9/22/2015 06:05:55 pm
The process itself is a mystery but research says to do the things we all know would be great, like they’re just that easy. Figure it out as you go along, fake it till you make it, or copy someone who already has. I’d like to think I’ll be able to find texts that my students will all be able to relate to, but a more realistic expectation is through the experience you discuss. Not only is that a group effort, it is a community reward. They all can share in the experience and it will be a story they can be proud of and encourage others to be a part of in the future.
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Cindy Stodolak
9/22/2015 06:11:41 pm
Marie, it was interesting to read about your experience in your internship. That seems like something I would have enjoyed as a student and I am going to steal that idea for when I have my own classroom. It is so important to make texts relevant to students. Otherwise, they will finish a book and say, "okay who cares?" Many contemporary books deal with issues students are dealing with such as divorce, suicide, and bullying. These are great reads for students. However, classics can still make a connection with students. For instance, as a teenager, I related to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye when I read it in 9th grade. I love how your students stayed after class to discuss the novel. That truly shows how engaged they are with the novel and I think that is amazing!
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9/25/2015 04:18:27 am
I think we create relevancy all the time. The first step is knowing what our kids care about. The second is like your teacher did is exposing them to things to care about. I also like to share the research with my students...the whys of why we are doing the different actions in class. Also with reading and relevancy--always crafting a space and time for kids to read independently. As well as offering reading choices when we are do required texts.It is a good problem to continually work on with students as they change.
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MarieJust a blog about my experiences in life, teaching, and literature :) Archives
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