I was set to observe a classroom that I had been in numerous times before in 406. I was familiar with some of the work the teacher did with the students and one of the things I enjoyed was her approach to reading a text as a group. Most of the students in her class struggle in school and need some help refining their reading skills. For that reason it seems she spends a large amount of time in class reading as a group. One of my fondest memories in school was in fourth grade when my class and the class next door would all sit together and listen to our teachers read us great books like Judy Blume's Tales of the Fourth Grade Nothing and Gary Paulson's Hatchet. So my impression of this approach was positive. As the students settled in to their desks, they all took out their books and Ms. G began asking for volunteers to read the dialogue of each character and the narrator. A handful of students were chosen. At first I thought this was a great idea. It was more engaging than being read to, it would keep the students paying attention to where they were on the page requiring more focus and would bring some life to the reading. I too was given a book to follow along and the class was instructed to say "popcorn" if they wanted to jump in and take over the dialogue after a few minutes. This meant that students would be given some control and choice over how the reading was handled. Even better, or so I thought.
As the student began reading their respective parts at first it seemed distracting. The flow was off a little and they clearly were not coming fresh out of drama class. I decided they just needed some time to get used to the technique. After about twenty minutes I was really confused as to which character was who, what role they played in the group and which student was reading which voice. I was so confused I realized that if any one asked me to recount the tale according to chapter nine I would not be able too. I began writing notes in my book about student engagement levels. I looked around and there was a whole session, farthest from the teacher, where non of the students were even reading their books. This was nap time to them. The teacher and her assistant made some effort to get them engaged and with some difficulty they convinced a few to take over some of the reading parts. The next time I came to observe they were continuing with the same approach to reading the next chapter. Before they could begin one student asked f they could change the approach and read the text paragraph by paragraph, or page by page. He stated that the other way felt confusing and him mind would "jumble". He said everything that I was thinking and feeling as well. I was really impressed by risk he took in sharing his difficulty. The teacher agreed to change their approach. It was not long after that some students began to complain that this way was "boring" and they wanted to go back to the old way. The teacher conceded and they went back to the role-centered reading.
I wanted to raise my and and ask if we could form groups! By this time I was remembering what the novel was about and I didn't want to miss what was coming next! Instead, I stopped following along in the reading and went back to writing notes about what was happening in the class. Now that my suspicion was confirmed I though about what could be done differently. I looked at the size of the class the number of students and their levels of engagement. I started to form groups in my head. First I would divide them by learning style: role-centered reading, page by page reading, silent readers. I would break them up as close to this as possible: one reader, two active listeners (head up, book in hand), one passive listener (head down, book open), and one unengaged student. It would definitely be tight but still possible. The groups could read for 40 minutes and have roughly 20 minutes to discuss the reading or complete a review sheet.
This approach would free up the teacher to work with each group for a few minutes at a time and make sure they were all comprehending the text or she could confer with a student she knows is struggling in something. The method she used did not allow for any individualized learning or differentiating and there was no possibility for one on one interaction.
As a student-teacher and later a professional, I will remember this experience. One of the things I hope to begin at the beginning of each year is to form reading groups if reading in class is the only option. I want ensure that all of the learning styles are respected and provided for. Students may not get along at times, but as a role model and mentor it will be my job to encourage students to find common ground and put their differences aside when they step into my classroom. Their education has to be the priority.
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