Overall, I had a very successful clinical experience. This course and being in the field has taught me so much about teaching language arts. I have learned that giving students freedom when they write is absolutely crucial to helping them appreciate writing. I wish my teachers would have allowed me to choose what I wanted to write about instead of forcing me to write about something I had no interest in. It was so neat to see the strategies we have discussed in class actually be implemented in a classroom. I was very impressed with what I observed. The teacher really cared about all of the students and she made sure they knew it.
The only thing that really surprised me was just how she talked about genres. I know that a lot of her students are below grade level so she tries to simplify every concept. I just feel like she should introduce all of the genres by their proper name and give them examples of each genre. I think It would be really helpful to have the books in their classroom library labeled with the proper genre.
I really loved the way she structured their mornings. I love the music she chose for the students to sing and dance to. They really loosened up and became so comfortable with each other. I want to incorporate this in my own classroom. For sharing time, I liked how she drew only five names. This way, it wouldn't get so hectic, but everyone would still eventually get a turn. I also loved how the Writing Workshop was set up. The students all cooperate and work together. They know not to interrupt when the teacher is conferencing with someone else.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting how diverse her class was. Don't get me wrong, I really benefited from being in this class, but it did catch me off guard. I didn't expect to have to wear a headset when I taught. This was really good for me to see because I know I am going to have children from all different backgrounds and with all different needs. It is up to me to accommodate these needs and be able to get on everyone's level. I also didn't expect to see my teacher completing her running records on a Palm Pilot. I would like to do more research on how that works.
I have learned so much in this course and in the field. I have seen things, both good and bad, and I know what I want to carry out in my own classroom one day. I was very lucky to work with such a cooperative teacher. She was always there to answer any questions I had. I can't wait to have my own classroom and carry out all of the ideas I have learned from this experience.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Building a Classroom Community
 |
| Bulletin board where they sing their songs |
October 8, 2010
Today was my first visit in Mrs. Thomas' first grade class. I absolutely love it! My teacher does a great job building classroom community. As students first arrive to school, they put away their bookbags and then go straight to specials. After they come back, my teacher really makes them feel comfortable and welcomed. The students know to go to their assigned spot on the carpet and the teacher immediately starts "The Days of the Week" song. This gets the students warmed up for the next song they sing, "The Months of the Year." One student goes to the board and takes a pointer to point to the months as they are said. The rest of the students do a modified version of the Macarena dance as they are singing. Students take turns coming to the board to point. The students then sit down and the teacher pulls five names from a cup. These five students are then able to share something that happened to them after they left school the day before. She keeps those five names out so she doesn't draw the same names the next day.
This is a perfect example of building classroom community. In class, we talked about how important it was to establish a sense of belonging among the students. The teacher makes every single student feel important by taking an interest in what is going on their own personal lives. We talked about how it is so crucial that students feel comfortable in class and feel like a family. The teacher used the calendar songs to get the students warmed up and feel comfortable. This is something that they do every day and it is comforting for them to have a routine to stick to. Obviously there are many more than five students who would like to share something that happened to them, but the teacher emphasizes that everyone will have a turn to share.
During my previous clinicals I have completed, I have noticed teachers doing this same thing. It wasn't until after taking this course that I really understood how important it was. When I was watching the students singing and dancing, I caught myself smiling. The kids seemed so happy. I really like the teacher's method of drawing five names out of a cup. This way 23 kids are not trying to all share a story; however, she keeps the five names out to ensure that every child will have a chance to share. I thought that was really cool. I plan on carrying out some of these ideas in my own classroom one day.
Assessment: Running Records
October 12, 2010
Today, during the student's Literacy Workshop period, the teacher was administering the Running Records assessment to individual students. She asked me if I would like to observe the student reading and the teacher assessing her. The school had just been given Palm Pilots to carry out the Running Records. I thought this was really neat. I have only been introduced to the paper/pencil version. It was so cool how the teacher was able to assess the students on the Palm Pilot. My teacher told me it was so much faster and easier. I witnessed two children being assessed. One was average and the other was below grade level. My teacher told me that she is only able to assess about one student every day. She assessed two today because she wanted me to be able to observe more.
