You Gotta BE the Book - Jeffrey D. Wilhelm - Debriefing

You Gotta BE the Book - Jeffrey D. Wilhelm1)

Is this a good text for ENGL 4800?

• I thought the text was very good for ENGL 4800. It provides resources, reflections from within the classroom, and poses questions for educators to consider.

2) Would you use this text differently in ENGL 4800 than we did this semester? Are there chapters we shouldn't bother with?

• I think it would have been helpful to use some of the resources from the activities list in chapter three. Or maybe make a binder combining the resources so we'll have them to use later.

3) Will you be able to use this text for resources or activities as a secondary teacher?

• Most definitely! All of the resources are great, and the reflections from the classroom could help me further understand my own students.

4) Anything else you want to say.

• I like that Wilhelm goes into detail about specific students and their attitudes towards reading; whether it be enjoyment, frustration, or boredom. I also appreciate all of the resources Wilhelm provides in the beginning of chapter three. The activities list; teacher journal, literary letters, think-aloud protocols, free-response protocols, cued-response protocols, two-column written protocols, and visual protocols. I like that he presents the activity with a description so that we can take the information and put it to use within our own classrooms. Wilhelm provides a lot of practical information that can be used in the classroom and to a future teacher that is very helpful. I really like the end of the book. Wilhem poses the question, "What is the role of the teacher? Are teachers simply people who deliver packaged curricula, who teach premade tests? Or are they individuals who create learning environments based on individual students' present needs, desires, interests, and abilities? Are we simply technicians painting by numbers, or are we educational adventurers guiding our students on their personal paths of learning?" (149). I think this is a great way to get teachers thinking about their role within the classroom.