Sahara's Special

So far I am really enjoying Sahara's Special. The book is a very interesting book geared towards children. I think that having the book written in Sahara's viewpoint makes it very relateable for children. Sahara has a very special personality all her own. She is very outspoken and she speaks her mind. I think that Sahara should share her writing with others so that they can see how talented she really is at writing. If her teachers read her writing and could see how truly talented she was, I think they would take her more seriously and not assume that she needed to have a special education teacher help her. The teachers and principals also need to remember what she's going through and that she doesn't have a father figure at home for her to talk to or to be disciplined by. I'm very excited to finish reading Sahara Special. I can't wait to hear what happens to Sahara and to her hidden writing behind the books in the library.

The 6 Language Arts

I was very surprised that viewing and visually representing were a part of the six language arts. I believe that they should and should not be a part of the list because because there are pros and cons to both viewing and visually representing. Some cons are that it can hinder language development and impair one's ability to speak eloquently. If things like texting and the internet are always used, then that eliminates a lot of use of speaking and language. Also, many people have begun to confuse their texting "slang" and the way they should be talking to someone. I know we talked about code switching some in class and this can be a problem. For example, if you are talking to one of your professors and you say something like "I ain't had time to do that project," this makes you look unprofessional.

Reading and writing stand out more in my academic career than any of the other six language arts because I use these two langauge arts more than any of the others. I have reading for my classes to do every night which I do independently. I don't really use the stages of writing much anymore for the simple fact that it is not required. In elementary school, I remember having to sit down and make a web before I could actually write my stories. As I got older, the requirement of having to use the stages of writing slowly disappeared until I didn't even think about them anymore. However, writing is still a major part of my academic career.

All in all, I believe that my language arts preferences have stayed the same throughout the years. I have always liked to read. I would much rather read for pleasure than for school work, but I still enjoy reading. I feel like my preferences will probably always stay the same because I have been this way for so long that I don't think anything can make it change. Reading and writing are a big part of my life and my academic career. I use them in everyday life and I will continue to use them even when I'm out of school in my career of being a teacher.

First Blog!

I'm so excited to be posting my first blog! I've never blogged before and I know that this will be a good way to look back and remember and reflect on school and on teaching in the future. I want to be a kindergarten or first grade teacher and I am very excited about that. Teaching is a very rewarding job and I can't wait to be a part of that.