Mary

Chapter 3 While I read this chapter, I immediately thought of how Lucy Calkins in Writing Workshop has teachers address the students as "writers." They are not students who are writing---they are the writers and authors. For my own students I want them to identify themselves as " a person who does....." or "I am a person who thinks......" By creating identities for themselves children will feel part of a community with other students who are people who think or people who do (particular things: writing, sharing, caring, explorer).

Reflect on when you were in school. Can you recall a time when a teacher made a comment to you that either helped you as a learner or hindered your ability to learn? Yes, I do remember an incident in first grade (yeah, it was a long time ago)---when the teacher commented, "Mary, you like to ask about the people in the stories." That comment helped me to become more interested in my strengths as a reader; it also motivated me to read more frequently. What the teacher said had quite an impact on me in relieving my feelings of discomfort and reluctance as a new reader.

I am eager to continue to read this book. I have learned a new wordactually it is a new meaning for a familiar word.... the word is  Over the past 2 days I've heard this mentioned 3 or 4 times; the word was used at least twice in the book's first 2 chapters.