My ELA classroom: A vision and kit of tools...

After reading through my first blog entry and reflecting on how my thoughts and ideas about my ELA classroom have changed since then, I concluded that my vision is not all that different. However, my toolkit of strategies for teaching writing and oracy is more robust. One cannot have an effective vision without tools. I realize that as I enter different classrooms with different students I will have to mold my vision and strategies to fit the learners in front of me.

What does my toolkit consist of? Well, since my first entry I have learned that the curriculum is more malleable than I had anticipated which can allow/ require more creativity for the teacher. I have a bank of helpful strategies for teaching writing such as literacy circles, writing workshops, barebones stories, writing territories, shredders, providing writing prompts and encouraging children to take their writing to the publishing stage. These strategies can address a number of issues that may surface with the students, such as difficulties developing ideas, feeling hindered by poor spelling skills or simply not interested in sharing that which they have written.

The strategies for writing that I have mentioned above are generally more geared towards older grades. In this entry I have returned to discuss kindergarten and grade one students. Since they are at a very early stage of writing, it is so important to encourage engagement in writing and oracy with these students. In addition to providing a rich atmosphere full of language and books, I would provide many opportunities for speaking and listening in the classroom. The sooner students are comfortable and capable speaking with their classmates, the more successful they will be throughout their academic careers. Lessons on oracy might include lunch bunches where small group of students eat with the teacher and have the opportunity to practice asking questions to each other. In class, I would provide the opportunity for students to practice telling stories either about something they did, read or imagined. Additionally, I would incorporate drama into the classroom either by following a story structure or by integrating short activities that encourage dialogue and action.

In comparison to oral language, writing may be a new and more challenging concept for these young students. It is therefore most important to facilitate the enjoyment of the writing experience with a balance of success and correction. This is where it is very valuable to use different strategies to engage children in the process and to make a distinction between free writing and writing that is to be shared or displayed for an audience.

Therefore, in both the instruction of writing and oracy, my classroom will be a safe place to express thoughts and ideas through written and oral language using many different strategies and techniques. It will be a place where students feel engaged with language, where they are willing to take risks and develop a positive perspective on continued learning.