences to keep them interested. Sometimes they need to be placed in certain places in the room to help them stay focused. There were also many ELL students. I would very clear and concise in my directions and explanations with these students. They may need extra assistance in certain subjects.

ERM Final Reflection

Hayley McNamara

Prof. Huntley

Elementary Reading Methods

November 29, 2010

Final Reflection

            For my Elementary Reading Method’s practicum I was placed at McAuliffe Elementary in a second grade classroom. My cooperating teacher was Jessica Afeld, an Oral Roberts University graduate who is in her third year of teaching. I enjoyed this practicum very much and learned a great deal of information and gained practical knowledge about the teaching profession.

            My interpretation of student learning varied from child to child. Because they were all different, I felt their learning differed in many ways. I saw the students who were naturally curious learners exceeding in so many ways. They were excited to read and over the course of 11 weeks I saw much improvement in the children’s reading skills and fluency. There were several Spanish-speaking students, and I felt they were struggling in the classroom, but toward the end of my practicum, even these children were beginning to ask me to read with them. The class was improving in their academic achievement. Overall there was a positive learning environment. Mrs. Afeld fostered a caring community of learners and did an excellent job of incorporating each child into the learning process. The teacher had some basic learning goals that students would pay attention during class, obey classroom rules, and that they would be inquisitive learners so that they were able to grasp the concepts being taught. Some barriers the teacher faced were different learning levels, different learning styles, and some moments where disciplinary measures had to be used to handle children who did not follow the classroom rules. The teacher used respectful methods to handle individual needs and to keep her classroom well managed and safe so all students felt safe to take risks in learning.

            Mrs. Afeld made her instruction purposeful and prefaced each lesson with why they were doing what they were doing. I feel this type of instructional method strategy motivated the children to learn. They saw a purpose in what they were doing and wanted to learn. The classroom was set up in a way that was comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The different reading centers with incandescent lights and comfy beanbags/pillows were welcoming to help students feel at home while reading. The children seemed to enjoy being at school and found purpose in their work. They were taught to be respectful, responsible and safe. These rules helped the students monitor their actions, which made the classroom, flow smoothly.

            Mrs. Afeld used formal and informal assessments to monitor/determine student progress. She has the class divided into reading groups and each day she meets with a different group. During this time she is able to listen for phonemic awareness, decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension. Many of her readers are at different levels, and by spending this time with them in small groups allows her to see what areas students are progressing, and in what areas she needs to work with them to improve. She also assesses them informally through meaningful discussions and thought provoking questions. Formally the students are assessed through their written work and tests, which are graded from a key. The formal and informal assessment line up with the classroom goals because they give purpose and meaning to the students lives and the learning process.

            Because this is a public school, evidence of a Christian Worldview in the learning community was not blatantly evident. Mrs. Afeld is a Christian and showed God’s love everyday through her caring actions. She also encourages others to be kind to one another and treat others with love and respect. Her classroom felt like a big family, they were respectful of one another and felt safe to be themselves. They were treated fairly and when they were disciplined it was out of love not anger. They were made aware of why they were in trouble, disciplined, then forgiven and welcomed back into whatever they were doing. It was a healthy and loving correction of wrong, not in a hateful and angry way. I think I would incorporate my Christian worldview in the same way. Showing God’s love and genuinely caring for your students are the best ways to share God with others. Actions speak louder than words.

            I feel that this classroom was pretty successful in fostering the children’s learning. I would try to be more direct in dealing with students who were not doing well on written assessments for future learning opportunity. I graded some math and spelling papers and noticed that some students had extremely low grades. I know that there are ELL and students with disabilities in her classroom, but others I think just may not be getting it. To help with future instruction, I would try and modify and differentiate instruction the best I could to ensure that all students were learning according to their learning styles.

            After being in this classroom, I would like to learn more about student learning styles, transitions between activities, and classroom management. I saw the importance of these areas in the classroom I was in and would like to develop these areas more. Being a part of this classroom helped me develop professionally and caused me to deepen my understanding and strengthen my thinking.

ERM journal question 15.

15. Brief reaction of your practicum experience as a whole, including any professional and spiritual insights that you gained.

