In retrospect, I see my serious mistake of neglecting to train my students how to participate in literature circles. Often, certain individuals would do the majority of the speaking while others would sit back and passively listen. Teaching them how to prepare ahead of time for discussion in a literature circle would undoubtedly help the reluctant students feel more confident about sharing their thoughts.
There seems to be some dispute among educators as to whether or not the assigning of roles in literature circles is best. Some think it takes the focus off the content being discussed while others feel it helps students stay focused. I personally would like to implement roles within my literature circles in the coming school year with the confidence that it will help my students stay focused.
I also embrace the idea (as presented in Becoming a Literacy Leader) of taking several weeks at the start of the school year to gradually introduce each role individually to my students. This will give them time to learn specifically what will be expected of them, and allow time for them to become comfortable performing each role.
I LOVE literature circles. I do use some roles, but not the ones like: recorder, time keeper, etc. Each student has a different reading/comprehension strategy he/she is looking for while reading. One may be an Artful Artist that illustrates their understanding of a scene. Another is an Investigative Reporter and thinks of questions to ask a character. I think these help them have something to talk about during the discussion time. I'm glad there is another teacher who enjoys them. I think more teachers would like them if they were open to something new. You are right, it does take a little while to teach them the concepts of literature circles, but it's worth it.
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