Tovani: Chapter Five

 At the beginning of Tovani’s fifth chapter, she touches on her use of long term targets, student participation, and engagement with the world. She takes the time to list some long-term learning targets for the class she is teaching. This one assignment ties into several other goals for her students. Not only will these targets help them complete their writing assignment well, but they will also acquire the skills to continue using the writing process she has laid out for them to use. If all goes well, these tools to write well will follow them throughout their writing careers.  

She also emphasizes the importance of speaking with and not to others at the conversation table. Small comments are often underestimated in the classroom. When appropriate comments are made, they can stick with students for a very long time. Often, I forget the larger themes of classes, but will remember something small that a professor or teacher said with no context or larger purpose. Life lessons disguised as instructional directions are what can have the most prominent effect on students, no matter the age.  

All of these points tie back into the students’ greater purpose. Tovani reminds her students that their letters will be sent out to government leaders. Caleb questions her, and she tells him that it is “‘our job is to create awareness for others about this serious problem and decide if and how we might help or relocate refugees.’” She doesn’t say that it’s an adult’s job, she tells him that it’s “ours,” handing him the keys to make a difference now as opposed to waiting until he’s over 18.