             Overall I really enjoyed this practicum experience. I was working with a teacher who loved her job and was really great about bringing us into the learning experience and giving us helpful information about teaching. What I really loved is how comfortable the environment of this classroom was. The teacher was relaxed and so were the children. I was encouraged to see a teacher in her classroom and loving what she was doing. This practicum really got me excited and almost anxious about being a teacher. All the work, tests, and late nights are going to be so worth it!!

            Through this practicum I saw all the opportunities to influence the lives of these children. It is so important as their teacher to be professional, consistent and constant, but I also see the importance in being loving, kind, and forming genuine relationships with each student. We have such a great responsibility with what God places in our hands and classrooms. We must go into this with much prayer, humility, and a willingness to sacrifice our time and energy for the well being of our students. I loved this school and the children and teacher and have had a positive experience throughout the whole practicum.

          I have really been stretched during this practicum. Each time I had to teach a lesson, the planning and thinking that went in to each one really prepared me for when I actually had to do it. I was nervous and excited before each lesson, but it made me more comfortable each time. I had fun and learned a lot while in Mrs. Afeld's class.   

ERM journal question 14.

14. In what ways (formal as well as informal) does the teacher evaluate student progress in reading?

            Each day there is time for reading workshop. Three things happen during this time. There is independent reading, book clubs (a group time with the teacher to read and discuss the same text), and groups who go to a reading specialist. Mrs. Afeld observes students every week at carpet time. During her time with each reading group she can listen for phonemic awareness, decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension. Many of her readers are at different levels, and by spending this time with them in small groups allows her to see what areas students are progressing, and in what areas she needs to work with them to improve.

            Another way to she evaluates student’s reading progress is through daily conversations and observations. By talking about what they have been reading the teacher can see if the children truly comprehend what they are reading. These are the ways that I saw the teacher evaluate her students in reading. She might also have some sort of written assessment as well, but I did not observe this during my time spent in this classroom.
           The children in this class are categorized using letters to distinguish which reading level they are. These are measured by a formal evaluation of some sort perhaps a type of standardized test or taking Accelerated Reading tests. The children are placed in these categories at the beginning of the year, but if the teacher notices improvement the child can be advanced into a higher reading level. The text that each child reads is matched to their reading skill level.

ERM journal question 13.

13. Is it evident in word as well as action that the teacher has a genuine respect for his/her students? Love for the teaching profession?

            Relationship plays a huge part in a teacher’s success. If the child does not feel respected by the teacher then he/she will not see the need to respect the teacher. Relationship is key in helping children be motivated to learn. If they do not have a strong relationship with the teacher then he/she will not feel safe to express themselves. As educators it is our job to be behavioral models for our students. We cannot control what happens at home, in front of the t.v. on the playground and other environments, but we can control what happens in our classrooms. We must insure that all students are treated with respect and love while they are in our care. Children must feel safe and have a trusting relationship with the teacher and their peers for them to be willing to take risks in the classroom.

            Mrs. Afeld’s class respects her because of her respect for them. They know that their classroom is a caring community of learners and they feel safe to take risks. Mrs. Afeld loves all of her children, and genuinely cares about them and their success. She knows what her students are interested in and where they struggle. She knows that they all have different backgrounds and is considerate of each child. She shows them respect in the classroom by letting them express themselves, by giving them choice, and by openly communicating with them.

            One day a student came in to class and told Mrs. Afeld how another child hit him on the bus. She asked him who did it what class he was in etc. She said this really upsets me that this has happened and she reported it. She handled this situation with care and caution, and did not just overlook it as “kids just being kids.” Her kids feel safe talking to her about their problems because they know she will listen and do her best to make the situation better.

            I can tell that Mrs. Afeld has a love for her students and for her job. She is upbeat, positive, and cares for the children in her class. She expects the best from them and does not treat them as babies, but as growing mature individuals. She demands respect from her students and gives them her respect in return. 

ERM journal question 11 and 12.

11. What role does literature play in the daily curriculum?

12. Respond to the presence or absence of the opportunities to develop all aspects of the language arts-- reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing-- within the meaningful context of the daily curriculum.

