I start the year with the same promise to my students. The only way to fail my class is to not do the work. I meet with nervous parents at the beginning of the year; their student doesn't read well and they often have poor grades in reading. I console them and tell them this year will be different. Just because they don't read well doesn't mean they won't do well in my class.
My class is a lot of work. We read- A LOT. In class and out. We practice for standardized testing. We do short assignments. We do big projects. We do in class work and out of class work. We write stories and we take tests. Everyone is bad at one of those (even if it is just relative). Being bad, even awful, at one of those isn't enough to kill your grade. They all balance each other out. AND I allow students to correct EVERYTHING for half credit. So even if you are bad at something, you can improve it. Now take into consideration that I offer weekly extra credit and it should be fairly easy to pass my class, right?
Unfortunately, that is not the case. I fail quite a few students every semester. Those kids all have one thing in common. They don't do work when it is due. I have a very strict late work policy. That gets kids in trouble. The kids that fail my class don't do work when it is assigned and I don't accept it after the very short grace period.
I don't believe allowing students to turn in late work benefits them in any way, at least not long term. If you get into the habit of doing things late, such as paying bills or performing a task your boss asks you to complete, life gets hard very quickly. School is intended to prepare students for life and allowing them to complete work at will does them an injustice. In addition, if directions are not followed and details are not attended to, the work will not be graded. Doing work in a timely manner is a major life skill, as is doing it the right way.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Read Read READ
A blog dedicated to improving reading ability MUST have an entry dedicated to the need to read. You don't get better at something merely by doing the bare minimum. Those that are great spend substantial time working at being the best. Reading works the same way.
I tend to refer to a sports analogy. If you want to become a better basketball player, you practice. Sports teams practice 3-5 times a week for at least an hour at a time. Students that play an instrument are required to practice daily. If a young person wants to improve at a sport or talent, it is a given that they must practice. We assume that those that are great at something practice it, even if they do have natural talent.
Reading is not any different. If you want to become a better reader, you have to read. I mean actually read- not just stare at the book or skim through without really paying attention to what you are reading. Interact with what you are reading. Make predictions, ask yourself questions, figure out what that word you don't know actually means. Really practice those good reading strategies (which is another day's post!).
To become a seasoned reader, you have to read a variety of things. If you only practice your spike in volleyball, you are likely only going to be good at spiking. And since you aren't always able to spike, that's not going to be good enough. That's why coaches have you practice all areas of a sport. And that's why teachers have you read a variety of styles and formats. Nonfiction reads differently than fiction. You need different strategies to read a graphic novel than you do to read the newspaper. All of these areas are important.
Finally, you have to make sure that what you are reading is a good fit for you. A student first learning to play the flute isn't going to have much fun being tossed into symphony and being expected to play along when they don't even know how to read the music. The same is true with books. A good teacher can help you work with materials higher than your current level and some good strategies will definitely help you compensate, but you aren't going to get far by yourself. Of course, the reverse is true as well. You aren't going to get better by reading something that is too easy. Michael Jordan (I know, pretty dated example) wouldn't expect to improve his playing by practicing with 5th graders. You aren't going to be a better reader by reading a simple book just because it's quick. It's all about finding a book that is interesting and just challenging enough.
Then, READ IT!!!Why you should read
I tend to refer to a sports analogy. If you want to become a better basketball player, you practice. Sports teams practice 3-5 times a week for at least an hour at a time. Students that play an instrument are required to practice daily. If a young person wants to improve at a sport or talent, it is a given that they must practice. We assume that those that are great at something practice it, even if they do have natural talent.
Reading is not any different. If you want to become a better reader, you have to read. I mean actually read- not just stare at the book or skim through without really paying attention to what you are reading. Interact with what you are reading. Make predictions, ask yourself questions, figure out what that word you don't know actually means. Really practice those good reading strategies (which is another day's post!).
To become a seasoned reader, you have to read a variety of things. If you only practice your spike in volleyball, you are likely only going to be good at spiking. And since you aren't always able to spike, that's not going to be good enough. That's why coaches have you practice all areas of a sport. And that's why teachers have you read a variety of styles and formats. Nonfiction reads differently than fiction. You need different strategies to read a graphic novel than you do to read the newspaper. All of these areas are important.
Finally, you have to make sure that what you are reading is a good fit for you. A student first learning to play the flute isn't going to have much fun being tossed into symphony and being expected to play along when they don't even know how to read the music. The same is true with books. A good teacher can help you work with materials higher than your current level and some good strategies will definitely help you compensate, but you aren't going to get far by yourself. Of course, the reverse is true as well. You aren't going to get better by reading something that is too easy. Michael Jordan (I know, pretty dated example) wouldn't expect to improve his playing by practicing with 5th graders. You aren't going to be a better reader by reading a simple book just because it's quick. It's all about finding a book that is interesting and just challenging enough.
Then, READ IT!!!Why you should read
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