The Intergraded Resource Package (IRP) is a great guide for starting teachers. As a new teacher the IRP is broken down in a way that is easy to follow and understand. I really liked how it describes an overall goal for the teaching of English Language Art (ELA). It provided me with an overall ‘big picture’ that I know as a teacher of an earlier grade I am contributing to and working with fellow teachers to create. At first I felt overwhelmed at this huge task ahead of me but then I realized that I am not left on my own to decipher what to teach certain grades.
Let me provide an example to clarify my thinking. Below is a quote from the beginning of the IRP:
“Language is fundamental to thinking, learning, and communicating in all cultures. The skilled use of language is associated with many opportunities in life, including further education, work, and social interaction. As students come to understand and use language more fully, they are able to enjoy the benefits and pleasures of language in all its forms, from reading and writing, to literature, theatre, public speaking, film, and other media. They also come to understand language as a human system of communication – dynamic and evolving, but also systematic and governed by rules.”
My initial response after reading this (and rest of the beginning of IRP) is what have I gotten myself into. I have to take a fundamental of life and teach it so a student not only understands it but also enjoys it? The IRP however takes this picture and breaks it down into manageable pieces. This is great for me as a new teacher, as it educates me on how I can teach my grade and in turn contribute to this ‘big picture’ philosophy. The breakdown of the three components of ELA (Oracy, Writing and Reading) and further breakdown by grade, makes the IRP such a great tool to always be able to quickly refer back when making a lesson plan. I also feel that it explains quite well what is expected of me to teach for ELA in whichever grade I teach. Furthermore, having a group of teachers from different districts with many different experiences collaborate on the IRP, makes it an even more of a legit tool.
Lastly, another great thing about the IRP for new teachers is the section on additional information. I find it great as it includes things a new teacher might not consider when making a lesson plan. Things like understanding everyone’s needs in the classroom, or considering using aboriginal resources for a lesson….etc.
The IRP does answer many questions I have as a new teacher but it does also leave many questions unanswered. This is one draw back. The IRP alone is not enough. What I mean by this is that yes it covers all the areas (theory) a new teacher needs to know before they consider teaching a class or even make a lesson plan, but the real learning I think is being hands on in a class and dealing with these topics first hand. Everything looks great on paper, but as a new teacher I have to understand that the IRP is a utopian representation. At first, I may not be able to use all the additional tools, but I can use pieces of them here and there and then reflect back and next time incorporate more.
Snap Shot of my Future ELA Class
“In 2005 alone, Canada accepted an additional 262, 236 permanent residents into the country. Canada now has some of the most culturally and linguistically diverse cities in the world.” (Bainbridge, 2009)
From what I have read and discussed the classroom is full of diversity. The classroom mirrors Canada’s mosaic population. Yes, diversity in a cultural sense, but also in learning abilities, and disabilities. Students also have their own past experiences that contribute to the dynamics of diversity in a classroom. For example in class discussion with Carol we discussed how diverse her class in Winnipeg was. This was a school heavily populated with immigrants (many from war stricken countries), first nations and problem students. Just with these cultural and socioeconomic differences I must be sensitive to your teaching in ELA class. Is the literature appropriate for these students? Will they be comfortable reading this? Will it strike a nerve or offend their beliefs? Also, am I providing a learning environment that is inclusive to all these diversities? I am happy to see that the IRP is updated and hopes to include all cultures in the learning outcomes.
Sometime it may not be easy and as a teacher I must understand that some students may take more time to learn, and may require a different form of learning. This is what I learned from the article, The Need to Write, The Need to Listen by Ruth Shagoury. In this article there is a new student from Bosnia and she isn’t receptive to the open learning environment of the class, she doesn’t want to share with other classmates. This doesn’t mean she is not learning or she is just choosing to be bad. She wrote beautifully of her past and her introverted writing was a way for her to work through the horrible stuff she experienced. With time and work this student let down her guard and created relationships with students, becoming an active learner. This is just one example of a teacher catering to students needs to help them be a better learner. In a classroom there will be many needs to cater to.
I am also happy to see the IRP’s recognition that the way students learn best, is in an active learning environment and one that incorporates all the learning styles. As we discussed in class this isn’t a new concept but rather a concept that is being revisited. This leads me to my other understanding of what my future ELA students will look like. It will be one that is rich with different learning levels and styles. Examples I have learned of this are: In kindergarten there could be a 5 year learning level gap. In every class teachers are faced with auditory, visual and/or kinesthetic styles of learning. There are many different learning disabilities, for example a teacher may have a student that can only pronounce vowels.
Within this group as mentioned in the text you need to also consider the gender of your students. Generally boys have been seen as poorer reader then girls. The text however, points out that this is partly due to the fact that traditional teaching and material catered more to female learning styles. An example the text points out is the type of books available in schools tend to be more fiction based, which generally girls prefer.
As a new teacher I know that having a diverse classroom will challenge me and through this challenge I will learn and grow. I also know that this will provide my students with a fuller and richer learning environment.
