Questions for Reif

Dear Ms. Linda Reif,

While reading your book entitled "Read, Write, Teach," I was particularly struck by your idea of "ass kicking" mentioned in chapter six.  You mentioned that you want your students "to read and respond to reading in the spirit of ass kicking."  I am completely in agreement with this mentality.  I think it is very important for students to, as you said, react passionately to what the read, and even hopefully have that positively  influence their outside behavior.  My question is this: How do you stop the opposite effect?  That is, how do you explain to the class when and when not to take to the streets with their reactions?  It seems like you encouraged your class to kick the asses of others.  When do you draw the line between pretending and actual possible violence.

Also, later in the chapter, you stress the importance of choice in student reading.  You seem to be speaking mostly about fiction, such as Harry Potter.  How would you translate this autonomy to non-fiction, beyond letting children pick the subjects they read about?  Certain things readers look for and enjoy in free reading are not the same things looked for on the dreaded standardized tests.  How do you balance the two?

You also mentioned that you take every Friday as a reading day.  How do you find time to prepare your students for the standardized tests while devoting an entire class day not to a state prescribed text, but to a free-reading book?

Thank you for your time,

Joanna Meyer

Response to Hook Video

Overall, I think I was much less enthusiastic and lively than I thought I would be in teaching my lesson.  I think that it was a good decision to start with a quote, because this helped at least me to view the poem through the lens of the author/character relaying a memory for the sake of purposefully reaching the reader.  In this way, hopefully, the students opened the door to personal reflection and response.  

I noticed that I have the habit of using that front table as almost a fence between me and the class, as if I expect to be attacked at any moment.  At times, too, I notice that I lean forward on my arms toward the class.  I seem stuck behind the desk, even though I stiffly force myself to walk around the classroom at one point.

In some ways, I think my false bravado helps me appear mildly calm, but then again perhaps too calm and not very exciting.

I think my use of a personal example is a positive thing, because it further opens the door to the reader-response angle of my lesson.

I tend to jump on them, though.  I don't allow time for my students to answer/respond to my questions.