10/31/2017:Motivation to Read Profile and NAEP Oral Reading Fluency Scale
Nicole is a 7th grader over at the Academy's "gifted and talented" program. Hundreds of students apply each and every year with angst in hope of acceptance into this prestigious, once- in- a- life- time- opportunity provided by this Nationally recognized, this one and only "Blue Ribbon Award Winning Public School" recognized for academic achievement amongst the inner city school learners...a school like no other and totally suited for only the exceptionally talented... academically gifted achievers...most deserving.....best test taking students of overall profound greatness, ambition and yes, motivation!
Not really.
Nicole will spend at least 75 % of her time in a Language Arts class, in the "zone" of the unknown. She doesn't say much, just hello and goodbye, please and thank you. She does not speak up much, doesn't really interact much with her peers..well, maybe just one or two friends inside her inner loop and super cool kids. She looks like she doesn't want to be in class, hair always in a bun, yawns alot, seems to suffer from sleep deprivation and possible hunger pains?? (but then again, this is a common "look" for the middle schooler).
I chose Nicole to work with on the " motivation to read profile assessment" because it is the end of October and I need to crack this "dazed Nicole"- case wide open and see what's really going in that daydreaming, yet pretty little face of a head, Nicole! as she stares blankly back at me while I recite my lessons in class like the professional that I think I am...every moment she watches me, I feel like I'm just an actor on a sequel production of a very long and boring show for Nicole.
Just like Lionel said, I can see it in her eyes..but I don't see it in her smile..and so like a bad ex boyfriend...I feel..Nicole's "absence" during my presence, magnificently passionate lessonage (I made this word up) and persistence to achieve utter greatness in this utterly great of all greatness of schools...have I mentioned how great this school is yet? when I notice over and over again, no matter how hard I try..Nicole...well....she's just not that into me, and has me feeling like the psycho ex.
So,
I asked her to do what she probably fears the most, sit with me, her Language Arts Teacher at our "little table" and talk for a little while.
Cringe -worthy factor on a scale from 1-10? an 11 for Nicole of course....Yes!
Nicole approached the table quizically but did not ask what the purpose was of our meeting..and her attitude just reassured me that I had picked the right "subject".
Ok so now onto the results.
Nicole considers herself to be an ok reader, thinks that libraries are a good place to spend some time, thinks that becoming a good reader is important yet boring, finds it difficult to talk about her ideas within a group, she is happy if someone gives her a book as a present and thinks that people who read are very interesting but couldn't tell me the last book she has read in totality.
Nicole thinks she is a slow reader, and believes that nothing is easy about reading. What she finds to be most difficult during reading is to keep her attention span on point long enough to gain some meaning. She has held onto the same book for the last year and has made many promises to herself that she will get through it someday soon. She thinks that finding interesting books will be the answer for her, however, she hasn't been so lucky.. just yet.
What could help me help her?
She finds memes and instagram posts fun and interesting and would like to play more games in connection to our texts in school. She didn't have any recommendations as to what type of games so I was left wondering...what games could we play to make Nicole more interested in reading for fun? Then I thought...hmmm? games, literacy? a possible thesis for me...a possible invention to pitch to the sharks on tv. Need more literacy games to engage and motivate students in middle school.
What I learned:
The brief motivation survey and conversational interview made Nicole realize that I..her teacher, noticed that she seems unmotivated. I feel that this makes Nicole accountable for her own motivation
or lackthereof.
When we were done, she noticed a book on my shelf and asked if she could sign it out and I said ..of course if you promise to read it? she agreed half heartedly but she agreed and walked away. My hope is that Nicole will work on self motivating, committing, and establish her own purpose for reading, whatever that might be...I can help her find it now, given time. I can help her now, find her way and possibly be that teacher she thinks about when she is reading a book on a beach somewhere in her future...."thank goodness for Mrs. Diaz! I really hated books and now I just eat them up because she helped me find my way, a path to motivation and understanding.." One can hope .
Not really.
Nicole will spend at least 75 % of her time in a Language Arts class, in the "zone" of the unknown. She doesn't say much, just hello and goodbye, please and thank you. She does not speak up much, doesn't really interact much with her peers..well, maybe just one or two friends inside her inner loop and super cool kids. She looks like she doesn't want to be in class, hair always in a bun, yawns alot, seems to suffer from sleep deprivation and possible hunger pains?? (but then again, this is a common "look" for the middle schooler).
