Children’s Literature Midterm

The first day of a new class is always a little nerve racking.  What will the instructor be like?  Who will the other students be, and what will they be like?  What will I be required to do for the class?  Am I really up to the class?  Will I learn what I need to from the class?  The first Children’s Literature class was no different.  When Maxime locked our professor in the closet and came to take over the class, my nervousness increased tenfold; there was no way I could live up to what this class was shaping up to be.  Maxime was interesting and quite the character, but boy was I scared for what this class was going to demand from me.  However, I feel that I have stepped up to the plate and am learning and progressing quite well. I believe I deserve an A so far.

As I consider the four course strands (communication, research/content, technology, and collaboration, and the five dimensions of learning (confidence and independence, skills and strategies, knowledge content, use of prior and emerging experience, and critical reflection), these are my thoughts.

 Communication is pretty important in teaching relationships.  There must be clear communication between students and teachers, between students themselves and between collaborating teachers. I have had a more difficult time communicating with my fellow UNM students than with the Tibbetts students.  It has been very difficult to plan for the Tibbetts lessons because we three adults have not had a clear vision of what the literature circles should be, and we each have different philosophies of teaching. We have been slow in getting started, but it is getting better as we have learned what the definition of literature circles are and what they are intended to be.  After having met with the students and had experiences to share we are improving.

Another facet of communication that I am improving in, is writing.  As we have been required to build and maintain a website, I have had to improve my writing communication skills.  It is different to write for a publication that is out in the world for everyone to see, as opposed to writing for the professor, or for other students.  I am being forced to think differently about my writing.  I have to remember to be careful about personal information, mine or that of others.  I need to be clear in instructions for students, and I want to be clear in what I am presenting so that it reflects well on me, my family, my community and my school.

 I have enjoyed doing research about literary terms, and genres.  It has helped me better understand the terms, and genre.  Having to write about them and present them, have further cemented the definitions in my mind. It was good to do research on WWII, for the class, and to research authors and illustrators as I have been reading books for my book list.  My computer research skills have certainly improved.

Technology has been my greatest challenge.  I am a “computer immigrant, rather than a computer native” (Francis).  Computers are here to stay and with the computer initiative in the Farmington school district I see that I will have to continue to learn and progress.  I see the great benefits of technology in doing research, projects, and in communicating ideas, the choices are boundless. However each time I am forced to interact with technology, mainly computers, in a new way, I panic and am afraid. But I learned a long time ago to fight the panic and jump in; I always learn. I need to keep trying, keep asking questions, and keep my mind open. As a teacher I don’t have to know everything, I only need to be willing to learn, even from my students.

Some aspects of collaboration are very hard for me.  I see the benefits of working with others, to get different ideas and points of view, and to accomplish more work in shorter amounts of time, but I have a very hard time working in groups, as is evidenced in what I wrote about in the communication section.

I have definitely gained confidence in my technological skills by maintaining a website, and interacting with students who are using technology.  I am gaining confidence in running and using literature circles also.

My research and computer skills have improved.  I am becoming more familiar with children’s literature and have been able to use the literature I am reading, and the connections with literature, in classes and tutoring sessions other than with just the Tibbetts students.  I look forward to understanding and learning more.

Understanding and learning about genres and literary terms has expanded my understanding of literature.  By learning bout genres and literary terms I am better able to make connections with the literature and with the students in discussions. 

 There is a quote from the movie “Surprised by Joy,” about C.S. Lewis that says “we read to know that we are not alone.”  I have always liked that quote and believe it to be true.  Isn’t that the point of Literature circles, to find the connections between the author and the reader, and between readers?  I am excited to continue this class journey and see what else I can learn and find out, what other connections I will make, and especially to meet all those other authors out there that don’t want to be alone.