Donalyn Miller is da bomb: Part 1

One main take-away I got from the first chapter is lack of time is the ultimate enemy of not only developing reading skills, but any skills at all. Instilling strong reading skills into the minds of children is an ever-growing emphasis in our education system. However, we as educators cannot expect to do so successfully if there’s no time to demonstrate and practice these skills. Miller emphasizes the importance of helping students build their own reading relationships and habits. These relationships and habits should allow for individual growth by creating opportunities for students to take ownership of their abilities and become more independent. Too often as adults we forget how difficult something as easy as reading is to learn and master. Because of this, educators should never seem like forceful, know-it-alls when working with students to develop their identities as readers. It’s also important for educators to know how to recognize and handle the different types of readers in their classroom.

What I’m most afraid of is combating unmotivated students. I’m mostly worried that I won’t be able to modify a lesson plan to account for each student’s needs. Another worry of mine is when I’m required to work with a teacher who teaches reading and writing strategies that I don’t necessarily agree with.  As a Special Ed teacher, I’m worried the strategies I teach will remain ineffective because I will only be with each student for a small portion of their school day. What I’m most excited about is trying out and implementing some of the individual and overall classroom techniques she discusses in the first chapter. I really dug Miller’s reading itinerary idea, as well as, the independent reading observation. I love that the reading itineraries can be used to help students become more aware of their current and developing reading habits, which allow students to take ownership of the positives, work on the not so positives, and hopefully encourage them to transfer these habits to their non-academic environment. I also love the independent reading observation idea because it forces teachers to keep themselves in-check by measuring the effectiveness of their guidance and lessons through the observed behavior and improvement of their students.

 

Also, can we discuss the bomb quotes and passages Miller included within this chapter?!? Here are some of my favorites:

“Reading forces you to be quiet in a world that no longer makes a place for that.” -John Green (pg.6)

 

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” -Charles Buxton (pg.11)

 

“Life is full of wasted moments in between our daily commitments.” (pg.11)