Reflection on Student Case Study

Reflection on Student Case Study

                When it came to choosing my case study, I wanted to look into the life of a student with difficulties as opposed to a student with an IEP. This decision came about for two reasons: I don’t know enough about IEPs to make concerted decisions, and I want to make clear that I don’t think that students with IEPs are the only ones having a difficult time in class. As a result, I chose Adrien and her complicated life to look inspect.

                After discussing Adrien and her situation in the Tuesday cohort, I feel like I have some good suggestions to work with concerning improving her education and trying to make her feel like she can rise above her family situation positively. I liked that I was offered many different outlets and solutions from my cohort members. The solutions ranged from personal to wide (with classroom involvement), and giving me that variety let me know that there were many ways to approach the student. I was hoping to introduce alternate reading material in class the last few days in the classroom environment to provide clarification for all the students; however, Adrien has been out with family issues for the last three days. I sent an email to check in with her and to let her know that she is being thought of. I have yet to hear from her, but I think that she will appreciate that her teacher and her classmates are thinking of her. Building support is the most common advice I garnered from my cohort, and I think making sure she knows she is safe is of the utmost importance.

                The other helpful advice I learned from my cohort members was to make sure that when I addressed academic issues, I kept them in a manner that was good for building the entire class. Making sure the students know that I understand their difficulties and am willing to fix those gives my students some confidence. They understand that I am just trying to better enrich their academic lives and ensure that the material is relevant.  I can do this for all of them without having to single out Adrien and any issues she might be having with learning the information that is being presented in class. Also, if she sees that other students are struggling and needing additional resources, then she might be open to the fact that there are alternate outlets of aid that can assist her in her education. In this instance, her desire for her friends’ approval may result in her improving her grades.

                All in all what I learned most of all, what really made an impact was Kristine’s comment of being ready and willing if Adrien wants to talk. Being in a role where you are meant to attempt to understand a whole group of different people is difficult. It’s hard to know what works best for each person, and most of the year will be spent trying to figure out what makes each student comfortable, uncomfortable, safe, or scared. It is a lot of work to learn how to understand a myriad of differing young ladies, but I do think that the best thing I can be for my students is an advocate or an ally in a world that may seem against them sometimes. If I can be that, then I think they will open up to me when they are ready. Their ability to trust me will come with time, but I think even the offer will be appreciated in some way. It is my hope that I can be that support system for Adrien even if she chooses not to use it. 

Unit 5 Reflection

Reflection: Unit 5

            My students had been asking me for the weeks leading up to October 31^st why Halloween was considered to be an “evil” holiday according to Christians. A few of them have relatives or close friends that don’t celebrate the holiday because they view it as a pagan celebration of sorts. My students were confused, and they asked if I could possibly bring an explanation into their lessons. On another note, this week is composed of three half days and early outs plus orientations, short blocks, and rallies, so it has been a nightmare trying to get everyone grounded and on task. Leading up to these days, I assessed my lesson planning and schedule and made sure that I could fit in a lesson on Halloween origins. I fit one! It is short, but it is a concise way to answer their questions until the rally that afternoon.

           

            I rarely use PowerPoint presentations because I think that I tend to put too many words on the slides, and sometimes the students get a little sleepy because of the darkness in the room; however, on this occasion, I used PowerPoint, and I think it worked well. The visuals of the pictures and being able to see unusual words like druid, Samhain, and mumming and guising were good for clarification. Some of the words they had heard before, but may not have been sure of their textbook definitions. As much as I searched for legitimate photos of Samhain rituals, they don’t often take place, so finding visuals was harder. I did find a few pictures of altars and divination relics that served as nice background pieces. The students asked if I could put the PowerPoint in our class drive so that it could be shared with their friends as explanations behind the back-story of Halloween and why it has evolved as a holiday, so I was pleased in that regard. I also liked that they were seriously intrigued and happy to understand this information.

