Journal of Educational Support
As an educator, we are constantly learning. Each interaction with a student, and conversation with parents, teachers, and professionals in this field provide new understanding and opportunities to improve our instruction as we gain insight into a student. Each student has a unique learning style and their needs are as individual as they are. Although we begin with assessments, and our knowledge and experience, we continue to alter and refine our responses, instruction, and pace as we get to know a student. As educators, we are always learning and striving to improve and we can be inspired by the smallest detail in a student’s response, by other professionals and by new thinking we encounter in professional books, content we find online or an old favorite revisited with new understanding and an altered lens. In fact, the wealth of ideas and information can be overwhelming. The goal of this journal is to share what inspires me each month and in turn, I hope my readers will share their own insights, new finds or latest inspiration.
June 2024
I LOVE interior design and I constantly find inspiration in the books, magazines and series that I watch. Similarly, throughout my thirty years as an educator I have constantly encountered new ideas, strategies and insights that inspire my instruction. My current students attend five different schools and their writing curriculum from school to school varies. Most do a nice job of teaching the writing process; brainstorm, plan, rough draft, edit and revise, and final draft. A few teach grammar; subject, predicate, nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc… but none teach all of these elements leaving my struggling writers bewildered when they are asked to revise an incomplete sentence or add adjectives to their writing. The Writing Revolution; A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades by Dr. Hochman and Natalie Wexler was published in 2017 but is a resource that I have revisited recently as I support this group of students. As the title suggests, this book provides a complete instructional guide across subject areas and is user-friendly for educators. What has inspired you this month?