"What I Do"

The special education department came to me today to say they are looking at using a new program for their reading instruction. I think they are tired of the "programmed" products they have used in the past, which are effective, but very boring for the kids. I was flattered that they want to know more about what I do in "my program" so they can possibly adapt and do something similar in "their program."

This got me thinking that I really do not have a well documented program. So I took some time today to write out all of the main components of my program: assessment, teacher read-aloud, self-selected reading, strategy instruction, and book clubs. It took quite a bit of time during my prep period, but it helped me see that I really do have a pretty well rounded, research-based program. Now I need to put all of this into a more formal document in case anyone else ever teaches "my" classes in the future.

Can a program really be captured in a document? What if it changes every year based on the interests, strengths, and weaknesses of the kids? Who knows, but I will try to put a cork on it for the time being. :-)