I'm so lucky to be a reading teacher at my current school! This is the first time in my 6 years of teaching that I have collaborated with others about literacy and how to make our department better each week, for the rest of the year, and for years to come. What dedication! What grit!What a HUGE task awaits us as we strive to hash out a plethora of resources by which we compile and utilize to help further the learning capacity of our students!
As a new teacher at this school, I have had the pleasure of engaging in a variety of conversations with Ms. Vigil, from the best ways to use my time in the classroom as a reading-specific teacher, how to organize and collect data to further my instruction and student growth, to, "What's a good book to use to teach 6th graders poetry for my upcoming unit?" Recently, I got a chance to sit down with Ms. Vigil, a 12 year public school vetern with extensive experience as a classroom teacher and literacy coach, to ask her what her thoughts were about literacy.
She told me she has always worked with ESL students. She let me know how challenging it was to get older students and fill in the gaps that may have been missed early in their educational careers. She believes in small, homogenious groups for intense instruction, while exposing students to grade level material whenever possible. She swears by DRA and gathers this data 3 times a year. "With so many students?" I ask. No one helps us assess our 85-105 students in grades 5-8. How challenging it was to get all of those done! Whew! However, Ms. Vigil had "official" data reporting to do for DPS. She had to get all those tests done in a timely manner.
Ms. Vigil uses pneumonic devices, chants, and various learning styles to help students remember the skills and strategies necessary to be a good reader. She also tells me that she's stuck in her old ways, reluctant to give up some of her outdated practices for new research. All of these mindsets and habits aside, she still holds true to her mantra: ALL students will learn. No Excuses.
That is wonderful that you are a reading teacher. I look forward to all of your great advice. How lucky you are to have Mrs. Vigil to talk to. I love that she uses chants and phonemic devices to help students “remember”. I have not worked much with older students and it is great to hear that the same devices are used at all levels. It is great to hear that she goes back and reminds them how to use their strategies.
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