Professional Book Review
and Discussion
List 5326
Fall 2007
Academic Honesty Statement
I have read and understand the UTA Academic Honesty clause as follows. “Academic
dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in
any form at The University of Texas at Arlington. All persons involved in academic
dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and
procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University.
“Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion,
the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in
part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to
give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.” (Regents’
Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2., Subdivision
3.22).”
Further, I declare that the work being submitted for this assignment is my original
work (e.g., not copied from another student or copied from another source) and has
not been submitted for another class.
“Signature” (Typed name):
Date: November 12, 2007
Background Information
LIST 5325, LIST 5326
M.Ed., with Literacy Emphasis
Reading Specialist
IRA
Colorado's Model Content Standards
Performance Based Standards for Colorado Teachers
CSET: Multiple Subjects, passed
Praxis, Multiple Subjects, passed
Currently, I teach Career Development to 10th graders at Arvada High School in Arvada, Colorado. I
am certified to teach Elementary (Grades 1-8), English (Grades 7-12), and Career Development
courses (Grades 9-12). I am working towards obtaining a M.Ed. with a Literacy Emphasis.
I currently belong to the International Reading Association Listserv. I joined as part of a graduate
class requirement and will continue my membership to help continue my development as a
professional.
In 2003, I attended the Texas Middle School Association (TMSA) conference in Ft. Worth, Texas. I
found the workshops to be extremely informative and I enjoyed my experience. At that time, my
school district supported me in attending the conference.
Reflection Statement
This lesson was created for LIST 5326 in the Fall Semester of 2007. It
demonstrates my understanding of IRA 5.2, Continue to pursue the
development of professional knowledge and dispositions. For this project, I
read, analyzed, and studied theories regarding adolescent literacy development
presented by Elizabeth Birr Moje in the text, All the Stories That We Have. This
lesson also demonstrates my knowledge of the Performance-Based Standards
for Colorado Teachers, Standard 4.3, Apply expert content knowledge to
enrich and extend student learning. For this project, I applied the research,
theories, and instructional ideas gathered by Moje and additional resources
and created tipsheets to use at professional development meetings.
Reflection, Continued
This lesson demonstrates my concern for the use
of technology for instructional purposes.
Technology assists in the development of
literacy; it is also vital that students become
proficient in this strand of literacy in order to
become a productive member of our evergrowing global society.
Moje, E. (2000) All the Stories That We
Have: Adolescents' Insights About
Literacy and Learning in Secondary
Schools (Kids Insight Series), Newark,
Delaware: International Reading
Association.
Websites
International Reading Association website gives a brief summary of the book,
along with ordering information and similar titles that may be of interest.
http://www.reading.org/publications/bbv/books/bk264/
The Amazon website gives a brief description of the book, ordering information,
and editorial reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/productdescription/0872072649/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=book
s
Summary, Critical Analysis, and
Personal Response:
Introduction
All the Stories That We Have: Adolescents’ Insights About Literacy and Learning in
Secondary Schools is written by Elizabeth Birr Moje, an Arthur F. Thurnau
Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture in Educational Studies at the
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Moje has published three
books and written many articles that focus on various aspects of adolescent
literacy (Elizabeth Birr Moje, 2007). She also serves as Faculty Associate in
the University’s Institute for Social Research Center for Group Dynamics.
Many of her research projects have been funded by the International Reading
Association, National Academy of Education, and the Carnegie Corporation
of New York, to name a few.
An Expert in her Field!
Research for the book
All the Stories We Have focuses on adolescents’ stories and their
ideas about teaching and learning in and out of secondary
schools (Moje, 2000). Moje spent two years working with
eight adolescent teens in and out of school. She observed
and interacted with them in their science, English, and
French classes, and spent time with them outside of school
learning about their families, cultures, and literacy
experiences beyond the walls of their school.
