Emma's Literacy Blog

     Tovani’s focus in chapter three shifts to the masks that students wear. This is continued in chapter four, but that’s a topic for another day. She focuses specifically on the masks of anger and apathy in this chapter and how to deconstruct these masks as opposed to shutting down and ignoring the student’s needs.        At first, she lays out examples in a class she once had with a variety of personalities and learning styles/needs and how she handled the fight back. Thinking back on my schooling experiences, I can think of so many peers that had these same attributes, if not found in myself. Students so often hide behind masks; they could be anything. What Tovani emphasizes is getting to know your students as people and as learners will help break down the barriers that they come in with.        What does your student struggle with? Not so much with learning, but outside of the classroom? What keeps them distracted? Why ...

In chapter two, Tovani writes of her frustrations and stresses that come along with unpreparedness. What I would take away from this chapter is that it is important to never underestimate what you, as a teacher, will have to prepare for . I remember being a young student avoiding work at times because it  wasn’t interesting or felt boring. Tovani speaks a lot on finding interesting text that will engage her learners. As an Art Ed major, it’s hard to connect with this aspect of the chapter. However, I will always be looking for engaging activities for my students, especially since an art class is so activity-heavy . If I do introduce reading material for my older students, it would explicitly apply to one of our longer assignments. As students get older, it wi ll become easier to plan a long-term lesson ; the more advanced a class,   the more time is needed to work on projects . For younger classes that will meet with me less often, I may need to think outside the box to...

 Hi guys :) My name is Emma and I'm an Art Education major with a minor in Music. I love to create things, make music, go to concerts, travel, and spend time outside with friends.  Last spring break I went to Spain (and fed some cool, friendly birds)!  Here at the Mount I'm the craft manager for the new Makers House, as well as co-directing liturgical music and the chapel choir.  If you've made it this far, thanks for reading :)