2/18

This weeks reading were a lot more helpful for me as a student than as a student teacher. For Mrs. Bomer’s class we are required to keep a writers notebook, and that’s something I’ve been struggling with. What I’m struggling with the most is kind of making my writing process…I guess clear. I don’t know if that explains what I’m trying to say, but trying to describe my writing process in words is very difficult. Before reading about this, I never considered the process of writing. For me, it feels like something that just happens. When I’m writing, especially for personal purposes, I can’t remember what the process was. It seems that the words just kind of travel in a very fast pace from head to my fingertips. I know there is a process, but I’m having a lot of difficulty finding it within myself.

Nonetheless, I agree with Mr.Bomer, when he says that helping students with the process instead of he final product is a lot more productive. So it’s definitely something I need to work on, so I’ll be able to share it with my students.  I also think it’s a good thing, that it’s not coming so easy to me, because I’ll probably be able to relate to my students who experience the same difficulties, and do much better job getting through it.

I enjoyed the chapter in Smagorinsky’s text, and I definitely agree that teachers should not always lead discussions. However, going back to my experience at Miami Central, some students and classrooms are not always ready for that kind of independence and it is up to the teacher to get them to that point. At Central we’d do what was called a “Socratic seminar” which is much like the “Fishbowl” that Smagorinsky describes. It didn’t always work for all of the classes because sometimes the climate of the classroom just didn’t allow it. Doing that is also kind of hard; because you feel like there’s a message or idea that you want them to tackle, and if they don’t, and the discussion is all over the place, you might feel like it failed.

I have left many “Socratic Seminars” feeling like the students didn’t get anything out of it. I remember once we were having a discussion about an article that talked about the inequalities in the legal system when it comes to African American and Latino men v.s White men. The seminar ended with more promoting violence than looking critically at the justice system. I don’t think there was anything wrong with how they reacted to the article, it wasn’t unexpected, but I think the teacher should definitely follow up on those kinds of things.

As for my placement, there’s nothing really new. The students were working on typing their plays last week and I should be teaching a lesson Thursday. I’m still a little apprehensive about what I should do because of the behavioral issues, but I’m sure it will all work out. I’m anxious for them to get used to my personality so once I get passed this first teach everything thereafter should be a breeze.