Introduction Continued
This particular text was written to show how adolescents use literacy in
ways that may go unnoticed (Moje, 2000). “My primary goal in
presenting adolescents’ lives and experiences is to show the
importance of understanding their literacy practices and experiences
and to generate ideas for how we can bring young people’s practices to
bear on teaching and curriculum development so that we are
responsive teachers” (Moje, 2000). Moje believes that teachers should
recognize students’ out of school experiences when planning for
instruction. She also feels strongly that adolescents need positive, kind
relationships with adults, teachers in particular (Moje, 2000).
Introduction Continued
All the Stories That We Have is written for middle school and
high school teachers. The book focuses on “adolescents’
stories and their insights about teaching and learning inand often out of-secondary schools” (Moje, 2000). Moje
constantly reflects on her relationships with the eight
adolescents she researched and considers how her own
teaching has supported students’ in their literacy
development (Moje, 2000). The text also provides practical
information for secondary teachers to plan instruction to
meet the literacy needs of all students in the classroom
(Dillon, 2000).
Focus of the Book
Moje states that being literate “involves more than just being able to read and
write print” (Moje, 2000). She feels that the “complicated dress codes; gang
signs; and “tagging up” books, desks, and bodies were all literacy practices
that identified certain youth as members of particular groups” (Moje 2000).
Moje expands on this concept by describing one particular student, Chile, and
noted that “literacy was a critical part of her everyday life, yet virtually all of
these literate practices occurred outside of school” (Moje 2000). Moje
noticed how proficient Chile was at storytelling. She had the ability to tell
complex stories, yet she was reluctant to write any of these down. While
some teachers could have considered Chile as a problem student, Moje saw
how her talents could be used in the classroom. Moje concludes that teachers
can support students like Chile by “learning about who young people are and
what they know, or their ‘funds of knowledge’ outside of school” (Moje,
2000).
Focus of the Book, Continued
Another focus of the book is for teachers to build caring relationships with their
students. Throughout her research, Moje students’ expressed that “their
teachers’ attitudes toward them and care for them made a critical difference in
their success and learning in school” (Moje, 2000). It is also important to
note that “when kids feel cared for-when they believe they are working in a
relationship with a teacher-they tend to be more willing to try different
literacy practices and strategies that the teacher offers” (Moje, 1996). Moje
found that in order for teacher to build these type of supportive and caring
relationships with their students, teachers should try to connect with them
personally and challenge them to learn content concepts and literacy skills
(Moje, 2000). Teachers can also try to “combine a sense of humor with
strong content knowledge and an ability to respond to students’ needs”
(Moje, 2000) when striving to build these relationships.
Focus of the Book, Continued
Finally, Moje puts focus on the fact that “there is no easy, simple answers in teaching”
(Moje, 2000). She emphasizes that teachers use responsive teaching in their
classrooms in order to achieve best practices (Moje, 2000). Moje argues that
responsive teaching is different than child-centered teaching, with child-centered
teaching rarely challenging students to move beyond their own, individual experiences
toward an awareness of how they are part of a larger social system (Moje, 2000). In
contrast, responsive teaching, according to Moje, “makes the learners’ experiences
central to the learning process and acknowledges that teachers, as adults who have
particular kinds of expertise and experience in the world, have the ethical responsibility
not only to draw from adolescents’ experiences but also to extend and challenge
them.” Moje goes on to state that this system of teaching does not take place
“according to a prescribed curriculum or set of standards,” (Moje, 2000). Instead,
responsive teachers know that there are many “funds of knowledge” (Moll, VelezIbanez, & Greenberg, 1989) that young people bring to school, and contrast
curriculum that “begins with concepts and skills important to students’ lives and that
connects concepts to each other in a coherent, systematic, and thoughtful ways”
(Moje, 2000).
Focus of the Book, Continued
•
•
This book contributes to the overall idea that instruction should
be based on the students’ knowledge and interests. It also
focuses on increasing all literacy, not only reading and writing
literacy, through the use of service-projects and media literacy
projects. This text also contributes to the overall idea that
teachers need to build a safe, comfortable classroom community
in order for students to reach their academic potential.
