Students are unable to come up with topics to write about a lot of times, so the idea of "territories" is a great way to get students brainstorming. According to Atwell, "the list of territories represents my self-portrait as a writer" (120). I think this is a great motto. Having students sit in a circle while Atwell discusses her territories, which include topics, genres, and audiences, allows students to get their imagination flowing. This is also a great modeling technique that Atwell demonstrates so students are aware of what she is looking for.
Atwell shares her writings with students, allowing them to build a trusting teacher relationship with her.
One thing I plan on doing with my students is silent reading time. I like that Atwell also has reading workshops. At my student teaching location, the teacher has book talks to get students interested in reading particular novels. Atwell has a similar approach. If a student finds a text he or she is not interested in, Atwell provides that student with 5 choices and gives a brief overview of the book. This is a great way for students to be introduced to many texts. She walks around with a clipboard documenting student progress. I don't necessarily agree with this because silent reading time is suppose to be free of distractions. I think it is a good idea to document student progress, but you could do that through book recommendations.
Overall, this was an informative chapter. This textbook is engaging and I continue to learn many great ideas through Atwell's experiences.
I'm not that far into the book yet, but the scavenger hunt idea does sound great. I immediately began thinking about if there was any way I could incorporate that into the unit we're teaching soon. Haha
ReplyDeleteI really like Atwell's activities, too. At Erwine, we've been having silent reading time because the students cannot take their books from the classroom. Most of the times the students, their teacher, and I take turns reading. However, there are times that students decide themselves that they want to read silently. It relieves the pressure of reading aloud for some and just reading for the enjoyment.
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