Standardized Testing

       Ever since talking about standardized testing last week in class I have spent some time thinking about whether or not they are beneficial or not. Personally I believe there is too much pressure from standardized tests to perform and live up to a certain standard. Testing in general in difficult but the ACT, SAT and MME all have set time blocks and put pressure on young adults. I started looking into standardized testing and whether or not they should be required for college admissions. As of 2014 there are 850 test-optional colleges. Meaning a submitted ACT or SAT score is not required. This trend of test optional is growing. When applying to schools the GPA of a student matters more.  According to an article I found on PBS GPA is better tool for acceptance to college. “According to the data, if high school grades are not high, good testing does not promise college success. Students with good grades and modest testing did better in college than students with higher testing and lower high school grades.”

If colleges are starting to slowly move away from standardized testing then why is it such a big production in the school system? Elementary school students should not be testing. Elementary school is laying the foundation for higher education so children should be working to master certain skills. Testing of these skills can be done school wide to measure improvement but it should not be done at a state level with the MEAP test or others similar to that. Recently new standards for testing have been proposed by the government which would reduce the amount of testing done in each grade and eliminate the No Child Left Behind Act. “In its new guidance to states, the U.S. Department of Education tries to soften its emphasis on using test scores to evaluate teachers and urges states and local districts to cut down on redundant and low-quality tests. The agency also pledged to work with states to amend waivers they have received under No Child Left Behind “to reduce testing in grades and subjects that are not subject to federal testing requirements and/or find alternative ways” to judge student achievement and use that to evaluate teachers.”

Overall this emphasis on test performance creates unnecessary stress for students and when testing starts young it becomes the normal way of determining how successful one is. Standardized testing and the number of tests given needs to be reevaluates because our education system is flawed.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/nail-biting-standardized-testing-may-miss-mark-college-students/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/study-says-standardized-testing-is-overwhelming-nations-public-schools/2015/10/24/8a22092c-79ae-11e5-a958-d889faf561dc_story.html

What Should be Read in Classrooms

All ninth graders across Michigan read the same selection of books, Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird and Animal Farm. Every teacher approaches these required readings differently. Assignments vary, time spent on each text vary. But why those books? Why isn't there more variety in the required reading? Jeffrey Wilhelm touches on this in the sixth chapter of You Gotta Be the Book. "I also began to adopt a wider and more inclusive view of what constitutes literature. I began to encourage readers to read young adult novels, picture books, comic books, illustrated books, organic nonfiction pieces, and student writing". By utilizing different forms of writing the monotony of reading the same novels will not prevent students from being engaged.

I think it would beneficial to students to read a picture book, comic book or graphic novel while reading a denser novel. The two could be read together and compared if the themes and main ideas are similar. It would be necessary to find alternative readings that fit the novels being read and through research the monotony could be broken up. Differing assignments could then be assigned to gauge the understanding and comprehension. Choosing other writing forms would help because students tend to dislike Shakespeare so reading something along with the play might help students to focus.

It'll be important to make the curriculum individualized when I actually start teaching. By incorporating short stories, comic books, children books and other variations on written work will be helpful in engaging students. Along with other written work the use of art and music could be used in accordance with the required readings. In  my senior year English class my teacher would often times bringing music along with song lyrics to be apart of a lesson. It was a good change from the constant reading of long and sometimes boring novels.

Visualization in Correspondence with Reading

As we continue You Gotta BE the Book, Jeffrey Wilhelm talks about his experiences and his methods regarding individual students and their experiences regarding reading. In the fifth chapter Wilhelm focuses on the use of visualization when it comes to engaging struggling readers. He focuses on three individual students who prefer artistic outlets. Wilhelm describes this need for visualization as the inability to "see anything when they read, and that therefore they could not experience and think about what they had read". Students often struggle with mental visualization of what has been read. Wilhelm states that "teachers nor materials seem to emphasize visualization in reading as an important element of active reading, comprehension, comprehension monitoring, and response." Its clear that to help certain understand/comprehend material visualization needs to incorporated.

Art education as stated in the book needs greater attention. According to research conducted art education can "1) increase the variety and depth of meaning people can secure in their lives, 2) develop cognitive potential, which is achieved through the exercise of various opportunities and, 3 achieve educational equity." Wilhelm approached visualization in his own way. He let students read comic books, and picture books in contrast to novel. I think the use of graphic novels and comic books in the classroom is a great way to grab the attention of hesitant readers. As a teacher I think that visualization can also be worked in with projects to show comprehension. Students could turn a play or novel into a children's book in order to visual and show understanding.

