Chapter 9- "Did I Miss Anything? Did I Miss Everything?" Last Thoughts

"If teachers become distant from their own learning they will most certainly become distant from the learning of the students," (Alisa Wills- Keely, pg. 117). 
     Tovani starts this chapter with this quote by Wills- Keely.  This is a fantastic quote to begin with because this is what her book is about.  This quote sums up her whole book with one sentence.  Tovani's strategies and techniques in this book help teachers of all contents and students of all grades with continued learning in reading.  We should always strive to continue our education and pass our knowledge onto our students. 
     After the quote, Tovani tells a story of an experience she had with a reading workshop getting ready for the state exams coming up.  This year they were focusing on poetry and the kids were not thrilled about reading poems.  As the kids file into the room and neglect to find their seats, they are talking and picking on one another while Tovani has a list of disturbances that don't end.  She has to decide what to do.  Does she scold the children and take time out of the teaching to do so?  While everything is disturbing and distracting her from doing her job, she quickly reminds herself, "... how difficult it is to determine what is important when we are teaching," (pg.118).  It was at this time that she writes that everybody faces challenges in their lives, both adults and children, teachers and students.  "... we must take the same advice we give to students: focus on what is important and, as much as possible, ignore the rest," (pg. 118).  She handled her class as she found appropriate and handed them all a poem to read titled, "Did I Miss Anything?"  One boy in her class lashes out saying he has no clue what the poem is about so Tovani reminds him to use the multiple reading strategies and techniques he has learned to better dissect and understand this poem in front of him.  He turns in his marked- up poem with a note in the bottom asking to redo the work he turned in earlier for a better grade, and of course, Tovani says yes.  Tovani says, "Our classrooms aren't the only place where kids might learn to 'query and examine and ponder.'  But they are one place, and it matters that we see how important it is to offer students the opportunity again and again to take us up on the chance to think hard about the world around them," (pg. 120).  I think this is important for all educators to remember and utilize in their classrooms.  We need to give our students every chance we can to help them succeed. 
     Tovani writes, "I think most of us become teachers because we love our content so much...," (pg. 121).  I agree with this completely!  I know the reason why I want to become a health teacher is because I am in love with the content and I feel as though it is one of the most important subjects for a child to learn in and about.  If I am not taking the time to help that child succeed in reading within this content field, I am not doing my job as a teacher in helping that child learn the content.  Part of learning the content is learning how to successfully read the content. 
     This is a very short chapter with Tovani's last thought's to the educating audience.  Her advice to all of us is, "I hope that as you finish reading this book, you are saying to yourself, 'I can do this.'  Sure you can.  You know more about reading instruction than you think," (pg. 122). 
     If you are interested in reading this book, all of Tovani's notes and samples of worksheets are in the back of the book in the appendix.  These are all very helpful in understanding this book and blog as well as useful in the classroom.