{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"45339980","dateCreated":"1320088565","smartDate":"Oct 31, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kwatkins5","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kwatkins5","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ened4415fall2011.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/45339980"},"dateDigested":1532093028,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"TI- Kaitlin Watkins","description":"Kaitlin Watkins
\n
\n1.I am in a school that is a lower socioeconomic status school. It is a title one school and many of the students that I am working with are lower level students. I have been working in three different eighth grade classes. All three are co-taught classes. Two of the classes have a large chuck of special education students and the other class has a large number of ESOL students. I am having a problem with my students talking and chatting while I am trying to teach. I have to constantly redirect the students. I have tried to be stern and strict, but it only works for a limited time period. Then, they are back to chatting during my lesson. I will give the students instructions and ask if there are any questions. There are no hands. Within five minutes, there will be 6 or 7 different student hands in the air. The students then proceed to ask me information that I just explained. I don't know what is going on with these students. I don't know how to stop the talking or what actions could be taken.
\n
\n2.For example, I gave the students a quiz on compound-complex sentences. It was made up of six different questions that they had to identify. The quiz only had three types of sentences, compound, complex, and compound-complex. There were no simple sentences. I told my students that before they took the test because the pre-quiz had simple sentences on it. I said it two different times during my instructions. When I got the quizzes back, I found out that I had three students who identified simple sentences on my quiz. This illustrated the fact that the students were not listening to me or my instructions. I will attach a student handout when I can figure out how to scan it to my computer. However, attached to this is a copy of the quiz.
\n
\n3.What are strategies that you have seen displayed by your CT that eliminates the talking? Do you have any ideas as to how I can stop the chatting during my lessons? What has been working in during your teaching to eliminate talking? Has anyone else had a similar issue like the one I am experiencing?
\n
\nSorry I thought we were supposed to post it to our supervisor's page.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"45227968","dateCreated":"1319858172","smartDate":"Oct 28, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"jen_korb","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jen_korb","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ened4415fall2011.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/45227968"},"dateDigested":1532093028,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"TI: 10\/28\/2011","description":"Jennifer Korb
\n
\n
\n
\n1) I\u2019m teaching one eighth grade gifted class at Floyd Middle School. The school is located in Mableton and it is a Title One school. The classroom is fairly diverse and 98% of the class is above grade level according to their Lexile scores. The gifted students are very bright and motivated. However, they can be very chatty. I time most everything I teach in class with a timer, but I rarely stay on-time when transitioning from one thing to another because I constantly have to address the students and get them on task again. Sometimes the chatter gets so loud and overwhelming that the students barely hear me shouting over them to get them to be quiet and re-focus their attention on me. I don't want to yell and shout at them, but I'm concerned that I can't get full control of my class. The students shouldn't be talking when I ask them to put their vocabulary books away and to open their literature books to a certain page, but in those few seconds it should take them to do this task it takes me a minute or two to get them to be quiet and refocus their attention on me. It wouldn't be so bad if it happened maybe one time during class, but it happens a couple of times throughout class, meaning 5 minutes is taken away from my lesson because I have to get them to be quiet, and that's 5 minutes that is shaved off of responding to a writing prompt.
\n
\n2) One day in class I was so irritated with the chatter that I shouted "You guys! your talking is driving me CRAZY! Would you please be quiet and open your books to read aloud as a class." I fear that I'm getting so irritated with the students chatter that I'll blow up and make an impression on them that I will regret.
\n
\n3) I see that a few people are having problems getting students to stop the in-class chatter and get them focused.
\n
\nHow can I do this without giving off a negative vibe? I want to be stern with my students, but I don't want to be mean.
\n
\nWhat are strategies in which I can get the students to remain silent as they transition from one thing to another quickly without getting overwhelming loud and off task?","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"45340296","body":"Jen- This is exactly my problem as well. I want to stop the in-class chatter and I am struggling with how to accomplish this. I too want to be stern but not mean. I have no answer for you. Though, I think that it helps to establish a good relationship with your students early on. I think if they respect you and know that you mean business, they will stop chattering as much.","dateCreated":"1320088904","smartDate":"Oct 31, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kwatkins5","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kwatkins5","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"43220914","dateCreated":"1317123847","smartDate":"Sep 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"RyanRish","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/RyanRish","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317123112\/RyanRish-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ened4415fall2011.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43220914"},"dateDigested":1532093028,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Teaching Inquiry: due October 28","description":"Post your teaching inquiry posts and responses to one another here. You should generate a true online dialogue around the issue or problematic situation presented by your colleagues.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"45287040","body":"I'm happy to continue the conversation and hope that I have NOT silenced anyone by posting here.
