Our three week training for Reading Buddies has come to an end. I enjoyed working with the faculty, staff and other Reading Buddies. It was a bonding experience. The presentations that we took part in throughout training were remarkable. Each presentation was conducted by an expert in the topic area: TSOL, Psychologists, the TC Rading and Writing Project, Phonics, etc. We recieved the best of the best during this training. Thanks to Dr. Arno, Yaowen and Michelle of the Reading Buddies intiative I was left feeling confident entering my assigned school (nervous of course...but that is normal whenever you deal with the unknown).

Today, along with Ms. Woo and Ms. Philips, I met the prinipal and teachers of PS123 and I must say I am very excited to be working with them! The faculty of PS123 welcomed us with open arms and verbalized their gratitude. I felt right at home :o)

Barbara Hruska gave us a wonderful presentation on TESOL. This presentation was a terrific follow-up to the work Joe Yukish did with us. Some of the presenting points were reiterated, which shows consistency in the methodology used. The interactive portion of the presentation, when we were trying to translate Danish contextually, actually put me in the shoes of the child. It was frustrating and made me feel uncomfortable...then we looked at Arabic and that made me want to just turn the paper over and avoid it all together. I learned about the possible perspectives of a TESOL student. I have aquired awareness!

I have a game plan!!! A Huge Thank You to Joe Yukish! It was so helpful to see his process documented on video. I had been wanting to see an example of the process that is expeted of us as Reading Buddies and I got that today! I have so many ideas to choose from and all sorts of tactics to work with now! Time to think about books and ice breakers :o)

Easy Access to TC EdZone Reading Buddies :o)

http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/edzone/program/language/rbtraining06/index.html

Today's Lesson: Teaching is no joke!

Everything that I am learning through the training session is making me feel more and more prepared. However, I am feeling more like a teacher than a tutor. Well, maybe that is the point because we are suppose to be much more than tutors within the EdZone Reading Buddy project.

Reading comes so naturally to us that it seems hard to go back to the basics. (That is why there is training Thank God!)

I enjoyed the presentation by Joe Yukish. The hands-on activity with book leveling was educational indeed. The lessons were very informative. I do feel slightly overwhelmed...there was alot of writing on those handouts! I suppose it is safe to say that they are ment to be reference materials. I never knew so much thought went into book selection and the teaching of reading! It is truely amazing! I am looking forward to Day 2 with Joe Yukish :o)

Idea: I wonder what input the former teachers of Reading Buddies can provide. I am sure they are fountains of knowledge and would prove to be a wonderful resouce!

Thursday, October 5th

Dr. Lisa Blackwell was speaking my language today! I was totally engaged in her presentation and her ice breaker brought me back to a place I had long forgotten about. As a group we reflected on our first memories of reading and writing. Like many others, I didn't remember much of my experience reading in school. I did enjoy writing out my letters and later on reading the required summer reading books. My earliest memory is of my grandfather teaching me the alphabet. I had a difficult time prouncing and writing "S."

The most important part of the presentation for me were the ideas Dr. Blackwell gave on how to encourage the children. That is going to surely come in handy. Most, if not all, of the children we will be working with have the low expectations of others forced onto them, have been labeled as the "poorest" readers and lack a support network. I have reached this point in my eduacation because others believed in me, supported me and challenged me. I cannot imagine not having this support system, which was so important in my educational attainment. Imagine someone saying you can't do this. What nerve! When there is a will there is a way!

Wednesday, October 4th

The phonics portion of the workshop was somethig I had been looking forward toward. Another great skill to put in my bag of tricks when I enter the school! The BED example was touching for me. To this day I stuggle with my own dislexia especially when it comes to left and right, "b" vs. "d," and occasionally two letter words and numbers. If I had learned the BED example when I was in school I am sure I would have been more proficient. I use a similat technique when it comes to "greater than" (>) and "less than" (<) signs. Notice the "less than" sign looks like a tilted "L," and L = less than. I used this technique when working with statistics tutees and it works every time.

Tuesday, October 3rd

The Freedom Summer vs. Shark Attack book discussion expanded my perspective. Freedom Summer was a touching book which intertwined the ties of differences, friendship and loyalty within an emotional historical context. It was a wonderful story but its richness and language may go over the heads of 1st and 3rd grade children. I think it was enjoyable because I have the historical and life knowledge needed to decode some of the content. It is, as the group said, a great book to incorporate into a themed lesson on equality.

Friday was intense! The Mandated Reporter Training (Child Abuse Training) was well done, extreemly informative and eye-opening. The cases and the accounts that we viewed on tape were gripping and emotional. Some opposition was held in regard to the presentation...I could empathize with both sides. Most importantly I feel increasingly more equiped to be able to go out to the schools and perform efficiently. Lunch was amazing! Thank you Dr. Arno!

The past two days have served to increase my confidence in what is expected of me. I feel as though, maybe wrongfully so, that I am the only Reading Buddy without formalized teaching experience. I am both excited and nervous. Through experience, I know these feelings are positive because they show how much a person cares, and that I do! The presentations by Dinelia Rosa and Stephen Peverly have increased my confidence in what is expected of me and what I should expect in the coming weeks. I look forward to learning more, increasing my confidence and gettig to know more about my fellow Reading Buddies (more ice-breakers please!)