Subjects Matter Chapters 1 & 2

After reading through chapters 1 & 2 of Subjects Matter by Harvey "Smokey" Daniels and Steven Zemelman I have come to a couple conclusions and a couple of concerns.  The first chapter in Subjects Matter depicted how a proficient classroom along with students should look and act like if they are fully engaged in learning.   The first chapter also depicted what classrooms and students will look and feel like if they are just doing the typical read through the text and quiz the next day.  What I liked about this chapter was how the authors wrote it, they made me feel like I had a teaching best friend who is going to help me become the best teacher I possibly can.  Second, I also liked how the authors presented examples and detailed what goes on in a student's mind when they are actually comprehending a text.

Daniels and Zemelman made me feel excited to teach again because they hit home with everything they talked about.  Especially about how they said "Subjects Matter is all about: effectively inviting kids to engage in our subjects, to think, remember, build knowledge -- and to care. (9 Daniels and Zemelman)"  A couple of questions were raised in my mind when I finished chapter one.  I realize that yes, creating a community of learners is definitely possible but what happens to the lone student who just does not want to participate at all?  Working in an after school program I have seen the students who just pack up their stuff and leave the classroom because they feel that it is a waste of time.  What tactics can teachers use to help these hard-to-reach students?  I hope eventually I will come to some strategies about this.

This chapter also went into detail about the Common Core.  I graduated from an urban high school and it has helped me see what it is actually like to come from a low-performing school.  This chapter brought me back to what it was like to have teachers say "you guys are not doing well on the NECAP, it is because you are poor.  Scores matter! Why aren't you guys learning? blah blah blah."  If teachers repeatedly remind students how they are low-performing and poor year after year.  How do they expect improvement?  Development and learning stems from positive reinforcement, amazing curriculums and great teachers. (Am I missing something?)  Scores are a student's right to know but I am a firm believer that teachers should keep those remarks to themselves.  But nobody has tried this out yet, hopefully sometime in the future. (Definitely by me)

Chapter 2 went into detail about what a student feels like when they read in a classroom.  I loved how this was structured within the text! It totally put me back to what it actually felt at times in my middle school/high school classes.  This chapter also analyzed the Common Core Standards which definitely relieved me.  Daniels and Zemelman really broke down what was great about the Common Core Standards and what needed fine tuning (a.k.a. what sucks about them).  It really helped how they clarified what an independent learner/reader should be.  Independent learner/reader does not actually mean "here is some reading or work now do it by yourself."  An independent learner/reader has a teacher as a guide and the teacher holds the students hand step by step until they actually LEARN what they are analyzing, reading, comprehending etc.

After reading these chapters I have questions in my mind but also a happiness that having Common Core Standards as well as an engaged classroom is a possible task.  Sometimes, when I read the standards I think wow, this is so hard how is this going to be possible?  But, Daniels and Zemelman made it feel possible.