\n
\nI don't like that you can't edit your discussion posts. Or can you and I just haven't figured out how?","dateCreated":"1320015570","smartDate":"Oct 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"RyanRish","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/RyanRish","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317123112\/RyanRish-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45287106","body":"The school where I\u2019m teaching is in an affluent part of Cobb County. As such, most of the population consists of mostly white students with a small mixture of Asian and Middle Eastern students as well. A small population of African American students attends this school with these other students. Some are from affluent families, but a few are not. Many of them have integrated pretty well with the current population, but others are having a variety of issues acclimating themselves to this school\u2019s environment.
\n
\nThis year, a new African American student who used to live in a rougher area has moved into the neighborhood. He seems to be used to an environment like Becca has mentioned. This boy wears his pants low on his hips with his underwear hanging out, he gets into fights, and is a bit antagonistic with his teachers. He is the main name that comes up when the 8th grade teachers discuss behavioral issues as they see him as the farthest, most extreme end of the spectrum of issues they have to deal with in a given day.
\n
\nThe problem I run into is that I wasn\u2019t at the school when he first arrived, so I don\u2019t know how his case has been handled from the beginning. I only see how the frustration levels of the teachers have almost reached a breaking point. This student has seemed to be in ISS more than in class during my time at the school.
\n
\nOther students in a similar situation have gone the other direction. They just shut down and don\u2019t seem to want to do much of the work. I am able to work with them since a little one-on-one attention and encouragement has made my name known among them. They have started greeting me in to hallways and tend to come to me with questions and to show me their work since I always make extra time to encourage them and answer their questions, even when the answers have been given multiple times.
\n
\nKeep in mind that these questions have not necessarily popped up due to any issues with my CT, but have crossed my mind in relation to the environment in a variety of teachers and classrooms in my school.
\n
\n1. I know that we can handle these situations however we want to in our own classrooms, but how can we best approach them with our own style without seeming to step on a CT\u2019s toes when our methods are so different from the other teachers?
\n
\n2. When one student seems to be a bad influence on otherwise well-behaved students, how can we control the bad behavior of the students in question without being too harsh?
\n
\n3. When a CT thinks you can\u2019t control the classroom because she expects a certain level of quiet in the classroom during group work that differs from your expectations, how do you allow the students to work cooperatively?","dateCreated":"1320015647","smartDate":"Oct 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"bpeace71","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/bpeace71","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1320015723\/bpeace71-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45287494","body":"Nope. I researched that and an administrator told someone else that there is no method for editing discussion posts and only the admins for the Wikispace can delete posts. I am not a Wikispaces fan, in general. It's too limiting. I'd rather have a Livejournal or Tumblr page that we all have access to so it can be a private site strictly for this class's use.","dateCreated":"1320016313","smartDate":"Oct 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"bpeace71","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/bpeace71","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1320015723\/bpeace71-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45289884","body":"Brian,
\n
\nI want to respond to your question: "When one student seems to be a bad influence on otherwise well-behaved students, how can we control the bad behavior of the students in question without being too harsh?"
\n
\nOne solution would be what I have seen my CT model in her classroom. We have one specific student who does not like to do the work assigned and instead starts talking to those around him and causing them to stop working as well. My CT has a desk behind a bookshelf beside her desk where she will put him (and other students if necessary) when this occurs. It takes him away from distractions and also takes the distraction of him away from the other students. When she does this, he is actually able to stay on task and complete his work by the end of class. From the times I have seen her use it with him and others, it seems to work very well. That is just one idea and it may not work with all behavior issues.","dateCreated":"1320019270","smartDate":"Oct 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kboyette86","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kboyette86","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45290262","body":"Thanks Brian. We'll have to explore the options you shared.","dateCreated":"1320019756","smartDate":"Oct 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"RyanRish","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/RyanRish","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317123112\/RyanRish-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45290732","body":"Schools are not prisons; students are not prisoners. Why then do we see similar tactics of control used?","dateCreated":"1320020376","smartDate":"Oct 30, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"RyanRish","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/RyanRish","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317123112\/RyanRish-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45352708","body":"Becca,
\n
\n2) Is there ever a time to be jovial in the classroom?
