This week was a turning point for me in my process of observation so far. I'm sure it had a lot to do with Storyman coming in and observing with me on Wednesday, and then discussing it with me outside of the classroom. So nice to have someone else (who actually knows what they're doing) as opposed to my fumblings.
Tuesday started off pretty well. Gift(the gifted teacher) came in and taught a lesson on poetry. We introduced similes and kids wrote fill-in-the-blank poems for their use of similies. I was surprised at the level of comparison the kids were capable of. Qman-the writer in the class, wrote an incredibly advanced poem (which he asked me not to share online). He had me read it to the class so that no one would know he wrote it (although the kids are sharp-they knew anyway). The kids are going to acquire poetry pen pals from a neighboring school. The letters will culminate in a poetry jam. Gift gave us just enough info about what that is to keep me and all the kids intrigued with the promise to reveal more later.
Some things I noticed about the kids today--
Bugboy has a serious block about writing. He has no problems with reading or math, but when it comes time to write, he just spaces out and stares until the time is over, then turns in a blank page. When I asked him about it-he claimed "I don't do poetry." He has a similar statement for each writing assignment. I worry about that, and will discuss it with MissTeacher and co. tomorrow. There has to be something that I can work with him on to help him with his writing.
I noticed MissTeacher making exceptions to the "chair day" rules today, and she actually pulled me aside and told me about them. The kids have days that they can sit in chairs during rugtime, but two boys can sit in chairs always because otherwise they have trouble focusing.
Wednesday's comments are a mesh of what I wrote down and what Storyman and I discussed. The day started off kind of wonky because our very last caterpillar is hatching into a butterfly. I was actually out of the room when it happened, but the morning was spent watching it. We waited and waited, but eventually we had to put the cage up and focus on the lessons.
Some of the boys are making cards. Those Pokemon and Dragonball-z cards are all the rage right now, and some of the boys are making their own sets. I'm not exactly sure what they do...are they a game? Are they just collectors items? I will do some more research and report back. These are the same boys who refuse to read anything during independent reading time other than anime. As Sneak (my colleague) says, "At least they're reading."
Today we read a story about a migrating goose. His name was Luck. MissTeacher did a great job of engaging the children into the story, and Storyman pointed out later that she had at least 80% engagement at any given time. I noticed her using some of the conventions we learned in 644--stopping and asking questions throughout the text, pointing out metaphors and similes. Starbright, who always qualifies her answers with "I don't know but..." or "This is probably wrong but..." started to answer a question as "This is just a wild guess but..." MissTeacher jumped right in there with "I LOVE wild guesses!" This was an incredibly powerful teaching moment. In that little sentence, MissTeacher was able to encourage this child and any other who was listening to take risks, and not to be afraid of getting the "wrong" answer. It was such a beautiful moment that even I caught it. Throughout the reading of the story, she used different tones and inflections, repetitions of important lines, and wonderings in order to draw the students farther into the story. It was pretty cool. Storyman also noticed that MissTeacher takes the time to affirm everything that each student says. She might correct something, but she always validates each student's comments.
As for discipline during the day, I noticed that MissTeacher can ignore a lot that goes on. When something isn't directly affecting learning, she can just let it roll over. I am admiring of that, and hope that is something I can develop in my teaching style. Right now, I feel the need to quell every minor distraction, which, as I learned in classroom management, can sometimes take more time than the distraction itself. Something she said is "Don't let anyone take your learning time." This is very cool language. It stresses that your learning time is precious, and it belongs only to you, so don't let anyone interfere with it. She also smiles and laughs a lot, but can be authoritative when it is needed. She always says, "Stop talking, please."
Some things that Storyman wants me to look at in more depth. Make a chart of my students...give myself a score on how well I know them (from 1-10). List one thing about them that's really impressive and one thing that they need to work on. Also mark down how many times MissTeacher talks to each student in an hour (which is something that she also said that she is extremely interested in). I should also follow Irving Goffman (sp?) and look at everything through the lens of how it will make me a better teacher. I am also going to pay close attention to the kinds of questions that are being asked in class, by both the students and the teacher. What kinds of follow-up questions are being asked?
Those are some things to come in this blog as I spend my time in the fourth grade. He also wants to me to visit some of the younger grades, too. Maybe I can get out of that...(wink). We all know my tolerance level for young children. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised...a few more weeks, and I'll be able to go into it with a completely open mind. See you next week!