While some of the academic language was different with the Celtic words and translations, they were still hooked, and I think that I explained the information thoroughly, but not to the point of exhaustion. Since the classes were only thirty three minutes or something like that, I tried to fit as much material in, but I also tried not to make it a strictly historical or religious presentation. It wasn’t overwhelming, and it wasn’t underwhelming, and the students were pleased to finally have their questions answered. The information was easy to deliver, and I think I did it well and at a pace that was reasonable considering the length of the class, their attention spans during this wacky week, and the description of the material. It is something I find interesting, and I think that helps with the delivery. I also enjoyed that they contributed some of their more local musings to the conversation once they were comfortable with the material. I know a good bit about Day of the Dead, but how they related it back to Samhain was a good cross cultural reference that I was impressed with.

Although I liked the PowerPoint idea with showcasing this material, I am also aware that it is an easy way to fall into a void without follow up questions or activities. As this was the kind of slideshow meant for fun and answering previous questions, I did not create nay worksheets or any ways for the students to illustrate their comprehension. Part of me thinks that I should have done a follow up activity, but the classes were short, and there was a wacky schedule so I justified not doing an activity and showing movie clips from a popular Halloween film. I think if I had a longer amount of time to work with and could have done a follow up activity, then I would have had them write ghost stories or do social media profiles based on made up Celts preparing for Samhain. Maybe I’ll keep that in mind for next year.

Another part of me thinks that I still put too much information on the PowerPoint as I basically copied and pasted my notes, but it was meant for answering lingering questions and doubts. PowerPoints are not familiar territory for me seeing as how I have taught foreign language and theology, and neither really requires PowerPoint. Spanish is all about practice and practice. Theology is all about storytelling. As a result, it is difficult to find a way to fit PowerPoints in the lesson plans.

Week #4 Video, Reflection

Reflection on Week #4 Video

When I knew that this week consisted of working a lesson that maximized instructional time, I was both glad and terrified. I was glad because I am pretty dang good at talking. In fact, I excel at lecture style teaching, and sometimes, I find it hard to break the mold on that kind of instruction. I have been working on flipping the classroom and having the students fill in the blanks on what we are doing in class that particular day, but it requires a lot of preparation on my part to plan for a teaching style that is still semi-unfamiliar to me. That being said, I am working on giving the students more responsibility, but I also love lecture style classes because they are so simple for me to plan. I was terrified because I was worried that my students’ roles wouldn’t be well represented if I was the one “maximizing instructional time”, but I have some pretty opinionated and intelligent young ladies. I think that today was a regular day in my classroom: I taught with the big items and had them fill in the details as best they could with no prior reading. It was a “cold” class.

After watching the video(s), I realized that I really like how I have kind of tried to adopt a vague daily objective. I have been trying over the past few weeks of the clinical to become aware of the fact that a short outline of the class, either verbally or by the topics on the board, really erases any and all confusion of what is going to be achieved that day. When the students know what the goal is for the day, they tend to be invested in what we are covering, and they understand the purpose of the lesson. I think for this week’s concentration, I was quite happy with how well I did bringing the students back to the conversation when it started to stray a little bit. I also think that they truly understand their role of being the ones in charge of volunteering answers and information when asked. They have completely adopted an “it’s alright to be wrong as long as an educated guess is made” approach to the class, and I very much appreciate that. They understand their role as those being educated and are eager to input their knowledge by answering questions and participating in discussions or to further their knowledge by asking questions.

After watching the video(s), I realized that I don’t always involve the students. Sometimes I feel like I am just talking AT the students with little participation or engagement on their part. They might answer questions when prompted or when I engage them in discussion, but rarely do they initiate the questioning or the discussion. I don’t really know how I feel about that. I would like them to feel the ability to speak their minds freely about a topic that surrounds the day’s materials, but at the same time, brings a new spin on the subject being discussed. I haven’t found a way to get them to perform at that level, or at least, at a level that isn’t completely off topic. They have plenty of questions that they ask unwarranted, but they might not be appropriate to the day’s material, or they are interesting but so far off base. Where can I push them to be single minded but not to the point of inappropriateness? Currently, they are interested in the material because I try to make it relevant to their circumstance, but how can I get them to put together the material and its modern day relevance by themselves?  

