Clearing the Way

     I have enjoyed this book a lot so far. I am on page 129, and so far I think almost everything Tom Romano has said has seemed like great advice for high school teachers. It seems like he really knows what he is talking about when it comes to high school English teachers, and I feel I have learned quite a lot from him.
     One idea I really liked, was the idea of writing with your students. I think this is a great idea, because English is such a personal subject. Students are writing and exposing themselves to the teacher, and sometimes even the class. I think when a teacher shares their work with their students, they are also exposing themself in the same way the students are. I feel this will help create a closer relationship between the teacher and the students. Also, the students will be more likely to listen to what the teacher says if they know the teacher's writing ability.
     I really liked that he graded students on growth, and not only writing skill. I think is a more fair approach. Not all students are good at writing. A student can be very smart, and just not be good at word choice, grammar, spelling, etc. Writing comes naturally to some students, so I do not think it is fair to grade students with less writing talent the same as students with an abundance of writing talent. I think as long as a student is trying, and making progress, then they deserve a good grade. If a student is improving and listening to the advice given by the teacher, they deserve a good grade whether they are a good writer or not.