Learning to Love

Julia Brown

Meet Caroline Conferring

Caroline is a 1st grader
in Mrs. Gundaker's K-1
classroom at the Butler
Lab School. She is a very
bright and kind student.
She has a love for
science and math, but
did not care for reading.
I chose Caroline to be my
focal child because of her
discouragement and lack
of confidence in reading. "I just don't like
It was obvious that she reading. I think it's
was eager to grow in a waste of time. I
reading, but felt like she don't want to do it"
2/7/18
couldn't. I wanted to give
her confidence as a
reader.
It was important to establish a relationship
with Caroline in order for her to be willing to
work with me. We were able to bond over both
being students. Each conferring session after
that, I taught and worked with her on reading
strategies and she taught me about science
and math. We read books about the body
systems and the universe as well as books
that are just right for her reading level. 
Caroline: You're still a student?
Ms. Brown: Yeah! I go to class 
 everyday just like you
Caroline: So that means you're
still learning too.
Ms. Brown: Yes, do you think
you could teach me some
things?
Caroline: Let's make a deal. I'll
teach you if you teach me.

Literacy Goals Small Groups

I taught my small group lessons on the

Caroline will reading strategy of thinking what would make
self-initiate sense and putting in a word. Because of
reading and find Caroline will learn
Caroline's hesitation to use new strategies, i
books she new strategies to
chose to teach the same strategy twice to not
enjoys figure out words
that inhibit her
overwhelm her and give her an opportunity to
reading practice more. I believe that students' interests
should be incorporated into the curriculum, so I
made sure to do this in the small group
I learned about who Caroline is as a reader
lessons by using books about animals as well
through an initial reading interview and
as using stuffed animals, something that all
conferring session. I learned during this time
three students liked.
that the only strategy she had for figuring out
words while reading was to sound them out
and use phonics rules. She began to feel
defeated in reading because a lot of words "This is a really
can't be figured out this way. I created both of good book! Let's
her reading goals from these observations. I read this one."
centered all my teachings around these goals 3/7/18
for my conferring sessions, small groups, and
whole group lesson.
 Whole Group Free Choice Time
I taught my whole As time progressed, I
group lesson on began to notice
using punctuation Caroline choosing to
as a clue to how read during free
the text sounds, choice. This showed
which went along great progress from
with the fluency her original thought
unit the class was that reading was a
working on. waste of time.

I believe that students' voices should be the
center of the classroom. In my lesson I made
sure to have the class actively participate. I
asked them to tell me what the punctuation
marks and their purposes are. I also
encouraged them to shout out exclamations
from the read aloud book. Caroline actively
participated in the lesson, which shows
growth in her confidence.
"Who can tell me what this (?) punctuation
mark is?"
"Everyone shout out an exclamation on the
page!"
She began picking up new books each day and
every week she would read more books than
the week before. She would call me over to tell
me that the book she was reading was a really
good one and recommend that i read it.
"I realized that once
you get the hang of
reading it's actually
really fun!"
4/4/18

Growth and Accomplishments

Personal Growth Growth in Beliefs Caroline's Growth

Throughout this experience, I My original beliefs Caroline began reading for

learned how important it is strengthened throughout this enjoyment in her free time
to create strong and teaching experience. and found numerous books
trusting relationships with Incorporating students that she really likes. She
your students. This creates a interests into the lesson became more confident as a
safe and accepting learning made them more eager to reader and began participating
environment, which is learn. Having the students in class. She also moved up
imperative for student's to voices be prominent helped to from a reading level of E to a
perform at their best.  keep them engaged. reading level of F.