My Participation In The Appalachian State University Master’S Program In Reading Education Has Been One Of The Most Enlightening And Challenging Experiences Of My Life

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Synthesis and Personal Reflection

By Ellen N. Leggins

My participation in the Appalachian State University Master’s program in

Reading Education has been one of the most enlightening and challenging experiences of my life. The eighteen months that I have been a part of the program have been so rewarding. I have learned a lot of information about reading instruction that will be critical when working with any literacy learner. I have the tools I need to motivate uninspired readers and the knowledge as an educator to help struggling readers progress with the use of best practices I have learned about during the extent of my participation in this program.

Reading has always been an important part of my life. As the daughter of a

Kindergarten teacher, I was raised within a literate household. Trips to the bookstore were a treat and I would do most anything to earn extra money so I could expand my personal collection. I can remember visiting a particular bookstore at the beach to pick up another Berenstein Bears book almost every day during my vacations. As I grew into a young adolescent, I would always beg to go to Asheville or Hickory on the weekends.

The bookstore in the mall was constantly calling my name, tempting me to get the latest

Baby-Sitters’ Club, Sweet Valley Twins, or Christopher Pike thriller. Even though I had a vast collection, I would still treasure trips to the local public library. Here I had access to any kind of book my heart desired. Books and reading were crucial to my self-being and molded my life beyond imagination. As a child from a family affected by divorce, when I Leggins 2 would be shuttled back and forth from my mother’s to my father’s and vice versa, I always made sure to pack a book in my bag. Family reunions, trips, any even I made sure to bring a book along.

Reading can be such an escape for us and I want to explore that idea. Many times children and young adults are dealing with issues that should only be handled by their parents or caregivers. Books can provide children a chance to discover a part of themselves they may not be attuned to yet. They can identify with characters, visit settings beyond their wildest imaginations, and feel emotions that may be unfamiliar to them. Books can offer explanations and education that some children would never receive at home. They help shape our society and impact humanity.

However, my teaching experience has been the opposite of the way I was brought up. More often than not the students I teach come to Kindergarten and first grade with minimal literacy experiences. They have homes where the bookshelves are sparse, where reading is considered a luxury, and some who have parents with little literacy backgrounds as well. I can provide these students with experiences that can stimulate a love for literacy and build a firm foundation for their reading future. I can be a role model and offer these students an opportunity to improve their future.

As a teacher, I have been taught countless strategies and methods to use in the education of my students. In this program I have taken away the knowledge that I need to examine each area of topic I have been exposed to in the graduate program and see how it Leggins 3 relates to my own teaching. This will allow me to truly reflect on my teaching process and to note areas of strength and weakness. I have learned that to maximize my skills as a teacher the art of reflection is crucial. Without being able to reflect we are only left with unawareness while with reflection we have more certainty. Reflection allows us the opportunity to step back and view ourselves in a different perspective. Then if we are able to reflect on our own processes, we can reflect on our students and our instruction for them.

As teachers we need to examine and reevaluate how we work with student differences in our classrooms and let them drive our instructional practices whenever possible. Our students are entitled to instruction that meets their needs as a learner and we need to be sure to actively reflect on our abilities as an educator. I have learned that without reflection we will never question what we know and if we can see things from the perspectives of others and that are different from our own views and biases. Without reflection we will never challenge ourselves to meet the needs of our students and learn about our own practices.