As the semester comes to a close, teaching starts to become more real. The reality of being a teacher has finally started to sink in and the necessity of learning how to teach effectively is becoming more and more urgent. With this mindset, I have been able to reflect on the semester and recognize the tools I have gained that will help me in my own classroom.
One of the most important things I have learned is how easy it is to incorporate effective reading, writing, and other literacy activities in a classroom. Supporting literacy can be as simple as having discipline related texts available in the classroom for students. Expressing my own interest in literacy can also encourage students to read. Perhaps mentioning something new I've learned from a book I'm reading could help students realize that reading is something many successful adults do long after they've graduated school. Incorporating effective tools during instruction and activities is another simple way to encourage literacy. For example, when teaching vocabulary I could show how words relate to each other and give students several opportunities to interact with the words. When helping students write, I could have students write to an actual audience, give multiple interesting writing prompts, or have students read the work of their peers and respond. For linguistically diverse students, I could use pictures, gestures, and provide bilingual texts during instruction and activities.
In the social studies, I will find many opportunities to use these techniques to increase literacy in my students. Reading, writing, and critically reflecting are necessary skills to understanding any social studies subject. Activities such as analyzing documents, writing essays, and participating in group discussions will be engaging and effective with the use of the many diverse, effective techniques I have learned. Then, perhaps students who were reluctant to read or hesitant to write will feel confident and proficient in their increasing literacy skills.
As I prepare to teach, I am excited to implement these literacy skills and activities in my own classroom.
