I have to say that Silva's article was quite thought provoking. I guess I have never analyzed the fact that reading has been thought of as a bedtime activity. We were read to at bedtime as children, and as adults we read to "relax" while lying in bed at night. We begin to associate reading as a comfortable, relaxing, pleasurable event. Yet, each day we expect our students to read while sitting all prim and proper at their desks in neat little rows while raising their hands and using indoor voices. The idea of converting your classroom into a place where students can sprawl, slouch, stretch, or even listen to music while reading is great. Providing an atmosphere that reflects the comforts of home (where we derive most of our first reading experiences from and have come to enjoy) can only be conducive to creating a classroom reading culture. As ENG 619 teachers, I think we have learned that being willing to break the traditional classroom barriers and to let go of what we have been taught needs to be present to represent an effective classroom environment is very important. So what if you have bean-bag chairs in your classroom and so what if you let your students wear headphones while reading? This is bad how? If we are willing to go above and beyond our own expectations (and sometimes other people's) of what a classroom should be then I feel that we are truly creating an effective learning environment.
Also, I think Silva said it perfectly when she said that if she set up strategies to catch her students not reading or lying about what they read that she would be negating her purpose of modeling what it is to be a reader. If we focus on trying to catch students not reading, we will be taking time away from what we really want which is to see students reading. Modeling is key.
On a side note, Jacqueline, I think she addresses your question from last week about preparing your students for state tests without changing the curriculum.
My ramblings for the day.
~Jenn
Jenn,
Thanks for thinking of me. I haven't had a chance to read the article yet, but am looking forward to it now more than ever!
Posted by: Jacqueline | May 08, 2006 at 02:06 PM
Jenn, I agree. You'll be interested in knowing that I had a bean bag chair in my classroom many years ago. This is 30 years ago--would I lie to you? It was the 70's remember...bean bag chairs were in. And the rest of this story is not for the faint of heart.
The prin. used to bring Board of Ed members (who came to b'ball games in the gym) up to show them my room and they all stood around and shook their heads and wagged their fingers.
Ultimately, the story circlulated that kids were making out in the bean bag chair.
The chair is history now, was history after that accusation, and the "grammar of school" remained safely intact.
KES
Posted by: Karen | May 08, 2006 at 02:45 PM