Literacy
Even though technology has spread to every corner of our society, it doesn't mean reading isn't needed! You're reading this sentence right now because someone, many years ago, taught you how to do so. It's a teacher's job to guide their students and build up their skills; literacy is no different. Since children are naturally curious, they will need reading and writing skills to be able to learn about the world they have been brought into. I intend to make sure that their literacy and reading experience does not hinder them from growing and thinking.
Literacy is all about being able to take meaning from what you read. It takes a lot of practice and guidance, but it can be done. I want to make sure my students are making the most of their reading experience, which means teaching them to gain and give meaning to what they read. I want to read aloud to my students every day so they can have thoughts, discussions, and debates over topics like segregation, pollution, and even sharing. This time of being open and expressing thoughts will also build trust in my classroom community and give my students confidence to express their views among their peers. I understand that not all students will be up to taking on this challenge, but I hope that I can give them the tools they need to take off!
When I get my own classroom, I would love to have a library full of books in many genres, topics, and reading levels. I feel these are important materials for literacy instruction as well to foster a positive reading experience. My students will need a variety of material to work with when we participate in discussions and journal entries to express their views on the topic we are exploring. I want to use good assessments in the beginning of the year to create a guidline for myself to assist my students. This will help me develop strategies and plans to implement throughout the year. Small groups, writing tasks in varying complexities, and whole group/paired discussions are just a few ways I intend to bolster my class's thinking and analyzing.
I don't want my students to think of reading as a chore or obligation for school. While that may be the case, I want to put the love of reading into each my students. I also know that each my students will have different interests and reading styles, so I want to expand my library to accomodate to their interests in order to give them a good advantage in literacy. Independent reading time will allow my students to unwind and begin to build a fondness of recreational reading. If they begin to think of it as a reward rather than a chore, then the road to literacy becomes much less bumpy.