Robin Wright - Blog Post #7 - Teach with a Sense of Urgency Ch. #4

     Routman states right off in this chapter that teaching with a sense of urgency is "about making every moment in the classroom count."  I could really relate to the importance and urgency of this phrase.  With each passing year, it seems there is more and more that is placed on a teacher's plate. Therefore, it is crucial that we do make every moment count for our students, and they are actively engaged.  Routman expresses that our expectations must be high for all students.  The activities that they are engaged in need to be high-level thinking, problem solving and questioning.  This year in my classroom, I have worked toward my goal of integrating more curriculum through the use of centers. The planning of centers that steer my kids in the direction of becoming more thoughtful and independent readers and writers takes a lot of time and thought to implement.  The four phases of instruction that Routman focuses on is demonstration, shared demonstration, guided practice and independent practice.  I noticed that, even though they all have the same outline, the way you implement them is flexible.  I also liked that we should be teaching based on our students' needs and interests.  This has been mentioned time and time again and makes complete sense.  Of course children are going to be more focused and engaged when they are working towards a goal they are interested in.  Routman mentions the importance of integration in this chapter stating that, "breaking learning into bits and pieces can actually make things more difficult for students."  Integration is the key!  Another key factor in implementing the teaching with urgency effectively is students must have a relationship with their teacher.  I completely believe this with my whole heart.  Those kids who feel loved and validated will work harder than they ever have before for you, and in turn will make great gains in their learning.  Evaluation and assessment is barely mentioned when Routman requested teachers list the top things that make students successful readers.  I understand that test data can be beneficial for some things, but the growth of a reader shouldn't be measured with that type of data. I am excited to see how the implementation of the teaching with urgency in my classroom will benefit my students.