Week #3 Video, Reflection

Reflection on Video, Week #3

            For this week, we had to portray a classroom that was supportive and learning focused, and I would like to think that kind of classroom is what is developed within the first few moments of the students walking through the doors on the first day of school. As teachers we are to make certain our classrooms are places where mistakes can be learned from and messing up is okay as long as it is fixed. We have to allow for that kind of mindset because perfection isn’t always going to be a possibility. We also have to make certain that we advocate imperfection because how else are we going to learn? Even as teachers, we were once students, and we have to keep that in mind. There was once a time when I didn’t know “everything”, and I had to have someone instruct me, and you know what, that is fine! Without that instruction, I wouldn’t have learned what I did, and I wouldn’t have known that it is good to make mistakes because it means I was working my way towards fixing them. Support is so important, and as a teacher, I try to maintain that attitude in my classroom, even on the hardest of days. It’s good to always have the answer, but the better part is watching the students figure out the answer on their own.

           

            From watching my video, I would say that I try to be supportive when my students have a wrong or right answer. Taking the risk to even volunteer is good, even if all the information isn’t present. Some correct information is better than no information. Taking a guess is fine because it indicates that the student is involved and wants to participate, even if he or she may not know the exact material. For example, when one of my girls is talking near the end of video about Moses’ sister having leprosy, the student didn’t know the sister’s name, but she did know crucial material for the question being asked. It was the exact correct information; it just wasn’t all the way complete. I’d rather have an educated guess or incomplete answers as opposed to no answers or no participation at all. She still put her wisdom out there, and it was all good and useful stuff!

           

            From my video, I would also say that we are a learning based classroom with a touch of sass. It’s an all female environment; therefore, certain parts of the class are going to be received in certain ways that might differ were it a coed school. For example, when we talk about the Israelites being lost in the desert and eating the same food, we call it leftovers and talk about that for a hot minute more than necessary, but it is still imperative to my students. They want to know this information even if it is just a little detail. I want to allow them that freedom to pay attention to the details or other aspects that they find amusing and can bend to seem more relevant to modern times. I’m sure Moses wasn’t calling day old food “leftovers”, but it helps them to understand the concept a little more. School is meant for learning, but it can also be fun if you have a good rapport with your class and your material.

            On the other hand, I do believe that I could do better with academic language and less modernization of the material. While it is always a grand old time to make school and learning fun, it is also imperative to remember that students are here for an education. Not everything can be a game or can be a quick fix. I have to keep in mind that there is a level of achievement that I want my students to reach, and I need to be constantly pushing them to that level in improving their vocabulary and use of proper English in and out of the classroom. In a classroom, it is difficult to find that balance between hard core academia and hard core partying. It is still a delicate medium that I am searching for, and while I realize that I am an educator and not an entertainer, I also want my students to be invested in what we are discussing in class. The way I have figured out how to do this is via modernizing the language and making the material more accessible and relative to the students. How do I meet in the middle of the scale? This is something that I am still working on…

           

            

Week #2 Video Reflection: Objective Driven Lesson

Reflection on Week #2 Video

                I went into this lesson without my students having previously read any of the information about the material for the lecture that day. I am doing this on purpose because they have a project where they are going to research certain parts of the Exodus story and teach the class via videos; therefore, each day, we have a mini-lesson about the tale of the Exodus from Egypt and its consequences. I am both regretting this decision and enjoying it at the same time because some of the students are well informed from previous teachers and some of the students have never had this subject. It’s a mish-mash of high and low level of theology. Regardless, they are enthusiastic, and they are always interested in what we are doing, and I think my rapport with them is the “culprit” behind keeping their attention.

                From this observation, I can fully acknowledge that while theology may not be the ultimate subject, I can make it as such by my relationship with my students. They are open to what I have to say because I try to make it as entertaining and fun as possible. I know that teaching isn’t supposed to be fully about putting on a show for the students, but I don’t think that having a good relationship with them is putting on a show. I know what they like and what they don’t like. I understand their wants and needs, and I am confident that they would be able to ask any question or raise any concern without being judged. Some days they come and chat with me after class about whatever, and it makes me feel that even though I am not teaching a core subject for their “life skills”, I am still making an impact by taking the time to get to know them.

