Allison Sumerel-January Blog-Teaching with A Sense of Urgency

     The biggest idea that I came away with from reading this, is that every moment counts.  Routman challenged teachers in a workshop to think of the top five things they do to ensure students become excellent readers.  I really thought about this and decided to come up with my own list.  My first thing I do is 1) I read to them, 2) I let them choose what they want to read, 3) I give them time to read, 4) I let them read to me, and 5)I integrate reading into other areas of study. Like Routman, I plan to revisit it from time to time as I become a better reading teacher.

     In an effort to make every moment count, I have teamed with Mrs. Lorraine Walker.  She has been coming in and helping me with reading groups.  I feel like this will help me to have more one on one contact with the students.  My students really benefit from reading with me and sharing with me.  I look forward to working on my list of top five things to help my students to become better readers.

Rhiannon Wyatt December Blog Routman Ch. 4 "Teach with a Sense of Urgency"

Every chapter that I have read so far by Routman makes me excited about teaching and ready to try new reading strategies in my classroom as soon as I get back to my classroom the next day.  The chapter titled, “Teach with a Sense of Urgency” was no different.  Teaching with urgency just clearly means to teach relevant content in meaningful ways being aware of the students that I teach and their needs.  Routman stated in this chapter that it is important to ask yourself ‘why’ am I teaching this and ‘why’ am I teaching it in this way.  When I read that statement I was brought back to the process that I underwent for attaining National Board Certification.  Through that process I had to tell the reasoning behind my teaching methods. As teachers we should always reflect on the importance of what we are teaching as well as the methods of that instruction.

There were several points that Routman made throughout the chapter that I especially liked.  I felt that the list of the Top Five Things I Do to Ensure Students Become Excellent Readers was eye opening. I feel that I do well with demonstrating that I am a reader as well as teaching strategies students need to know to process and understand text.  Another topic that made the list was providing an excellent classroom library. I have a good number of my books for my classroom library but I am working on acquiring more books of a variety of genres as well as the refining thee organization of my library.  Another point that Routman made that I enjoyed reading was integrating reading and writing into the curriculum rather than teaching content in isolation. This has become a challenging task for me to instill in my classroom however it is one that I would like to master.  Routman states that “breaking learning into bits and pieces can actually make things more difficult for students”. I see this in my students who can capitalize proper nouns on a language test but cannot apply that to their writing.  I enjoy teaching units of study and feel that integrating the subjects will benefit all of my students and help them progress in their reading and writing skills.

Sally Gaskins' Blog #5-Routman Ch. 5: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

After reading this chapter, I am painfully aware of how NOT outstanding my classroom library is. Routman paints a clear picture of how it should be organized and I like how she explains how important it is that I involve the students in it's organization. If I want my students to want to read the books in my library they must have some ownership of it. It was exciting to read Routman say, "When I am in the classrooms with rich libraries created and maintained by the teacher and students, grand enthusiasm for reading and talk about books permeate every aspect of the curriculum." I have a pretty good collection of books, and have known since moving them into my new classroom at PGS that they need to be organized, but I've felt overwhelmed by the task. I understand that I shouldn't put it off any longer, and allowing the students to help me with it will get the job done and get them excited about reading the books.
I was also happy to read that my library should de-emphasize leveled books and focus more on books of interest to the students, as that's what the majority of my library is made up of. After organizing my library I need to work on making some comfortable places around the room for reading, as right now the students sit at their desks for independent reading.

Sarah McClure’s December Blog Post: Routman (2003)

Chapter 3: Share Your Reading Life

I agree with the importance Routman places on sharing my personal reading habits with my students.  So much of the student’s enthusiasm towards reading can be driven by my own enthusiasm.  I feel that so much of student “buy in” is linked to the teacher’s exuberance in presentation.  I enjoy recommending books to my students that I have read and enjoyed.  I have two boys of my own, 11 and 13, who are avid readers, and I share books that they recommend as well.  Sometimes when we are working on a novel study in class I will stop mid page and share a text to text connection that I have made.  Our class is reading Sign of the Beaver right now.  I told my students that Little House in the Big Woods was one of my favorite books growing up and that there are some connections to be made between the two novels.  This prompts students to do the same and before we know it we are deep in a wonderful discussion of other books from possibly the same historical time period or similar theme.  This is a great way for students to become excited about choosing their next novel for independent reading time

Marsha Ross- Chapter 5 Routman- Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library

I have always had a class library and every time I get it together there are always new ideas on the correct way to make them pleasing to students.  Routman stresses the idea of building a great library for every classroom.  He states that they need to be child centered, pleasing, and easy to use.  They need to have lots of books anywhere from 200- 1000 books so each student has several choices and a variety of genres to choose from.  I have no idea how many books I have but I know I have several hundred.  I have light reads and more challenging reads for my students.  I have fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, biographies, and fairy tales, as well as much more.  I try to buy books that children will love and become engaged in.  I try to look and see what my children are reading from the library and home to help me determine what I buy for my classroom.