Teaching is about understanding your students. Using visualization in the classroom will have a greater impact on some more than others. visualization will be helpful to some so finding the right amount visualization activities. If some students benefit from the activities more than others then they can apply techniques on their own in order to understand the readings.

Making Reading an Active Process

As we continue to read You Gotta be the Book in class each chapter presents new information about reading in the English classroom. Wilhelm has a way of telling from experience while informing about the best ways to engage students that he has found in all of his years. A whole section of the third chapter is devoted to "Turning Reading into an Active Process". Wilhelm talks about how some students are reluctant readers because they see it as more of a "decoding process". Wilhelm would rather have students find meaning in the reading. But he has made it apparent that this distaste for reading stems from the "traditional questions and discussion patterns". It is here that I think Wilhelm makes a great point students who aren't engaged in the reading won't ever find interest if they are given assignment without variety or assignments that do not peak interest.

Wilhelm discovered that the use of different dramatic and artistic activities helped his students experience and learn from the text. Students should be able to express their creativity in English class as to keep them better engaged in the reading, Wilhelm offers various assignments pertaining to reading and the application of dramatic means for assignments. One of the assignment I would use in my own classroom is his "Correspondence" assignment which has students write and respond to diaries, post cards, letters and advertisements in the role of a character. This assignment really seems beneficial for students. Having students write creatively about a book might peak more of an interest. An assignment like this would allow a lot of creative freedom because students could really work to make the letters or post cards fit the time period and the setting of the book.

By allowing students to be creative it helps with the understanding of key points of the book. I know that with project I would always go overboard. My finish product would be over the top and close to perfect because i was given that opportunity to be as creative as I wanted all while demonstrating my understanding. Reluctant readers given different options could develop a tolerance for reading or even enjoyment given the necessary resources.

Getting Students to Read

As we read "You Gotta Be the Book" by Jeffery Wilhelm in class the issue of getting students to read has been the focus. How do you get students to read and enjoy reading? Reading in an academic setting is always harder. And reading in general for some is not enjoyable. Throughout high school and middle school there was a good mix of avid readers and those who would only read if it was absolutely necessary. High school especially consisted of those select students in English classes who would never read the material but somehow managed a passing grade. I have always enjoyed reading but throughout my years in English classes there were certain books that were hard to get through. I had my fair share of struggles when trying to stay on track with assigned reading night. I remember "skimming" chapters just so I could pass a quiz or make my way through an essay topic, usually unsuccessfully. It does pay to actually read the text.

So, how do you grade or regulate the required reading if students are not enjoying the material? Finding a happy medium for "grading" reading is important. From past experiences I always enjoyed lectures about the reading because they really helped with understanding but lectures cannot be graded. Quizzes over the reading can be given but how frequently? What should the quizzes cover? I think if a reading quiz is going to be given it shouldn't be given after every assigned reading. Quizzes should then be multiple choice but they should focus heavily on understanding the student's interpretations of the book through short answer questions. But in order to grade reading I think the most effective way would be through understanding. In the form of a project or an essay following the end of the book. Projects and essays then shouldn't be graded on how correct they are but they should be graded on the content, understanding, and the effort.

Its far to often that students are required to fire off facts about material read. Often times avoiding the actual meaning of the text. Its important to engage students by allowing new ideas and interpretations that skew from the norm. Reading is more enjoyable if a student is able to search for meaning and apply that meaning. Or course as a teacher guiding the ideas is important but allowing ideas to flow could benefit the classes feel of the book.

Importance of Grammar Lessons in English Classes

How important is grammar to a high school English class? As a teacher how do you determine when and how to have grammar lessons? Should grammar be taught regularly? All are questions that can be asked and addressed regarding the role of grammar in a typical high school English class. In class we have been reading about and discussing grammar. I have never been comfortable with grammar and that has become one of my fears especially as a I pursue teaching. In high school and throughout my years in school I always had my mom or dad read through my papers to check for any errors. And even though I have been in English classes for all of my schooling grammar wasn't really taught. There wasn't much emphasis on grammar it was more based on content.

I do wish that I was given more instruction regarding grammar other than the brief lessons given first semester of Freshman year English. I think that once I become an English teacher my focus on grammar will come into play through writing just so its not just based on the strict nature of day to day grammar lessons on different concepts. By the time you reach high school literature classes in 11th and 12th grade grammar lessons become much less frequent and are incorporated in writing assignments or given as a part of a mini lesson.