                From this observation, I can also fully understand that I probably should have had my students read a little bit of information about the material before the lesson. It would have given all of them an equal footing when it came discussing the information in class. I also believe that this lesson was fairly rushed, but that is also my purpose because the students will be the ones doing the in depth explanations of certain Exodus events to the class, and as a result, in depth wasn’t my goal with this particular lesson. However, I do believe that in the future, I should have them at least scan the material beforehand, if only for the purpose of class participation. Once we got rolling, they were ready to take measured guesses, but I think they were a little bit self conscious due to the filming. I would also, perhaps, tell them the objective from the offset. They knew via their online learning portal that we were going to be discussing Moses and the Exodus (and also they knew from their previous notes), but I think that I should have directly stated the objective. I did have the topics on the board, which was difficult to see, but I didn’t actively tell them what was going to transpire from the day’s lesson.

                All in all, I think that this lesson went well. The students were participating, even if they were just guessing, and they weren’t ashamed to get the answer incorrect because they know that is how they learn. I believe that due my good relationship with my students, I am keeping their attention fairly well, but I also think I could have done more to have them better prepared for the lesson. I also think I could have told them what we were going to be doing, so that they would understand the direction in which we were going.

Case Study

Case Study: Adrien

Background Information:

            Adrien is a fifteen year old sophomore from Salinas, California. She lives outside of town on a ranch with her brother and grandparents. Her mother abandoned her family when Adrien was young, and her father isn’t in the picture at all. Adrien is of Hispanic background, and she speaks English in school but Spanish while at home. Sometimes at school, since I am fluent, she will speak Spanish to me if she doesn’t want anyone else to understand what she is asking. She doesn’t like to read, but spends a good deal of time on her iPad and smart phone looking at social media. She cares a great deal of what her peers think of her as her actions show that she is socially conscious and confident in particular situations.

            Adrien isn’t learning disabled, and if she is, she hasn’t been diagnosed. She participates in class sometimes, and other times, she copies the notes from another student after the block has ended. I haven’t spoken with her about this, but she continues to do it anyway from time to time. Her younger siblings do not attend the school, so I have no way to compare their family responses to schooling. In the classroom, Adrien is responsive when she wants to be, but some days she has no desire to participate. Her erratic approach to her studies is disheartening because I know she can do well, but she chooses the days that she is going to excel. She isn’t consistent.

Informal Test Results:

Adrien has voiced before that she believes the material that we cover in class to be difficult to understand due to the high level of the textbook. As the textbook is challenging to her, she sometimes chooses not to fully read all the pages because the higher level of reading brings discouragement. As a result of this lack of reading the material, she tends to give up easily when it comes to reproducing the material during assessments. She can participate in class if directly asked a question, but more often than not, if she doesn’t understand something, she will not ask for an explanation. When doing on group work, Adrien tends to pick up the slack if the project has to do with personal opinion or creative measure; however, if the group work is more to do with answering factual questions or using academic language for class sharing, she clams up. She also only really wants to work with her friends if they are allowed to choose their own groups. Her friends are not on a higher level of learning either, and they tend to not pay attention in class. Their homework completion is sporadic, and their assessment grades fluctuate between low B’s and failing grades. Adrien’s mirror this range as well.

When it comes to assessments, her spelling isn’t great, and her writing skills are not up to the level that she should be at for her grade level. I think that she might have problems with recalling words and word grasping because her biggest problem with completing assessments is being able to recall certain vocabulary. If she has to answer a question that is “semi-vague”, then she tends to do better than if she had to give a concrete definition. For example, if I ask my class to summarize the story of being kicked out of Eden, she would be able to describe all the main points, but she wouldn’t be able to give specific names of people, places, or things. She wouldn’t be able to name Adam and Eve as protagonists or Satan as the antagonist. Also, I believe that she isn’t sure of herself in the classroom even though she is sure of herself everywhere else.

   Adrien’s home situation affects her ability to read and study for class, and I know this because she has reported this dilemma previously. I have no idea how to solve this problem because her home life isn’t a bad or abusive one; she just has a lot more responsibilities than most fifteen year old girls do. Currently she is preparing for the PSATs, and she is doing this by visiting the college counselor for tips. She is preparing in depth in hopes that she will be ready for the SATs next year and receive a scholarship for college that involves sports and academics. Since her grades aren’t overly amazing, she is heavily relying on a sports scholarship; however, she is still aware that she needs to have decent grades to achieve this possibility. I believe this is why she tries half the time and sits out the other half.

