Ch. 12 Make Every Minute Count

The title of this chapter says it all! As with all curriculum areas we need to make sure that students are doing activities for a purpose. I also agree with Reggie when she says that we should lighten the load on ourselves as teachers. Kids are not the only ones who will shy away from writing if we continue to make it a heavy burden on ourselves and keep lugging that bag of work home each night. Finally, I have always felt that a strong rapport of trust and respect between my students and I was essential to enjoying my job and being an effective teacher. I spend seven hours a day with these kiddos and I grow to care about each of them. That was reaffirmed as Reggie points out that it's important that our students know who we are. I often tell little stories or funnies that happen in my household. It helps the kids know who I am. I don't always think to include those little stories in my modeling of writing. This will be something new for me to try.