Book reflection #2

[Mary]

Literature circles are communities of students who share the same book and meet at times to discuss the details of that book. . In literature circles the teacher is the monitor while the students are doing the actual learning. The students are in control of their own learning. The teacher must set expectations and guidelines of the literature circle while the students are in control of the literature and "jobs". The teacher must introduce the roles and explain them and each student gets to pick the role they do. Teachers must make sure that the literature is available and that they are setting aside time for reading and meeting. I like this type of learning for the students because it allows them to make choices. The job I enjoyed the most was the vocabulary enricher, I liked to find words that I was not aware of and look deeper into the meaning. I enjoyed literature circle and will be implementing it in my classroom. i really had a deeper understanding of the book and enjoyed meeting each week discussing our favorite or not so favorite parts. A good way to assess your students while doing literature circle would be to monitor the progress through the role sheets. Just like Dr. Gaffner did by having us turn in our role sheets at the end of the class. Looking at each one can give you an idea of the connections the student is making with the chosen literature, and also can inform you of the connection they may be missing. Walking around and monitoring and observing the students, maybe even make a checklist would help you keep it organized. You could put objectives you want your students to accomplish during circle time, and then do a check in with each group to see if your students are meeting those expectations. However, always make sure your students know what you are expecting before you start assessing!