Reflective Ramblings

The vision of my ELA classroom has shifted quite substantially from my first thoughts regarding how I would introduce writing, representing and oral language to my students.  However, the one thing that holds true from that initial perspective is the importance of maintaining a dynamic, creative, interactive and cooperative space for the learning and development of oral and written language skills.  What this course has provided us with is a wealth of material on how we can address the differing needs and learning styles of our students, such as by adapting lessons to suit individual strengths - not only to allow for each student to be successful, but to encourage a supportive and productive classroom environment for all.

    One of the most important ways I will have my students experience written language is through the use of personal journaling.  Journaling is a way for students to interact with their own ideas, think freely and not feel constricted or deterred by their level of writing ability.  What many of the articles we’ve read, and our guest speaker Robin Stevenson, have mentioned is the benefit of having children write for the sake of writing, and not having them feel constrained by spelling, grammatical errors or other writing hindrances.  In this way, journals and free-writing provide the best way for students to become comfortable with the writing process and learn how to simply get their ideas down.  This is the same for using drawing notebooks, especially when it comes to the early stages of writing development.  In her article, Savage makes note of how drawing is just as important as writing for young learners, especially when developing skills in the mere deliverance of ideas.  This process in itself is of utmost importance, and the revision, editing and conventional lessons are skills they will learn in time.  Children simply need the opportunity to develop a keen interest in writing for themselves, and not because of the demands or pressures from teachers to provide a finished product. 

    Another benefit of journaling is that it provides an inclusive activity for all students, which addresses the necessity for teachers to provide choices and variations (such as different media) to meet the varying needs of their students.  For instance, podcasting provides a completely different outlet for delivering ideas orally.  Some students may not have progressed with their written skills, but others may struggle with performance anxiety, or have difficulty delivering their ideas via a formalized oral setting.  In this regard, podcasting is a way for students to record their voices, and present their thoughts orally within a comfortable setting; this only further raises their confidence in their oral development.  Even apart from the inclusion podcasting can provide in your classroom, it is also an excellent resource for both the deliverance and reception of information.  Children can also view podcasts for input purposes as they have become another means of delivering information in an engaging and interactive way, which is something we need to recognize and address with regards to our modern ELA students.

    On that note, we have learned a variety of other interactive approaches through which we can engage and encourage our students’ development.  One thing that stood out to me was the incorporation of drama with regards to story reading, viewing, and representing.  I had never thought that drama could be used as a teaching tool in ELA, but after completing our strategy presentation on “Franklin Fibs” - where we used the story circle and story stick to encourage children to recognize story development via the characters, setting, plot and so forth - I realized how beneficial it can be to have children take on the roles and physically represent the main ideas.  Similarly, another strategy presentation used the drama act of “sculpting” another classmate to represent a particular scene from a story, which is another great way for students to actively engage with the material.  These types of activities are not only interactive, but they provide more creative ways of teaching conventional lessons, which is something I want to emphasize throughout my teaching philosophy.

    If I can design a classroom where students feel challenged - but also comfortable, included and valued - in addition to providing them with the foundational tools they will need for future development, then I will feel confident with my teaching decisions.  I want to ensure they have the opportunity to learn and grow at their own pace, so that perhaps they, like Jack in “Love that Dog,” can gain confidence and pride in the work they produce as a result of my teaching approach of allowing them the space and time to do so.  Each student presents an interesting new challenge, but as long as we celebrate their differences, encourage individual strengths, and provide choice through our learning activities, then everyone has the potential, and platform, to succeed. :)