\n
\nAbsolutely! I go through the same thing in my classroom. I want them to enjoy the learning process. I think, if we had been in the classroom from day 1, that expectations could be handled differently for your style of teaching. I know that my CT asks that students remember her "group work expectations" before they begin the activity and even posts them up on the screen. Maybe when you go into your own classroom you can design the classroom conduct and expectations around your style of teaching.
\n
\nMorgan,
\n
\nHow can I show my students I view them all as equal and care deeply
\nabout each of their success?
\n
\nThat is so hard! I completely understand because I have been in a similar situation with my job. My situation involved one student that instigated the rest. I pulled her aside and asked her to explain her behavior. She couldn't. She grasped for straws as reasons to why her behavior was acceptable -- always going back to "you're mean." I explained to her that if she felt like that, then maybe it was a reflection of her behavior, reminded her when she's positive she gets more, and asked her to think about it. It took a few days, and she came back to me. Said "thank you" for caring and she doesn't really hate me and really wished I would be her ASP teacher every day. Meanwhile her behavior improved and so did the group. Unfortunately for her, I had made the decision to move my 5th grade day to 1st grade earlier that day and it hadnt been announced. I made the move starting the following week, and, would you believe, EVERY day she asked to be in my ASP group.
\n
\nSo with that, I think that if you can pinpoint a student that is instigating the behavior and talk to them one-on-one and\/or include your CT, you have a good chance for results. If it is a small group, 2-3 pull them aside the same. If it is a class, ask your CT, then have a 5 minute discussion of respect with them. Relate it back to the activity if you need to. Let them know that THEY are the ones that created this classroom environment, and that you only presented an acronym to help THEM. Get background information about the subject they're trying to push, racism, and explain to them that segregation is over and you are just as thankful as they should be. Tell them that continuing to instigate it in the classroom is unnecessary and disturbing (for the fact that they want to "joke" about such a serious matter). By coming to them with knowledge and empathy they should simmer down.
\n
\nBrian,
\n
\n2. When one student seems to be a bad influence on otherwise well-behaved students, how can we control the bad behavior of the students in question without being too harsh?
\n
\nHa, sometimes, you gotta be harsh. My philosophy is go in strict and loosen up when you think they're ready for it. The classroom doesn't have to be straight faced, but it does need to be orderly and respectful. But how do you handle it now? I'm not sure. I think that I would have a one-on-one or ask my CT how she would handle it. It surprises me that its gone through the administrative chain without improvement. It seems that he's looking for attention, and that needs to be addressed on an instruction standpoint - his behavior is taking away from his own learning and others.","dateCreated":"1320102244","smartDate":"Oct 31, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"julieleake","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/julieleake","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1276044788\/julieleake-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45410642","body":"Becca- I understand where you are coming from. I am in a similar situation. My CT does not scream and yell, but she does maintain a no nonsense type of attitude. I don't want to yell at my students either. That's not who I am either. I think that there is definitely a time to be jovial and joke around with them. I do think that it is a very fine line because they are definitely not prisoners.That is not how we should feel about our students. I don't want my students to see me as a friend. I want them to see me as an authority figure who they can trust and respect.","dateCreated":"1320175895","smartDate":"Nov 1, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kwatkins5","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kwatkins5","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45573424","body":"Julie,
\n
\n1. Could this have been handled differently?
\nI think you did an excellent job. The fact that you took the initiative to go forward and figure the problem out is admirable. I feel that it would have benefited you more knowing what students were ESOL students so you knew to expect some confusion.
\n2. I found the approach to be effective, but are there other approaches that I can utilize for ESOL understanding?
\nAs I said, if you were aware of the fact that some of the other students were ESOL students you may have been prepared to show the connection between the two when you were giving the lesson to begin with.
\n3. How could we prevent the barrier of understanding between languages?
\nUnfortunately, I think there will be at least SOME barrier between languages. Especially if the students that you are teaching are new to learning the English language. Teaching grammar and parts of speech can be difficult because different languages don't use grammar the way we do. I think we, as teachers, need to be prepared to tackle the problem.
\n
\n
\nBecca,
\n1) How would you handle this? How would you handle students that are continually disruptive in the classroom, despite all areas of intervention of kindness and sternness?
\nI've had problems with students CONSTANTLY talking during my lesson. I had to get comfortable and call them out during my lesson and say "John Doe-stop talking". I would say to continually call them out, separate kids, and if the problem persists-send them out of the class. I know it sounds harsh but once students see that you aren't joking in times like those-they might not continue to act out.