The author of this text mainly consists of personal observation
and reflection. Throughout her research, Moje constantly
reflects on her practice as a researcher and educator. Interviews
and actual dialogue between Moje and the students she
researched are also seen many times throughout the text.
Focus of the Book, Continued
Dialogue between Moje and her students is used to demonstrate the
thesis many times throughout the text. For example, in Chapter
3, Moje is trying to persuade Chile, a Latina adolescent with gang
affiliations, to write a story. Chile has an amazing ability to orally
tell stories, but refuses to write any of them down. The
following slide tells how stories play an important part in Chile’s
everyday life, and is an example of how “being literate is more
than just being able to read and write print” (Moje, 2000).
Chile: We would tell my, my um, my nephew about gypsies, and we were telling him they’d
take him.
Elizabeth Moje: So you tell your nephew, you don’t tell him about la Llorona,
you tell
about…
Chile: Yeah, I tell, I tell him about the, I told him la Llorona {will get him} because um, he’s
bad. I told him, I go, “Guess who I saw?” and he’s all “ Oh no! La Llorona, did she take
you, did she kill you?” I go, I go, “Yeah, and then she brought me back to life.”
(Laughs.) And then he’s like, he’s all, “My gosh.”…And, and like, there’s like this
fortune teller, this fortune telling place, you know, by the, by the body piercing store,
um, we, we would drive past her when we were going’ to the movies. I go, “Ryan, look
it, there’s the gypsy lady.” That was the lady sitting there, you know, and then he goes,
“Where’s the gypsy?” Then I’d known on the door and I go, I go, “Oh, the gypsy’s
here.” And I’d tell him that, you know, the, the Where the Sidewalk Ends {Silverstein,
“Kids for Sale,” 1974}, that book, it goes, “Gypsies are coming,” and “Ten cents for fat
ones, eleven cents for skinny ones.” No, it says, “And just between you and me they
never take the bad ones.” …And I, but I, but instead I go, “But just between you and
me they never take the good ones,” and the, so he’s like always nice and everything ‘cause
he’s afraid to be bad. (Moje, pgs. 36-37, 2000).
Focus of the Book, Continued
•
•
Dialogue and personal observations are supported with
literary analysis and biographical and historical
accounts. There are over 50 references cited, some of
which include Cummins, Alvermann, and Hirsch.
I feel that Moje was effective at presenting the
material. Her primary goal was to “present adolescents’
lives and experiences,” (Moje, 2000). She was able to
argue her thesis by making the students “real” to the
readers through the use of dialogue and personal
reflection. Although at times I felt the dialogue was a
bit much, I do not feel there would be another effective
way to present this material.
Focus of the Book, Continued
In the future, I would like to see more research done on how
teachers can effectively incorporate their students’ outside
literary experiences into the curriculum. While Moje does this to
some extent (in chapter 7 she discusses how teachers can
develop coherent, planful pedagogy) she does not elaborate on
how to incorporate ALL students’ experiences into the
classroom.
Focus of the Book, Continued
•
•
The theory of the text is related to that of a constructivist theory. Moje
believes that the outside literary experiences of the students are just as
important as knowing how to read and write. She believes there should
be a dynamic interaction between task, instructor, and learner and that
learning is an active, social process (Wikipedia, 2007).
Moje wrote this book because she was concerned with the amount of high
school students who either would not or could not read well (Moje, 2000).
Through this book, she has brought a “social and cultural lens to
secondary and adolescent research” (Moje, 2000). The author’s hope is
that teachers who read this book will evaluate their own literacy pedagogy,
compare them to her own, and construct for themselves a well-articulated
belief statement that can be revisited throughout the book (Moje, 2000).
