My Goals for this Semester

I have been looking forward to taking the literacy component of TE 401/402 as it seems that literacy is a dominant component of the elementary school classroom. I have several goals that I want to accomplish this semester. Many of these goals have grown out of my experiences in the field as well as teaching in the child development laboratories.
In my placement, students range in reading ability from first grade to seventh grade. A goal I have is to learn how to teach a group of students that cover such an extensive range. How does one teach the class as a group but also meet individual needs? Another goal I have is to learn how to make literacy exciting rather than monotonous; it is extremely disappointing that so many students learn how to “hate reading” at such a young age.
One of the biggest goals I have is to become more knowledgeable in literacy skills myself. It is important to be well educated in this area so that one can share more with students. To achieve this goal, I hope to gain my Masters in literacy. I think that this will enhance my skills, especially if I work towards my masters while teaching.
In my TE 401 class last semester, we discussed the sometimes negative effect of having so many standards in school. A goal I have in this course is how to abide by these standards but also make learning enjoyable and authentic. Lastly, I think that overall I want to learn more about the best teaching strategies to use when teaching literacy; especially with young children who are learning letter sound, letter recognition, writing, etc.