\n2) Is there ever a time to be jovial in the classroom?
\nI think there is. Students need to see that you have a sense of humor and that you are human-just like them. I think the problem with these students is that the teachers they have aren't showing any other side to them, which isn't allowing them to connect and establish that student-teacher relationship.
\n
\n3) What type of tone do you think you would set in this fast paced, stressed out classroom environment? Would you yell and scream at the students the way the other teachers do?
\nAbsolutely not. There are reasons why they are stressed out. What my CT and I do when we notice the kids are acting wild is turn the lights down. The light given on the projector and windows gives them enough light to do work. By dimming the lights the students tend to calm down. Our tone is stern, but there are moments when we laugh and talk jokingly with students with no harm.
\n
\nI think its unfortunate that you experienced and witnessed teachers treating the students this way. You would think that if the teachers didn't see any changes in their behavior the teachers themselves would find something wrong with their technique.
\n
\nAnd-it wouldn't be fun teaching a class and having to be someone you're not. Knowing you from class, you have a GREAT personality and I can see kids really connecting with you because you are silly, but you can be stern too! I've seen it in your presentations. I think that because you went in the classroom it was too late for change...but that's not your fault!","dateCreated":"1320348881","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"jen_korb","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jen_korb","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45573544","body":"I JUST realized this is where I was supposed to post my response...I accidentally started a new thread on the discussion forum.
\n
\nAnyway, here it is :)
\n
\nI\u2019m teaching one eighth grade gifted class at Floyd Middle School. The school is located in Mableton and it is a Title One school. The classroom is fairly diverse and 98% of the class is above grade level according to their Lexile scores. The gifted students are very bright and motivated. However, they can be very chatty. I time most everything I teach in class with a timer, but I rarely stay on-time when transitioning from one thing to another because I constantly have to address the students and get them on task again. Sometimes the chatter gets so loud and overwhelming that the students barely hear me shouting over them to get them to be quiet and re-focus their attention on me. I don't want to yell and shout at them, but I'm concerned that I can't get full control of my class. The students shouldn't be talking when I ask them to put their vocabulary books away and to open their literature books to a certain page, but in those few seconds it should take them to do this task it takes me a minute or two to get them to be quiet and refocus their attention on me. It wouldn't be so bad if it happened maybe one time during class, but it happens a couple of times throughout class, meaning 5 minutes is taken away from my lesson because I have to get them to be quiet, and that's 5 minutes that is shaved off of responding to a writing prompt.
\n
\nOne day in class I was so irritated with the chatter that I shouted "You guys! your talking is driving me CRAZY! Would you please be quiet and open your books to read aloud as a class." I fear that I'm getting so irritated with the students chatter that I'll blow up and make an impression on them that I will regret.
\n
\nI see that a few people are having problems getting students to stop the in-class chatter and get them focused.
\n
\n1.How can I do this without giving off a negative vibe? I want to be stern with my students, but I don't want to be mean.
\n
\n2. What are strategies in which I can get the students to remain silent as they transition from one thing to another quickly without getting overwhelming loud and off task?","dateCreated":"1320349016","smartDate":"Nov 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"jen_korb","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/jen_korb","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45664396","body":"julieleake,
\nI really admire the fact you took the initiative to find ways to reach your students. Even if that means branching out of your comfort zone to an unknown language. I had to reach out to a student who could not go any further on his essay because he was stuck on one word. He said I cant figure out what ** means in English. And instead of looking at him blankly I asked him to explain the word the best he could in English. he told me it heats up and you use it whe you go somewhere nice and it straightens out your clothes. It was an iron! we firgured it out together and I felt more accomplished at that moment than I had all day!","dateCreated":"1320458645","smartDate":"Nov 4, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"mburns18","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mburns18","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45664460","body":"becca_hargis ,
\nI have had very similar experiences at my school. My CT has been incredibly patient with our students and because of that I respect her even more. It is so exhausting to try and be calm and patient but what we do not sit back and realize is that our blood pressure is rising more and we are exhausting more stress and energy to yell. We all know that that does not reach out to our students. There are ways to be strict and avoid yelling. Some of that will come when we find our teacher voice I think.","dateCreated":"1320458839","smartDate":"Nov 4, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"mburns18","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/mburns18","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":13}]},{"id":"43220884","dateCreated":"1317123789","smartDate":"Sep 27, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"RyanRish","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/RyanRish","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317123112\/RyanRish-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/ened4415fall2011.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43220884"},"dateDigested":1532093029,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Lesson Reflection: due November 4","description":"Post your reflective narrative here and respond to one another as indicated on the assignment sheet.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"45672224","body":"kpitchf1
\n
\nI created a Jeopardy game also, but we were reviewing all the different types of pronouns. I really liked the idea of making teams. When my class played our Jeopardy game, they were competing against each other. It wasn\u2019t a team atmosphere. So I think splitting the class in two teams is a great idea. I completely understand how one category might not work well because if it\u2019s complexity. Sometimes students need to work a problem out on paper for it to make sense.","dateCreated":"1320492277","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"becca_hargis","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/becca_hargis","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45672234","body":"Brittany,
\n
\nI love that the idea for the How-To-Essay was to create a potion! How clever! I also think that allowing the students to peer review is especially important. I believe students do some of their best work when they know another student will see it. I understand why the lesson was so successful!
