Tori Hunt
Elementary Educator
Becoming Literate in Literacy
I have always been someone who loves to read. As a child, I would ditch the neighborhood kids to go cozy up with a good book in my room. I would read book after book, falling more in love with the characters and stories that I had encountered. I would beg my mom to take me to the library at least once a week, always bringing home an armful of books to devour. It wasn’t long after my obsession with books began, that I decided I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to teach children how to read so that they could enjoy these same amazing experiences. I wanted to open their eyes to the wonderful world of books. I wanted to be able to introduce them to these diverse, complex characters and plots that only exist in storybooks. So in the Fall of 2006, I headed off to college and completed my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at North Carolina State University. When I graduated college in 2010, I taught first grade for a few years and helped teach my students how to read and love books, just as I did. Even though I was successfully teaching my students, I still seemed to want something more. I wanted to be a wiser teacher. I wanted to become more effective in my literacy instruction. I wanted to be sure I was choosing the right books for my students and turning them on to literature in the best way possible.
I began to look into getting a Masters of Arts in Education at Michigan State University online. I decided I wanted to focus on literacy in my degree. My first semester of classes started in August 2012, and it has been an amazing journey filled with many meaningful courses and assignments. These courses have helped develop and shape me into a more mature, knowledgeable literacy teacher. These courses have allowed me to collaborate with my instructors and peers to share ideas and learn from each other. I now feel prepared to teach my students how to read. I also feel more qualified to teach them about quality literature and get them interested in books. I feel confident in my abilities to turn them in to lifelong readers and learners.
Even though all of the courses I took during my master’s program have been beneficial, there are a few that have made a larger impact on me and my teaching stance and attitudes. These courses have provided me with invaluable knowledge and skills to better myself as a teacher.
One of the courses that left a lasting impression on me was TE 836: Awards and Classics of Children’s Literature, which was taught by Laura Apol. This class had an extremely tough and extensive workload, but the outcome was worth it. In this course we studied many different children’s books that had won awards, specifically the Newbery and Caldecott awards. We analyzed the winning books and compared them to other children’s books as well as books that were chosen as runners-up. We discussed the criteria that made books “winners” and evaluated other books. We ended up reading the novel Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, which is still considered a classic today. We read other adaptations of the novel and watched several films that were based on the novel. We talked about what made Peter Pan so popular back then, even though it didn’t win an award. We also discussed if it was still appropriate for children to read today. We picked apart and dissected the novels and films to find underlying themes of racism and sexism and decided that it was not appropriate for teaching in today’s modern classrooms. Overall, this course helped me to realize what qualities make books “good.” It also helped me to realize that even though some books are classics, they may not be appropriate for today’s children as they portray offensive opinions and ideas that are not suitable for impressionable young minds. I also learned that it is important to evaluate books for myself. Just because a book won an award does not mean it is a great book. I need to read and form opinions about the books on my own and decide if they are suitable for my classroom and for my students.
Another course that largely impacted my master’s degree experience was TE 849: Methods and Materials for Teaching Children’s and Adolescent Literature, which was taught by Bevin Roue. This course also had a very heavy workload due to all of the required reading. However, the intensive work proved beneficial in the end. In this course we closely studied children’s literature and young adult literature. We looked at many different genres including poetry, graphic novels, autobiographies, storybooks and chapter books. We closely looked at how picture books had changed through the years. We talked about why we thought picture books had changed and identified characteristics that made them last as favorites through generations. We also studied the authenticity of literature and the importance of including multicultural literature in classroom instruction. For one assignment, we were asked to read several novels considered to be multicultural and that related to the Abenaki culture: Hidden Roots by Joseph Bruchac, Bowman’s Store by Joseph Bruchac, The Faithful Hunter by Joseph Bruchac, The Dark Pond by Joseph Bruchac, and Darkness Under the Water by Beth Kannell. In an essay, we compared and contrasted the novels, noting the authenticity of their multicultural references. We came to the conclusion that the literature by Joseph Bruchac, an Abenaki descendant, was authentic and true, where as Beth Kannell’s book had many misconceptions and stereotypes about the Abenaki culture. This assignment helped me realize the importance of researching multicultural practices before reading a multicultural book so that I can introduce true and accurate multicultural ideas to my students and avoid teaching them misconceptions and stereotypes of society.
