Response to Three Questions

Hello, I'm a 4th grade teacher and this will be my 5th year in the same district. That is a big accomplishment for me because I have never been in a district this long. I really enjoy my job. I teach literacy (reading/writing), social studies, and math to my homeroom. My partner is the science teacher and I teach her class social studies while she teaches my class science. We get along well and help each other out.

I'm married for almost 25 years. On July 3rd, I'll be celebrating my anniversary. I have two children. My daughter is turning 19 on Thursday, and my son will be 17 next Thursday. We have a lot of milestones within a seven-day period.

What did I get from the readings in terms of thinking about reading and literacy?

I read that literacy has changed throughout history. Also the meaning of the word has changed too. In order for students to become "proficient readers," they need to be taught subskills: phonics, "decoding, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary." I learned that we do not have an answer to the question: "Which approach is better?" I found that students need to learn phonics and also guided reading is very beneficial. My point of view is that the two should be intertwined. In my district, "round robin reading" is frowned upon. Students read silently and we use other strategies to assess comprehension.

I agree with Wikipedia that the nature of literacy has changed and we have a whole new set of "new literacies" that I studied in the spring. Now in order to be literate, we need to be able to use technology and communicate with the world on web 2.0.

I was appalled by the article called Silencing Teachers in an Era of Scripted Reading. I know how administration can dictate curriculum. After districts spend thousands of dollars, they want their curriculum followed.

Last August I attended an Everyday Math workshop during my vacation, and I also was sent to MSU to attend another math workshop at the Prism Center. I usually welcome new and exciting ways to teach subjects, but 4th grade math is not a mystery to me. Nevertheless, I go where I'm told to go.

Our district just switched to Everyday Math this year, and I know that no one dared to speak ill of the new math. Now the students did so well on the state testing in math, they are applauding their decision to switch to this curriculum. They do not want to hear how we now teach 1 1/2 hours of math per day instead of 40 minutes, and that we used two different test prep books not to mention, the hours we spent making up lessons to fill in the gaps from other sources. We do not dare mention this fact.

What are some of the key issues that stick out to me?

I am sorry that education has come to this where teachers can be demoralized, and that the children suffer because they are not given an opportunity to learn in a creative enviroment where teachers are given the opportunity to differentiate and teach to the students' ability levels. When curriculum does not meet the students' needs, it needs to be revamped or thrown out. This is truly a crime. It saddens me that McGraw-Hill was given a free reign with that school district. At least, this article exists and there are signs of some hope for this district. I'm so happy that this has not happened to me.

What am I wondering about?

I'm wondering about the future of reading programs. In education, there is always the flavor of the year or decade. What will our focus be on next?

I'm hoping that through technology "new literacies" will empower students to become avid readers.

I'm hoping that my next crop of students is just as excited about reading as I am and that I will be able to create great reading mini lessons for my students.

I'm also wondering how all of this will effect me and my teaching position. My principal is leaning to writer's/reader's workshop, and she wants her staff to attend their workshops at Columbia Teacher's College. I am unable to do this because I work in the summer and I also am taking graduate courses. If I was able to attend during the school year, I would welcome the opportunity. We'll see what next year brings.