\n
\nTime management has also been an issue for me. You\u2019re not alone in needing to improve time management skills. That was something I had to be very cognizant of in my placement.
\n
\nI am just curious, were all the students reading The Witches by Roald Dahl? I imagine some parents would disapprove of the book because of the witches in the story. If so, what accommodations were made?","dateCreated":"1320492326","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"becca_hargis","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/becca_hargis","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45672242","body":"Kristen,
\n
\nI can imagine how excited your students were to figure out the lyric and singer. I feel engaged just thinking about your lesson. I love using song lyrics to teach ELA!
\nI think it is very clever to give them clues and then make them use their brain to figure out the clauses, song, and singer! I will have to steal this.
\n
\nI can appreciate the adjustments you mentioned making if you were to teach them again. It was my experience for my students that I had directions for certain activities up on the projector so that expectations were clear and easy to access without having 33 students asking me questions all at once!
\n
\nAll in all, I love your lesson plan!","dateCreated":"1320492371","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"becca_hargis","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/becca_hargis","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45675674","body":"1. What was your original intent or goal for this lesson?
\n
\nOne of the favorite lessons I taught was a lesson connecting interrogative pronouns to civil rights history. I was a little apprehensive to teach it, because I felt like I may not know enough to answer all the questions my students my have. However, since it was a specific request of my CT, I agreed and researched. The students were introduced to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. I asked them to pretend that they had been able to listen to the conversation, or participate in it, and develop questions using interrogative pronouns. Since no one knows the exact details of the conversation, the students were free to explore. I asked them to note whether the questions they posed were for Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. The students were introduced to interrogative pronouns immediately before the activity, and the intent of the activity was for them to gain a memorable experience with using interrogative pronouns effectively and in context.
\n
\n2. Were you successful in reaching that goal? How?
\n
\nI believe that this lesson was 100% successful. The students were engaged throughout the entire lesson, and the evidence of understanding was displayed multiple times later in the week. Another element that made the lesson successful was that it connected the students to history and civil rights. Some were already familiar with both men and other only knew about one. By allowing the students to share the information they knew, they were able to relate to the material much more quickly because of the shared interest of their peers.
\n
\n3. What specifically went well with your lesson?
\n
\nI believe that the most effective element of the lesson was for them to feel connected. Because of the developed connection, they were eager to create questions. Their eagerness and interest level created phenomenal questions. The students enjoyed sharing their prior knowledge so much that, with the approval of my CT, we continued through the end of the period, and pushed the final lesson for the day to the next day.
\n
\n4. What did not go well with your lesson? Why?
\n
\nI do not feel that there was an element that did not go well for the lesson. I believe that a better consciousness of time could have prevented the question of pushing the final activity, but realistically, the grammar lesson proved to be incredibly effective giving it the ability to trump the review activity that should have taken place after. Aside from pushing an activity to the next day, the day was a success. The students retained the information, connected it to history, and created an interest for their own connection. I believe that is important to connect literature to history, but connecting grammar to history is incredibly effective as well.
\n
\n5. What adjustments will you make or did you make during the course of your day to replicate the lesson?
\n
\nOne major adjustment was to push the final activity to the next day. As for replication, both classes that I taught were exposed to and completed the same interrogative pronoun activity. Given the success of the lesson in first block, it was an understood decision that it was necessary to allow the same time with second block.
