This section of Chapter 5 really spoke to me because it reminded me of my Responsive Classroom training. If we are to create a safe environment where students feel comfortable taking risks, then we have to use responsive teaching. When students are able to have a deep and thoughtful conversation during the lesson, the teacher can use that information to plan for future teaching or make changes to the lesson while it is going on in order to clarify misconceptions. Our challenge then is to not get lazy and resort back to the "telling teaching" because we are so pressed to cover standards. We have to be okay with not getting to everything that we planned in our lesson because the conversation ran long. I liked Regie's list of requirements for responsive teaching and was challenged to remember that I should not repeat what students have said in order to show respect for what they have said and also to encourage students to listen to one another.
Another part of teaching that often gets put on the back burner during the standards covering frenzy is feedback, and I am guilty of this. Too often I give the praise or advice responses instead of providing them with constructive information that they can use to improve their quality of work. So again, I will be challenging myself to use more effective feedback in an effort to make them accountable for evaluating their own learning and work so they become self motivated, independent learners.
Did any of you feel the same way?
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I too have been reminded of my Responsive Classroom training as I have been reading this book. I have to tell myself with teaching reading as with using the techniques of Responsive Classroom that it just takes practice to get good at it! In Chapter 8, Regie talks about how she's not doing anything "hard" and that we can all do it too! I just hope that I can have the patience to be able to do it like Regie Routman!
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