Personal Response
•
•
Overall, I felt this book was helpful and encouraging. It was extremely easy
to read and it gave a realistic view of the challenges teachers face in secondary
classrooms. Moje’s work with students who come from a variety of cultures,
backgrounds, and school experiences gives a practical scenario to classroom
structures today.
While I enjoyed reading the book, I was constantly wondering how I, a
classroom teacher of nearly 100 students, could implement the strategies Moje
mentions in the text. While I agree with Moje that teachers are in a position
to build strong relationships with students, I wonder realistically how I am
able to do this with the vast amount of students I see every day. Moje goes
on to state that teachers need to “focus on the development of caring
relationships that make spaces for young people to inquire, speak, read, write,
and perform what they are interested in and care about” (Moje, 2000).
Although Moje does a remarkable job at explaining how she was able to do
this with her eight subjects over a two year period, I question my ability to do
an equally great job with the many students I teach every year.
Response to the Book, Continued
I feel the quality of evidence was convincing
and adequate. The many sources that Moje
referenced are considered to be experts in
the area of education and literacy.
Related Books
•
Struggling Adolescent Readers: A
Collection of Teaching Strategies:
David Moore
•
Literacy with an Attitude: Patrick
J. Finn
•
Ways with Words: Language, Life
and Work in Communities and
Classrooms: Shirley Brice Heath
Response to the Book, Continued
•
•
I feel that the information in the book supports the research I have read on
the same topic. “Literacy involves more than print” (Hadaway, 2003). That
statement is the thesis behind All the Stories That We Have. As well, Tchudi
and Mitchell believe that teachers should validate their students’ cultures and
life experiences and that if “kids don’t feel safe psychologically, emotionally,
and physically, they can’t grow and learn and write and respond to literature,”
(Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999). This ties in with the caring relationships Moje
feels teachers need to develop with their students.
I would recommend this book to others, especially those who teach diverse
groups of students in a secondary setting. This book does an excellent job of
outlining the many literacy's our students come to school with; it also gives
strategies and activities to help support the many literacy's present inside
secondary classrooms.
Tipsheet 1
Learn from your students
•
Moje believes that all students come to school with a variety of literate practices, with
many of them occurring outside of school. She also feels strongly that teachers need to
know more about their students’ lives and experiences outside of school (Moje, 2000).
•
Spend time with your students outside of the classroom. Go to concerts, recitals,
sporting events, anything your students’ are participating in. Interview individuals and
groups of students. Conduct informal interviews, which can assist in getting to know
your students (Moje, 2000). Finally, Tchudi and Mitchell believe that teachers can
connect with students’ lives by tapping into their home for assignments (Tchudi and
Mitchell, 1999). Create an assignment where students need to interview members of their
family and share these interviews with the class.
•
Related Standards
IRA 2.2, 3.2, 4.1
CO 3.3, 6.1, 6.6
Tipsheet 2
Introduce Service-Learning Projects into your Classroom
•
Moje believes teachers need to work hard to “integrate students’ learning in schools and
classrooms with their lives outside of schools and classrooms” (Moje, 2000). Servicelearning projects have also been found to help students better fit into their community
(Schnack, 2001).
•
Connect students with a senior citizen center and have students and senior citizens read
to one another. Allow students to organize a drive within the school to raise donations
needed in the community. Arrange for your older students to read with younger children.
Plan a unit where students research, analyze, and find solutions to a problem present in
their community.
•
Related Standards
NCTE/IRA Standard 11
MRT Standard 3
CO Standard 3.2
Tipsheet 3
Have a sense of humor
•
A sense of humor combined with strong content knowledge and an ability to respond to
students’ needs play important roles in engaging students in learning (Moje, 2000).
Further, “humor in the classroom can save the day for both the teacher and the student”
(Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999).
•
Develop the ability to see the humor in certain situations that occur in your classroom.
When teachers use humor, students tend to respond positively to that trait (Tchudi and
Mitchell, 1999). Do not tease or tell jokes, but instead integrate humor and humanness
into the curriculum (Moje, 2000).