\n
\n6. How does this lesson find its way into your unit and how well does this lesson scaffold and\/or integrate into the next lesson?
\n
\nThis lesson added a great element into the grammar mix. Students have a genuine interest for grammar, which is wonderful, and they have a passion for using new grammar concepts in context. For pronouns, this was a building block. As they complete their pronoun unit, they are able to recall and detail the lesson about interrogative pronouns. This lesson made connections that helped students in various ways.
\n
\n7. What theoretical principle and\/or project did you tie to this lesson from your coursework?
\n
\nThis lesson was based around interrogative pronouns, but the activity including historical civil rights leaders was the hook. The ability to connect the lesson to the activity immediately provided a \u201chook\u201d for the students, and they were eager to learn and do more with it.
\n
\n
\n8. Will you use this lesson again? Why or why not?
\n
\nI will absolutely use this lesson again. I love having lessons that can connect other subjects and draw them in. Students really enjoyed this lesson and I enjoyed teaching them while they had such enthusiasm and interest.","dateCreated":"1320504295","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"julieleake","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/julieleake","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1276044788\/julieleake-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45676944","body":"As a class, we read the short story, \u201cBargain\u201d by A.B. Guthrie. The story is about a young boy named Al who works in a convenience store in the 1800\u2019s, which is run by a foreign man named Mr. Baumer. A freighter named Slade constantly bullies Mr. Baumer. Slade is much bigger and stronger than Mr. Baumer. He breaks Mr. Baumer\u2019s nose, crushes his hand, and humiliates him in public. To top it all off, Slade also owes Mr. Baumer a significant amount of money. Being that Mr. Baumer is much smaller than Slade and cannot physically harm him, he decides to outsmart him. Mr. Baumer hires Slade to transport goods for his store. It is common knowledge that whenever a freighter would move alcohol for a store, they would skim some off the top for themselves throughout their journey. Knowing that Slade would do this, and also knowing that Slade was illiterate, Mr. Baumer had Slade transport wood alcohol poison. In the end, Slade ends up drinking the poison just as Mr. Baumer had planned, and he dies. While the reader knows that Mr. Baumer planned for Slade to drink the poison, he did not force Slade to drink it; he drank it because he was illiterate. After reading the story, many of the students had conflicting views as to whether or not Mr. Baumer was truly guilty of murder. For this reason, we had a class debate.
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\n1.What was your original intent or goal for this lesson?
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\nThis lesson took place during the persuasive writing unit, so the goals that I had in teaching this lesson were directly related to the persuasive essays the students had coming up. The original intent I had for teaching this lesson was to get students thinking critically about what they had read, to encourage students to use textual evidence to prove a point, and to get students using persuasive language in their arguments.
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\n2.Were you successful in reaching that goal? How?
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\nBefore any of the students could state their argument, they had to reiterate the argument given previous to theirs. This mandated that students pay special attention to opposing arguments so that they could participate in and devise a logical and coherent argument. Prior to beginning the debate, students also had to make a list of three possible opposing arguments that they would be up against. This activity illustrated the need to predict opposing arguments for their papers. Students were also encouraged to use excerpts from the text to support their arguments, which was an obvious ploy to get students using textual evidence for their persuasive essays.
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\n3.What specifically went well with your lesson?
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\nI could have chosen any short story to go with this lesson, but I think that \u201cBargain\u201d was a particularly good choice. This short story had a particularly controversial ending to which most students had a strong opinion before I asked them for it. The anticipation guide that I had the students participate in prior to the reading also worked well. The students were inadvertently thinking about the issues raised in the story before even reading it.
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\n4.What did not go well with your lesson? Why?
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\nThe main problem that I had with this lesson was that I was teaching it to seventh graders. It worked well in some periods and not so well in others. Some of the classes were very involved and diligently participating in the lesson. However, others were treating the activity as though it were a time for socializing with their peers. For this lesson, I had students with opposing views on opposite sides of the classroom. They used a soft ball to indicate whose turn it was to speak. However, the students did not always respect the ball. In the future, I would set the debate up as a court case and structure the debate a little more, hopefully eliminating side conversations.
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\n5.What adjustments will you make or did you make during the course of your day to replicate the lesson?
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\nThe first couple times I taught the lesson, students seemed a little confused on the directions. Students asked questions like, \u201cWhat if I am undecided?\u201d or \u201cWhat if somebody says something that changes my argument?\u201d So, I was sure to adjust the directions I gave as the day went on to clarify any confusion.
