January 28, 2016
Day 214 as an Oklahoma Teacher
About 10 years ago, I decided to stop using a textbook; I used novels, nonfiction anthologies, and poetry anthologies for the reading assignments. Why did I decide to not use the textbook? The textbooks were becoming cumbersome not only for the students but also for me to carry around the room. I could use these books for weights and build some muscles. Even though the books contained a plethora of resources to use, it was too scripted. When I first started teaching, these textbooks dictated my curriculum, but eventually, I realized that it's the students' interests and needs should be the focus of the curriculum. I have decided to create more books to use in my classroom. Why not? My books will be simple but contain just enough information to explain the material. For example, I would introduce three grammar rules, 10 vocabulary words, poetry, nonfiction, and short story pieces, discussions, and a writing assignment that I use in a unit lesson plan.
February 2, 2016 Update
Today, I went to the Literacy Caravan in Lawton. I listened to four different speakers discuss their textbooks. Now, teachers who use these books will not have to worry about anything.It's all planned out for them. My focus was on finding books that I could get for my AP students, and books that the 9th and 10th grade teachers could use. The only difference between the textbooks was the setup. Grammar was overlooked; I believe grammar skills should be taught and reinforced with reading and writing skills. For example, if my students are reading a passage, the questions should require them to use textual information and the grammar rules in their answers. That's what my book will cover, integrating all the ideas into one unit, repeating the rules, and learning new ones to use.
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