Literacy Journal - Bonding

I find Regie Routman to be so inspiring as an author and educator. In Chapter 2 she speaks of bonding with your students. I especially liked this quote, “Unless we reach into our students’ hearts, we have no entry into their minds.” This quote resonates with me because my whole purpose in my teaching life is to know my kids so I can be the best teacher I can be for them. In an age now where you are seemingly told to be guarded against developing too much of a bond with your students, for fear of them walking over you, or perhaps misinterpreting your interest in their success, I found it refreshing to see Regie had the opposite view. I am hopeful that I can develop the mutual respect that you need to enter their minds and hearts to better understand their needs without trying to be a buddy, or them seeing you as one, and not as their teacher.

Routman offers some great suggestions as to how you develop this professional relationship with them that develops trust, encourages reading development, and celebrates a pathway to lifelong reader enjoyment. In my placement I think I am on my own pathway to creating that bond between myself and my students though our read aloud sessions and small group work. I believe my enthusiasm for reading can translate into a spark for those marginal readers that will give them purpose and reason to read. I am now doing all the read aloud in my placement, and plan on this week taking some time to connect myself further as a reader to them with some of Routman’s suggestions.

Just a comment on the other prompt on spelling. My MT does not place a lot of importance on spelling, and would rather the students write, write, write with little concern unless it’s clearly a word that a 1-2 grade student should know, or if the student misspells a word that is looking them in the eye.

There is one student in class, a very bright young lady that is obsessive about correctly spelling words. It is clear by the look on her face that telling her to do her best, sound it out, look for familiar chunks you do know, does not fly with her. I should also say the student’s grandfather, who picks her up everyday, commented on the lack of spelling correction on the part of the MT. My MT skillfully explained her philosophy on the matter and supported it with some studies, but again, you could see it did not fly in the face of the grandfather as well.