Grammar instruction is important but I think there is certain way to go about teaching it depending on the English class and the students age and skill level. Grammar is something that should be taught starting at a young age, in elementary school and then reinforced through middle school and early high school. I do wish I received more grammar instruction in my schooling because now as a college freshman I don't feel incredibly confident in all aspects of grammar.

Thoughts on Literature

In the current chapter of Clearing the Way the topic of teaching and writing about literature is discussed. My favorite part of all the English classes I have taken has always been the analysis of literature. I always enjoyed the process of developing ideas about a book or short story as well as having my English teachers lecture on the content. In my experience I didn't necessarily have to write about the literature we read everyday, I was assigned maybe one or two writing assignments per book. But as I read about Mr. Romano's classroom I can see the importance of utilizing both writing and reading together in any high school English class. Overall the process of writing in accordance with reading makes more sense in the application of the two. 

I always enjoyed looking for themes, and symbols within the text. Romano has students take the time before reading/starting a book or short story he has students write, nonstop. They write for ten to fifteen minutes and during this period they have to explore possible themes and explore the topic of the reading. I think such a process would help open up the minds of students to help later in the analysis of the book because they have first impressions to refer back too. Writing prior to reading also lets students give first impressions and give first assumptions on book, it also allows an expression of emotion about a book, a genre or an overall opinion of reading. Having students write would help a teacher cater the lessons to the original thoughts of the students. The writing assignments before would also be well used if after the reading is complete the students got the assignment back and wrote a follow-up, to see if things turned out as expected. 

Through development as a teacher I know that I'll be able to apply writing and reading together with some creative ideas and projects. Hopefully I will be able to peak the interest of students so that reading and analysis becomes enjoyable. 

Addressing the Issues

After today's discussion in class about dealing with crisis's or sensitive subjects in the class I began to really think about how I would approach these subjects in my own classroom. How does one even begin to approach these topics? As a teacher your job description doesn't necessarily include being a counselor or a support system. But as a teacher one has to be able to be prepared to cope and help others cope with the worst,

Following the discussion I did some research into the subject and the classroom becomes an important part of coping. The classroom and the school system is a place where an educator or student can receive support when a crisis occurs. When a crisis does occur students should be informed right away to prevent rumors and students should be able to talk openly to a counselor or in a safe classroom where no judgement will be made. I also think its the job of a teacher to acknowledge the situation, not necessarily speak openly or candidly but at least draw some attention to the elephant in the room.

Further examination into the subject of specifically dealing with death in the classroom led me to The Compassionate Friends where they discussed how to deal with death as a teacher. The website mentioned how its okay for a teacher to cry and exhibit the signs of grief. Its actually okay and encouraged for a teacher to tell their students how he/she is feeling. Students will be better able to grieve if they feel supported and safe in the environment.

You can never prepare for tragedy because some things just happen unexpectedly. Even with experience as a teacher it will also be hard to deal with crisis situations. Some things will always be tough but as teachers its important to be there for the students. 

Embracing the Differences in the Classroom

I started reading the book Reading, Writing and Rising Up, and even in the first few chapters alone I feel in some sense more aware and prepared for the life of being a teacher. Even though actually becoming a teacher is many, many years away I still feel as though this book pus an excellent prospective on classroom environment.

The book focuses on the student population and the assignments used by a particular English teacher to get them to open up and be engaged in their education. Based on the school environment its understandable that some students don't particularly take well to school and the subject. And as teachers I think its important to understand that no two students are the same. By forming connections with her students through the assignments this particular English teacher was able to get through to her students and to impact their education. 

One assignment utilized was a Where I'm From poem. I have experience with this poem because I had to write one a few years ago for an English class and it was quite enjoyable to construct a complex way to describe my life and all of its influences. I think sure an assignment can really positively impact a classroom environment. Such an assignment allows students to understand where not only they came from but also where their classmates came from. 

Overall I think in a classroom catering assignments to students is not a bad thing and it should be done because they can make the difference in the environment of the classroom for the entire year together.  

I'm now excited to continue further into this book because the experiences of this on teacher alone inspires new ideas within me as well as inspires me to keep pursuing teaching because any teacher can make an impact. 

Addressing My Fears of Curriculum

Becoming a English teacher is something completely different then being an math or science teacher. Teaching English, more specifically determining what to teach is part of the struggle after being hired into a school system. As I pursue my education I always think forward to my future classroom picturing the desks and then in my head I make up the whole layout of the room. But also looking forward I begin to think about what I will actually be teaching. More specifically how will I tackle and then teach the intended curriculum.

