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“I like the idea of blank space in the classroom…not necessarily filling it up for yourself, because I want students to get the idea that whatever they do in this room is important.”
-Rich Thompson, 4th Grade Teacher,
Canyon Elementary School, Hungry Horse, Montana
Establishing routines and expectations, creating a learning community, setting a comfortable and positive tone—these are among the tasks experienced teachers set for themselves as they prepare for the beginning of a new school year. They know that thoughtful planning during the first days of school goes a long way toward ensuring a successful year for their students. In this workshop program you will listen to eight skilled practitioners identify their central concerns for those early days and discuss ways they position students for the rich learning experiences to follow.
Learning Objectives
After participating in this session, you will be able to:
In preparation for Workshop 6, read “A Practical Pedagogy” in Dr. Judith Langer’s Envisioning Literature from the Teachers College Press, 1995.
A compendium of resources and articles about Dr. Langer’s research and the envisionment-building process can be accessed from the National Research Center on English Learning and Achievement’s Web site.
Explore the “Envisionment-Building resources” to access articles and guides to fostering literary communities in your own classroom.
Journal:
Respond to the following in your journal:
What are the three or four core characteristics you would like to establish in your classroom? What are some ways you can introduce and promote those characteristics at the beginning of the school year? (You might think about how you would like others to describe your classroom and the steps you could take to establish those characteristics at the beginning of the year.)
Identify several specific activities you already include in your introductions to a new school year. Are there new ones you might try after viewing this video?
Reading:
In preparation for Workshop session 7, read “Literature for Students the System Has Failed” in Dr. Judith Langer’s Envisioning Literature from the Teachers College Press, 1995.
For additional resources, refer to the Additional Reading section of this workshop’s materials.
Student Activities
Try these activities with your students.
Pretend you are one of your students at the beginning of the year. Write the story of the first day in your classroom. (You may wish to write this to reflect existing realities or idealize the story to match future intentions.) Put your writing aside for a day or so, and then return to it with a critical eye. Does the experience you portrayed match your intentions? If not, what might you change to bring intention and reality closer together?
A to Z Teacher Stuff
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/
The “Back to School” theme offers a number of resources for teachers beginning a school year. Additionally, search for “Back to School” to locate other materials.
Education World
http://www.education-world.com
Among its huge number of resources for teachers are many getting started activities. Search for “Back to School.”
ABC Teach
http://www.abcteach.com
Search for “Back to School” to find activities and suggestions for the beginning of the year.
Teaching is a Work of Heart
http://teachingheart.net
A number of resources including suggestions for back to school days at http://teachingheart.net/backtolinks.html.
Overbooked
http://www.overbooked.org/
This non-profit site collects booklists, authors, reviews, and “must reads.” The children’s literature section of the site features a wide variety of links and author lists, grouped by age.
Newbery Medal Homepage
http://www.ala.org/alsc/newbery.html
This site lists all the Newbery winners and authors as well as providing information about the selection process.
Professional Journals About Literature Instruction:
CELA Newsletter
http://cela.albany.edu/newsletter.htm
The National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement, State University of New York, Albany, publishes a newsletter in the fall, winter, and spring. The newsletter addresses a wide range of issues concerning literacy.
The National Council of Teachers of English
http://www.ncte.org/
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) publishes many subscription journals including Language Arts for the elementary school level. Many issues are available online to members.
Texts mentioned by teachers or students in this workshop program:
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson by Barry Denenberg
The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
The Color of My Words by Lynn Joseph
The Ordinary Princess by M. Kaye
Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret and Denise Shanahan
You Are Special by Max Lucado
Elf Quest by Wendy Pini
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Authors mentioned in this program include:
Sharon Creech
Walter D. Myers
Gary Paulson