A third course that was incredibly meaningful was TE 842: Elementary Reading Assessment and Instruction, which was taught by Marliese Peltier. In this course we learned about many different kinds of reading assessments and how to administer them to our students. We learned how to decipher which assessment was appropriate for which students and how to evaluate a student’s results on a reading assessment. We also learned how to assess students and then use the results to determine next steps for instruction, remediation, or enrichment. One of the most valuable assignments we did allowed us to be given a student’s reading assessment results. We were required to evaluate the results and determine where the student stood academically and what the student’s next steps should be to maximize instruction and achievement. This helped me because it is something I should do every day in my classroom to help my students become better readers. This assignment showed me the most effective way to assess and how to determine the best ways to help my students learn to read. It also helped me learn how to troubleshoot when students are struggling in reading. We also did a book study in this course of the book Words Their Way. Being able to collaborate with peers and discuss the ideas in the book was very beneficial and provided me with lots of insight. I was able to pick out several strategies from the Words Their Way book to utilize in my classroom on a daily basis to enhance my literacy instruction.
The last course that really helped mold me into a better teacher was CEP 820: Teaching Students Online, which was taught by Anne Heintz. It is surprising that I chose this course because it is not in my focus area of literacy. This course was a completely new experience for me considering it had a huge technology focus. In this course I was required to create an online learning module. As I began the assignment, I was so scared and lost as I tried to work with the unfamiliar task of building a website. But as the course went on, and I explored the website platform, Google Sites, the website designing became easier and more familiar. The process was challenging, but I was interested and engaged. I ended up creating a literacy module for my students that focuses on the particular word family that we are studying for the week. Now my students can complete their word work activities online, while I focus on helping the students who are struggling. I learned how to make my online learning module include meaningful, interactive instruction. I added learning videos and word family games to my website. The online learning module helps to give my students one-on-one attention, guidance, and feedback as they do their assignment, even though I am not near them. I am able to view my students’ progress and give them feedback on the work they complete online. Students are also able to get onto the online learning module at home. This allows them to use it for extra practice. It also enables the parents to see what we are learning for the week to strengthen the communication and accountability between home and school. I was also able to include partner work and assessments in my online learning module as well. I am keeping my students accountable by having them submit their completed assignments through Google Forms. Learning how to create this online learning module has allowed me to keep my students interested as they further their literacy knowledge online in my classroom. It also gives me the opportunity to focus on my struggling students in small groups so I can help them with decoding, phonics, and other basic skills as they learn to read.
While the classes I mentioned above had a lasting impact on me as an educator, I still had many meaningful and impactful experiences and assignments in my journey through the MAED program. I took several courses that focused on the general act of learning. I learned how students learn best and strategies for helping them learn successfully. I also took a course that helped me learn how to deal with challenging behaviors. This knowledge can help me manage my classroom so that the learning focus will not be shifted away due to behavior problems. Another course I took taught me strategies to display leadership in my school and classroom. While I was focusing on literacy, it was nice to obtain other information on how to be a more effective educator. Overall, my experiences in the MAED program have helped me to reach my goal of being a better literacy teacher. I now have strategies and expertise for informing my students about quality literature and teaching them the foundational reading skills. As I have been in the program for the past two years, I have already started implementing my new knowledge and skills. I have seen major improvements in my students’ academic progress and their achievements. I am now also able to provide guidance and assistance to fellow colleagues who need advice with their lessons and teaching approaches. While I have learned an invaluable amount of information through my courses, I realize that learning is a lifelong venture. As I continue my career as an educator, I will continue to attend professional development, trainings, and courses to become more educated and informed about the best teaching practices so that I can continue to be the best teacher possible for my students.