"Our dependent readers don't believe they can succeed and they don't believe they have anything to offer. You must believe for them." p.280
Beers tackles the topic of confidence of the student in the classroom. Thinking about being in a classroom and having the nerve to speak up and say what is on your mind has always come easy to me. I do think a lot of that has come from me being a confident reader, outgoing person, and being accepted in the classroom. Teachers need to encourage their students and make the environment comfortable to speak in. Beers gives some ways a teacher can help with the environment: Make sure students know each others names, Embrace the diversity in your classroom, and make sure there is ZERO tolerance for put downs.
These don't always let students know it is okay to respond in the class so Beers also makes it known that teachers should also provide the students with various ways for engagement. Several of her suggestions are:
-personal response log
-response notes
-very small groups
-in-class literature circles
-online literature circles
Beers also makes it known that picking an appropriate text is important, you need to think about the level of your readers and also the subject matter that is covered in the book. Picking something out of their level range and something they are totally not interested in will not result in them finding reading fun nor important. This is where SSR can fit in, making the students know what is available for them to read and that they have many options should be something presented in class. Beers seems to cover this in Chapter 14 about picking the right books.
Yours Reading,
Sara
Good points... it is critical for teachers to think about the learning environment they create.
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