I LOVE TO READ

“I LOVE TO READ”

Throughout student teaching I have been pushing my fourth graders to do more reading.  In my three week take-over of lesson plans I tried to plan for more read-to-self time than we had given the students throughout the year thus far.  I’ve also continuously expressed my love of reading to my students.  We have discussed how awesome reading is and how it can be used for enjoyment and learning at the very same time.  I have some rubber bracelets that say “I LOVE TO READ” on them, and I have been giving them out to students who show me they love to read.  Many times the bracelet handout has occurred when the class as a whole has gotten loud during a little down time, but one student has chosen to take the small amount of time to continue reading their book.  The bracelets have helped me with classroom management as students want to earn one, and be greatly complimented in front of the whole class, so more and more have taken it upon themselves to read whenever they have a free moment.  At the end of my student teaching experience I plan on giving every student a bracelet.  However, since having to earn one has been helpful to classroom management, I will not tell the students they all get one until it’s time to give them all one.

One day this week, a student told me the most awesome thing about reading his book.  This student has given me some troubles this year.  He hasn’t always listened and followed directions, and he’s given me some attitude about listening and doing his work.  My mentor and I decided to move him to the back of the room to see if he would cause fewer distractions, and the move has worked wonderfully! He has had a great attitude all week and has been focused and listening much more.  We took a math test, and the students were told to read-to-self when they finished.  By the time everyone finished it was time for us to transition to lunch and it was getting a little noisy.  This student didn’t even notice we had started transitioning until one of his friends tapped him on the shoulder to get him moving.  As the student went to grab his lunch pail he came up to me to share why he did not get ready for lunch right away.  His reasoning could not have been a better excuse, “Mr. Sharp, I was reading and I didn’t even notice we were getting ready for lunch.  I was just so into my book.  It didn’t even feel like I was in the classroom.  I felt like I was actually in Africa, living the story.”  When my student told me this, I beamed with joy.  It was way too cool.  We talked for a minute about how awesome it is that reading can do that for you.  He has definitely earned himself a bracelet. 

Take-over Over

I have now completed my three week takeover of all teacher duties.  It was a great experience and I learned a lot of valuable things that will stay with me forever.  Going forward I will still be teaching lessons.  My mentor and I have discussed how we will shift back toward her teaching and planning everything.  We will discuss the weekly plan together, and then decide who will teach what lessons.  We are just playing it all by ear for now.  Our plan of attack is not the most decisive plan, but I know we will make it work best for us and the students. 

I still cannot believe that student teaching is almost over.  It has gone by so fast.  Looking at the calendar I realize I only have 10.5 days of school left with my students before I finish at Thanksgiving break.  When I told them this on Friday they all asked if I’d ever come back.  I know I will have to make time to do that because I will definitely miss them.  I’d really like to come back periodically, either for a visit or to substitute teach for my mentor or another teacher, and I also want to come back near the end of the year.  I’d want to come at the end of the year to see how much the students have grown in their learning and abilities.  I’m super excited and very sad that it’s almost over, but I’ll have to get used to this feeling because it’ll always bittersweet seeing my students move on to the next grade when I have my own classroom.  I’ll be sad to not see them, but I’ll be proud of how far they came in the year they were with me.