Classroom Experiences

When in the classroom this past week, I experienced the children reading and writing and discussed the reading levels with the teacher.  I think this is something that is vvery important to my learning process as a future teacher.  In the second grade classroom, I witnessed the children doing guided reading on the "average" grade level with the group as a whole.  They later transition into independent reading while the teacher conferences with children on an individual basis about the stories that they are reading.  During this time I was able to walk around the classroom and read along side students who were interested in reading aloud.  I was particularly intrigued by one boy who had his desk facing the chalkboard away from the other students.  When I asked him to read aloud, I was taken back.  I do not believe in juding students by the placements that their teachers have placed them in, and wanted to see what it was that he was secluded for.  When he began reading the (extremely advanced) comic book aloud, he was reading at a very steady pace and using intonation in his voice for the characters.  I then discussed his advanced level with the teacher and she explained to me that he was one of the most advanced students in her class, she showed me the levels that each student were on and I was overwhelmed with the range of readers.  Some students were reading at a kindergarten level while this student in particular was testing at above a 6th grade level.  This resignates with me becuase it shows that not only do i need to prepare myself for the range of readers i will be dealing with, but I also must learn how to cater each of them so that they are always advancing, and moving forward.   I need to continually think about how i am going to reach all of the learners.