I'm thrilled to be spending time with you all for #engchat on Monday January 23 at 7 PM EST. The focus of our time will be student voices in our classrooms and in the community.
As English teachers, we often search for avenues such as reader's and writer's workshop as ways for our students to find and share their voices. I value both of these platforms and have used them extensively in my classroom. But my recent work with students and observing in classrooms has me thinking. And I want to invite you all to think with me! Let's think about student voices in a slightly different way.
Reader's and Writer's workshop (and other similar pedagogy) asks our students to take risks. To truly take risks, we must help create a safe learning place, a place where students are invited into our classrooms as members of our team. That doesn't happen by accident. What are those things we do to establish and maintain that safe place for readers and writers? Stop and think about that for a minute. I'm willing to bet there are a hundred small things you do from day one that you don't write into your lesson plans. Or you write them into your lesson plan, but they don't look like reading and writing lessons.
So what DO you do to create a safe space? Why is it important?
How are students invited to share their voices and ideas in your classroom? Is it only workshop time?
Are you in a place where workshop isn't an option for you? How do you build in time for authentic student voices?
Do you know how your students learn best? Do you know which activities they feel best help them learn in your class? How do you know? What do you do about it?
140 character discussions are always interesting! This is a big topic. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! If you have questions before or after our discussion, don't hesitate to contact me at tlbunner@gmail.com.
Teresa
About the presenter:
Teresa has been a classroom teacher and reading specialist for 20 years at the elementary, middle and high school level. She is currently the Academic Support Specialist for the Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate Program in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. The program serves African-American, Latino/a and Burmese/Karen students to provide mentoring, tutoring, advocacy,enrichment, leadership training, and scholarship support services. You can find out more about the program here: http://www2.chccs.k12.