•
Related Standards
IRA 5.1, 4.3
Tipsheet 4
Build meaningful, caring relationships with your students
•
In her research, Moje found that “when students feel cared for-when they believe they are
in a working relationship with a teacher-they tend to be more willing to try different
literary practices and strategies that the teacher offers” (Moje, 2000).
•
At the beginning of the year, have students write an introductory letter to you so they can
show off their uniqueness (Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999). Ask questions such as these: Tell
me about yourself. What are you like as a student? How would you describe your
personality? How do you like to be treated? Describe your reading/writing abilities. Do
not grade these letters, instead respond to them with questions leaving the door open for
further contact if the student desires it (Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999).
•
Related Standards
IRA 3.1, 2.2
CO 1.4, 1.5
Tipsheet 5
Find Multiple Ways to Teach Content
•
Using multiple representation of the same material can help students think differently
about concepts or information and allow students to make different meanings and
“transmediate” (Moje, 2000).
•
When teaching a novel, incorporate popular film, poetry, or musical lyrics to reinforce the
meaning of the text. Help students form a visual representation of a novel by showing
movie clips or preparing visuals. Connect personal stories and experiences with the
curriculum by telling stories or allowing students to tell stories that relate.
•
Related Standards
IRA 2.2, 2.3. 4.2
CO 1.4, 1.3
Tipsheet 6
Allow Students to Respond to Literature in Alternative Ways
•
The explorations that grow from literature need not be limited to talk (Tchudi and
Mitchell). “Part of the reading process is to encourage students to move beyond just a
superficial reading of a text” (Hadaway, Lesson 3, 2003), and by allowing students to
respond to literature in alternative ways, this can help students extend their knowledge of
a text.
•
Have students create a sequel to a novel. Allow students to role-play a scene from the
text. Have students draw cartoons, create poetry, incorporate music, create a webpage,
or research an idea that interests students and relates to the text in response to literature.
•
Related Standards
IRA 4.2, 4.1, 3.1
CO 1.3, 1.4, 1.5
Tipsheet 7
Develop Interdisciplinary Units
•
“One possibility of making projects more meaningful for students is to engage them in project work
across disciplines” (Moje, 2000). Tchudi and Mitchell also believe that in order to teach students
effectively, a program of study needs to have “coherence” (Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999). Hadaway also
states that “language study is naturally interdisciplinary” (Hadaway, Lesson 1, 2003).
•
Working with teachers of other disciplines, develop an interdisciplinary unit using the following
questions as a guideline: How might other content areas explore some aspect of the same concepts?
What are some of the goals you can set as a cross-curricular team? What are some goals you want to
set for your specific content area? What are some activities you might use to achieve these goals with
your students? In what ways will literacy play a part in these activities? How will you ensure that your
unit is really a team effort among teachers? How will you ensure that your students will see the unit
as a cross-curricular approach? How will you assess the unit?
•
Related Standards
IRA 2.3, 2.2, 3.1, 5.2, 5.3
CO 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 3.2
Tipsheet 8
Develop a System to Encourage Student Participation
•
Moje found in her research that if students were not disruptive, teachers often did not include those
who may feel uncomfortable in whole-group reading or discussions. “The silencing, dismissal, or
rendering invisible of certain students is problematic in part because it indicates that caring
relationships are not being developed, or that teachers and students are enacting relationships of care
in ways that have negative consequences for the students” (Moje, 2000).
•
At the beginning of the school year, write each of your students’ names on a note card. When leading
a whole-group reading or class discussion, use these cards to call on students. Positive
reinforcements such as stickers on the note cards can help you keep track of which students are
participating the most. This will allow students to actively participate in group discussions.
•
Related Standards
IRA 3.3, 2.1
CO 6.1, 5..2, 5.7
Tipsheet 9
Incorporate Pop Culture into the Curriculum
•
Hadaway believes that using popular culture in the literacy classroom can be a great
hook for students (Hadaway, Lesson 1, 2003). Tchudi and Mitchell also encourage
periodic examinations of popular culture as a mass medium in literacy classrooms
(Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999).
