“That’s how I was taught, and I turned out okay.”
Who hasn’t heard that before in schools across the country? Well, that’s not going to work. Or more truthfully, it might work for some, but teachers will lose multitudes of teachable moments with that type of mantra.
Instead, we would better serve today’s students by really considering their cultural wealth. What differences and simiarities do they bring with them to the classroom that can be supported by learning? What types of practices do they have in other areas of their lives that may need addressing and mediating for meaninful learning to take place? What role does identity play in literacy instruction?
Persistent Pondering 