Single Journal Club Entry-Focal

Journal: Teachers and Content Area Reading: Attitudes, Beliefs and Change


Summary:

In this article, the author, Leigh Hall, is discussing the importance of implementing exceptional teaching strategies that promote the necessary reading skills to be successful throughout all content areas. We are provided with research and data that compares pre- and in-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards teaching reading across all content areas. Pre-service teachers seem to be more willing to adapt their teaching to their students needs, while in-service teachers tend to stick to their own ways and the ways that they were originally taught as students.

Making Connections:

I thought it was interesting to see how everything we’ve been learning in LLED is coming together in this article. All the different teaching strategies we’ve covered have a purpose, and it’s not simply to get our students to read better. These reading strategies should ultimately help students exceed throughout all their subject matter. I’ve noticed through my lacking, first attempts of lesson planning this semester that much of what I implemented was based on how I learned when I was in middle or high school. I think it’s fine to bring in old practices, but I also need to be up-to-date in strategies that promote better reading.

Critique:

I personally think that everything we have learned has been very helpful, but I think a lot of effort needs to go into cultivating these beliefs and ideas. I think Nick said it best when he was talking about how teachers need to constantly be furthering their knowledge in ways like reading articles, attending conferences, etc. For many teachers, that is just asking a lot. As a future teacher, I want to have the time and dedication to learn from others, and I am hoping my school has money to send its teachers to conferences.

Importance:

The biggest takeaway in this article is to get more teachers to break away from their old, lecture-based strategies, to see the need for reading strategies across all boards, and to have the dedication to implement these strategies into their curriculum. It takes time and effort, but it will ultimately produce more intellectual growth.

WC: 357