Sunday, June 10, 2007

Learning New Things and Taking Risks...

My friend and I are spending the summer reading as much as we can and discussing Independent Reader's Workshop. We have a lot of quesitons and we are discussing our fears and hopes with one another. I was reminded of a quote that I heard somewhere, I think I read it somewhere?
There is no strength,
If there is no struggle.
I guess this is the phrase for me about this topic. Recently I have had a lot of self-doubt. Reading things like Mosaic of Thought, Reading for Meaning, and Growing Readers, I wonder, am I made of this quality as a teacher? Am I knowledgeable enough to make this work? Can I do it? Will I have any support and will I be successful?
My facilitator, who is incredibly supportive, says, "Anything that you do towards this is going to positively help children."
There is no strength,
If there is no struggle.
I cannot become the teacher that I want to be if I don't have this struggle. I cannot expect children to be both decoders and comprehenders if I don't engage myself in best practices. I will strive for this because it will effect children positively.
There is no strength,
If there is no struggle.

5 comments:

Jen Barney said...

Sarah- We will do this together. Struggle only makes us a stronger teacher. You are the perfect person for this... we will grow with our treasures.

Kathy Douglas said...

Sarah,
I can't believe you are doubting yourself. You are a fantastic teacher and have such a community in your room. This is just going to flow for you, just like your poetry does. Trust me! I've been around a long time and I know you have the right (write) stuff! I am also reading those books and can't put them down. I keep thinking of all the things we can do next year. I'm so excited for you!

Kay Hartman said...

Sarah-- Even though we only breifly met, I can tell that you definately have the "stuff" to do this. And-- you will be amazed how much you learn from your students and how much more you'll LOVE teaching (which I can tell you already enjoy so much). I would love to be a part of your study/support group. I don't really have a good first grade friend to lean on. What are you reading this summer?

Kay Hartman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sarah Amick said...

So far I haveread Mosaic ofThought, and Reading for comprehension (Debbie Miller) and I am just about to begin Growing Readers. Email my school address and give me your phone number and then we can call you when we meet again. So glad to hear from you this summer. Hope to help create a support for you. sarah