In class, we spent time discussing different ways to assess student performance. Running Records is one type of assessment. We talked about how Running Records help make decisions regarding the level of text used by the teacher and student. Running Records also allow teachers to gain an insight into the types of strategies the student uses when reading. I hadn't really planned on being able to observe the teacher administering this type of assessment because they are so time consuming. In class, we also filled out an assessment chart, reporting advantages and disadvantages. We talked about how one disadvantage was that students can get nervous when reading. I noticed this observing the two students in her class. They would both read a couple pages and then look at the teacher as well as me. It was very evident that the children were nervous.
I was really appreciative of the teacher for allowing me to observe this. I know that for another one of my courses, I am required to complete a Running Record with a student. This was very helpful to watch my teacher administer one first. My teacher then talked to me afterwards about the assessment. She asked if I had any questions and also gave me some pointers on how to make it easier. I really liked how the teacher was able to use a Palm Pilot. I feel like it would definitely take some training to figure out how everything operates, but I think it would be very helpful.
Today, during the student's Literacy Workshop period, the teacher was administering the Running Records assessment to individual students. She asked me if I would like to observe the student reading and the teacher assessing her. The school had just been given Palm Pilots to carry out the Running Records. I thought this was really neat. I have only been introduced to the paper/pencil version. It was so cool how the teacher was able to assess the students on the Palm Pilot. My teacher told me it was so much faster and easier. I witnessed two children being assessed. One was average and the other was below grade level. My teacher told me that she is only able to assess about one student every day. She assessed two today because she wanted me to be able to observe more.
In class, we spent time discussing different ways to assess student performance. Running Records is one type of assessment. We talked about how Running Records help make decisions regarding the level of text used by the teacher and student. Running Records also allow teachers to gain an insight into the types of strategies the student uses when reading. I hadn't really planned on being able to observe the teacher administering this type of assessment because they are so time consuming. In class, we also filled out an assessment chart, reporting advantages and disadvantages. We talked about how one disadvantage was that students can get nervous when reading. I noticed this observing the two students in her class. They would both read a couple pages and then look at the teacher as well as me. It was very evident that the children were nervous.
I was really appreciative of the teacher for allowing me to observe this. I know that for another one of my courses, I am required to complete a Running Record with a student. This was very helpful to watch my teacher administer one first. My teacher then talked to me afterwards about the assessment. She asked if I had any questions and also gave me some pointers on how to make it easier. I really liked how the teacher was able to use a Palm Pilot. I feel like it would definitely take some training to figure out how everything operates, but I think it would be very helpful.
 |
| Blank Running Record Form |
The Writing Process: Revising
November 3, 2010
The students are finishing up their writings they have been working on for about a week. My teacher was conducting conferences today with the students. She was helping them reflect back on their writing and how they could revise it. She would ask them questions like, "Why did you write about this topic?" "What do you mean by _________?" "How could you add more details?" The teacher was very encouraging and supportive with the students' ideas. She found ways to improve every students' writing, while complimenting them too.
We have spent a lot of class time talking about the writing process. We have learned that revising is more about ideas and changing those ideas; it isn't about grammar and punctuation. The teacher helped students narrow their topic if their stories were really scattered and focused on several ideas. She would ask questions to help with adding details. For instance, one boy wrote about his trip to McDonald's. She asked questions like, "Was the line long?" "What did you order?" "Did your brother or sister go with you?" This caused the children to think further into their writing and decide what they could add. She had the students reread their stories several times to see if they left anything out. She didn't have the students erase; she had them mark through words. Some students would get frustrated when the teacher would suggest ideas to improve their writing. She just continued to encourage them and emphasize that she was only helping them become better writers.
I really liked watching the teacher conduct these conferences. She even allowed me to conference with a student. It was so neat to see how their writing improved after having these conferences. I really liked how the teacher continued to compliment the students. She made every student feel confident about themselves as a writer. She suggested to almost every student something different to work on. I could tell how helpful these conferences were for the students too. Like I said, a lot of them had their ideas scattered on the page, so the conference helped them them to narrow down their ideas.
 |
| Student writing displayed on a bulletin board |
The students are finishing up their writings they have been working on for about a week. My teacher was conducting conferences today with the students. She was helping them reflect back on their writing and how they could revise it. She would ask them questions like, "Why did you write about this topic?" "What do you mean by _________?" "How could you add more details?" The teacher was very encouraging and supportive with the students' ideas. She found ways to improve every students' writing, while complimenting them too.
