Chapte 13

I looove this chapter!! I just think it's so great that Beers devoted this entire chapter to giving kids the confidence they need to really want to read. This is something I've been thinking about a lot. In fact, I just had a conversation with my mom about why I really want to teach English. I want people to want to read. I want to help people find the pleasure I do in text. But, it's hard to do that. So, Beers is explicit about some ways to go about it.
When I worked with a teacher at Firestone this semester, I learned that keeping expectations high is one of the key techniques he uses with his students, and that's just what Beers says is the way to do it! She says, "As we watch other students struggle with reading (specifically) and learning (in general), our first reaction is often that we need to make the curriculum easier" (261). But, what will happen, if we do that is that kids will think, "Our class doesn't read hard stuff. The teacher thinks we can't do it (261). They're not oblivious. Our students will notice what we do and often why we do it. That's important for me to remember. Even at a young age, (and perhaps especially) kids are really observant. My tutorees often tell me things about what I'm doing that I don't even know I'm doing. I can't overempasize the importance of high and consistent expectations for students, but, thank God, Beers has done it for me.
Another concept Beers presents here corrolates really well with an idea I've worked on recently. I know that learning styles vary widely in people, and it doesn't stop with just the learning. Everyone has their own comfort level. Beers says that teachers should encourage risk in the classroom by creating a supportive environment. But, she also promotes giving students options. "I give participants/students three opportunities for participation:
~They have the opportunity for personal reflection that they can choose to share with no one or perhaps only with me.
~They have the opportunity for small-group discussion with others whom they choose.
~They have the opportunity to speak up in the large-group setting" (264).
This is similar to the emerging concept to give students options in terms of which test they'd like to take, i.e. a multiple choice test vs. a short answer or essay.