Crafting Writers, Ch. 10-12, and Wohlwend Dilemmas & Discourses

The first paragraph in Chapter 10 pretty much sums up a typical day of subbing! 

I found it a relief for that first year teacher that the principal first talked about her strengths and then moved on to what she needed to work on rather than dwell on her weaknesses.  The teacher stated that she is still working for this principal today because she appreciates how much she believed in her teaching potential from day one.  What a great comparison as to how we should treat our students - with respect for what they are doing well with and for encouraging them to rise to their potential.  Page 161 of Hale’s book states that, “the emotional aspect of teaching can either impede learning or cause it to flourish.”  Page 161-162 goes on further to state that, “if you are too busy noticing the gap between what students are doing and where they are ‘suppose’ to be, it will be harder to see strengths.”  These statements are very powerful and as a future educator I hope to always remember them and use them everyday with my instruction. 

            There are so many effective instruction techniques offered in Hale’s book.  But one that I particularly hope to use in my writing conferences is from figure 10.1.  This figure shows us how to record the teaching of a conference.  Listing the Working On, Strengths, Next Step, and Try-It next time at the back of the writing journals are great ways to reflect on each student’s progress.  As I read the last few chapters in Hale’s book I find myself very anxious to participate in my first conference. 

            The last chapter regarding Assessment really ties into the e-reserve article, Dilemmas & Discourses, that we read for this week.  We see how the importance of using grading rubrics relates to multi-level assessments.  As the article states, some assessments of scribbling circles on a folded paper could be considered “immature prewriting” or “off-task” behavior; whereas, other assessments could say that the scribbling is a very valued piece of literature called “approximated writing.”  Teachers are often caught up in this dilemma of conflicting assessment – while they are concerned about meeting the student’s developmental needs, they are also responsible to the school’s expectations and state standards.  We have learned in class to look for what the student is doing well and not to focus on mistakes.  I liked the example in the article about the student writing “Happy Birthday” as “APEBDD AH.”  Before this class I would have stated that this student had a long ways to go, but now I can look at the letters and the sounds that they make as potential for sounding out words.