Encouragement

For my reading blog I read Chapter 12 from Classrooms the Work by Allington and "Every Child a reader: What one Teacher can do" by Pinnell. I found the later article so encouraging because I feel that so many educators and teachers in training can become overwhelmed with the assessment geared, observation laden style of schooling we've fallen into. I can only hope to someday have a classroom like that of Carol's in the article.  I feel like it really spurs us all on because it reminds us to stick to our guns about helping students and wanting them to learn. Too often and too easily do teachers fall into a rut and look towards worksheets etc for lessons, instead of drawing on inquiry and engagement. I especially like her point about taking time to create a community. For some students school is there on area to feel safe and in control, creating a community helps all students to feel welcome and involved in their education.

What are good ways to not become overwhelmed and fatigued by the position?

Real Life Inquiry

Over spring break I was able to go into a classroom and observe something I've always wondered about, how teachers maintain their classes during read-alouds. It's something I have always struggled with because your attention has to be so many places and you strive to control the class with out further disrupting the lesson. The teacher I was observing, Ms. S, and her co-teacher, Ms. B, did a wonderful job of this. Before the class began reading they jumped once, got out their 'wiggles', and then sat down criss cross apple sauce, on their pockets. (Which I thought was particularly clever because it avoids the ever controversial word 'bottom' hah. ) Then Ms. S introduced the book to the class. They were reading Sense Suspense by Bruce McMillan, and to get the ready to read she explained that our senses relate to adjectives because we use them to describes how things touch, taste, feel, sound, and smell.

Once Ms. S began reading she also began to ask questions about the book, she would have the students identify the picture and ask them for what senses they think they would use with that object and how. This is were the classroom management became evident because she only called on those who were raising their hands and she would say the name of the person she was calling on. She also set rules about that before reading, saying that she would only talk to people who were on their pockets raising their hands. If another student shouted out after she had called on someone she would simply remind them that they "only have one Mike in [their] class" and then wait for Mike to answer instead. Ms. S focused mostly on the choices students were making, taking no more than a few seconds to tell them to make wise choices or remember that they are choosing to leave the carpet if they continue. She also would make whole class suggestions in a polite and involving way, " I would love it if we would raise our hands" instead of just telling them to raise their hands. At the end of the book when the class was beginning to get antsy while answering question she had them all stand up and do some brief exercises to settle them back down, while continuing asking questions about the book.

I like the idea of making student responsible for themselves, reminding them that they are making choices and all choices have consequences.
Are there any other specific suggestions about how to manage a class while reading?