What Did Alfred Tatum Tell the Principals?
I.Tatum described three school scenarios that he called borderline criminal and told principals it was their responsibility to ensure that this wasn’t happening in their schools.
1) As part of a word meaning lesson a teacher wrote the word "laff" on the board and asked a class of 9th grade students whether it was the correct spelling.
2)A second teacher eager to get classical literature to the her ninth graders divided them into three groups.
a)Create a travel brochure with all of Odysseus’ stops and figure the cost of going from one to the next.
b) Draw pictures of each of Odysseus’ adventures
c) Make a crossword possible with the names of the gods, goddess, and other charcters in the story.
3) A teacher listed 4 words from a story that the class was about to read, had them repat them and read the story. He then asked a number of questions about the story, most of which the class got wrong. He then told them the right answers.
Tatum repeated that the only way to learn to read is by reading and that text should relate to:
a) Other texts. Kids should initiate connecftions without being asked.
b) Self.Kids should have a better understanding of who they are from the text
c) The World. Kids should learn something about the world beyond them from their rteading
Here are some texts and/or authors tatum recommends for middle and high school students.
To Be A Slave-Julius Lester
Bud, Not Buddy-Christopher Paul Curtis Ages 9-12No Turning Back-A novel of South Africa Beverley Naidoo Ages 8-12
Bang-Sharon Flake
47 Walter Mosely
Toothpast Millionaire-Jean Merrill Ages 4-8
Invictus-Bill Yancey
Reallionaire-Farrah Gray and Fran Harris
Our America: Life And Death On The South Side Of Chicago by Lealan Jones, Lloyd Newman, and David Isay
The Pact-Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, Lisa Frazier Page
Handbook for Boys-Walter Dean Myers
MiracleBoys-Jacqueline Woodson
Frantz Fanon
James Baldwin
Langston Hughes
W.E.B. DuBois
Text have a twofold purpose:
They are two engage i.e., motivate and capture the reader and enable i.e. teach the reader to read and to know more.
Dr. Tatum emphasized his point about needing a more anatomically complete model for teaching reading.
We now have only the body-Research Based Teaching Reading Strategy but we need a head and feet as well.
The Head-
The Role of literacy instruction-a) Curriculum Orientations b) Approach to Literacy Teaching
The Feet-
Instructional Strands-a) Mediate text-help students comprehend b) Student Assessment Profile
Professional Development Strands- a)Professional Community b)Teacher Inquiry
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Tatum suggested a good student assessment profile meant a careful look at student’s performance to figure what actually is the problem. Sometimes fluency can be the problem not the designation of the particular question.
II Tatum ended with the whole school needs model that principals must address.
C.O.R.E.-Professional Development
Consistency -within department and across the whole school
Organization -Core Group of Reading Strategies to be used by teachers-maybe 5
Assessment profile to find out what to work on
Reflection -Support Structures and Human/Material Resources
Evaluatio Ongoing and Multiple
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Tatum acknowleged that this is not easy to accompplish in a school.
Message to Principals from Dr. Tatum
“Leadership is the Cornerstone of Change-You can be a barrier to or a conduit for change.”
(more next time)
posted by Murph @ 12:44 PM
4 Comments:
Hello:
Should we consider the following comments or continue along our own paths? First, ask yourself "Do you agree with his suggestions?" And, if not, why not? Are they "pie in the sky?" Are they even possible? Then consider what it means (for all of us) if these young men can never be true gentle - men. Please share these words with others and talk about the possibilities of these young men becoming what we treat them to be.
Dan Willis
From National Catholic Reporter-December 15, 2006(Whole article available to members)
"Let's start with urban education. Jesuits and other religious and secular groups have pioneered successful inner-city high schools like Cristo Rey and middle schools like Nativity Miguel that emphasize the work ethic, personal attention and discipline.
But this crisis calls for a broader attack. Don't play MTV on campus televisions. Impose dress codes on all students like the code of historically black Hampton University in Virginia, which instills "integrity, and an appreciation of values and ethics": no caps, hoods, do-rags, jackets, T-shirts or shorts in class, cafeteria or offices. I'll add: no drinks, chewing gum or cell phones in class. The convict-style costume is the black male's message to the world outside his head that he refuses to join the larger community. Schools should teach him otherwise.
Treat black and white males as if they are all smart enough to read literature. Give them a crash course in reading from the first day -- including Dickens and Dostoevsky. Teach them to write poetry and recite Shakespeare and listen to and sing Bach and Mozart. Require a C average before they can play on a team. In short, teach them to be gentlemen."
Jesuit Fr. Raymond A. Schroth is a professor of humanities at St. Peter's College in Jersey City.
National Catholic Reporter, December 15, 2006
I think Dr Tatum was referring to the poem Invictus, not this book.
http://bestclips.com/index/clips/view_unit/9/?letter=P&spage=1
Invictus
by William Ernest Henley; 1849-1903
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
Thanks Valarie:
I need to expand my textual lineage.
Thanks Valarie:
I need to expand my textual lineage.
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