M. Suggs- Module 1

Michelle Suggs
Module 1 Blog
February 9, 2022

Standard 1 discusses having the foundational knowledge needed to be a successful reading teacher/specialist. This is the foundational standard because all other standards build upon this one. It is essential that a literacy specialist has a solid understanding of the theoretical, historical, and evidence-based foundations of reading, writing, language, speaking, and listening in order to be effective.

Lenses on Reading by Diane H. Tracey and Lesley Mandel Morrow introduces theories and models and the difference between the two in chapter 1. One major concern for reading and ELA teachers is what to do when a child is having reading difficulties even after traditional reading instruction and the teacher’s best effort have been given. At that point, the teacher or reading specialist has to rely on theories of education and reading to try and find a solution for the student. According to the reading, a theory of education refers to “a well-documented explanation for the phenomenon related to teaching and/or learning. Theories are used to explain learning, motivation, memory, achievement, and intelligence.” It was also noted that because there are different issues associated with reading difficulty, there are different theories that might be able to explain the problem(s).

According to the same reading, all teachers come to the classroom with a set of theories, whether conscience or unconscious, and those theories are closely related to the teachers’ behaviors and practices. These theories become part of their belief system regarding the nature of children and how they learn. For these reasons, teachers should have a variety of well-researched and effective educational theories in order to help all students be successful in reading. Teachers should also understand the reasons behind what they are doing in the classroom. When teachers become aware of the full range of research-based theories, their teaching skills can greatly expand; they can select those interventions that best suit the particular teaching situation, which optimizes the effectiveness of their instruction; and their understanding broadens allowing them to coordinate and provide complementary instructional interventions from a wide variety of theoretical orientations. The reading also points out that although some people use the terms theory and model interchangeably, a theory is understanding what may work for a student, and a model consists of plans and procedures for the teacher to carry out the understanding of the theory. Understanding the research is only half the battle; the teacher then needs to apply this research to his or her teaching in the classroom to effectively help struggling readers.

Why is literacy so important? When a child struggles in reading instruction, that same child will struggle in all other areas of academics. Visible Learning for Literacy by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie states that visible learning for literacy is important for the following reasons: 1. Literacy is an antidote for poverty. 2. It makes life better. 3. Literate people have more choices at work and in life. 4. Literacy teaches people how to think successfully and build one idea upon another. 5. Finally, literacy opens the door to other learning. As you can see, literacy is the foundational building block for so many other areas. Because of this importance, teachers should do their best to help struggling readers. This has to be done by understanding a variety of strategies and approaches based on solid and well-researched theories. There is no single or simple answer. Different approaches work in different situations and for different students. Chapter 1 states that great teachers know certain things including that different approaches work more effectively at different times, different approaches work for different students better than for other students, different approaches work differently depending on where in the learning process a student may be, and finally, great teachers intervene in specific, meaningful, and calculated ways to increase learning.

Chapter 1 from Creating Classrooms That Work by Patricia Cunningham and Richard Allington discusses different research conducted on different teachers/classroom over different grade levels and even different states for different periods of time and finds the similarities between the most effective teachers/classrooms. Being a middle school teacher for most of my career, the main characteristic that stuck out to me was excellent classroom management. You cannot teach a class you cannot control no matter how excellent you are as a teacher. I learned that at my first teaching job, which was teaching English at a high school. I was so excited! I walked in and began talking to my students, introducing myself and my English course. The problem- many of them never stopped talking. I talked louder, but they continued to talk. I learned quickly that before I introduced myself or my course, I needed to “lay down the law” and set forth my expectations for behavior. Getting control of my classroom made all the different in being able to effectively teacher my students.

Several other characteristics stuck out to me from these studies. One was giving students many opportunities to read and write throughout the day and throughout different subjects. Many years ago, I taught 5^th grade ELA, and my last year, I was given a classroom full of students who did not pass many of the sections of the CRCT in the 4^th grade. I used novels to teach across the curriculum. Reading and writing can be incorporated in all academic subjects, and it paid off for my students that year. Many of my students were successful on the CRCT for the first time in years. Struggling readers struggle in all subjects- not just reading. Another characteristic was that high but realistic expectations were given to each student. Many times, students will live up to the expectations put on them, whether high, average, or low. Another characteristic that I know to be effective in my own career is high student engagement. If the students know that they can goof off the last 5 minutes of class, then that is what they will do. And many times, 5 minutes becomes 10, and 10 minutes becomes 15; at this point, the students became to be training that your class and your time is not important. Self-regulation and self-thinking are also important to me as well. Most students can regurgitate what a teacher says, but they have to be expected to think for themselves and become their own “teacher” at times. The final characteristics that are highly important to me include having a positive learning environment, which connects back to classroom management, and incorporating a variety of teaching and activities. I found that the more I learned about my students outside of my classroom, the more they liked me. Forming relationships with students can be as simple as asking a student about his or her soccer game the night before as they are coming in or out of class or going to the chorus concert after school or writing a student a card after the loss of a grandparent.

This reading states that in conclusion the following eight conclusions were found in effective classrooms in which all the children learn to read and write. 1) The most effective classrooms have balanced and comprehensive instruction. Teachers should not spend too much time on one component of reading, writing, and literacy. Teachers in these classrooms provide all the important ingredients, not just one component. 2) Children in the most effective classrooms do a lot of reading and writing. You must do and practice in order to learn. 3) Science and Social Studies are taught and integrated with reading and writing. Many reading skills can be taught through nonfiction writing that is part of that grades curriculum. I think teachers often get caught up in compartmentalizing their subjects that they forget that they are all connected. 4) Teachers emphasize higher-level thinking skills. Base knowledge is certainly necessary, but students must move beyond base understanding. Teachers must ask questions that have more than one answer. Teachers must ask questions that engage students in conversations and help them problem solve, self-regulate, and monitor their own learning. 5) Skills and strategies are explicitly taught through modeling and demonstration. Teachers also remind students what they have been taught and give them multiple opportunities to apply what they have been taught and how to use the information independently. 6) Teachers use a variety of formats. Whole group, small group, and individual learning all have their place in different situations. The grouping or setting should change from day to day depending on what the teacher is attempting to accomplish that day. 7) Effective teachers use a variety of materials. No one single program will work best for all students. 8) Classrooms are well managed and have high levels of engagement. Classroom management is the key. No matter how amazing a teacher is, he or she cannot effectively teach in chaos due to disruptions and behavior management issues.

Going back to Visible Learning for Literacy, every student deserves a great teacher, not by change, but by design. Administrators often use this somewhat annoying statement- “Parents send us the best they have; they don’t keep the good ones at home and send us the mediocre or bad ones.” However, it is true. They send their students, many times with no support at home, no support for the school at home, no prerequisite skills, no supplies and materials, and the list goes on and on, but we have to do the best we can with every student every day and not just our favorites. All students deserve a quality education and a great teacher who develops strong relationships, knows his or her content information and how to teach it, and self-reflects his or her impact on the students. Students should be given instruction not by chance but by design. Teaching takes research, planning, and preparation.