Video Reflection

I always knew that students can achieve only as much as you expect of them. Watching Sheila Owen’s class, I observed this in real-time. She sets high standards and goals in her classroom, goals which seem almost impossible for children of this age. However, with the confidence and self-assurance that she instills in these young charges, they really soar high. When children feel that you believe in them, they can reach unimaginable heights.

It’s Sheila’s positive approach in her classroom that helps her accomplish this. She makes every child feel good about themselves and comfortable in their surroundings. She uses positive reinforcement such as when she thanks the children for joining her on the carpet, as opposed to commanding them to do so. This tactic is great as children feel good when they’re recognized and complimented, and will want to do the right thing again. As for those who weren’t in the right place yet, they got the message and scrambled to their spot without feeling negatively judged.

Also fascinating to me, is the way she caters to her culturally diverse classroom. She makes them feel at ease when singing and talking to them in their first language, thus creating a pressure-free environment. By making everyone feel a part of it, they are not afraid to err and try again.

Her method for teaching her pupils to read mainly focuses on the gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the students. At first, she begins with read-aloud, reading higher level books to them that promote stimulating discussions about the text. She slowly pulls back when she begins with shared reading. Their role increases, as this time, they are more involved when they read the books together out loud. In guided reading, she steps back a bit further, and allows them to read on their own while she stands by to prompt and encourage them. Lastly, they read independently, where the students do all the work and her role is reduced to observing. I think that it’s this systematic approach, where she ensures that they have a solid background before they set out on their own, that gets them to be fluent readers.

In essence, it’s her smoothly run classroom that sets the stage for quality learning. It’s amazing to notice that this was videoed on Week 7 of school, and already the children knew exactly what to expect. Following a specific routine takes these students far and helps Ms. Owen accomplish her ultimate goal of having them leave her class as independent readers and writers.