Project 3: Step 3

Step 3:

·      To what extent you were expected to follow a scripted curriculum, or add your own ideas to a curriculum that already exists, or create a unit that is entirely new?

o   For the most part, I was expected to follow a very strict scripted curriculum in its format, but I was able to adapt and interject my own teaching ideas to enhance the unit. This allowed me to teach new readings, rather than the ones suggested, just in the same format as the curriculum models.

·      What was unproblematic and/or challenging about planning a unit in the context?

o   This was fairly unproblematic for me and the students because I was able to still teach in the style that we have been using all year, just adding my own ideas, activities, and stories to enhance the students learning as well as make it more enjoyable to teach. The students benefit from this style as well, because it is consistent with what they are used to using.

·      What obstacles did you face? How did you overcome them?

o   The biggest obstacle I faced was running out of time to accomplish everything I would have like to finish. I overcame this by having to plan better as we progressed through the unit, to manage myself while teaching each lesson, and to make sure I was able to choose which parts of the lesson were most important and necessary.

·      What dilemmas did you face and how did you manage them?

o   Due to the style of the basal reader, the students express their dislike for the Reading Street style of weekly tests. At times, the student complaints became a dilemma. But I was able to manage these dilemmas by helping the students understand what is expected of them, the program, and the school district, and the reasons for why we take the weekly tests.

·      What enabled you to be successful?

o   I was able to be successful by my resourcefulness while teaching and my abilities to adapt lessons on the go to make for better literacy learning.

·      Did the unit proceed as you expected? Why or why not?

o   For the most part, the unit did go as expected. There were a few changes that were made, but none that were excessive or altered the direction that I had envisioned the lesson to go in. This was able to be accomplished due to adaptability and listening to the ways in which the students wanted to learn best.

·      ·      What surprises or “ah ha” moments did you experience?

o   I was surprised by the student distaste for the style in which the Reading Street program is set up, but also their appreciation for differentiation away from the program. When I was able to take the skills associated with the program and implement them with different reading and writings other than the ones in the book, the students enjoyed and responded to that style of learning much better than working with the Reading Street program.

·      What do you still need to learn about teaching in the area, about your developing your core practice, and about teaching literacy in general?

o   I still need to learn ways in which I can adapt the curriculum so that all students can learn in ways that are fun, appropriate, and engaging for the differing levels of readers. It was a lot to try to take in as I was teaching the lesson in the moment, and making adaptations as I went. Now having taught a lesson like so, I can better prepare myself for the ways in which different students learn, and will be able to plan and use differentiated strategies for specific learners. I would like to continue to learn new ways to teach literacy to a variety of diverse literacy learners, new techniques, styles, book clubs, and materials needed to do so.