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\n6.How does this lesson find its way into your unit and how well does this lesson scaffold and\/or integrate into the next lesson?
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\nThis lesson was a debate in which students had to pick a stance and seek to persuade those of opposing views to see their perspective. This was useful in preparing students to persuade others in their persuasive essays, which we started almost directly after the debate.
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\n7.What theoretical principle and\/or project did you tie to this lesson from your coursework?
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\nIn my coursework, there had been much talk about allowing students to physically see a concept in practice prior to engaging in the activity in writing. This activity allowed students to physically participate in debate prior to applying the concept of debate into their writing. In this activity, I was also able to practice turn taking skills in class discussion. We had discussed various techniques for doing this in my coursework, such as using popsicle sticks, a ball, etc. which is what we did for the debate.
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\n8.Will you use this lesson again? Why or why not?
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\nI would definitely consider using this lesson again to lead into persuasive writing. I would make minor modifications to the lesson simply to ensure that it is better organized next time, especially for a seventh grade class. This lesson worked well, in that it helped students to understand how debates happen, rather than having them jump into debating in a paper without any previous experience.","dateCreated":"1320507369","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"laurelgoldberg","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/laurelgoldberg","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1264454243\/laurelgoldberg-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45677106","body":"Julie,
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\nThat is so cool that you were able to connect grammar to history in the way that you did! Grammar is a subject that most pre-service\/new teachers approach teaching with trepidation (I know I do!), yet you went into it full force. I'm sure that connecting this grammar lesson to an important historical event, really helped to grasp the attention of those students who tend to zone out during grammar lessons, which is probably most of them. I'd love to try something like this in my own future classroom.","dateCreated":"1320507889","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"laurelgoldberg","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/laurelgoldberg","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1264454243\/laurelgoldberg-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45677186","body":"Morgan,
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\nHearing about your experiences at your placement brings back all kinds of memories of when I was at that very school for a field experience a year and a half ago. I'm not sure that everyone can relate to how difficult it is to keep students at this placement on task and interested in the lessons. So, great job! I had my students do something very similar with constructing a five-paragraph persuasive essay. However, your lesson was much more hands-on, whereas mine involved them organizing their essay into a graphic organizer. I like your idea enough to try it in my own future classroom! I think if I had tried this idea instead, the students might've had a little more fun with it.","dateCreated":"1320508147","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"laurelgoldberg","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/laurelgoldberg","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1264454243\/laurelgoldberg-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45678614","body":"I love the idea of using music in class as students are often able to connect more to songs. I agree that songs work create in other ELA areas as I have seen this for figurative language.","dateCreated":"1320511571","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"saiken4","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/saiken4","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45697064","body":"becca_hargis,
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\nI think it's great that you were able to incorporate music into the classroom. It's not what the students expect and it keeps them on their toes. I think having the students write their own song to convey a tone was also a great idea! You said you wished you could have used music that the students knew and could relate to, but I think it may have even been more beneficial for them to do this activity with music with which they were unfamiliar. This way, students have to really critically analyze what the musician was trying to say in order to decipher the mood\/tone.","dateCreated":"1320554779","smartDate":"Nov 5, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"laurelgoldberg","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/laurelgoldberg","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1264454243\/laurelgoldberg-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45732604","body":"Jen-
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\nI liked the idea of your lesson. I had not considered something like this before but I like how you used it to teach historical fiction. It was a creative writing piece but it also had another purpose. Did the students enjoy the lesson? Were they excited and engaged?","dateCreated":"1320628393","smartDate":"Nov 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kwatkins5","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kwatkins5","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45732796","body":"Kristen-
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\nI love your lesson!! I like incorporating music and pop culture into the classroom. It sounds as if your lyrics accomplished your goals for the lesson in a more fun and entertaining way. It was definitely a good way to hook the students and get them excited for the lesson.","dateCreated":"1320628595","smartDate":"Nov 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kwatkins5","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kwatkins5","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"45733122","body":"laurelgoldberg-
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\nWe did something similar in my classroom for one of my lessons only our topic was animal testing. I think that it is a good way to start a persuasive writing unit. It seemed to work well with my eighth graders like it did in your class. My main issue was students talking out of turn. How did you handle that during your lesson or was it even an issue with seventh grade?","dateCreated":"1320628896","smartDate":"Nov 6, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kwatkins5","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kwatkins5","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":9}]}],"more":false},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}