I have organized them over the years in many different ways.  I have order by Lexile level and assigned baskets.  I have tried dividing them in to two categories labeled fiction and non- fiction.  As of now, they are divided partly by fiction, non-fiction, and subject groups.  I tried the mini lesson where children help you sort and organize the class library.  It was interesting to watch them sort them and discuss why they would put them in a certain place.

I try to keep my leveled books for guided reading and/or for children that find themselves unable to find a book that is just right for them.  I use them to help them get engaged in the reading process and focused.  I then encourage them to go back and try to find a just right book for them.

My main problem right now is stressing the importance of putting books back where the go so they are easy to find by others that want to read them.  In the past, I have had groups that are great with this.  However, this year my class is having a harder time with this task.  I am always finding books on the floor and crammed in desks.  We are looking to find a smart and easy way to remember where the books go.  I enjoyed the little reminder about teaching students to care for the book and the library.  I may have another mini lesson on using the library but also introduce Library Sticks that they can use to remember where there books go.  Each child will have about three sticks allowing them to check out multiple books at a time.  I know that class libraries are very important to the independent reading process.  My goal is to continue to improve the one I have and add as many books as I can each year.  Something is always better than nothing!

Stephanie Henson-December blog - Teach with a Sense of Urgency

    Routman makes a fabulous point that teaching with urgency does not have to be anxiety producing. As a teacher, we must multi-task and that is how I relate the theory of teaching with urgency with my own teaching style.  In an effort to "make every moment count" we, as teachers, need to find ways for our teaching to be effective and intergrative.  I find myself starting out with a plan each day (reading,writing, math) but sometimes I revamp because something occurs that allows for a teachable moment.  If a student, while reading, asks why a sentence is worded a particular way, I inaviable jump to a mini grammar lesson. Or if a student is struggling behaviorally I can find a book/text to relate the behavior, which then could led to a writing lesson.
    Another point from the chapter I latched onto was the "Top Five Things I do to Ensure Students Become Excellent Readers" (pg.43).  The very first bullet was demonstrating that I am a reader - which reminded me of sharing something I read from our Miller text (page 12) with my class. First, they were intrigued because I was reading for a class to which I'm the student. Then, the content of what I read was something to which they could relate - independent reading time impacting standardized testing. It amazed me how interested the students were and how this sharing was a springboard for additional learning for them.
    As a teacher, I'm always worried that I will not have enough time to "teach" everything.  However, I am not allowing this thought to drive my instruction. Instead I'm working at better utilization of time, such as working with small and large groups or individuals through conferencing. My mantra has changed to "quality versus quantity."

Laura Brown: December Blog Post: You Only Have So Much Time

      The question of time has always been important to me, even as a child growing up. I like knowing if I am going to have enough time to do whatever task I want to do or told to do. When it comes to students' learning the factor of time is particularly important. Teachers need to make sure they are spending their time in the classroom creating wonderful learning experiences for their students. The big question for most teachers is: Where can we find the time to create these very important and vast learning experiences? 

      One thing teachers can do to make the most of their time in the classroom is to trust their own experiences and plan well. Routman states that teachers need to "exercise common sense and good judgement" when planning and creating lessons. Another skill that teachers can learn to make the most of their time is to keep work meaningful and simple. The work that students are asked to do needs to be something that can be connected to their own life and something of value. 

      Making every minute count in the classroom is very important for maximum learning for students. This is particularly important when it comes to reading. Routman states that if students "need to process a great deal of text to become great readers, then they must spend most of reading time reading connected texts." This way, the teacher is ensuring that the students are making every minute count. The resources around the classroom are another way to not waste precious time in the classroom. It is very important to make student resources accessible. If the students have to hunt for a certain book or other resource, the student is wasting time that can be spent learning. 

      Lastly, the teachers themselves have to make time in their already busy schedules for professional development and personal/professional reading. Making sure you as a teacher is in the know of the most effective teaching and learning practices will not only create better learning experiences for the students, but it will also make every minute count in the classroom. It is always been said that if teachers show their excitement and love for learning and reading, the students will follow that positive outlook.