Reflection on the Memorandum

I really like when I get the opportunity to write about something real in a creative way. I liked that I could be in character and have a voice in what I envision a English Language Arts curriculum to look like. It was hard for me to get started with the memorandum because I had a hard time trying to put all of my ideas into organized recommendations. The recommendations that I chose were an accumulation of many ideas that I found to be very crucial when implementing a literacy program. There was so much that I wanted to say and I found that I didnt have enough space to write all that I wanted to. As I look back, I hope that I was able to portray all that I was envisioning throughout the five recommendations that I stated in my memorandum. I was suprised to find that I was more envolved in what I was writing because of the fact that I had an audience, even though it was only a fabrication! If that assignment was to be repeated, I don't think that there is much to change. I was really happy with the detailed expectations that I was provided with along with the open-ended creativity that we were able to embrace throughout the assignment.

After reading the first chapter of The Rules of Thumb, I realized how much there is to know when it comes to the world of literacy. I have always felt pretty confident when it comes to punctuation and grammar but, there are definitely some problem areas that I was confirmed in while reading. One area in which I have always struggled with is whether or not it is appropriate to write out the numbers or just type out the numbers. The book said that if the number has more that two words (i.e. >twenty five) then you type out the number. I also found the section that discussed the one-word or two-word topic helpful. I have always mixed up whether or not words like alright or alot were one or two words. These problems that I have with literacy have been repeated over and over, being able to have a resouce like Rules of Thumb when I begin to teach will be helpful because there are aspects of writing that will continue to stump me.

Reflections on Readings

After reading these four articles I have learned a lot about the kind of teacher I want to be. One quality that stands out to me the most is the idea of modeling. I can not expect anything from my students that I am not doing myself. If I assign a reading assignment, I should be reading just as much (probably more) as my students. The same goes for writing, I want to continue writing even after college. In order for me to understand the struggles that my students are going through I want to say that I have experienced those same stuggles. This way the students will know that I can level with them and they can overcome their difficulties in writing. I also have learned that allowing students to have a voice with what they are able to write eventually allows them to know better how to write. Despite the potentially controversial topics that may arise, I think it is important for students to know that writing is a great outlet. As an educator, I feel like it is my duty to not parade around the hardships that my students maybe encountering, but to recognize that it is a real life situation in which, they should not be ignored. I have learned that developing a process in which free writing is available is an important step for students to become good writers and enjoy it as well. A healthy classroom community in which the students feel comfortable feeding and retaining from one another is an important attribute in the classroom that I hope to incorporate. The social interaction and discussion in the classroom will help students to be more clear and deliberate in their writing.