            Literature is embedded into the daily curriculum. There are all kinds of opportunities for the children to read, write, listen, speak, view and visually represent within the daily curriculum. I feel like these elements are the main substance of the curriculum. Since I am only in this classroom from 8:30-11:10 I only see the reading and language arts portion. They read to gain understanding, to listen and speak, they view the illustrations and draw pictures in their heads. They write in their journals, or off a topic given by the teacher. They have time for independent reading where they choose which books they want to read. They perform reader’s theaters/ mini plays. I was reading with a small group of children and we read a book about a boy losing his tooth at the fair and after we had read it together the children came up with the idea of turning it into a reader’s theater. They divided the characters and gave each member a part. It was really neat to see the children thinking in this way and really getting excited about the story. They understand that reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking are not separated into individual subjects, rather they are being taught to unify these areas and that when used together each different area strengthens and enhances the other areas. They read a book, listen for information and pleasure, they discuss the meaning with the teacher and their peers, and they make connections by writing down how it relates to their own lives. They integrate all areas, which supports thinking and learning. A variety of literature is integrated in the classroom, which provides diverse thinking and new perspectives. They perform units on science but they incorporate writing and drawing as well as scientific facts. They use methods such as predicting, making connections, background knowledge, and pictures in their heads to help them with metacognition. This class is rich in literature and the teacher incorporates it into the daily classroom curriculum extremely well. She provides literature-based experiences in almost every aspect of learning.

ERM journal question 10.

10. What types of audiovisual materials are used in the classroom and what is their frequency of use?

            In this classroom there was a smartboard, television, and cd player. They use the smartboard everyday that I was in the classroom observing, they use the cd player for dance party Fridays and the television only on certain occasions. They have two computers in the classroom but only one seems to get used and only the teacher uses it. 

ERM journal question 9.

9. Describe and respond to how the teacher addresses individual differences of her students.

            In this second grade class there are a wide variety of students who all have very different and unique personalities. Each child is different and therefore needs different instruction, discipline, and care. Some children are very quiet while others are hyper and rowdy. Some come from a Spanish speaking home, others from a single parent home, and others rotate between parents, or may even life with their grandparents. These differences are all taken into consideration and treated with sensitivity and understanding. She expects all her students to be respectful and obedient and she has great classroom management. In this class they respect each other and there seem to be minimal interruptions. Many children are on different learning levels and this is taken into consideration. When she does interactive lessons she does not pick on students to do something that they are not comfortable doing. She also has the children either labeled as an A or a B and each A is paired with a B. During discussion times when they are talking with their partner she will say today is A day and have the A’s speak first then listen to the B partner. With this method she uses the stronger students to help the weaker students.

            Some children get easily distracted so during reading time she has them go to a different place facing a wall so they are not distracted or distracting others. She also plans instruction off of the interests of her students. Sometimes she will read a book that a child suggests. Sometimes she will work longer with children who need more attention or help with certain subject areas.

            Mrs. Afeld takes into consideration different backgrounds that students are coming from, but she does not allow them to use their differences as an excuse for not being respectful, responsible, safe, or for being unable to be successful and excel in school.

ERM journal question 8

8. Describe and respond to the discipline measures you have observed in your practicum experience.

            When children are being disciplined the teacher will ask them to go and write in the reflection book. In this book there are 3 options at the top of the page describing why they are writing in the book. The three options are I am writing in the reflection book because I was not being respectful, responsible and safe. They circle one of these options then describe below it what they did in detail. This sheet of paper is sent home with them in there take home folder and if their parents sign it and it is brought back the next day then nothing happens. If the paper is not brought back then they lose recess.

            There is also an agenda box. This is used for when the children are having conflicts with another classmate. The children will try and fix the situation and work out a solution, but if they cannot fix the problem then they write their problem/conflict down put their name and the person they are having a conflict with and put it in the box. On Friday, they then discuss the situations as a class to work it out and find a solution together. The children do not like being in the box and usually work hard to resolve conflicts on their own.

            Mrs. Afeld does a great job of talking to her children when they are misbehaving. She usually pulls them aside and tells them how they are acting then says how this makes her feel and asks is this how we are supposed to act. They say no then she says, “are we going to have any more problems with this?’ Then it is over. I love how she can communicate and eliminate the problem quickly with little drama or interruption.

