For my action research, I used journaling to help students improve on their writing, especially in the areas of making connections, elaborating and expanding on their ideas, and writing conventions. In my school, I don’t know of any teachers that use journals within their classrooms. I think that journaling opens the door to critical thinking and student expression. From my experiences, most of the teachers I have observed focus more on memorize-recall activities. Instead of giving students worksheets that have them remember a character’s name, the setting of the story, or the events taking place, teachers at my school could use journals to get students to explore an issue, a theme, or a moral message translated through literature. I think this approach to teaching literature has more relevance in light of real world application. In addition, this strategy gives students a chance to relate to what their reading, reflect on their own experiences, and share their perspectives with one another. It sparks discussion, which helps students learn to effectively communicate in front of others. I think my project has potential to inspire teachers at my PDS to engage their students in more writing activities; however, I am skeptical that they will actually change their methods of instruction. If majority of the teachers in the school integrate daily writing, especially across the curriculum, students might develop better writing skills, and possibly more positive attitudes.
If I were to take a position at my school, I think I would set the precedent for a more student-centered classroom. I am not criticizing the teachers and their way of teaching; however, I feel that they could try to make learning more interactive. One problem that persists at my school is that most teachers do not differentiate their instruction very often. In most classrooms, teachers lecture and then give students an assignment. Students become very bored and uninterested with the predictability of the school day. I would try new strategies, like readers theatre, role playing, literature circles (which I did during my internship), writing portfolios, student projects that use multimedia, web quests, group and partner work, etc. I think establishing somewhat of a routine, especially with freshman, can be advantageous, but it really drains students. A way to keep their attention is to surprise them daily with new ways of learning. Another problem I was dissatisfied with is teacher apathy. Teachers at my school seem to have lost their passion for the profession. In turn, they spend the least amount of time on their classrooms. One teacher in particular, never takes a single assignment home to grade and does her lesson plans right before school begins. I think I could encourage teachers by sharing new ideas with them, getting involved myself and pushing for more professional development opportunities. I could even ask them for advice and then share my side. In order for teachers to see me as a credible individual, they need to respect me. I think this only comes with time and personal interaction. One of the last things I would want to change about my school is the way the regular education and special education teachers collaborate. In my collaborative classes, the special educator did not assist me with teaching in any way. Some of the special education teachers do not show up for classes. It is critical that both teachers work together to plan (which is challenging, but doable), assess, and teach their mutual students. In an ideal world, teachers would get extra time to do these things, but I do not think it will happen anytime soon. A way I could improve co-teaching is to get my lesson plans to the other teacher as I did during my internship. In general, I could consult with him/her for everything that goes on within a particular class. I could tell them my expectations up front and ask them what they expect of me in turn. The biggest flaw I see with co-teaching is a lack of communication between the two teachers, which can easily be resolved through conversation.
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Whoa-- none of the other language arts teachers used journals in class? I'm having a hard time getting my mind around that. I agree with what you say in this posting about using journals to help students think about what they've read and draw larger life connections.
You bring up a tricky issue with teacher apathy/resistance. I'm thinking about your post in light of the other posts and teacher apathy is a HUGE theme. I'm troubled by that apathy and I'm thinking aloud (virtually, at least) about ways to chip away at it. I don't think you can come in as a new teacher-- or even a more veteran teacher-- and change the world, and there are always going to be some faculty members who just plain don't want to do anything not explicitly spelled out in their contract and union obligations. Perhaps effecting change comes one teacher at a time. Maybe there's just one or two teachers who are interested in talking once a month about what's working in their classrooms. Maybe it's a quick teacher idea exchange. I guess the worst case scenario is that you individually enact your teaching vision in your classroom and let student performance and growing enthusiasm float around the school.
I think above all else, you have to stay strong in your teaching vision, regardless of what your colleagues are doing within their walls. That's tough when you're the only one having students journaling, for example-- but if you believe in it, you have to hang on. With teachers who have built up decades of apathy, maybe they won't listen-- at least not now. But at the very least your students are having a more positive learning experience. I think hanging onto your own solid, research-supported practices can be a form of leadership.
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