I also find myself planning mini lessons in my head, which is a little lame, but I like to come up with creative ways to explore readings and writing. But after reading the chapter in Early Career English Teachers in Action, I have a few fears about being a first year English teacher down the road. Reading the introduction to the chapter alone made me wonder what my experience will be like, blindly planning weeks before the first day, unsure if the assignments will fit the criteria or the students. Because blindly preparing lesson plans seems intimidating because the students are the most important part, and that first year I won't know what to expect. But I agree with the book when it states "Making sure that the curriculum is actually useful to students and how they learn." Having the curriculum fit the students is a big deal and I think the best way to ensure this is too get help from other teachers and wait to do some planning till you are adjusted to the classroom environment.

These fears of curriculum also are from this fear that as a teacher I will over or under plan, but these issues can be address as the experience of actually being a teacher begins, Later on in chapter an essay about the determination of importance is brought up, whether or not something should be taught and who should make that decision. I think that as an English teacher they should have the most say regarding what is taught because as an English teacher  you have to expose students to new material and new styles whether in reading or writing. Planning a curriculum should include what is important, even if certain subjects are sensitive, like the whole issue of banned books, certain material should be explored because of content and the impact it can have.

Curriculum is something that needs to be discussed by not only English teachers a collective but also with students and administration because it is such an important and fluid subject.

Managing the Classroom

All teachers have to learn how to manage a classroom efficiently. It becomes a worry for all new teachers entering a new classroom, how to manage students and how to keep classes under control. "Effective classroom management has less to do with strategies and more to do with substance." When it come to managing a classroom experienced teachers have a combination of "authority and expertise" that aides in containing the conflict. 

This combination of "authority and expertise" is known as "gravitas"  according to Early Career English Teachers in Action. Gravitas is expressed in the body language, words, and interactions with students. Gravitas could be consider a process, and it is something that all teachers should work to developing as a skill. A teacher needs to be able to have a strong presence in the classroom. 

Top 10 Secrets of Successful Classroom Management  puts a better perspective on classroom management and also how to be successful as a teacher. 

1. Effective classroom management is based on a learn able set of skills.
2.  Establish a positive relationship with the class.
3. Praise is a powerful tool.
4. Welcome feedback from your students.
5. Create a safe learning environment.
6. Variety is the key to engaging students.
7. Establish the expectation that everyone must participate in class every day.
8. Assessments should look forward, not back.
9. Parents have expectations of teachers. 
10. Indicate to parents the potential for growth in their child.

These secrets actually put a good perspective on the classroom and how certain things can be solved and handled. But controlling a teacher that is able to control a classroom comes with experience on the job as well, so its good to develop relationships with students and colleagues to help the learning process along. 

Developing an Identity as a Teacher

As a young person entering classes for Secondary Education and particularly English its important to understand that as a teacher an identity should be established. As an English teacher establishing an identity in the classroom makes the act of being a teacher more personal. Establishing this identity creates a better environment not only for the teacher but for the students. 

In the book Early Career English Teachers in Action the section dedicated to teacher identity starts with an introduction from Lindsay Ellis, who brings up this idea of identity first talks about her changing identity as a teacher especially from the transition from student to teacher that first year. Ellis brings up some great points about identity. She puts a lot of emphasis on the expectations put on teachers stating "Thinking about what your and other's expectations are for teachers is important". Teachers held to high expectations because everyone has a set idea of what an teacher and more specifically what an English teachers should be. 

This idea of a cookie cutter teacher does not allow identity to play a role despite the fact that for a teacher establishing an identity can mean keeping a job or sticking with the career path. 

Expectations surround teachers and it's more about how to handle and grasp those expectations then necessarily live up to the expectations. "Individual students will have unique expectations based upon what they themselves have experienced and been taught about teachers from their family, community, and various cultural media." Teachers need to be aware of expectation but enter teaching open minded and with new ideas ready because students can either have bad experiences in the past or great ones. 

This article really captures the job or a teacher and what makes a teacher an individual and just all around a good teacher. How to be a Great Teacher

Expectation vs. Reality

When I first realized I wanted to teach English in a high school I immediately thought of the more glamorous and popular approaches to the subject. I thought about how passionate I could be regarding literature and how I could make an impact on students so they could experience the same love for English that I did. 

