Chapter 4 Response

I definitely agree with what the author of this chapter wrote about. Teachers need to teach students in a way that they will understand the material for life, not just long enough for the test. The story the author wrote about how she visited a classroom and had the student sit on the floor for the discussion really got me thinking. This is where a lot of students feel more comfortable. If the teacher and all of the students are more physically comfortable on the floor, then they will more than likely be more mentally comfortable to actually listen to the teacher and engage in the learning. That is where the learning takes place.
I also think that the author of this chapter was trying to get at the point of "learning is okay." I think it would be good for a teacher to show the students that he/she is learning the same stuff the students are, just differently. As an English teacher, I think it would be important for the teacher to be reading the books or passages or poems at the same time as the students and talk about the troublesome spots he/she had. That would make for a better discussion with the students, because then they could see that even the teacher had trouble with certain spots, and maybe a few students did too. Then those students can speak up and ask their questions, and the students who felt like they did understand that same section can speak up and give their ideas. These are the things that students will remember for life.
I think that lessons have to be interesting, especially when the topic isn't. I can honestly say that I don't remember much from my US History class in high school because the only thing my teacher ever did was make us fill out enormous packets, take notes (with highlighting! If there wasn't highlighting in your notes, you got points off), and watch movies. Of course I remember HISTORY... I just don't remember all the fine details that I know my teacher gave us. If he would have had us doing more things that were interesting, I would have remembered a lot more.
I think that as a teacher, I will definitely try to implement more of the comprehension ideas the author of this chapter talked about. All are important, but some may not be necessary. For teachers, these things are usually just trial and error. If it works for all, or most, students, then it's something they should keep using. If it doesn't work, well, then you just try another.