Out of all the readings for this semester, For an Effective Reading Program, written by Dr. Marlow Ediger was the most valuable to me. I found my self strongly agreeing to all of the points brought up in the article. I feel like student motivation is integral to successful learning and teaching. I know from personal experience that if I am not motivated, or feel that I am doing something without a purpose, I am not going to do it. On the other hand, if I am interested in something I pursue it and become a perfectionist. This self motivation provides many opportunities for authentic and active engagement. I believe that in order for students to remain motivated, they need to be and feel successful. Part of this is staying within the zone of proximal development, and not making reading programs too simple or too complex. Successful programs need to be flexible in order to fit the needs of students on all different learning levels.
I really like the part of this article that talked about controlling your classroom versus managing it. I like the phrase, "managing the classroom." The word "manage," to me, means "to work with." A teacher that always has a quiet classroom is not always the "best" teacher, and the classroom is not always the most successful one. I feel like teachers have this thought instilled in their heads. The "control," of the classroom should NOT be a measurement of the quality of the teacher. In my future classroom I do not want to be the controller of it, but rather be viewed on the same level as the students. I want to ask them questions and for them to ask me questions in a class conversation. I want to guide their learning experience with my knowledge, but not be viewed as a controlling authority figure. I want our classroom to be relaxed and creative, but yet respectful. I do not want my classroom to be silent, but then again will the people that control me think that i am a bad teacher? I feel like many teachers struggle with this question and decide to play it safe with their quiet and controlled classrooms.
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