We have spent a lot of class time talking about the writing process. We have learned that revising is more about ideas and changing those ideas; it isn't about grammar and punctuation. The teacher helped students narrow their topic if their stories were really scattered and focused on several ideas. She would ask questions to help with adding details. For instance, one boy wrote about his trip to McDonald's. She asked questions like, "Was the line long?" "What did you order?" "Did your brother or sister go with you?" This caused the children to think further into their writing and decide what they could add. She had the students reread their stories several times to see if they left anything out. She didn't have the students erase; she had them mark through words. Some students would get frustrated when the teacher would suggest ideas to improve their writing. She just continued to encourage them and emphasize that she was only helping them become better writers.
I really liked watching the teacher conduct these conferences. She even allowed me to conference with a student. It was so neat to see how their writing improved after having these conferences. I really liked how the teacher continued to compliment the students. She made every student feel confident about themselves as a writer. She suggested to almost every student something different to work on. I could tell how helpful these conferences were for the students too. Like I said, a lot of them had their ideas scattered on the page, so the conference helped them them to narrow down their ideas.
Genre Studies
November 5, 2010
Today my teacher introduced the students to nonfiction literature. She told the students that the main purpose of nonfiction books was to inform and explain. The class has been studying fiction books for a few weeks so now she wanted to introduce another genre. She asked the students if they could think of any books or reading material that would be nonfiction. Students named out ideas such as "real-life" magazines, history books, and news stories. The class had also been talking about responsibility and what it means to be responsible. The students' challenge was to write about responsibility. The teacher told the students that they could write about what responsibility is, or something they have done that shows responsibility. She emphasized that the story doesn't need to have make-believe characters. The piece of writing needed to explain what it means to be responsible; the students could do this in any way they chose.
In class, we have talked about different genres and the importance of exposing students to all the different types. We have discussed the different elements of nonfiction books, including: a glossary, index, directions, steps, details, diagrams, etc. We also talked about how the primary purpose of nonfiction books is to provide information. At the beginning of the semester, we talked about the importance of having a classroom library. The classroom I am in has a library, but it is not divided up by traditional genres (fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, etc.). Their library is divided into categories such as magazines, people, sports, trains, holidays, and animals. I think this has some advantages and disadvantages. The students have no trouble choosing a book to read because they are divided into their main categories. I do feel like that she should maybe have a section of fiction books, nonfiction books, poems, fantasy, etc. This way the students are being exposed to the genres of literature and their correct names.
The only thing I would have changed about her introduction of nonfiction would be to have shown and/or read examples of nonfiction books. Some of the students looked really confused when she was talking about what nonfiction literature was. She really only told the primary purpose of nonfiction; she didn't talk much about what makes a book nonfiction. Overall, I thought this could be a really effective lesson. I just feel like she could have been more clear on certain things to help the students understand better.
 |
| The bulletin board that introduces nonfiction |
November 5, 2010
Today my teacher introduced the students to nonfiction literature. She told the students that the main purpose of nonfiction books was to inform and explain. The class has been studying fiction books for a few weeks so now she wanted to introduce another genre. She asked the students if they could think of any books or reading material that would be nonfiction. Students named out ideas such as "real-life" magazines, history books, and news stories. The class had also been talking about responsibility and what it means to be responsible. The students' challenge was to write about responsibility. The teacher told the students that they could write about what responsibility is, or something they have done that shows responsibility. She emphasized that the story doesn't need to have make-believe characters. The piece of writing needed to explain what it means to be responsible; the students could do this in any way they chose.
In class, we have talked about different genres and the importance of exposing students to all the different types. We have discussed the different elements of nonfiction books, including: a glossary, index, directions, steps, details, diagrams, etc. We also talked about how the primary purpose of nonfiction books is to provide information. At the beginning of the semester, we talked about the importance of having a classroom library. The classroom I am in has a library, but it is not divided up by traditional genres (fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, etc.). Their library is divided into categories such as magazines, people, sports, trains, holidays, and animals. I think this has some advantages and disadvantages. The students have no trouble choosing a book to read because they are divided into their main categories. I do feel like that she should maybe have a section of fiction books, nonfiction books, poems, fantasy, etc. This way the students are being exposed to the genres of literature and their correct names.
The only thing I would have changed about her introduction of nonfiction would be to have shown and/or read examples of nonfiction books. Some of the students looked really confused when she was talking about what nonfiction literature was. She really only told the primary purpose of nonfiction; she didn't talk much about what makes a book nonfiction. Overall, I thought this could be a really effective lesson. I just feel like she could have been more clear on certain things to help the students understand better.