            Today a teacher that is right beside our class came in and asked Mrs. Afeld how to deal with a disciplinary situation. Some child in her class had written a curse word on a paper about another student. The teacher was advised to send in two reports to the principle (or the person who deals with discipline problems). Mrs. Afeld told us how she handles situations when children are using inappropriate words. She said that she will pull the child away and ask them what word they said. Do not ever assume that the “s” word is the curse word to some children that stands for stupid or shut up, so make sure you actually know what word they said before talking to them. She then acts very dramatic and says do you know what this word means? They usually don’t, then she describes the word to them and they are usually shocked. She then asks them if that person is ________(whatever they said)? And the child is usually really embarrassed and wont use that word again. She said that boys talking about inappropriate body parts in a group if confronted get super embarrassed talking to a girl teacher and are ashamed and uncomfortable. I found these techniques very interesting and they seem to be effective.

ERM journal question 7

7. How does the teacher gradually release responsibility? How did today’s lesson promote student independence?

             The teacher uses P. David Pearson’s strategy of gradually releasing responsibility by modeling, guiding their practice, independent practice with feedback from the teacher, and application of the strategy completely independent of the teacher.

            Today they were working on their Thanksgiving reader’s theater that they are going to do as a play. This class has done reader’s theater before so they were familiar with the concept. They were paired up with a partner and given a part in the play such as: Massassoit, John Carver, Squanto, pilgrims, etc. The teacher told each group who they were and told them to highlight their part. She demonstrated what it meant to highlight and asked the children how will highlighting help us. The children all gave good reasons why highlighting was a good idea and how it would be helpful for them when practicing for and performing their play. She then modeled how to appropriately highlight their script and talked about how to do it neatly. The children were then to find a place in the room with their partner to highlight and go over their parts together.

            Even in this simple task of highlighting and practicing their parts the teacher gradually released the responsibility upon the children. She talked about what they were going to do, she modeled the steps that needed to be taken, she let them go with their partner and begin the task while she watched to make sure they were doing it correctly, then she let the students do it by themselves and practice their parts completely independent from her. In her everyday tasks Mrs. Afeld encourages students to think independently and learn ways to help themselves. 

ERM journal question 6

6. Describe the physical arrangement of the room and explain how it is or is not conducive to the reading or language arts program. Describe and respond to the “literate richness” of the classroom environment.

            Here is a quick over view of what the room looks like. I wish I would have taken a picture, but since I didn’t I will try and use my words to describe it. When you walk in the door there is a small hallway/closet area for their bags and coats etc. As you continue in there is a place for homework and folders. There are four tables set up with six children at each table. In the left corner there is a reading area with bean bags and pillows and is enclosed on three sides by bookshelves. It is well lit and comfortable.  Right beside this is a semi-circle table that is used during reading workshop with a special reading teacher. At the front of the room there is a smartboard, with a platform in front of it so all the students can easily reach it. In front of the smartboard there is a carpet area that the children gather on and have read alouds, interactive writings, and great conversation. Beside this area there is a chair for the teacher and an easel to write on or hang chart paper.

            The way the room is arranged is great for the reading and language arts program. The room is filled with books. They have individual book bags and journals that they use to read during independent reading and write in during morning work or independent writing. From their seats, children can easily read the smartboard for directions or any information the teacher may post. At the children’s tables they have pencils, markers, erasers, crayons, scissors and journals. This availability of materials makes it easy to engage in creative writing in their journals. There are reading materials all over this classroom, their work is displayed on the walls, and the focus of this classroom is reading and writing.

            The classroom could be more “literate rich”. They do have class rules that they have created by doing an interactive writing. In one corner of the room there are two charts talking about why they like second grade that were written by the children. And they have their three main rules of being respectful, responsible and safe which are hung on the wall and the children also wrote it. So I do feel that they have helped in creating this room but I would have liked to see more of their work and writings displayed.

            I love how the room is sectioned off into different areas. The rug area provides a comfortable safe place where they can read and write together and also share and have great conversation. Their desks are supplied with many writing tools making it a great area for writing, and when it is independent reading time they simply turn their chairs back to back and have a place to read without becoming easily distracted. The reading area with comfortable beanbags and pillows is a nice place to get alone and read. And the semi-circle table is great for reading groups with the specialized reading teacher. All around this classroom is set up in a way that is conducive to the reading/language arts program.

