Synthesis

My views of the need for literacy have changed dramatically since the beginning of this semester. Originally I thought, "It's mathematics and science, who needs literacy for those?" but I know now that everyone needs literacy especially for these subjects.

(Warning: lame analogy ahead) I have this tendency to put everything in analogies. I guess it is a way for me to really personalize the big ideas that I have learned and try to explain them to myself in a completely different way. For literacy, I think of the analogy of a bike. Everyone has a bike but not everyone knows how to ride it. Early on everyone is taught to ride with training wheels but when those training wheels come off (around the 3rd grade when we stop teaching literacy expressly) some students are left in the dust and no one goes back to help them out. These students would definitely benefit from direct instruction about how to ride the bike so that when it comes time to use it, they are able to get where they want to go.

I've said it before but I think the thing that will stick with me the most is scaffolding. Mostly because the word was said about 1000 times in class, but also because I have come to realize how important it really is.  The biggest difference between successful students and non-successful students is their ability to "do school". For those who struggle to "do school" why don't we teach them how? If they are struggling with fractions, we would help them understand but when it comes to struggling with being a student, we tend to ignore it or blame it on them being lazy.

I was in the category of thinking the students were lazy. I never thought that they didn't have the tools or structured guidance that they needed. I know better now and I think this knowledge will greatly benefit my students. I know I won't be able to reach every single one of my students (I wish I could but I heard having that as an aspiration, especially the first year, will kill you) but I will happily help with any student that I can.