My understanding of metacognitive awareness has changed over the course of the semester. The articles in this class have given me both qualitative and quantitative discoveries to strengthen my teaching abilities. As well, “The Mosaic of Thought” has also increased my understanding of teaching literacy from a factual and professional standpoint. With that being said, character journals and “The Mosaic of Thought” will give me the necessary tools to demonstrate this reflection paper and show how my metacognitive awareness has changed the perception of my teaching. This paper will also discuss my continuous drive to become a more autonomous thinker, my methods of teaching special needs children to make literacy enjoyable, and lastly show how I have learned to maximize student potential so they can develop their own independent thinking.

I believe that implementing character journals into classroom reading instruction can be highly beneficial in regards to monitoring comprehension. These journals allow students to put themselves in the shoes of a main character in the story and to express their feelings in regards to their actions or attitudes. This is a great strategy I would use in my classroom because it is more likely that students will become more involved in reading the particular story because it is more interesting when they can feel and experience what’s going on. Students learn best from experience therefore this strategy will be a successful one as long as they have experienced something like the character they are studying. Also, students will be able to self-identify their actions better, as well as know their beliefs and emotions. When I am introducing character journals I will stress the importance of individuality and that there is no correct way of responding. Each student should have differences because they may have different beliefs or emotions regarding the situation that occurs with their character. I found it interesting when Hancock mentioned in his article, “Amy, a LD reader, had a difficult time adjusting to the point of view of the journal.“ (Majorie R. Hancock It is important to monitor that your students understand what is expected of them and to provide feedback in their journal writing to encourage students to continue on the path towards success.

Another strategy I would use in my classroom, one which I have never heard of before this class is dictoglossing. This technique involves reading aloud, student discussion, and recreating the text in different ways the readers see it. Just like in the character journals, the students need to understand that this activity also requires every student to be unique and think in their own way. Once again, there is not just one particular way of recreating the text. Each group should be encouraged to participate and work cooperatively to create the scene as best they can with their imagination. This flexibility also allows students to use their own approaches to interpret the text and see it in their own way. Students are different learners and will use different props and creations to get their point across with originality. If all of the performances look the same that must be an indication that each group of students understood what was mostly important in the text and therefore comprehended what was being read. This technique allows readers that struggle with reading on their own to be able to.

This course has also increased my knowledge when it comes to using literature circles. I would incorporate this into my classroom when I have done a read aloud with the students. Each student will choose a role and work together to learn these goals and to fulfill their responsibilities in the group. I believe students should be working in groups and learning how to share ideas and discuss the material, voice their opinions about what they have read, and give new insights to what they think is going to happen next.