Teacher Preparedness in Reading

I realize an earlier blog posting addresses teacher training and preparedness, but it’s a subject I’m really jazzed about so I’d like to write about it some more J In my article discussion on October 29^th, I asked classmates’ their perception of preparedness to teach reading as they entered the profession. The response was a resounding “no”. While many in my class are in the non-traditional ProMAT program, even teachers who went through a traditional route explained they really didn’t understand reading instruction until they entered the classroom. The American Federation of Teacher’s 1999 position paper Reading IS Rocket Science examines how the instruction of reading is downplayed and issues with schools of education; the National Council on Teacher Quality’s 2006 report What Education Schools Aren’t Teaching found that only 15% of education schools provided “minimal exposure to the science” of teaching reading (5). The report is fascinating—it analyzes syllabi and textbook selections, but its recommendations are most helpful for policy makers in deciding how to correct the problem on a macro level. What’s the 1^st year teacher who wants their students to be successful to do?

I took 6 credits of reading coursework before starting to teach, but I was still unsure of major things, like how to conduct a guided reading lesson. On a day-to-day basis, I construct my plan to teach reading by listening to anyone and everyone—teammates in staff meetings, in the copy room, and in classes at Hopkins. I also keep my eyes and ears open for specific means of teaching different strategies. I would also like to visit the classrooms of more seasoned teachers to observe their approach to reading. While there are many resources on paper, little compares to seeing an expert teach. Finally, as nerve-wracking as observations may be, I believe they are so critical in gaining the competencies necessary to be an effective teachers—especially in a subject as important as reading.