ERM journal question 4

4. What types of instructional materials are being used by the teacher and/or the students.

            In this class there are many instructional materials being used. The curriculum used are as follows: for reading they use Rigby Read, for reading workshop they use Lucy Calkins Reading Workshop, for writing they use Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop, for math they use Everyday Math, for phonics they use Words their way, and science and social studies is integrated in. Other materials are also used. Each child has a book bag which is used for their daily reading during reading workshop, book carts are used and contain books specific to each child’s letter level, gutters are text sets which focus on a specific topic such as manners, sharing, friendship, etc. The word wall is also available as a resource for the children to help them know how to spell words. The children read and re-read the books in their book bags everyday and get to switch them out every Tuesday with books from the library.

            I would say the main materials being used in this classroom are primarily books. The students read them everyday and the teacher uses them to read to the children and have meaningful discussion about what they have read. This classroom reads a lot and most of them really seem to enjoy it. They are always so excited to get to go to the library and get new books. They always want to read with me. I have observed while reading with them that they pause frequently while reading and talk about what they have read or what they find interesting. I see them comprehending what they are reading not just reading words that do not make sense.

            This is such a different reading atmosphere than I remember when I was in 2^nd grade. I remember having reading groups where we would all a have the same book, we would get with our group and go around the circle each taking turns reading. I do not remember free choice reading, and for that reason I never really enjoyed reading. I think choice plays a huge part of getting the children interested and excited about reading.

ERM journal question 3 and 5.

3. How does the teacher engage students in thinking? (I.e. Are the students doing the thinking?) If not, what would you do to encourage their thinking?

5. What types of instructional methods are being used?

            Mrs. Afeld does a great job communicating with her students and bringing them into the learning process. In every activity I have seen they are constantly asked divergent questions. Their responses are all different and unique which brings different aspects and opportunities for more discussion. Even during independent reading they are encouraged to think about their reading. One day each student was given 3 sticky notes and throughout their reading time they were asked to make a connection to the story and write it down and stick it on the page that they made the connection about. They did this independently without the help of the teacher. It was so great to see them all thinking about their reading. The next day in carpet time they were asked to share their connections or things they found interesting about their reading.

            One day they were reading a poem about leaves and they stopped after each phrase to discuss the meaning. The children were talking about how the leaves were falling and using their hands to show the description they had in their mind. It was neat to hear them share about their experiences. Because they are aloud to think out loud often, they were not acting out of control.

            Another thing that the teacher does is allows her students to monitor their time. She announces what their task is, how they will need to prepare themselves, and how much time they will have to complete the assignment. When it is close to the given time she will ask the students to tell her what time it is, then she will say now what do you know is happening soon, and then says this means that we should be close to being finished with …. and ready for…. and what do you need to do to prepare yourselves for this. The children know their task, know how to prepare and know how much time they have to complete the assignment.

            The students are constantly challenged to think. The class did an interactive writing where they created their classroom rules. I thought this was such a good idea. It caused them to think about what would be acceptable classroom behavior and how they would act. Since they created these rules, they know what is required of them and therefore have no excuse for misbehaving. Since they were the ones who created the rules then they are more inclined to follow and enforce them.

             In every teaching opportunity the thinking is directed to the children. They are constantly challenged to problem solve through conversation, and many balanced literacy activities such as read alouds, shared readings, interactive writings, independent reading, reading groups, journal writing etc. Read alouds are almost an everyday activity. During this teacher student interactions are full of discussions. The teacher uses methods such as making connections, drawing pictures in your head, sharing with your partner etc. She also will discuss something new that the children have not learned and after they have talked about it she has her students turn to one another and summarize what they had just learned.  The techniques used are very creative and simple.

             Discussion is another type of instructional method used. This method is designed to encourage thinking skills. It allows learners to increase interpersonal skills. The main instructional method that I observed was balanced literacy. She implemented balanced literacy by incorporating a lot of reading and writing activities on a daily basis. The teacher models some reading and writing tasks and others are done with support from the teacher, which leads to some that are done independently by the child. Journaling is one of the methods that are done independently by the child. The children are encouraged to think, reason, and problem solve throughout all of the different instructional methods.

ERM journal question 2.

