This chapter spoke to me on so many different levels and especially after a year like this one! Routman gave many wonderful pieces of advice! The message I thought Routman was trying to convey is that it is okay if each lesson you teach does not look like it should be on Pinterest because you deserve an interesting life! You are a great teacher and need to rely on your experiences and knowledge; if you relax and put forth your best effort in meaningful instruction, your students will benefit! The whole chapter makes you feel like you can take a sigh of relief!
I identified with keeping a lively pace. I only see each group of students for 50 minutes at a time which seems like 10 once we get going. I struggle all of the time with just wanting 20 more minutes! I need to make sure I make every minute count and keep a lively pace. I notice that some days I can quickly lose the attention of my students. Last year, I gave my students 'brain breaks' between activities where they could have the 'cognitive rest' Routman refers to. I have thought about using these again this year, but after reading the chapter, I will definitely be making use of 'brain breaks' again! I will certainly be looking back to this chapter for more advice as I try to make the most of my time with my students.
Yes, there is so much to do and little time which is why our lessons don't have to look like Pinterest! It is so much more important to provide for students where they are with variety and interest to make sure they're engaged. That can get a bit messy at times :0)
ReplyDeleteAh, Pinterest... where we go in hopes of saving time, but where we actually lose it as we become stuck in endless searching. :-) Yes, sometimes taking a little extra time (like for brain breaks) makes time more efficient in the long run!
ReplyDelete