Teaching Strategies Reflection

Reflection on Subject Specific Strategies

            One of the most positive aspects about teaching theology is the fact that it allows for many different forms of education as well as formative and summative assessments. Also, because there are many different branches of theology, there are various ways to interpret religious beliefs and customs. From observing the four other theology teachers at my school, I have seen types of education and assessment from all over the spectrum.

            Due to the varying branches of religious belief, there is a theology course that specializes in world religions. In this class, Ms. Morais instructs the students on the wide range of religious thought outside of their comfort zone. They study Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Gnosticism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity to name a few. While most of these religions have opposite values, there are still a few matters that remain important across the entire range. For example, the students make charts and diagrams of the similarities and differences between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism during the first few weeks in class, and it surprises them how much all three religions have in common. On the other hand, the students also observe how different the three religions are in comparison to each other and to other religions or sects from the Far East or aboriginal belief systems. There is something for everyone out there! I think it is imperative that the students focus on the similarities as much as the differences because it promotes an open mind and an open heart to ideas that may not be understood. Education is not all about learning for the sake of reading and regurgitation. Education is also about understanding and learning why something is the way it is and respecting that. The world religions course is eye opening for students in the way that it is taught by Ms. Morais. The history teacher at my previous school also had the ability to mix historical facts and time periods with theological 

aspects. It shows students what relevancy theology has in the development of a people and a nation.

            Another aspect that I have seen in the theology courses at my school, my classroom included, is discussion. One of my favorite parts of my class, and it probably shouldn’t be, is when my students get so ensconced in a topic or a question that they want to talk about it until the bell and afterwards. It doesn’t really help with getting topics covered, but it is intriguing. The ideas and questions take up root in their minds, and they must be answered in order to satiate that need for knowledge. Being from the South, I have always found it acceptable to ask questions about pretty much anything and religion falls into that category. If my students are curious about a belief or an idea or a custom that is foreign to them, then I encourage them to discuss it with each other during class or on an online forum. This kind of conversation breeds desire to know more and learn more, even if they don’t realize it at the time. They can generate thoughts, and we can, as a class, gain more knowledge and recognition of a topic that might have been never considered beforehand. It’s the why that keeps them wondering, and if testing that why with talking is necessary, then sign me up!

            Another portion that I feel is absolutely necessary when it comes to a theology classroom is homework. And by homework, I mean reading and reflecting on what has been examined. A good deal of practice work in theology class, especially Ms. Perry’s and Ms. Morais’s, consists of reading primary or secondary sources and chatting about them the next day in class. They also have their students write reflections and journals about what they were assigned to read. Ms. Perry has her students write weekly journals about their reading assignments where they compose and mention what stood out and why it is important to the subject of theology. It is not the most traditional form of homework and practice like questions in science or math equations, but it is what makes up our field. We read, we write, we talk about it. Reading and reflection, either writing or discussion, is a memory I have of my collegiate theology classes, especially in ethics or philosophy courses. It is a quick formative comprehension assessment that packs a punch.

            Summarization and note taking are also imperative when it comes to the field of theology. I would wager that notes are taken at least four days a week, or at least, topics are discussed. Notes add in the little extras or “cheats” that may not be in the book. Notes may also clarify on aspects that may seem confusing in the book. I have my students take notes every day because I have freshmen, and this is a new subject to some of them, and as a result, the extra reinforcement is needed. When it comes to my sophomores, I also have them take notes, but more often than not, the note taking is on extensions of the field like historical, literary, or geographical aspects that won’t be mentioned in their text. This expansion also allows me to mix together subject areas and garner information from the teachers in other subjects. We can cross matters and infuse both subjects into our classes. Also on the subject of note taking is summarizing the material. This concept is integral from the field of theology because of the large amount of historical background that comes with it. Students won’t be able to remember everything because it is not their specialty (not yet), so it is necessary to compose abbreviated versions of the information as to not overwhelm and to give the general purpose and objective.