2. Describe the interactions between the teacher and students. Is conversational learning evident? Explain.

            The interactions between the students and teacher are great. They seem to have a great deal of respect for each other and the students seem well behaved. The relationship they have is great. If the aspect of a caring community of learners is not there then the children will be completely unmotivated to learn. Today I have been really paying attention to their interactions. At the beginning of the day the children came in, said hello to their teacher, showed her different pieces of artwork, their drawings, completed forms, etc, then they got their breakfast and sat at their assigned seats. After breakfast they read the morning assignment off of the smartboard. One child asked the teacher what to do before she took time to look at the board and instead of the teacher just saying look at the board she said, “how can you help yourself?” The student looked at the board and realized that there was an assignment on the board. I like how the teacher made the child think and come up with a solution to her not knowing what to do instead of just telling her the assignment. Mrs. Afeld (my practicum teacher) does not make it easy on her children, she challenges them to use their brain and not rely on others.

            I have seen conversational learning everyday at “carpet time”. Everyday the children go to the carpet and sit around Mrs. Afeld while she reads a new book, talks and shares about a previous assignment, or discuss an activity. On this particular day she read a book called “Those Shoes”, a book about a boy who really wants a pair of shoes that all the kids at school seem to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says that they don’t have room to buy “wants” just “needs” Jeremy is determined to have a pair of those shoes. He sees these cool shoes at a thrift store and buys them even though they are too small he still gets them. Jeremy soon realizes that warm boots, a loving grandmother and the chance to help a friend are far more important than “being cool”. Throughout this story Mrs. Afeld took time to stop and discuss each aspect of the story. They stopped and talked about needs vs. wants and the children listed some of each. She encouraged to them to make connections to their own lives as they read the story. She started out by telling the children to feel free to ask any questions about the story as she read. She said because, “What’s the point of reading IF…..” and they answered “We don’t understand.” This shows me that they are being encouraged to read not just to read but to understand and make meaning of what they are reading.

             This classroom is a talking classroom; they talk about everything. They use their conversation as a learning tool. The teacher will have them periodically stop while reading a book and turn to their partner and share a connection that they have made to the story, or stop and share the picture in their head, or what the page they are reading reminds them of. These connections they are making are solidifying the story in their minds by tying different elements of the story to real life occurrences.  It is evident that during reading they are using conversational learning, I wish I could see a whole day and observe how conversational learning is used within each subject area.

ERM journal question 1.

1. Respond to what you have gained through your textbook and journal article readings, class projects and discussions.

       I have gained so much through this class. Classroom discussion has been such an important and helpful part. We are constantly talking about balanced literacy and how it is useful in creating students who are thinking for themselves, engaged in the learning process, and finding that what they are learning is purposeful and useful for their lives. I have loved looking at the pictures of Ms. Huntley’s classrooms and seeing how involved and focused the children are in their school work. The learning that occurred in her classrooms jumps right off of the pictures. I hope to model my class after what I have seen and been taught in this class. I like how we re-create interactive writings, read alouds, shared readings, word sorts, and various activities in class.

            I love how we, as students, create the classroom environment by decorating the walls with purposeful writing and how we create a literate rich environment. I think this is so much more meaningful then putting up posters that are created by teachers and curriculum publishers. They may look neater, but do not act as much of  a learning tool for the children. If the children create a literate rich classroom they really own their work, take pride in it and use it.

            During class, the phrase “why would you, why wouldn’t you” has stuck in my mind and will forever be embedded into my problem solving method. Another key phrase has been, “Is it purposeful and is it doable?” this is key in keeping the children interested and active in the learning process.  Even if we were off topic it still seems like what we are talking about is very important and informational. The flexibility is just one of the great parts of our Elementary Reading Methods class.

            I really enjoyed watching the videos of classroom teaching. It gave me an idea of how my read aloud, shared reading, and interactive writing were supposed to look. This helped in scaffolding (Gerome Bruner) the way I would teach my students while doing my practicum. Even though I was skeptical of my abilities on how to teach these lessons, I always had those videos to lean back on and model my teaching after. This was very helpful and comforting. The experience that I gained through watching my practicum teacher and interacting with the children was such an encouragement that this is what I want to do with my life.

            The textbook has been great! It is an easy to read book with so many helpful teaching ideas. In the very first chapter of this book it re-emphasized what we have been learning. It said that children become the very best readers and writers in classrooms that provide a comprehensive curriculum, that model, demonstrate, and encourage, that emphasize meaning and integrate reading and writing with the content areas, and that classroom management is created by having students who are engaged in meaningful, worthwhile endeavors. This book is a great tool for future teaching instruction!