In Chapter 3, Atwell really sums up the ideas of the two previous chapters. She reinforces the “workshop” as the best model for adolescents to learn through reading and writing. She also spends some time discussing the mentality of the middle school student – and I think she’s captured it. These kids (from what I’ve observed so far) are all over the place and seem utterly “in-between.” But I think she hits the nail on the head (about the teachers) when she says, “I think that losing control looms as our greatest fear. Rather than risk overstimulation we choose not to stimulate” (p. 68). As of today I’ve only spent about three and a half hours observing in a middle school class, but this quote pretty much sums up what I’m seeing. It’s like the teacher has to constantly correct her students to reinforce the idea that she’s in charge, but the result of that is a completely boring and worksheet-prone classroom. There’s no stimulation at all. And just as Atwell explains in her book, students are more prone to learn when they are able to enjoy it and be an active participant – not just a listener.
As I’ve said before, I love Atwell’s idea of the reading and writing workshops; I want to know more about the implementation of the workshops in the public schools. I know that she primarily works with middle school students but it seems that these workshops would work really well with high school students as well. I wonder if she’s ever tried that? Mostly I want to know how she gets students (of any age) to come together as a community of readers and writers. Students are so diverse and during those teen years, there always seems to be conflict or picking of some sort. How do these students come to trust each other with their work, their ideas, their emotions? That’s a lot for any person to share, let alone a teenager who isn’t quite sure who they are yet.
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I agree these students are all over the place. They are at an age where they want to be adults but aren't ready to finish being kids. It is our job as teachers to keep these children on task without seeming like a dictator. So, yes we do have to be a teacher and a listener at the same time. Students writing should reflect something that the student can engage in because as we all know a student that is off of task has probably lost interest. Interesting workshops and reading journals will keep both the students and the teachers engaged. Kids are the same way at this age, because it is confusing but there is a way to get through to them. I think that we all see that Atwell has an interesting approach.
ReplyDeleteJustin, say more about what "interesting workshops and reading journals" look like--what would make them "interesting," in your opinion? What are the characteristics of writing tasks that "the student can engage in?"
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