My Future ELA Classroom

Student independence, ownership, and purpose are key to the classroom setting, and if combined with engaging lessons will result in my ideal ELA classroom. The only issue I see when teaching students reading, writing, and oracy in a fun engaging manner, is the amount of prep involved and the potential for it to go off topic. Topics need to be relevant for students, and if they are interested in what they are producing, they will naturally develop their skills. Professional athletes are a great example; they are where they are due to their passion and dedication to their sport. They constantly want to improve and always have a purpose for their practice. If I can get my students to feel the same about learning in school then I will feel as though I am a successful teacher. The difficulty for ELA teachers is to create that bond between literacy and student interest.

I have been provided with a large number of opinions and options throughout the semester, and this class has offered me multiple learning strategies. The Garden party, writing prompts, podcasts, I find are very effective for engaging students in writing about what they are interested in. I loved the story read in class, “Dear Mr. Blueberry”. The strategy of writing letters back and forth, was very appealing to me, and would use in my own class. It could be used in multiple subject areas too, writing to a famous historian, scientist, etc. I actually did one of my drama papers using that method and found writing from the two perspectives an interesting way to learn more about the topic. This type of lesson helps to develop creativity, research skills, oracy skills, and the ability to relate to others. The diversity this class has offered provides many learning opportunities for students of all interests and abilities. However, It will be an experiment in the beginning to see what captures student’s interests and what doesn’t.

There is a big movement of 21^st century learning, technology is changing the way we communicate and connect with each other. We need to modernize the way students are educated so they are prepared for the world. I think through the incorporation of podcasts, and social media websites help foster ones learning in reading, writing, and oracy. Instant messaging, skype, and even chatting on the phone all involve dialogue and story telling. Learning goes so beyond the classroom and I think as teachers giving students the freedom to write about what appeals to them would create a situation much like an athlete striving to better themselves at their sport. Graphic novels are one way I would prompt students to engage in writing. Graphic novels offer appealing stories and engaging visuals that reach out to reluctant readers, visual learners, and others who may shy away from traditional, print-heavy books. Websites like bitstrips allow students to create their own comic strips, and will introduce the use of technology into their learning. Incorporating drama is a very effective educational tool, and could strongly be used in a unit like this to further engage students. Role-play allows them to dive into the story and have a lived experience.

One important thing I’ll make sure to incorporate in my ELA class is the importance of using assessment for learning, as learning and of learning. It will account for all types of learning, and help students to take more ownership for their learning. Throughout the semester, and even during our group presentations, it was evident that a student led classroom was the most effective, and the teachers role is to be the guide.