            A large part of theology is also based on questioning. Sometimes the students may not know where to begin on their trains of thought, and they might need a little push. The role of a theology teacher is to poke and prod, to give a shove in an interesting direction for the sake of analysis of the topic at hand. In all theology classrooms, this technique is necessary for the teacher and the students to keep up the constant stream of inquiry that is imperative to the subject. Ms. Perry and Ms. Morais, as well as I, all have techniques that we use to illicit a proper analysis from a student. Ms. Morais is a prompter. She puts herself in the middle of the discussion and offers helpful hints to get the students’ ball rolling. Ms. Perry has certain questions mapped out for the students for each set of slides in order to advance to the next set of slides. Also, both instructors often combine prompting and set questions. In my classroom, I tend to do a mixture of prompting and previously making questions to encourage my students’ involvement in the class discussion. In my theology classes in college, my professors, more often than not, provoked us with a thought or belief, and we were meant to take it from there. It is the easiest way to get things moving.

            Though all theology teachers that I have observed have mostly used the same techniques, there are a few techniques that I don’t like. One of the problems I have the most difficulty with the classroom is group work and collaboration. I think that, at times, it can be appropriate if enough rules and parameters are set, but more often than not, students will take an alternate route to completing the assignment. Also more chatter and “dead” time tends to occur than actual work, even if you have the coolest assignment being done. Both the theology teachers where I work, as well as teachers in most observational videos, use group work for students to collaborate either in the classroom or out of the classroom. I feel like a jerk, but I don’t like formal collaboration as much as the other types of education tools. I am fine with discussion in the class and on forums, but group work is not my cup of tea. I’d prefer that my students feed off each other in a dialogue about the subject at hand or in individual reflection. I also think that some teachers using hands on activities have to be careful because it can turn too much into a game and not a lesson. I’m not saying that school should be boring. Everything can be fun, and everything should be fun, but there needs to be a balance. The same thought goes with all the projects that I have seen in other classes with massive amounts of glitter and poster boards. Yes, these activities are fun, but they are only as influential as the lesson that is behind them.

            Each of these aspects of teaching is up for interpretation for individual subject and class, but these are the most significant strategies for me as a teacher in my field. I’m an open minded person when it comes to most ideas and thoughts, and that concept remains true in the field of education, but I do like my old standbys and traditions. 

Reflection on Teacher Evaluation

Reflection on Teacher Evaluation

                Teacher evaluations, I believe, should be partly self evaluation, partly student evaluation, partly bits and bobs evaluation, and partly colleague evaluation. I don’t think that something like student test performance or an over examination of lesson plans is valuable to any part of an evaluation, unless it is a small portion. Just because a student isn’t performing well on the test doesn’t mean the teacher isn’t worth their salt. Just because lesson plans aren’t too far in advance or aren’t quite detailed doesn’t mean the teacher doesn’t know what message to get across to the students. Grading a teacher is difficult because it needs to be based on several methods of assessment: lesson plans, in class observation, conversations with the teacher in question, conversations with students, conversations with the faculty, standardized test scores, and general upkeep throughout the school year.

                If I was going to be assessed for my teaching, I would first like to know what I am doing right, even if that list isn’t so long. Like with a student, start on a positive note. Then I would want to know what I am doing wrong. Do NOT sugarcoat this for me. It is easier to rip off the band aid so that the healing process can begin. After telling me what I do wrong, I’d like to know conscious steps and procedures that I need to complete and work on to improve my teaching in the classroom and with my students. After addressing how to improve certain areas, I would hope to be assigned a mentor that could check in on a weekly or biweekly basis to determine my level of improvement or lack of improvement. Being kept accountable for my actions makes me feel like a student, and I promise, I will do whatever it takes to get that feeling taken away; therefore, I will work my behind off to get a higher mark from my mentor and improvement from my students.

                

Various Assessment Types: A Reflection

Blog Reflection on Various Assessments:

                When it comes to grading, I am firmly in the mindset that it is a teacher’s responsibility that comes with the job. Grading comes with the field trips, the extra help, the parent emails, and the super sweet vacation time. While it is included in the job description, I am also of the mindset that it can sometimes be harsh to deliver grades that may not truly depict the effort provided. Reading about these four “newer” types of grading and assessing was enlightening, but I do not think that all are relevant or helpful in my classroom.

