Merryman 1

Informal Reading Response

Dr. T. Donaldson

I.

Statement or Idea: His behavior will often look exactly opposite of his true
feelings. That teacher has to create a safe place for him and must educate him.
That teacher is flying blind. But still she cranks up the props each day and
takes er up. Thats courage. Thats how you leave no child behind. Thats
being a teacher. Chris Crutcher, Chapter 2, Page 18.
a) Reaction: I actually got emotional reading this last part of the chapter. I got
into teaching to help troubled kids and to hopefully make a difference in their
lives. This is what pushes me every day to get my degree and finally get in the
classroom. With so many children having different backgrounds and not a lot
of options to seek help, I want to be the light in their lives that gets them
through whatever struggles they endure. Having teachers who care can make
a huge difference and I cant wait to do that for my future students.
b) Connection(s): This statement hit home for me because my boyfriend
actually had a secret abusive childhood. He was one of the many who went to
school every day and would save face for everyone he encountered. He was
constantly bullied and isolated, both in school and at home. His parents were
not type to be there for him or discuss what was going on in his life so he
carried his secret all through grade school. Along with helping him cope I
have worked with students in high school who have confided in me and let me
be their rock for a short while. The process of slowly gaining their trust and
letting them know I was sort of a safe haven for them was such a rewarding
experience.

II.

Statement or Idea: In fact, Ill go so far as to say they shouldnt stop this,
even after they gain the proficiency in English. Ill say that again---louder: The
primary language acts as a scaffold to the second language acts as a scaffold to
the second language. Removing the primary language means removing the
scaffold. Why would we ever do that? Danling Fu, Chapter 8, Page 111.
a) Reaction: This statement made perfect sense to me. I know what its like to
not want to answer questions in class in fear of being wrong or rejected so it
must be extremely intimidating to those who are ELLs students. Giving them
the opportunity to continue using their first language as their scaffold could
make the biggest difference in their education and their confidence.
b) Connection(s): I havent personally worked with an ELLs student, or if I
have it wasnt apparent, but I can relate to using my first language as a
reference when I was attempting to learn Spanish. While the order of their
sentences differs from English, just translating the words over and given
examples in English first was very helpful. Being able to relate makes learning
easier in all aspects and that goes especially for our ELLs students.

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III.

Statement or Idea: What complicates our teaching when we encounter the

students with different cultural backgrounds is we tend to see, hear, and act
from our own fixed lenses and perspectives. When our students dont behave,
sound, believe, or dress as we expected, we tend to interpret something wrong
with them, show our disapproval of them, and try to correct them. Danling Fu,
Chapter 8, Page 115.
a) Reaction: At first I was thrown off by the writer because of her previous
responses. She seemed like such a worldly person who was used to all types of
different students. I didnt expect her to write something we all do typically as
human beings and viewed her to be accepting and knowledgeable about any
student she came across. But then I realized I was describing myself as exactly
what she was writing. Openness is something we must work on as teachers in
order to teach with the fullest capacity.
b) Connection(s): Coming from a city in North Texas that was predominately
Caucasian I had a bit of a culture shock. I of course had visited Corpus
Christie before and even been to Mexico, but it was different living in a city
long-term with completely different people, customs, and environment. Going
into the classroom here had me adjusting left in right so I could relate to the
students better. I had to become familiar with the words they used and the
things they did outside of schools which after being her for a couple years
wasnt so bad. It was definitely different though from my home in Keller but I
kept an open mind and heart when talking with the students.

IV.

Statement or Idea: Pedagogy of Confidence is based on the fearless

expectation that all students will learn. The goal of this pedagogy is high
intellectual performance from our urban adolescents. When teachers practice
this pedagogy, they do not doubt the potential of urban adolescents, and they
switch their instructional focus from what must be taught to what kinds of
teaching will maximize learning. Yvetter Jackson, Eric J. Cooper, Chapter 16,
Page 147.
a) Reaction: This is so true of how a teachers outlook on his or her students
should be. Anyone is capable of achieving what is put in front of them and
with a positive attitude from the teacher and student, greatness can be
accomplished! From classroom management I remember me Professor from
field base telling us its ok to push your students and give them work that
challenges them. We should never doubt their abilities because if we believe in
them they can believe in themselves.
b) Connection(s): I worked closely with a first grade girl last semester helping
her with reading and math. She hadnt learned the majority of her letters or
numbers during kinder and found it difficult to do any of her work alone. I
often pulled her from her desk and went over each problem slowly explaining

Merryman 3
the instructions and breaking either words or number problems up the best I
could so she could understand. Nothing was working and she became more
and more frustrated each time I tried to explain something. Finally I stopped
and let her take a break. When we came back I explained to her that she was
totally capable of doing the work we just had to find a way that made sense. I
pulled some cubes out and began building the problems so that she could take
away or add them up. We used a number line to help us count since she was
not yet familiar with her numbers. Finally we had success and you could see
the excitement on her face. At that moment she believed in herself and Im so
glad she hung on with me as we found a way to accomplish the problem.
V.

Statement or Idea: I am finding that African American male adolescents

are suffering from an underexposure to text that they find meaningful. This
contributes to African American male adolescents accepting a limited view of
the role of reading and text in their lives. Schools must expose African
American male adolescents to text that allows them to see the significance of
text. They must be able to assess text as having an effect on their lives. Alfred
W. Tatum, Chapter 6, Page 83.
a) Reaction: With African American male adolescents being the poorest
readers why dont we expose them to more books that would be interesting or
relatable. Its a shame that their situations can be so difficult that reading is
the last thing they are worried about let alone the books they find boring or
cannot understand. Maybe getting to know these students better,
understanding where they come from and what their situations are could help
their teachers find a book that actually had significance to them. I know it
would have meant the world to me if I had a teacher who gave me a book that
helped with my daily struggles in high school. If I hadnt been a big reader
maybe this would have encourage me to be more engaged during class.
b) Connection(s): I have always loved reading and found books I could relate
to so I could read in my spare time. For students who struggle to get excited
about the different texts we have in class I would simply do as I said above.
Give them the option to pick a book they liked. I work with primary students
so its a different story when it comes to reading but I could see secondary
teachers giving the same options.