•
In a secondary classroom, examine music television as a multimedia phenomenon,
including not only sounds and sight , but personality as a medium of communication.
Have students explore music TV as a force in shaping values, beliefs, and attitudes
(Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999).
•
Related Standards
IRA 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.2
CO 1.3, 1.4, 4.3
Tipsheet 10
Allow for Flexible Grouping in the Classroom
Flexible grouping is a good solution to ability grouping or whole class instruction. In flexible
grouping, “children are placed into temporary groups based on their level of independence as learners
and their personal interests that sustain independence” (Morrow, Gambrell, and Pressley, 2003).
Flexible grouping strategies can also accommodate student interests, learning styles, and social needs
and goals (Morrow, Gambrell, Pressley, 2003).
•
Flexible grouping can be used for literacy learning centers. Follow these guidelines when
implementing flexible groups in your classroom:
1. There are no permanent groups.
2. Groups are created or modified based on students’ needs.
3. Group size varies depending upon the task.
4. Student commitment is enhanced when students know how the group's work relates to the overall
task.
5. The teacher and students both evaluate the group’s work.
(Morrow, Gambrell, Pressley, 2003).
Related Standards: IRA 4.1, 3.3, 3.4 CO 4.1, 3.4, 1.1
•
Tipsheet 11
Make Literacy a “Family Affair”
•
“Understanding how different families use and value literacy practices at home can
greatly help us contribute to our understanding of such communities” (Gambrell,
Morrow, and Pressley, 2003). It is also important for teachers to gather some systematic
information about children and their families since cultural differences can have powerful
effects on student achievement in literacy (Gambrell, Morrow, and Pressley, 2003).
•
Conduct a Home Literacy Survey at the beginning of the year. Include some of the
following questions on the survey: The number of household members, ages, and
occupations. Languages spoken at home, culture they associate themselves with. Formal
education of family members. Role of literacy in the house. Who reads, writes in home.
How does the family communicate?
•
Related Standards
IRA 5.1, 4.3, 4.1
CO 6.1, 6.2, 5.8
Tipsheet 12
Celebrate Cultural Differences
•
Mike Rose emphasizes the importance of learning about students’ backgrounds and cultures (Tchudi
and Mitchell, 1999). In addition, Moje believes it is important for teachers to understand how race,
class, gender, and cultural relations shape teaching and learning. Students talk openly about race,
class, gender, and culture, therefore teachers should create opportunities for these topics to be
explored in class (Moje, 2000).
•
“Teachers can begin to validate student's cultures by creating assignments that let students share
some of their background and give them ways to showcase the strengths of their culture (Tchudi &
Mitchell, 1999). At the beginning of the school year, read “My Name” from The House on Mango
Street by Sandra Cisneros. Have students explore the meaning of their name by interviewing family
members. Students then create a presentation to share their findings with the class.
•
Related Standards
IRA 4.1, 2.2, 1.3
CO 1.3, 1.4, 1.5
Tipsheet 13
Allow Time for Freewriting or Journaling
•
•
•
Research has shown that freewriting has almost always been found to be a positive
experience for students and teachers (Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999). It has also been
discovered that journals and freewrites play an important role in the English classroom,
especially for disaffected students and those who do not feel particularly confident in
their writing skills (Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999).
On a regular basis, allow time for students to freewrite. Do not grade the freewrites,
instead respond to students in a non-judgmental manner. If students are struggling with
ideas, give students two topic choices and allow them 2 minutes to write about one of
them. Have students count their words after they finish writing. The sense of
competition within themselves encourages students to write as much as they can, as well
as they can, in a limited amount of time.
