This year has been spectacular in terms of Professional Development. I won't lie, I'm not one that enjoys the forced PD, so I attempt to find learning opportunities that interest me and that I feel are important to helping me develop. Well, this year I have been successful in finding PD opportunities that fit!
Rather than relying on traditional PD, I reached out and got involved based on areas of need/want in my own teaching practice. One of those areas: Guided Reading. My interest in this area began a few years ago when teaching ESL C. For those that don't know what course that is, English as a Second Language courses are broken up into levels A-E, where A are beginning learners, and E are approaching grade level. I teach the students that are smack dab in the middle in terms of English acquisition. That being said, it's important to understand that ESL courses are credit-bearing courses, so as long as students can achieve 50% of the curriculum, they are able to move on to the next level. Language acquisition doesn't happen at the same rate as credit acquisition, which is what brought me to my next realization: my students have no idea what they are reading!
I was realizing that the book that was traditionally taught in ESL C was not well understood by the students. This had me questioning so much about my own teaching practice - Why don't they understand the book? Am I doing something wrong? How can I help them without having to read aloud the whole novel? I felt like I was failing them. It was then that I decided to take PD into my own hands.
I reached out to my Instructional Program Lead, and started on my current path. It led me first to Lexiles, and having my students take an assessment that would spit out a number (Lexile Level), which would tell me . . . what?! Vocabulary? Ability to take a test? Hmmm. . . that was my next challenge. I understood how, for native speakers, this number was a little more valuable - as they had been reading and writing in English for much longer than my students. But I have never really been able to decide on how valuable this number was for my English Language Learners. I like to use it as a base, or a starting point, but I don't want to rely too heavily on that result when planning.
And so, I asked more questions, bothered more colleagues (SORRY!), and finally got some opportunities to learn more about Guided Reading, which is traditionally used in the elementary level. At the emerging level, guided reading allows me to learn where my students are at in terms of reading development - it allows me to focus on the smallest units of sound in words (phonemes), and help students to be able to identify and read these sounds, and build their English vocabulary. This has taken me on a learning journey that makes me feel like I'm getting closer to finding a solution for my struggling readers who just aren't able to decode the words that they are surrounded by in class.
Today I was able to observe Guided Reading in action. I visited a Grade 4 class in my Board, and observed a teacher as she worked with various levels of readers - some weaker and in need of greater supports, and some that are chugging along and learning at an anticipated rate, so to speak. It was inspiring, and also reassuring, to see and hear it all happen. It reassured me that the steps that I have taken in my own class are a really good start, and that I'm on the right track. It was also motivating to be able to see my next steps, and to see that it works. I had some great conversations, and I have a pile of takeaways to filter through and bring into my classroom. It's super exciting, as nerdy as that sounds!
What is even more exciting is that I will be observing another elementary teacher next week! I am in PD Bliss! Not only was I able to attend Google Summit this year, but I have been immersing myself in Guided Reading and learning as much as possible about how to better support my students.
Overall, I think the big message or takeaway is to find PD that works for you, and that you find inspiring or motivating. I now see that, as an educator, I hate feeling like I'm not learning or improving. For me, I need to be constantly learning and making small (or sometimes big) changes to the way I deliver the curriculum. Education is evolving, and I just want to do my best to evolve with it in a way that helps my students to become better learners.
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