[LIT] Thank you-ind. reading

[lovart9630 at aol.com]

I am so happy to see and read all of these emails about this particular topic.  I was recently observed and the issue of reading in or out of the classroom has really been a problem.  Please continue to write so I can pick your brains about this.

Thanks,

Sandy


-----Original Message-----
From: Heather Poland <hpoland at gmail.com>
To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades. <lit at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 7:42 pm
Subject: Re: [LIT] The value of independent reading




It seems to be the new "thing" to think that middle schoolers should be
eading OUTside of school, and not in school. I do not agree. I do think
t's important to monitor and confer - like you are doing. Some students
ill pretend read, but I know when I was in the classroom, I could spot
hese kids and I tried to help them pick a book they would like. I think as
ong as you have something to show - conference records, logs for lit
ircles, etc., then he really can't say anything.
On 10/21/07, Sarah Mulhern <evil_twin2327 at yahoo.com> wrote:

 Hello everyone!

 Recently I was observed by our new school principal.
 Just my like, I was his first observation of the year!
 However, I felt the lesson went well and wasn't too
 worried.  I met with him last week and was a little
 unhappy.  You see, he was present for our independent
 reading.  I have been following Atwell's reading
 workshop model for the past two years and just this
 year really focused on the independent reading
 portion.  I am THRILLED with the results!  My students
 are reading, recommending books to each other, and
 completely focused on their books.  Well, in our
 meeting the principal told me that "while it is
 perfectly acceptable for 6th grade students to read
 independently for 20 minutes each day, they should be
 doing something then".  In other words, he thinks the
 reading time is an excuse for me to sit around and do
 nothing.  I explained that I conference with the
 students while they read (and he was there to see me
 do this!), will eventually pull small literature
 circles with them, and otherwise meet with my
 students.  He wasn't convinced that this was a
 valuable use of instructional time.  Thank goodness I
 didn't tell him that on some days I read, too!
 Modelling is just as important, in my opinion.

 I left the meeting irritated but not too upset because
 he won't observe me again until next year.  My vp and
 supervisor will, but that's fine.  However, just a few
 days later we had a district meeting with my
 supervisor who spent a good portion of the time
 telling us that middle school students can not and
 will not read for sustained amount of time.  We were
 told these students are just pretending to read while
 pulling the wool over their eyes.  I didn't want to
 start an argument by telling her that my students can
 and do read for up to 45 minutes at a time,
 independently!  While I'm sure they sometimes zone out
 or focus on their own thoughts, I do conference with
 them and have not found this to be a widespread
 problem.

 Ok, after all that rambling, I guess I am asking if
 anyone else deals with this.  Do your administrators
 support independent reading time??

 sarah

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-- 
 Heather
"The world of books is the most remarkable creation of
an. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments
all; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out;
ew races build others. But in the world of books are
olumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet
ive on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were
ritten, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men
enturies dead." --Clarence Day
"While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little
ood evidence exists that there's any educational substance
ehind the accountability and testing movement."
Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds
"When our children fail competency tests the schools lose
unding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase
unding. "
Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate
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