I sat in on a student book club meeting this afternoon and there was only one thing that really bugged me. I encouraged them to talk about the book by leading them down different paths, but I really wanted to get them to take over the conversation. There were only 6 of us total, so it was a little quiet. We had addressed several different aspects of the book and I asked them, "What else?" One student said, we can talk about the when it took place and what time period.
Now this is not significant, really, to the action of the story. Setting is not so crucial. You just need to know it's a high school in the here and now. But that was the only experience talking about books that this student had. She knew that when she finished the book, she needed to answer some basic comprehension questions about it.
We're a very intimate club and I enjoy meeting with them. Based on what you've read in Beers, what can I do to create a better conversation climate with these young women?
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Uh, oh, I just realized I'm stuck at stage 1 still - but I will not give up my serials [Dirk Pitt, Stone Barrington, Oliver Stone, Joanna Brady, Aloysius Pendergast]. I like the idea of the idea of a chart of "smart words". Maybe that concept could be expanded on to include guiding questions. On page 268 it mentions providing various ways to engage....You could try things like those or even let them plan a way to discuss the books.
I think that one way you could have the girls initiate better conversation is to use sticky notes as they are reading. If you assign them a certain amount of pages, give them a certain amount of sticky notes. You could have them write two questions, two comments and two personal connections. Then you could use the sticky notes as starters for conversations.
I would also have them journal. They could use the journals as the start to written dialogue. Maybe they would feel more comfortable writing their conversations at first instead of verbally sharing their ideas.
I believe that I read at all five stages. It depends on the book and why I am reading the book. I definitely pay more attention to specific lines that I love in book. When I read Eat, Love, and Pray, I had to find a highlighter to mark all the lines that I loved.
Good book if you have not read it.
I think that all 9th grade classes should have a "ding-a-ling" bell! I would be ringing that thing all the time! Teenagers can be down right mean to each other! It might also be a good idea to have a bell for the teacher! I'll be the first to admit that I can be sarcastic at times, but the intention is always harmless, but this made me think twice.
Sometimes it is very hard to get students involved and on the flip side you always have those students who raise their hand. When the students are doing independent work and they ask for help, I answer their question with a question and proceed from there so they end up answering their own initial question. I don't know if that helps build their confidence or not, but I like to think so.
I am a level 2 reader and a cross between a dormant and uncommitted reader. I read books for pure enjoyment and when I have them time.
When I read your entry, Diane, I couldn't help but reflect back to Tom Sawyer, Teaching and Talking. Are your young women the type student Robert Probst was referring to? Talking comes naturally (especially to teen-age girls!), however if they have not been exposed to teaching of discussion in the curriculum, than they find it difficult to participate in a discussion. Are they demonstrating what happens because of the teacher talk/student listen syndrome? I am certain they want to respond to you, but they really don't know how to express their thoughts. On page 276, Give Students the Smart Words, there is a very reflective statement comparing those of us as adults who love to read and are never at a loss for what to say about a book, compared to the young dependent and reluctant reader. Simply stated, dependent and reluctant readers have little experience joining the talk and need help framing their comments. Give Students the Smart Words, goes on to say that one way to help jump-start a discussion is to assist students in making a list of phrases they can use to help describe literary elements like characters, plot, themes, etc. The chart (Figure 13.2) on page 277 are words/phrases that will help them move past the, "It was boring" or "I really liked it" stage of conversation. I am going to make a copy of the chart and incorporate it into my teaching. Best article yet!!!
I guess one of the first things that these girls need is to feel comfortable. Do they know each other? Do they have common interests? Do they realize that their ideas will be respected and not laughed at? I think before we can begin teaching anything, we have to realize who the kids are and let them know us and our routines. I've never been in a classroom that I liked the very first day. I was always uncomfortable and having a teacher ask me to speak before I was ready to was torturous for me. These girls, I'm guessing are the same way. Let them get to know each other's names and interests (especially if you can make an activity comparing the characters to the participants in the book club--then you're discussing the book and breaking the ice). The book club also needs to understand what is tolerable and what is not. I would also venture a guess that they need to have good discussion modeled for them (not quite sure how to do that).
To get the girls more actively involved ask them to prepare discussion prompts in advance.At the beginning of the meeting, ask each student to put their prompts in a bag. After all prompts have been released, begin the book talk with the students selecting prompts form the bag. They can not draw their own prompt. When a discussion prompt is selected, the student ask you wrote it and ask them to elaborate. Afterwards, the student who selected the prompt will repeat what the prompt is and what she thinks the writer of the prompt was talking about and give her personal feedback. The next girl selects a prompt and cycle continues.This strategy sets the stage for some disscussion because of the prompts prepared in advanced. Also by each girl reading a prompt and discussing it with the "owner" of that prompt and the other book club members will promote more discussion. Good luck!
Getting young women to talk TO rather that AT each other? Whoa, that's way beyond my level of expertise. The young women I teach seem to be all about the visual - how do I look, how do you look. Now before all of you kick me out of the club - to make it an all girels club - my observation has a point. Could they visualize a character, based on some kind of context clues with the character descriptions, what kind of hair does she have, is he a "hunk" or attractive in a tall, dark and handsome sort of way. What kinds of cars do they (characters) drive - what do they listen to - do the characters feel comfortable in their surroundings, if it's young adult fiction probably not, that's the tension that drives the story. What do you think these characters are going to do with their lives, beyond the stage of their lives portrayed in the book. It's kind of a take off on what Hal and Norma have done with My Lit Space.
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