Writer's Workshop
November 12, 2010
Today I taught my first writing lesson. My teacher does use Writer's Workshop every day, but doesn't necessarily teach a mini-lesson every day. Over half of the students have some type of disability, ranging from learning disabilities to Autism. The teacher says she can spend up to four days having children complete a five sentence story. I was able to introduce them to something new today. My lesson was "Writing Words in a Snap." The primary focus was to teach children to use the word wall (or in their case, their sight word lists) to write sight words. So many of the students spend several minutes sounding out words as simple as "to" and "me." My teacher wanted me to emphasize that they can use their sight word lists to help them write these more simple words. That was what my mini-lesson was focused around. My teacher has the students turn to a partner and tell them what they are going to write about. The students were then given 30 minutes to write. During this time, I was able to conference with two different students. One of the students was stuck and didn't know what to write about. I helped by prompting them with questions about their interests, family, etc. During the other students' conference, I noticed that he wasn't spacing his words properly. I took that time teach him about spacing. To close the lesson, the class all gathered on the carpet and I allowed a few of them to share their work.
One of the main things we have discussed throughout this course is Writer's Workshop. We have talked about how important it is to give students freedom when they write. The students were able to write about anything they wanted to, which posed a struggle for some students. I included all of the components of Writer's Workshop in my lesson. I taught a brief mini-lesson, which focused on a strategy to help the students make their writing easier and more effective. We talked about how conferences within writing workshop were the most effective part of the workshop. I started each conference by asking how the students' writing was going, and then focused on one thing the student needed to work on.
I was really satisfied with how well the lesson went. When I was in elementary school, writing was so stressful and we didn't have a Writer's Workshop period. I was really able to see first hand how important every element of Writer's Workshop is. From the mini-lesson all the way to the closing share time. I could tell that the students really found the mini-lesson helpful. It seemed as if the students knew they had access to their sight word lists, but they never really knew how to use them as a resource. I wish I would have had the time to conference with more students. Not all of the students finished their stories. The teacher said she was going to allow them a few days to complete them. I really liked being able to see how effective Writer's Workshop is, and teaching lessons like today's will really benefit me in the future.
 |
| Workshop rules posted on the bulletin board |
Today I taught my first writing lesson. My teacher does use Writer's Workshop every day, but doesn't necessarily teach a mini-lesson every day. Over half of the students have some type of disability, ranging from learning disabilities to Autism. The teacher says she can spend up to four days having children complete a five sentence story. I was able to introduce them to something new today. My lesson was "Writing Words in a Snap." The primary focus was to teach children to use the word wall (or in their case, their sight word lists) to write sight words. So many of the students spend several minutes sounding out words as simple as "to" and "me." My teacher wanted me to emphasize that they can use their sight word lists to help them write these more simple words. That was what my mini-lesson was focused around. My teacher has the students turn to a partner and tell them what they are going to write about. The students were then given 30 minutes to write. During this time, I was able to conference with two different students. One of the students was stuck and didn't know what to write about. I helped by prompting them with questions about their interests, family, etc. During the other students' conference, I noticed that he wasn't spacing his words properly. I took that time teach him about spacing. To close the lesson, the class all gathered on the carpet and I allowed a few of them to share their work.
One of the main things we have discussed throughout this course is Writer's Workshop. We have talked about how important it is to give students freedom when they write. The students were able to write about anything they wanted to, which posed a struggle for some students. I included all of the components of Writer's Workshop in my lesson. I taught a brief mini-lesson, which focused on a strategy to help the students make their writing easier and more effective. We talked about how conferences within writing workshop were the most effective part of the workshop. I started each conference by asking how the students' writing was going, and then focused on one thing the student needed to work on.
I was really satisfied with how well the lesson went. When I was in elementary school, writing was so stressful and we didn't have a Writer's Workshop period. I was really able to see first hand how important every element of Writer's Workshop is. From the mini-lesson all the way to the closing share time. I could tell that the students really found the mini-lesson helpful. It seemed as if the students knew they had access to their sight word lists, but they never really knew how to use them as a resource. I wish I would have had the time to conference with more students. Not all of the students finished their stories. The teacher said she was going to allow them a few days to complete them. I really liked being able to see how effective Writer's Workshop is, and teaching lessons like today's will really benefit me in the future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)