One of the excerpts from this book that we found intriguing and important was Setting Up the Classroom, from chapter 2, Building Trust and Community. Making your students feel comfortable from the moment they enter your classroom is a huge step in being a good, welcoming, helpful, understanding teacher. If students enter your classroom and feel uncomfortable, they aren't going to put their best foot forward in their work, nor are they going to want to share their ideas or get comfortable with you as a teacher or their classmates. Solley lists steps that teachers can take to set up their classroom in the appropriate way that benefits their students and enhances their writing environment.
1." Children's lives are valued"(28). Teachers should take time to show an interest in their students' background, culture and lives in general. They should ask themselves questions like "Where do the children come from?"(28) and "What is each child interested in?"(28) to start getting to know them better.
2. "Interaction is valued"(29). Different languages that children bring into the classroom should be celebrated by the teacher whether it be between two students or between the teacher and student.
3. "It is the writer who is valued rather than the writing"(29) .It is more beneficial and effective to build on a students' skills and concepts as a writer instead of focusing on just the writing on the paper. For some students, writing isn't a thing that should be taught to them, it is something that they have to experience themselves.
4. "The role of the teacher changes"(30). Teachers should be there to help and assist their students, not to solely direct them.
5. "Print is valued"(30).Many different types of print should be included in the classroom. Giving your kids only a few different sources or types of work limits their scope and prevents them from digging deeper into understanding multiple types of writing.
6. "Teachers and students ask genuine questions"(31). Teachers should truly want to know the answer to any questions they ask their students. If you're uninterested, only asking the question to ask it, the children will know and not want to share their experiences. Along with this, teachers should always respond when they are given the answer to their question.
7. "Writing is a valuable endeavor"(31). Publishing students' work, hanging it inside or outside of the classroom teaches them to have pride in what they've accomplished. It also encourages them on their next piece of writing, knowing that others could see it and wanting to proudly represent themselves in their work.