Related Standards
IRA 4.1, 2.3, 1.4
CO 1.2, 1.4, 4.1
Tipsheet 14
Incorporate Technology into the Curriculum
•
“Children who collaborate while working on the computer have opportunities to construct
conventional and electronic literacy knowledge” (Morrow, Gambrell, & Pressley, 2003). Research
has also found that providing children with computer-related learning experiences can help foster
literacy development (Morrow, Gambrell, & Pressley, 2003).
•
When conducting a Writer’s Workshop, allow children to brainstorm, write drafts, revise, edit,
and publish on the computer. Throughout the year, have students keep an electronic portfolio in
addition to a traditional portfolio that can be added to and revisited during the year. Enhance
writing skills by incorporating electronic mail into the curriculum.
•
Related Standards
IRA 1.2, 2.2, 2.3
CO 6.1, 7.2, 7.5
Tipsheet 15
Become a “Teacher/Researcher”
•
Research shows that when teachers do “systematic evaluation and informal research in
their own programs, they are not only better teachers, but they satisfy outsiders as well”
(Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999). “Teachers-as-Researchers” allows teachers to make
themselves the authorities in their own classrooms (Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999).
•
Throughout the year, investigate/research practices occurring in your classroom. Begin
with a question or problem, “Which method is most effective when teaching writing?”
Then, teach in experiential ways, trying different approaches in different classrooms. As
you do this, collect data, which should be a normal part of assessment already occurring
in your classroom. Finally, synthesize, reflect, and form conclusions on your findings and
share with your colleagues (Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999).
•
Related Standards
IRA 3.3, 3.4, 5.3
CO 4.3, 5.4, 5.9
Tipsheet 16
Make Time to Reflect on your Teaching Practices
•
Many teachers put a strong emphasis on conducting daily reflections, focusing on what
you did in class, how it went, and how you would do things differently (Tchudi and
Mitchell, 1999).
•
Cultivate the habit of reflecting on your teaching practices daily in a journal or diary.
Take 5 or 10 minutes to record observations, feelings, thoughts, or questions in order to
improve your teaching practice. These journals can also be valuable assessment tools
when you write down observations of students in your classroom.
•
Related Standards
IRA 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
CO 8.5
Tipsheet 17
Model Writing for your Students
•
Research has found that teachers who write themselves and model writing for their
students gain tangible skills and explicit understandings from the first-hand experience
of writing (Gleeson & Prain, 1996).
•
As students participate in the writing process, share each stage in your writing process
with your students. As students draft, you draft. Share your thought processes with the
students as you are writing.
•
Related Standards
IRA 2.3, 4.3
CO 6.1
Tipsheet 18
Treat All Students with Respect
•
“Respect (and lack of respect) can be communicated to adolescent students in many
ways” (Moje, 2000). Tchudi and Mitchell also found that “before or students even want a
relationship with us they have to get the sense that we respect them” (Tchudi & Mitchell,
1999).
•
For students, respect from a teacher can mean fair treatment, decency, an absence of
intimidation, and beyond the realm of individual civility, a respect for the history, the
language, and the culture of peoples represented in class (Tchudi and Mitchell, 1999).
Using surveys, get to know the cultures present in your classroom. Maintain contact
with the families in your classroom through newsletters, phone contact, or notes home.
Organize a way to respond to student learning logs and journals on a regular basis.
•
Related Standards
IRA 3.4, 4.1
CO 6.1, 5.8, 5.3
Tipsheet 19
Make Content Meaningful
•
•
•
Research shows that when students are involved in literacy tasks that are purposeful and
meaningful, they are more motivated to learn (Morrow, Gambrell, & Pressley, 2003).
Moje also found that students who did not understand “why they are teaching us that”
did not retain the information that was taught; this suggests that students need to be
aware of the rationale behind learning experiences (Moje, 2000).
Instruction in skills and strategies is most effectively addressed in the context of each
students’ own personal need for meaning making (Morrow, Gambrell, & Pressley, 2003).
