It is frequently mentioned in this book about teachers gearing up for the writing assessment by doing lots of test prep with students. How does a teacher test prep for writing? Do these teachers constantly have their students write using dull, boring prompts all the time? If so, how horrible to be that teacher and read those awfully boring papers. I can only stand to read them when I am required to give the writing assessment. Maybe that is not how those teachers prepare; I know teachers do a lot of test prep for the reading assessment, but writing assessment prep is new to me.
Writing every day is frequently stressed throughout the book as well. I do not know how a language arts teacher could not have his or her students write every day. In my classroom my students are always writing. It may not be a lengthy paper it could be a journal reaction, summary of what we read the day before, telling me what they did over the long weekend, etc. It would be interesting to go into a language arts room, and not see writing, what else is there to do?
Fortunately for me, I have worked with some wonderful language arts teachers, which is maybe why it is hard for me to understand how to prepare for the writing assessment or have a class that does not write every day. I feel like the language arts teachers in my building all want to improve their instruction by revamping a lesson or recreating a new unit entirely. My friend (job alike) and I often shared ideas on what to do better, we were always (and still are) up for trying a new format for instruction, and providing any lessons or handouts to teachers in need.There have been some meetings that I have attended where teachers were not willing to share any lessons with other teachers, or teachers were not receptive to making changes in their classroom even if these changes were backed by research. It baffled me, and still does, that there are teachers who think and act in such a way. After reading this book, I have found some wonderful ideas that I am eager to try with my classroom, and to pass on to the other language arts teachers in my building. I definitely plan to do more modeling for my students, and try the whole-class conference with writer's workshop.
I have emailed some with the teacher I'm replacing at the middle school (she's getting married and moving to Maryland and won't be teaching there), and she said she has done less and less with writing due to the pressure to focus on reading. I am so thankful to have the research in our textbook to back me up when I advocate for teaching reading and writing in tandem.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you - I am not interested in getting trapped reading reams and reams of boring papers! Fortunately, we are now well-equipped to keep it from happening!
I don't know if it is just middle school, but we constantly are talking about our reading and math scores and how to improve them. I too feel I am better able to teach writing this year!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important to note what you said about teachers being unwilling to share lessons or not adapt to what research tells us about writing/reading instruction. It is a shame that there are teachers who refuse to change the way they teach, when it may be in the best interest of their students. I hope that you do not have to experience that much in your building. I feel as though teaching is such a collaborative profession and we are constantly revamping and changing lessons/units in order to meet the needs of our students.
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