After reading the introduction to the book Early Career English Teachers in Action it hit that teaching English is not always what it is perceived to be based on the amount of grading, following a curriculum and the preparation for standardized testing. Putting it lightly, being an English teacher is a lot of work and a job of value. As said in the book "Indeed, teaching can seem a world away from Dead Poets Society, with far too little poetry and far to many test booklets." This notion that being an English teacher is always perfect leads to heavy turnover in new teachers. 

To prevent this heavy turnover in English educators there needs to be a better way to convey the actual aspects of teaching, the positive and negatives.  As said in the book high teacher retention rates also come from influences surrounding there first years of teaching. "Despite these challenges from within and without, the vast majority of new English teachers do stay in their classrooms beyond their first year. They stick it out for many reasons, but one of a mentor teacher." I think the idea of having a mentor teacher makes the transitional period easier. I also think its important to establish relationships with teachers early on, whether that be during student teaching or even before when the education classes start to begin during schooling. 

By establishing a relationship with a teacher early on some of those misconception about the subject can be addressed. Its important to understand how the subject works based on the perspective of one teaching it and someone who was in the same place years previous. 

Keeping Current in the Classroom

Most students and teachers for that matter have set ideas and opinions on school and classroom environments. My high school had students who either hated or loved school and then the students who were just there to past the time. The experience with teachers was quite similar, either they loved their job and had passion or they seemed to hate teaching those students who appeared unteachable. 

Nothing But The Truth by AVI captures the displeasure a student feels for school and in particular one teacher. But the novel also captures a teachers perspective on students as well. Providing detail into the two minds. 

The first chapter or so of the novel casts a negative shadow on how students perceive English education, reading in particular, "Young people don't read at all today- outside of school requirements. They come to literature reluctantly at best, fighting me every inch of the way."(AVI 5) That generalized statement made by the English teacher in the book does not account for all students. Although this a work of fiction I have always had the notion that students do enjoy reading. I have always enjoyed literature, and I along with many of my peers enjoy reading for pleasure. I do believe that it is not the students fault for the distaste in reading material.

The problem with getting students to engage in reading and comprehension relates back to the teacher and how the teacher approaches the issue. There's a need to spike interest and promote reading, Teachers, if required to teach the classics, should be able to teach with excitement and passion in order to incite the same feelings within a student without losing interest. As mentioned in this Washington Post Article.

It was in the novel that AVI mentioned this lack of interest from students but the issue is not one sided and needs to be examined from both in order to receive results in the sense of common interest in the subject and teaching of English. 

A Little About Me!

Hello Everyone! Well to start things off, my name is Sarah Bear. I am a freshmen entering my second semester here at Western Michigan University. I am originally from the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area so I have always been in college towns. But I had to move away from my family and that environment so that I could gain some independence and be able to do something for myself.  And because of that I am looking forward to the semester ahead, because now I have a declared major so I feel much more secure this semester. I am no longer questioning what I want to accomplish and do in life. Coming in undecided last semester seemed like the right idea but after some thoughtful consideration and reflection I confidently declared Secondary Education with a major in English and a minor in history. Declaring a major was a big deal to me because it made me feel like I had more direction and guidance.

Since coming to Western I think I have matured and grown as a person just in these past few months. The last semester was eye opening and I learned from mistakes and want to improve this semester both in the academic sense and a personal sense.

English has always been a passion of mine in part because of my experiences in high school and my educational career in general. I attended Ann Arbor Public Schools from kindergarten to twelfth grade. My high school Huron High School was pretty great and all the English teachers I had there influenced me and helped me work to improve my abilities in the subject. It was because of my teachers in high school that I would like to teach high school English. But I don't think I would want to teach in Michigan, I want to get out, I just haven't decided where I wanna go yet, but I have some time.

So this isn't just about English and college, I am youngest in my family, I have one older sister who lives at home and I have three cats. I get along well with my sister, and I have a large extended family on my mom's side so family is important. Friends are also very important to me, my best friend of 15 years lives in Virginia and we always encourage one another. I have played softball since I was 6 years old and I miss it a lot now that I don't play, because I worked hard and dedicated a lot of time to it. And it was because of softball and the discipline that I have developed a great work ethic. Besides softball, I love baseball, football and hockey! I also love concerts, although I can't always afford them! But when I can't afford concert tickets Spotify occupies my need for new music and good playlists.

Anyways, there is a little background about myself but I am looking forward to learning about the teaching of English because it is something I want to do. But I just want to continue to work hard and see what happens along the way!