I chose Nicole to work with on the " motivation to read profile assessment" because it is the end of October and I need to crack this "dazed Nicole"- case wide open and see what's really going in that daydreaming, yet pretty little face of a head, Nicole! as she stares blankly back at me while I recite my lessons in class like the professional that I think I am...every moment she watches me, I feel like I'm just an actor on a sequel production of a very long and boring show for Nicole.
Just like Lionel said, I can see it in her eyes..but I don't see it in her smile..and so like a bad ex boyfriend...I feel..Nicole's "absence" during my presence, magnificently passionate lessonage (I made this word up) and persistence to achieve utter greatness in this utterly great of all greatness of schools...have I mentioned how great this school is yet? when I notice over and over again, no matter how hard I try..Nicole...well....she's just not that into me, and has me feeling like the psycho ex.
So,
I asked her to do what she probably fears the most, sit with me, her Language Arts Teacher at our "little table" and talk for a little while.
Cringe -worthy factor on a scale from 1-10? an 11 for Nicole of course....Yes!
Nicole approached the table quizically but did not ask what the purpose was of our meeting..and her attitude just reassured me that I had picked the right "subject".
Ok so now onto the results.
Nicole considers herself to be an ok reader, thinks that libraries are a good place to spend some time, thinks that becoming a good reader is important yet boring, finds it difficult to talk about her ideas within a group, she is happy if someone gives her a book as a present and thinks that people who read are very interesting but couldn't tell me the last book she has read in totality.
Nicole thinks she is a slow reader, and believes that nothing is easy about reading. What she finds to be most difficult during reading is to keep her attention span on point long enough to gain some meaning. She has held onto the same book for the last year and has made many promises to herself that she will get through it someday soon. She thinks that finding interesting books will be the answer for her, however, she hasn't been so lucky.. just yet.
What could help me help her?
She finds memes and instagram posts fun and interesting and would like to play more games in connection to our texts in school. She didn't have any recommendations as to what type of games so I was left wondering...what games could we play to make Nicole more interested in reading for fun? Then I thought...hmmm? games, literacy? a possible thesis for me...a possible invention to pitch to the sharks on tv. Need more literacy games to engage and motivate students in middle school.
What I learned:
The brief motivation survey and conversational interview made Nicole realize that I..her teacher, noticed that she seems unmotivated. I feel that this makes Nicole accountable for her own motivation
or lackthereof.
When we were done, she noticed a book on my shelf and asked if she could sign it out and I said ..of course if you promise to read it? she agreed half heartedly but she agreed and walked away. My hope is that Nicole will work on self motivating, committing, and establish her own purpose for reading, whatever that might be...I can help her find it now, given time. I can help her now, find her way and possibly be that teacher she thinks about when she is reading a book on a beach somewhere in her future...."thank goodness for Mrs. Diaz! I really hated books and now I just eat them up because she helped me find my way, a path to motivation and understanding.." One can hope .
NAEP Oral Fluency Reading Scale with Nicole
Low Level 3
Nicole read primarily in three to four word phrase groups but my ears need more experience and training to truly feel confident in my assessment. Small groupings were present. Judging from some follow up questions (simple who what when where how and why) Nicole was able to answer the questions somewhat comfortably....her phrasing was appropriate for her age in my opinion, she had very little to no expressive interpretation of he author's syntax.
Disadvantage: this fluency assessment was done during one of my 90 block periods with a classroom of 30 kids present. Background noise was distracting and Nicole seemed a bit self conscious and stumbled over her words...seemed to want to rush through it and get back to the "group".
Recommendations: must be done one on one, quiet and comfortable environment, no distractions.
Take away
for the first time ever, I felt close to Nicole, and quite frankly, I may have disliked her (attitude) at times but she definitely is just a sweet 12 year old girl wanting to learn but just not in full possession of confidence and high esteem
I think reading books together forms a bond, an intimacy, a love of friendship first and foremost and trust...something we would all like to experience hence the need to take the time to allow these meaningful inter-human transactions to actually occur.
I think reading books together forms a bond, an intimacy, a love of friendship first and foremost and trust...something we would all like to experience hence the need to take the time to allow these meaningful inter-human transactions to actually occur.
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