Allow students to develop literacy skills by having them research an issue that is
meaningful to them (such as global warming), then create an electronic pamphlet that
includes text, graphics, and artifacts on the issue or problem to be shared with others.
Related Standards
IRA 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2
CO 6.1, 6.2, 4.3, 4.4
Tipsheet 20
Create Opportunities for Authentic Writing Assignments
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Hadaway found that “students are more engaged by realistic writing options” (Hadaway,
Lesson 6, 2003). Authentic writing experiences also help prepare students “for college,
for business, for life” (Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999).
•
Allow students to conduct research on a topic that is meaningful to them. Have students
write to government officials summarizing their findings. Allow students to create
Holiday Cards to be delivered to the local senior citizen center. Arrange for students to
be electronic pen pals with students from another state or country.
•
Related Standards
IRA 4.1, 4.3, 2.2
CO 4.2, 5.6, 6.1
Tipsheet 21
Listen to your Students
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Moje found that “best practices” in teaching requires listening to and learning from
young people (Moje, 2000). Tchudi and Mitchell also found that students have little
tolerance for teachers who exhibit a know-it-all attitude and refuse to listen to them
(Tchudi & Mitchell, 1999).
•
Spend time each day talking with your students individually and in small groups. Choose
2 students a day you can talk with for 2-3 minutes at a time. Do this a few days out of the
week with different students until you get the chance to talk to all of them. After talking
with all your students, start it all over again.
•
Related Standards
IRA 4.1, 1.2
CO 6.6, 6.3
Webliography
www.teacher.scholastic.com
This website gives tips on how to create a strong community atmosphere in your
classroom.
 http://www.justthink.org/
The Just Think website gives teachers and students resources to develop media literacy
skills for the 21st century.
 http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSLAOCICountriesandCulturesIdeas18.htm
This website gives lesson ideas for teaching about different cultures and customs.

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/Units/UnitIndex.html
This website gives sample interdisciplinary units for elementary and middle school
classrooms.
 http://www.google.com/literacy/
The Literacy Project website is a resource for literacy teachers. It includes literacy articles,
videos, blogs, and book clubs.

Bibliography
Gleeson, A., Prain, V. Should Teachers of Writing Write Themselves?: An Australian Contribution to the Debate. The English
Journal, Vol. 85, No. 6 (Oct., 1996), pp. 42-49.
Hadaway, Nancy. (2003-2007). Lessons 1-8. Arlington, Texas: The University of Texas at Arlington.
Moje, E. (2000) All the Stories That We Have: Adolescents' Insights About Literacy and Learning in Secondary
Schools (Kids Insight Series), Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.
Morrow, L., Gambrell, L., Pressley, M. (2003). Best Practices in Literacy Instruction: 2nd Edition. New
York, New York: The Guilford Press.
Schnack, P. (2001). Partners in reading: A community reading/writing project. English Journal, 90(5), 95 101. Retrieved
November 5, 2007, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 73081580).
Tchudi, S., Mitchell, D. (1999). Exploring and Teaching the English Language Arts. New York, New York: AddisonWesley Educational Publishers.
The University of Michigan. Elizabeth Moje. (2007). Retrieved November 12, 2007. http://wwwpersonal.umich.edu/~moje/about.html.
Teacher Interview
I interviewed Jennifer McCartney, a 10th grade English Teacher in the Jefferson County School
District, Colorado.
1. Are you familiar with the constructivist theory in education?
No, I am not familiar with that. It’s been a while since I studied any educational
research theories.
2. How does your school district support professional development?
Our district has year-round opportunities for professional development. Most of the
time, teachers can decide on their own which ones they want to attend, however,
departments will sometimes arrange for mandatory professional development
opportunities. In our district, vertical alignment of the curriculum has been the goal
for the next two years. Therefore, every Wednesday departments meet to work on this
district goal.
3. Do you belong to any professional organization related to language instruction?
No, not at this time.
4. Have you ever attended a professional conference?
No, I am new to the teaching profession.