Final Learning Letter

Dear Dr. Sean,

 

            After reading your syllabus in January, I was apprehensive in going forward with your class. I knew that I was going to be very busy, and would have to forego my social life for ten weeks. While it was very difficult to do, looking back, I am extremely proud of what I’ve accomplished, and experienced in your class.

            I loved the book talks. My Amazon wish list is now gigantic! It was so great hearing bout so many different kinds of novels. I will need to be well-read in a variety of genres so I may recommend appropriate books for my different student’s interests. I was introduced to all kinds of new books. So many, in fact, that I will be devouring young adult novels all spring and summer long, and will still not have made it through my wish list. What I loved most about the book talks was the in depth summaries. I can always read about best-selling novels online, but the blurbs only give a bare bones summary. You don’t get a sense of the book and the author’s writing style in those five sentences online. It was nice to get detailed descriptions of books so I knew which ones I really wanted to read.

            The mini-lessons were fun as well. It was interesting to teach such a short lesson on a novel. There were so many options and challenges to think about. It made lesson planning a bit more stressful, but I enjoyed the challenge. I feel spoiled because my practicum is at a school where the English language arts class is a block period, five days a week. I get so used to having to fill up so much time, that I do not realize how much more effort it takes to plan a good, yet short lesson plan. The mini-lessons really helped me think about how I would want to teach a novel to my whole class. My practicum placement was just finishing up their class-read novel when I arrived. They haven’t done one since, so it was helpful to see so many different lesson types.

            The three week unit plan is my second child. I literally worked all quarter on that binder. Obviously, it was a struggle, and more difficult for me because I am still learning how to plan and think like an effective teacher. But I have never had a class, during my time in the education program that has forced me too really plan, like certified teachers must do on a daily basis. I’ve gotten some very helpful information, and training over the past two years, but this class has filled some teaching gaps for me. I have written dozens of TPAs, although it feels like hundreds, and created assessments; however, I have not had to create lesson plans with effective summative assessments. Everything has always been in chunks, TPAs in one class, tests in another, and management strategies in yet another, but having a class that asked me to put all of that together helped make me finally feel ready to lead my own classroom.

            I have been building my own teaching philosophy over the past few years. I have been trying to decide what types of behaviors and expectations I want to be part of my classroom norms, and the types of teaching methods I want use with my students. It was great to be exposed to more teaching strategies from Kelly Gallagher and Chris Tovani. I like both of their teaching styles, and the fact that they both work with students who are considered at-risk. To read about their successes, with students who struggle in English classes no less, makes me feel more confident about using their management strategies in my own class. Gallagher’s Readicide may not have been my favorite book of his, but I appreciate his view on teaching novels in the classroom. I have definitely been a part of a class that over-taught the novel. Forced to complete an insane amount of worksheets, any interest I had in the novel, died. So when I was writing my unit plan, I tried to follow guidelines Gallagher suggested. His novel helped me think about I could teach, using a novel, without killing the very essence of the story.

            Overall, I am thoroughly excited to be completing winter quarter in one piece. It has been a long ten weeks. I have been forced to work hard, all quarter long. I know that sounds bad to say, and I really do try to do my best in every class, but I really had to battle this quarter. And, I am finally beginning to feel like a professional educator. I feel like I have come in to my own during my practicum. I am more confident, and I feel ready to be a teacher. I am excited to continue down this path, and I have you to thank. So thank you for preparing me to be a better teacher.

 

Nicky Jones