Tuesday started off pretty well. Gift(the gifted teacher) came in and taught a lesson on poetry. We introduced similes and kids wrote fill-in-the-blank poems for their use of similies. I was surprised at the level of comparison the kids were capable of. Qman-the writer in the class, wrote an incredibly advanced poem (which he asked me not to share online). He had me read it to the class so that no one would know he wrote it (although the kids are sharp-they knew anyway). The kids are going to acquire poetry pen pals from a neighboring school. The letters will culminate in a poetry jam. Gift gave us just enough info about what that is to keep me and all the kids intrigued with the promise to reveal more later.
Some things I noticed about the kids today--
Bugboy has a serious block about writing. He has no problems with reading or math, but when it comes time to write, he just spaces out and stares until the time is over, then turns in a blank page. When I asked him about it-he claimed "I don't do poetry." He has a similar statement for each writing assignment. I worry about that, and will discuss it with MissTeacher and co. tomorrow. There has to be something that I can work with him on to help him with his writing.
I noticed MissTeacher making exceptions to the "chair day" rules today, and she actually pulled me aside and told me about them. The kids have days that they can sit in chairs during rugtime, but two boys can sit in chairs always because otherwise they have trouble focusing.
Wednesday's comments are a mesh of what I wrote down and what Storyman and I discussed. The day started off kind of wonky because our very last caterpillar is hatching into a butterfly. I was actually out of the room when it happened, but the morning was spent watching it. We waited and waited, but eventually we had to put the cage up and focus on the lessons.
Some of the boys are making cards. Those Pokemon and Dragonball-z cards are all the rage right now, and some of the boys are making their own sets. I'm not exactly sure what they do...are they a game? Are they just collectors items? I will do some more research and report back. These are the same boys who refuse to read anything during independent reading time other than anime. As Sneak (my colleague) says, "At least they're reading."
Today we read a story about a migrating goose. His name was Luck. MissTeacher did a great job of engaging the children into the story, and Storyman pointed out later that she had at least 80% engagement at any given time. I noticed her using some of the conventions we learned in 644--stopping and asking questions throughout the text, pointing out metaphors and similes. Starbright, who always qualifies her answers with "I don't know but..." or "This is probably wrong but..." started to answer a question as "This is just a wild guess but..." MissTeacher jumped right in there with "I LOVE wild guesses!" This was an incredibly powerful teaching moment. In that little sentence, MissTeacher was able to encourage this child and any other who was listening to take risks, and not to be afraid of getting the "wrong" answer. It was such a beautiful moment that even I caught it. Throughout the reading of the story, she used different tones and inflections, repetitions of important lines, and wonderings in order to draw the students farther into the story. It was pretty cool. Storyman also noticed that MissTeacher takes the time to affirm everything that each student says. She might correct something, but she always validates each student's comments.
As for discipline during the day, I noticed that MissTeacher can ignore a lot that goes on. When something isn't directly affecting learning, she can just let it roll over. I am admiring of that, and hope that is something I can develop in my teaching style. Right now, I feel the need to quell every minor distraction, which, as I learned in classroom management, can sometimes take more time than the distraction itself. Something she said is "Don't let anyone take your learning time." This is very cool language. It stresses that your learning time is precious, and it belongs only to you, so don't let anyone interfere with it. She also smiles and laughs a lot, but can be authoritative when it is needed. She always says, "Stop talking, please."
Some things that Storyman wants me to look at in more depth. Make a chart of my students...give myself a score on how well I know them (from 1-10). List one thing about them that's really impressive and one thing that they need to work on. Also mark down how many times MissTeacher talks to each student in an hour (which is something that she also said that she is extremely interested in). I should also follow Irving Goffman (sp?) and look at everything through the lens of how it will make me a better teacher. I am also going to pay close attention to the kinds of questions that are being asked in class, by both the students and the teacher. What kinds of follow-up questions are being asked?
Those are some things to come in this blog as I spend my time in the fourth grade. He also wants to me to visit some of the younger grades, too. Maybe I can get out of that...(wink). We all know my tolerance level for young children. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised...a few more weeks, and I'll be able to go into it with a completely open mind. See you next week!
posted by Jennifer Martin at 4:48 PM
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