Voices from the Middle - Volume 13, Issue 4, 2006

Crutcher, an advocate for children above all else, revisits a few of the most urgent issues facing teachers--Censorship, “No Child Left Without Life Threatening Test Anxiety,” Zero Tolerance, to name a few--and an encouraging word about addressing them. He believes teachers “have the toughest job in our culture,” and urges them to “rise up … get together” and speak with powerful voices to those who would make decisions without the expertise to make the best ones.

Long an advocate of literature circles, Daniels recaps the history of literature circles and cautions against the “terminology drift” that labels practices as literature circles when, in fact, they are not. He offers resources that anchor best practice in this area, and discusses how the concept is evolving and expanding. He also introduces us to “the next big thing” in student-led discussion: written conversation.

An expert on vocabulary instruction, Allen reviews what we know as a profession to be of value to students and offers three types of practices that demonstrate meaningful vocabulary instruction. She also describes how vocabulary words can be used as a rich source of assessment.

From the perspective of years in the classroom, Jago shares her journey of reflective teaching that led to a strong belief that all students need the “language of literature” incorporated into daily instruction. Having the vocabulary of intellectual thought at their disposal helps students think through complex issues and express their questions and conclusions. She also sees a future where more attention is paid to formative assessments—measures of student performance that occur while learners are in the process of acquiring a skill.

Being a literacy coach is demanding and can meet with resistance and challenge when a clear understanding of the job’s purpose, approach, and need for ongoing support are not clearly defined and understood by all parties. Ideally, a literacy coach listens and observes, then asks just the right questions to help a classroom teacher or inexperienced literacy coach reflect on the why of classroom practice and individualize instruction based on student needs. Resources, including Web resources, are suggested.

Motivation is key to engaging students in meaningful and productive work. Identifying individual students’ interests would be ideal, but in the real world, we need to create and sustain “situational interest.” Smith and Wilhelm reference their own research as well as other research that is contextually very different to show how the same principles of providing choice (to promote a personal connection) and supporting competence (through the teaching of immediately useful strategies) resulted in motivation that deepened learning.

Writing—and lots of it in all genres—is at the heart of the language arts curriculum and the skills of critical thinking that students need to develop to become prepared consumers and citizens. Rief reflects on her growth as a writer and teacher, and offers an overview of what we know about writing, what we need to do it well, what our students need to learn to do it well, and what obstacles are challenging our ability to make it happen.

The authors offer research studies and other documented evidence that teaching grammar without a meaningful context does not improve student writing, largely because that approach does not address the root causes of errors. Several resources that support this position and offer more productive strategies are summarized, including the authors’ forthcoming book.

To those who would claim that the study of literature is impractical, Probst would respond vehemently, “No, it is essential.” The habit of thoughtful reading, insightful questioning, and critical evaluation are learned in English language arts classes where a variety of genres, characters, and situations push students to analyze and debate and ultimately learn more about what they value and what they believe. It is this habit of mind that turns out citizens capable of analyzing public language and participating in a successful democracy.

Reading aloud is often considered an elementary classroom activity, but think again. Lesesne offers research and classroom evidence that confirm reading aloud as a valid strategy for all ages of students. She also includes annotated lists of professional books that provide rationales and suggestions for teachers, as well as books, recent and classic, that make great read-alouds.

Burke’s own teacher-research has resulted in solutions for real classroom situations. In this, his last contribution as a column editor for VM, he offers two more practical ideas for helping students achieve, and sends his readers off with advice to look to their own classrooms for solutions to the ever-present challenges of teaching.

Van Horn deems three “recognitions” as essential to truly internalizing professional development: what and how we learn; the importance of individuals, contexts, and community in learning; and the ongoing nature of learning. Here, she provides an overview and examples of ideas about professional development and how we might develop ourselves as professionals. A look at professional development opportunities from NCTE is included.

Patterson reviews the research that supports the premise that students write more, write better, revise more, interact more productively, and write in more varied ways when using computer technology.

Feedback on Student to Student over the years attests to the value of letting students share their love of reading and their favorite books with other students who are looking for that next great read. Once again, nine students infuse their enthusiasm into reviews of great stories: The Golden Compass, Chasing Redbird, Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell, 1847; The Angel’s Command; A Week in the Woods; Running Out of Time; The Afterlife; A House Called Awful End; and Rats. Readers will be happy to know that Kim Ford will continue this valuable service under the new VM editorship.

Sandy Hayes, chair of the middle level section, invited members of the middle level steering committee to select a favorite issue of VM and share its significance for their teaching. They have responded with enthusiasm about a variety of VM issues for a variety of reasons.