                Peer assessment is a type of grading that I am fairly comfortable with just so long as I have the opportunity to check over the papers afterwards. While I would like to think that my students are trustworthy and all have the ability to perform flawless math calculations, I know that is not the case. Mistakes happen. When I grade, I always double check my math and assure that I am doing the calculations correctly. Peer assessment is fine by me as long as I can have final say or checking authority before the students’ papers are returned.  Students aiding in the weighting of importance of assessments is not something that I am comfortable with because I am too worried that personal strengths and weaknesses could come into play. I am all for students suggesting assignments and assessments that are helpful to them and are interesting, but determining the grading scale is not kosher in my opinion.

                The one in four grading scale is a new idea to me. I have never heard of it, and frankly, the process still confuses me. While I understand the process of grading only one out of four assignments and counting it, I find it a little superfluous to give assignments, assess them, and then only score one when you have “graded” four. I DO like the surprise for the students though of never knowing which assessment will be chosen. It keeps them on their toes and always prepared to showcase their best work!

                Stamping, in a weird way, feels a little bit better to me for use in class without having to worry about numbers. Instead I feel like stamping focuses on effort and the work that was put forward. I feel like with subjective and opinionated subjects stamping is a very viable option because measuring the “grade” on an opinion is difficult. Obviously we want our students to have their personal voices and choices, and as far as grading goes, that can be hard to judge, and I think stamping is a way to get around that challenge.

                Student journals are a good idea for classes where they can be warranted and useful; however, for foreign language, they aren’t really feasible. Though I cannot really use student journals, I do see the benefit from utilizing them in the classroom. For one reason, just like the one in four, students are kept on their best academic behavior and given the responsibility to keeping up with their most impressive works. I also like the idea of student journals because it allows for creativity to blossom where it might not otherwise in the classroom setting.

                When it comes to giving student feedback, I prefer to either write directly on the assignment that they either did well or need work. If work needs to be done, I ask if they will do the job of coming to see me so that we can start a conversation about what needs to get accomplished. I do not give feedback via stickers or smiley faces or giant red X’s. I’d prefer to write my comments on the back page of the assessment and let the student either come to me or enjoy their appraisal solo.

RTI Response

RTI Blog Response

                Response to Intervention is loosely defined by Ben Johnson as a reaction to a student struggling with classroom materials and subject and the teacher’s desire to help the student. The No Child Left Behind Act falls under RTI, and to a certain extent, I do understand and support these kinds of programs and systems of aid; however, on the other hand, I do not see the need to reward unwarranted bad behavior from a child academically.

                I am a stickler for high expectations. I demand high expectations because they are expected as normal in the real world, and because as people, we should want the best for ourselves. I want the best for my students, and they should want the best for themselves too. High expectations show kids what they can reach and what can happen when they do reach and surpass the bar. Keep raising that bar, and they will rise with it. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve done it in my previous school that had no Spanish program at all, and then after a year and a half of me busting my behind and the kids working their tails off, more than three quarters of them are going into honors high school Spanish, a level past where they would normally be in freshmen year. It’s about dedication to the kids and to the subject. Sell it to them, prove its relevancy, and they will pick up what you’re putting down. I don’t think high expectations are the difficulty. I think the difficulty in today’s classrooms is the fact that literally every child expects that they will be great at everything because that’s what society is preaching. I’ll be honest: I am terrible at math. I can’t do simple addition. I can’t do grading systems out of anything less than 100%, but at least I admit it. I know I will never be great at math, so I have the honors math students teach me how to make grading scales or ask for help from a fellow teacher. It is OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP, and I think that is the hardest thing for some kids to do in this day and age.

                I like RTI for the reason that it gives kids the incentive to ask for help, to allow them to be confused and then rectify the situation. I do not like RTI as a way just to pass the child for the sake of passing. School isn’t meant for that. School is meant for learning. Progress is progress. Even a C level student moving to a B level is a good situation in my opinion because it means they have learned and they have applied the material in a way that is understood. Any improvement is still improvement, and that IS a movement that I can get behind. 

Observation of Lessons

Observation of Lessons:

Disclaimer: It was quite hard to find classes that were following right after each other, so I watched these 4 videos which make up a set of classroom lessons centered around student critical thinking and student teaching other peers.

