EDU 512 Reading Notes Format:

Name Madison Schweizer

Book Title Visible Learning for Literacy

Chapter Number and Title Chapter 1: Laying the Groundwork for Visible Learning for Literacy

Do the following:

Part 1: Describe each of the concepts clearly

Part 2: Describe the three specific applications in each chapter for your work in this current class or
what you might expect to be doing in a future classroom as a credentialed teacher. Be able to describe
the supporting reasoning as to why this research would be worth applying to your professional practice.
Each application should be sufficiently described and applied to cover the ideas you are presenting.

Be well prepared to discuss your ideas in class. The Chapter notes must be submitted each week in the
class assigned to receive full credit.

Application 1:

Description of Concept
One of the concepts that was discussed in this chapter was teacher credibility. Interestingly enough, the
text states that “students know which teachers can make a difference in their lives” (Fisher et al, 2016,
p. 11). The text goes on to define teacher credibility as “a constellation of characteristics, including trust,
competence, dynamism, and immediacy” (Fisher et al, 2016, p. 11). Students enter a classroom looking
for these characteristics in their teacher. If they do not sense that these are things that the teacher
displays, they will feel as though their teacher has no credibility. This in turn hinders the learning that
takes place in the classroom. When teachers violate the trust of their students or make a lot of errors,
their credibility begins to decrease in the eyes of their students. Because of this, it is important that
teachers pay attention to these aspects of their teaching as well as the academic portion.

Application to your work/learning

As a student I know how true these things are. When a teacher doesn’t seem to care about the students
or treat them with respect, it violates their credibility. I once had a teacher who was not trustworthy,
constantly made excuses for the things that she did, and didn’t treat students like they were real people.
This really limited the impact that she had on those of us that were in her class because we never felt
like she truly knew what she was talking about nor did we feel like she genuinely wanted us to learn. I
never want my students to feel this way in my classroom. One of the reasons I decided to become a
teacher was because I wanted to provide students with a love for school. In order to do this, students
need to know that I care about them and that they can trust me. I think that it is good for teachers to
make mistakes now and then so that the students know that you are human too, however I think that
teachers need to know what they are doing so that their students don’t second guess their credibility.

Application 2:

Description of Concept
Another concept that was discussed in this chapter was teacher-student relationships. This does hand in
hand with teacher credibility because “when students believe that the teacher is credible, they are more
likely to develop positive relationships with that teacher and learn more from him or her” (Fisher et al,
2016, p. 13). Teacher credibility is not the only thing that goes into developing positive relationships.
This chapter states that “positive relationships are fostered and maintained when teachers set fair
expectations, involve students in determining aspects of classroom organization and management, and
hold students accountable for the expectations in an equitable way” (Fisher et al 2016, p. 13). The way
that a teacher manages the classroom has a big impact on the relationships that are built, and these
relationships have a big impact on the learning that takes place.

Application to your work/learning

As a student, I know the importance of positive student-teacher relationships. As a substitute teacher, I
can also say that student-teacher relationships drastically change the dynamic of the classroom. When
you have a relationship with your teacher you feel as though you can come to them with questions and
not feel like they are going to mock you for asking. You also feel as though they have your back and only
want what is best for you. Because of this, a lot of learning typically takes place in this kind of classroom.
The days are more fun when there are these positive relationships and the conflict in the class is
minimal which results in a lot of learning. I genuinely love children and want to provide them with the
best opportunities, and this is one of the main reasons why I want to teach elementary school. Their
minds are capable of learning so much and they are so trusting. It is important to build these
relationships with them at a young age because this with further impact their educational experience in
the years to come. Some simple ways to develop these relationships are to “display student work, share
class achievements, speak to the accomplishments of all students, be sincere in the pride of your
students and make sure that it is based on evidence of student work, not generalized comments, look
for opportunities for students to be proud of themselves and of other students or groups of students,
develop parental pride in student accomplishments, and develop pride in improvement in addition to
pride in excellence” (Fisher et al, 2016, p. 14).

Application 3:

Description of Concept
A third concept that was discussed in this chapter was teacher expectations. The things that teachers
expect from their students will play a big part in determining how the students will perform. “Teachers’
expectations of students become the reality for students” (Fisher et al, 2016, p. 16). Because these
expectations become students’ reality, it is important that teachers’ expectations are not too low and
not too high. These expectations need to meet students where they are at while still challenging them
to achieve their goals throughout their year in your classroom. This chapter states that “teachers should
have expectations that appropriately stretch students, and yet those expectations should be within
reach” (Fisher et al, 2016, p. 16). In order to be successful with this, it is essential that teachers know the
students in their classroom.

Application to your work/learning

As a student I have had teachers who set all kinds of expectations and I am the kind of student who
strives to meet them all, even if they are incredibly unrealistic. Because of this, I know the stress that
these expectations can place on students and I never want to be the kind of teacher who increases the
anxiety level of my students. Keeping this chapter in mind as I pursue my career in teaching is going to
be a great help. I need to remember that my capabilities are not going to match my students. Some will
be capable of more while others will be capable of less. My job is to create expectations that will allow
them all to feel successful.