"An environment where print is valued and used by everyone"

While reading through the first four chapters of Ladybugs, Tornadoes, and Swirling Galaxies:  English Language Learners Discover Their World Through Inquiry, I found myself constantly thinking of how to incorporate the ideas of Buhrow and Garcia into a  middle school writing workshop.  I found many connections in the first chapter about how to create an effective, welcoming environment for my future students.

As Buhrow & Garcia (2006) point out, "We want our classroom spaces to reflect more of a cozy, laid-back environment than a classroom that lacks the natural ambience creativity fosters" (p. 11).  I believe in establishing a classroom environment in which students will love returning to each day.  There should be comfortable seating, many places to work or read quietly, an area for conferences, and an area for the entire class to meet as a whole group.  I also strongly believe that "kids are no different from adults in that they are able to think better in an environment they find comfortable" (Buhrow & Garcia, 2006, p. 13).  I understand that my students will be more free to think, read, write, learn, and grow throughout the year if I provide them with an environment that embodies comfort and stimulates growth.

Other valuable ideas that I took away from chapter one are having "portable little desks" for students who write best away from the traditional desk, allowing students the option to work outside (when possible and accessible), have a classroom tour on the first day of school, using multi-colored sticky notes more, utilizing pens more than pencils, and creating a news board for students to post stories that are exciting to them.  By incorporating these elements into my future classroom, I will create a more positive classroom for my students.

I love the statement from Buhrow & Garcia (2006) that "our goal is to make an academic environment where all inquires are valued and kids have the dispositions or the attitude and inclination to work independently" (p. 24).  I envision a classroom where all of my students will feel free to make inquiries, respect the thoughts and opinions of others, and keep positive attitudes that will not interrupt the learning process.

The interactive writing is a genius idea!  Having the students write to the teacher in an easily accessible classroom area and having the teacher write back not only communicates the importance of what students have to say, but it also communicates that the teacher places value and time on what students write.  As Buhrow & Garcia (2006) state, "We use sticky notes to write back and forth, creating a fluid message board that we also use to track language and writing development" (p. 54).  This is a great way to keep track of students' writing and evaluate the development over the course of the school year.  I will definitely incorporate this idea in some way in my future classroom.

After reading these chapters, I have a greater appreciation and understanding of modeling how to think out loud, giving students time to think before responding, finding a signal (such as the thumbs), making eye contact, and keeping anchor charts for references.  Establishing routines, signals, and classroom procedures are crucial for ELL students.  While I have thought often of having students with special needs and how to differentiate my instruction for those students, I have never given much thought to having ELL students in my future classroom.  I am thankful for being exposed to this book which is opening my mind to other exciting experiences I will face in the future.


Buhrow, B., & Garcia, A. U. (2006). Ladybugs, tornadoes, and swirling galaxies:      
          English language learners discover their world through inquiry. Portland, 
          ME: Stenhouse Publishers.