It was the best year ever in my career (17+ years -I am retired now) in dealing with homework. It was a no pressure, everyone could be successful "assignment". The love of reading grew so much in my class that year and I believe it was from self-choice and having conversations about not only about the book, but also about ourselves as readers and reading in general. I would often hear comments like "I want to be your partner today -I have to tell you about my book" in line as we were walking into the classroom. Kids really learned about each other's likes and dislikes about reading and genre. It was a happy year! Jan You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. -Albert Einstein "*If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.*" Albert Einstein
On Wed, Jul 20, 2011 at 6:56 PM, Sally Thomas <sally.thom...@verizon.net>wrote: > I love this too Jan. I notice that it is trusting students, respecting > their talk....I know it takes changing our mindsets but you DID IT. And > they do respond. Hooray! > > > On 7/19/11 8:07 AM, "Jan Sanders" <jangou...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I had my students read every night. The first 15 minutes of the school > day > > they met with a partner (their choice -could stay the same or change > daily) > > and told them about their book, why they liked it (or didn't) something > > about the setting or character... I had a list of conversation starters, > > but once they understood this was to meet with someone and talk about > > reading or what they read last night, the starters were rarely used. > Maybe > > once a week I had 1 or 2 students not read. They were allowed to read > > whatever they wanted -just be ready to talk about it. The students got > very > > excited about reading and loved that they didn't have to write about it > for > > homework, or bug mom or dad, or auntie, or grandma to sign a log. > > During those 15 minutes I would walk around to listen in to partner talk. > > We would meet as a class afterwards at the open space on the carpet > (close > > together) and I would have a few students share what their partner had > said > > while they met that day (this kept them listening to their partner as > they > > never knew who would be called on to share that day). The partner was > > allowed to interject if they wanted to clarify something. > > Jan > > > > I had parents tell me they loved the homework and students became > motivated, > > excited readers. I even had students decide to read the same book so > they > > could talk about it together. > > > > Jan > > You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your > > grandmother. > > -Albert Einstein > > "*If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for > reward, > > then we are a sorry lot indeed.*" Albert Einstein > > > > > > > > On Sun, Jul 17, 2011 at 9:21 PM, <da...@aol.com> wrote: > > > >> > >> Hello, > >> > >> I would greatly appreciate your thoughts about the use of reading logs > in > >> my sixth grade reading/writing workshop. My homework policy is that > students > >> read 30 minutes 5 nights a week or 150 minutes a week. They are free to > read > >> any book they choose. I give students a reading log, due every Monday, > that > >> asks them to document the minutes they read nightly, I ask them to write > >> about their independent reading weekly, based on the strategies and or > >> elements of literature we were studying. I maintain a classroom library > and > >> students have access to the school library every 2 weeks. My problem is > that > >> my homework completion rate is TERRIBLE. Rather , I should say that > fewer > >> than 50% of my students regularly turn in their homework. Atwell, > Miller, > >> and many, many other language arts teachers consider reading at home an > >> important part of their reading program. I am tempted to drop the the > >> reading log requiremnent, but I don't want to "dumb down" my > expectations > >> for my students who are predominantly blue collar and poor. I want > students > >> to have some accountability, but at the same time I don't want to make > the > >> homework process so cumbersome that it turns my students off to reading > >> independently. What are your experiences and insights that can help? > Thank > >> you. > >> > >> Darlene Kellum > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Mosaic mailing list > >> Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > >> > >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > >> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
