Response to CCSS

After reviewing the ELA CCSS, I say the bar has been set bar higher than previous administrative revamps and presents challenges for us as teachers.

Are there lessons that we can teach that will help students use reading, writing, and research skills proficiently in other subject content areas such as science? Perhaps spending a minute of a lesson on research discussing how to look into topics in science could help students apply skills in unfamiliar settings. Perhaps we could teach a novel like Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea that deals with a lot of scientific issues and we could ask questions of the class that relate to some of the scientific themes of the novel.

Are there ways we can modify lessons to implement speaking and listening? Maybe by using some of the techniques we read in "Discussion in a Democratic Society" we can foster speaking and listening skills in our classrooms. Having students present the information they research and formulate into papers or assignments rather than only submitting assignments should help achieve CCSS too.

Implementing these tougher standards is a significant challenge in a classroom where a significant amount of students may not be reading or writing at grade level. Can we remediate students while achieving more of the CCSS? Most students are uneducated with grammar and language, yet a solid basis in usage is required to write well. Perhaps we can do two usage-based grammatical mini-lessons a week.

Though the CCSS are set at a higher standard, there are clever ways to adapt instruction to help meet those standards. It will require work and dedication, and a bit of craftiness.

Response to "Discussion as a Way of Teaching"

I had a great number of interesting thoughts about discussion's place in the classroom and the role and responsibility of teachers in cultivating discussion as I was reading the first two chapters of Brookfield's & Preskill's "Discussion as a Way of Teaching." As teachers we will be teaching more than our respective content areas: reading and writing skills, role modeling, hidden curriculum, social skills, how to be successful students, etc. We will also be expected to foster students to become participants in an active representative democracy. Creating a positive learning environment that promotes discussion will help it "act as a catalyst to helping people take informed action in the world." This positive learning environment, as we read, will be an environment where teacher vocalization is limited, yet the structure of the discussion is guided by a mindful teacher. It may be necessary to do autobiographical work in the first couple classes and have everyone share to encourage hospitality. It can take some time to build mutuality and appreciation in a classroom that maintains critical discussion, but it is all intrinsic to helping students feel like they have a voice and that voice is heard. It is all intrinsic to helping students feel that they can learn safely in that setting.

I also had a number of interesting thoughts about discussion's role in other depths of contemporary society. Internet forums, as one example, are very interesting places where discussion may take place without the guiding hand of a mindful and skilled teacher. Most forums (okay, all forums) I have been to leave me feeling like I am walking around 3000 E. Sprague, however. Is this lack of the teacher a contributing factor to that? Most posters on these forums seem keen on participation yet highly unreceptive to critical discussion and aren't appreciative at all. I also had another idea about subtle psychological changes in environment that could alter the classroom discussion. I've come across studies that denote how Americans can rate people with British accents as more clever and credible than people with generic American accents saying the same exact thing. If we stick a couple Brits in a class at EWU, for example, how would that affect the dynamic of the classroom discussion? Would there be a drop in actual critical discussion because people would unconsciously attribute logicality and credibility to the students whom have British accents? What other dynamics would change? Just kind of a goofy psychological experiment I imagined.

Introductory Letter Assignment

Dr. Agriss,

I am a student in your English 493 class--Teaching Literature to Adolescents--and am a teacher candidate in the English Education Department. I have completed most classes for the Secondary English Education BAE degree. I am concurrently enrolled in The Composition Process with Dr. Torgerson and in Education 341 with Mrs. Schultz, and I take the Secondary English Education Capstone, an elective, History of the English Language, and Education 420 next quarter. This is all followed by Education 426 in Spring Quarter.

I am placed at Central Valley High School with Mrs. Galloway teaching Pre-AP Sophomoric English. I am teaching several short stories right now and will be teaching Fahrenheit 451 in a couple weeks.

Some strengths of mine are flexibility and dependability. However, I think my belief that every student can learn and my commitment to helping every student learn is my biggest strength. It may also be my biggest weakness if I am a poor classroom manager though, or neglect some students at the expense of others.

I have several goals for this course. First, I want to learn strategies for effectively teaching students literature, strategies for effectively assessing students regarding what I taught, if my teaching was effective, etc. Second, I desire to spend time learning how to create quality lessons that engage students about literature they may not care about. Third, I aim to achieve a 3.7 or better this quarter and am intent on producing quality work to meet that goal.

I look forward to being in your class this quarter.

Dominick Giguere