Routman Chapter 4 -Teach with a Sense of Urgency
In the first sentence, Routman says teaching with a sense of urgency means making every moment in the classroom count. We have from August until May (really April for testing purposes) to fill our students with all the information and skills they need in order to move on successfully to the next level of learning.
As fourth grade teacher for 16 years, I don't feel like I truly taught reading correctly until last year. Before last year, I taught reading basically the same way to every child using the same basal story and skills. Last year it truly hit me that I have to teach each child on their own level using stories or readings that interest them. This allows me to focus in on what each child truly needs to work on and skills they need help with to be successful. Routman mentions that it is our responsibility as teachers to make sure that our students become excellent readers, and if we don't know how to do that, it is our responsibility to learn how. The classes we have had over the last year and a half and conversations I have had with a fellow teacher who excels in reading have helped me to grow and become a better reading teacher. One thing I am focusing more on this year is to evaluate students on a regular (weekly) basis and give them feedback on what they did well and what they need to work on to improve. At first this overwhelmed me and made me question what I was doing, but after a few weeks, I enjoyed seeing how students had improved (could see through their reading with me how they took what we discussed and applied it to their independent reading). Routman discussed how teachers need to base instruction on what students need rather than what a specific program tells you as a teacher to do which reinforces what I am doing with my class.
Routman discusses how students have to develop confidence that enables them to read successfully with minimal assistance. This made me think specifically about three students in my current classroom that lack confidence in their reading and want to be fully guided and helped every time we read together. We spend time together reading and discussing what they did well and what needs to be worked on. We discuss things to try when they read alone at school and at home, but that lack of confidence still remains. Routman discusses how students who depend on me for all their feedback are limited in how much they can learn, and that is what worries me especially with these three students. I know that there are other factors in their lives that affect their confidence, but trying to find what would work has been challenging.
Basically what this chapter stresses is setting high expectations for students and doing whatever is necessary as teachers to help them reach their potential. Teaching isn't just following a set program and letting students fall where they may. Teaching is taking a child from their current level and giving them the skills and confidence needed to succeed.
Boy, did that quote from Routman hit home! That if we don't know how to do it, it is our responsibility to find out. That is what we expect of our students and our own personal children. We all need to grow if we want to make progress. There are definitely high expectations for all of us!
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