Jeanna Tate #3

October Blog Post/ Reading Essentials Chapter #12

“You Only Have So Much Time”

Jeanna Tate

            Chapter 12 of Reading Essentials by Routman caught my interest since time is a great concern these days.  I feel overwhelmed at times with all the tasks and the short amount of time to complete them.  In conversation with teachers of various grade levels and other schools, I find they too are struggling with time constraints as well!  There never seems to be enough time to meet the requirements and have time left over for an interesting life outside of school.

            The days at school are longer and finding a way to work smarter is a challenge!  I want the time spent planning to be meaningful and productive, yet with so many resources available, it is increasingly difficult to know what to choose and what to eliminate.  Routman suggested teachers trust their own experiences when planning instruction.  Only the teacher truly knows what works best in the individual classroom and it is not usually found in a teacher manual or guide!  It comes from experiences. 

            Planning and tasks for students should be kept simple, enjoyable, and meaningful.  Students are usually quick to engage in activities when they connect to them.  Routman states, “How is this activity helping my students become more independent as readers, writers, and thinkers?”  If it doesn’t help them grow, then get rid of it!  Often times, teachers plan activities which may or may not be meaningful but take hours to plan and deliver and the end result is not all that productive!  We need to look closely at daily schedules and remove the “fluff” within. 

Many procedures that are not of high importance should be eliminated.  Changes should include time for more uninterrupted reading and engaging activities.

            Collaborating with others, planning together, and examining schedules will hopefully allow teachers to maximize each moment of the day and allow time and energy for interesting lives inside and outside of the classroom.  Teachers cannot be effective on a daily basis if they are exhausted and not able to show excitement for learning!  Fitting it all in is a task for us to conquer together!