Reading Response 6: Mosaic of Thought

“ Todd established four small areas near the corners of his classroom… The dramatic group performed a theatrical interpretation of the scene; the artists went to work to represent their images with paint, pencils, or pastels; the book talk group shared and expanded upon each other’s images; and in the writer’s den, images were recorded and shared” (Keene and Zimmerman, 191).


I want my classroom to be like this!!!

I love that they explained the process Todd went through to build this environment. So often pre-service teachers see the finished product and not the struggle to get there. I feel like it makes us less likely to take chances because we “don’t know how to do it”. In reality we will never completely know how to do it! There will always be a challenge to fit the individual needs of our students (although I am sure it gets easier with more tools in the toolbox). The different expression centers are a great example of meeting needs authentically. Sometimes a reader could have a strong image perfect to draw, and other days they may feel better discussing it. The best part about these different centers is that they allow for each reader to respond in the way that works for them, and the way that works best for each book! I really appreciate how this solution acknowledges the interactive nature of reading and reflects that dialogue in the assessment and instruction in addition to the process of reading.