Shelby Romines

Dr. Cozens

March 30, 2014

Reading with Meaning

Debbie Miller has her classroom and teaches the way I hope to teach my children one

day. Reading her book has given me several ideas, has made me become more confident, and

has made me realize that this is the teacher I could work up to become with practice over time.

Miller does have a more relaxed atmosphere and approach to teaching so it appears; however,

when we read further into her text and see how her lesson plans over the year are broken

down, they are extremely structured.

One thing I liked about Miller’s approach in the classroom was never discouraging her

readers that might choose books that are above their level. In the classroom during my

practicum this semester I have encountered similar situations and was uncertain how to

approach my situations. I had a student that chose a book that was well past his frustration

level. During our time at the reading station, this student attempted to read this text to me,

but struggled a tremendous amount. I kept encouraging him and would help him whenever he

needed the assistance. After reading Miller’s approach on students choosing books that are

difficult for them, I realized for my future classroom I need to establish a mutual trust with my

students. Miller showed me that with a trust with my students, I can have them reading more

difficult texts and can encourage them to keep reading texts above their level.

The second approach I liked about Miller’s teaching style is that she realized that even

though her style of procedure and modeling may take up a lot of time in the beginning of the

year, the end of the year is when the payoff starts to show. Again as I am in my practicum

hours, I start to have anxiety and am beginning to doubt myself at times whether or not my

students understand my lesson. After reading Miller’s text my anxiety has diminished some

and has made me more hopeful whenever I am the teacher. Modeling how to behave in the

classroom, how to talk to others, how to ask questions to myself when reading are not only

things I have learned from Miller, but are things that will greatly benefit my students. I had the

same thoughts as Miller before she stressed modeling in her classroom. Miller kept using the

same procedures, yet her students were still being rude or were not saying or acting in the

appropriate manner. Children need to be taken by the hand and be shown exactly how to act

and through modeling this is how we can accomplish appropriate behavior and learning in the

classroom.

A third approach I really liked from Miller’s experiences in the classroom is the illusion of

the students getting to do their own thing in the classroom. However, Miller has carefully

thought out each month and has thought of how long each lesson might take. Miller does not

have each day planned out specifically in the beginning, but she has each week planned out and

the general big idea of what she will be covering. I liked this approach because it does provide

structure in the classroom, yet it also provides plenty of room for change if things do not go

according to plan, which they very rarely do.

In the end, the students’ freedom does worry me a bit because as a first year teacher

Miller’s approach is not going to go exactly as planned. This process is going to take time and

patience on mine and the students’ part. I do believe Miller’s approach does have a great pay

off at the end and will benefit every student once they get into the rhythm of things and we

trust ourselves in the classroom.