·         Teacher Observed: Tim Bedley

·         What’s Being Taught: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

·         Where: California

·         Grade: 5th

·         Links:

o    #1:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0akVmCfUJiQ

o    # 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXTAp_Fa3Z0&src_vid=0akVmCfUJiQ&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_750469#t=7s

o    #3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0TKHJEhdOM&src_vid=fXTAp_Fa3Z0&feature=iv&annotation_id=annotation_696961

o   #4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVUAGhJih8I&list=UUdiLeLqbsmQCfYgisQsND3g&index=247

• How did the lessons support the topic/theme of the unit and the learning objective(s)?
• The learning objective of the class was based around student centered teaching. The only goal that the students and the teacher were trying to achieve was to make a punishment and a reward system for completing their consensus class work for math problems and equations. The students divided into groups and each group had a time keeper, a writer/recorder, a speaker, and then a fourth individual that assisted in all the activities. There was a student appointed classroom leader that allowed for a group voting in private (heads down, hands up) ensuring that no peer pressure could change a decision. In the end, the student centered approach was quite well received, and the teacher noted upon it to his students. Then after concurring on appropriate punishment and reward, they adjourned in reviewing their math class work in pairs in order to reach consensus.
• How did the lesson plans compare to the activities that occurred?
• As I was observing via YouTube, I had no lesson plans of any kind to refer to.
• What adjustments to the lesson plans did the teacher make? Why were those adjustments needed?
• Again, as I was observing via YouTube, I am unaware of any lesson plans that may have existed; however, he did meet a good portion of the California state standards as is illustrated in the video. I’d wager that he met about 10-12 standards for the state of California.
• How effective were the activities at helping students meet the learning objective?
• As the activities were student centered and the lesson afterward was student centered, it is obvious that the learning objectives and the standards were met. The students, while not “in charge” were clearly taking the reins on the appropriateness of reward and punishment in the classroom. The group voting and student appointed representative are quite indicative of this. Also, after the discussion of appropriateness for the punishment and reward, the students were instructed by the teacher to continue their activity to complete the consensus and to meet the math requirements for the day that needed to be done.
• What formative assessments did the teacher use? What did the teacher learn from those assessments?
• The teacher used peer teaching and class work that, additionally, was peer taught and reviewed. In doing this, the teacher allows the students to correct and perfect their work as well as their peers. The students express that this is their favorite way to learn because it makes them actually learn and apply the information and the material to their assessments and that of their classmates.
• Reflections:
• I was not a huge fan of the kids doing the teaching or being student appointed leaders because I think that it is a tremendous amount of pressure on them. True, they are at the age where insecurity and lack of confidence run rampant and this exercise might be good for them to develop a sense of being assured, but I’m not an advocate. I think this might be because I have only ever taught middle school, and they can be wise guys and teasing when it comes to front of the class activities. While they enjoy group skits or group involvements at the front of the room, being up there individually can be intimidating and provides more unnecessary insecurity.
• I did like the student correcting in pairs when it came time to do their class work for math problems and equations. I think that this approach to doing work can be fun, and also, it can allow for the students to make mistakes and not feel intimidated because they are sharing those mistakes with other students. Everyone screws up and makes errors, and at times, I feel like the students think the teachers don’t do this, even though we know we do repeatedly. 

Interviews with Mentor Teachers about Lesson Planning

Interviews with Mentor Teachers

Disclaimer: I did these interviews in person and then had the teachers transcribe their answers to me (as best as possible) in email to make it easier to have the information at hand. As a result, I will have my full interviews below and my summaries as well.

Steven Zimmerman (English Teacher)

1. How long beforehand do you plan a lesson?

The first year I was planning a couple days in advance. I didn't want to plan too much ahead because your schedule can get blown really quickly in a thousand different ways, so if you plan too far ahead it just ends up needing to be redone over and over. For subsequent years, I already had a good idea for 75% of the lessons I wanted to do throughout the year, so I could easily take the old lessons and modify/expand them for the current group of students. Once again, I would plan them out a few days in advance. In general, it’s a good idea to know what your week will consist of before you walk in the door on Monday.

2. What is your "process" of determining what needs to be expressed through the lesson?

When first creating lessons, I try to hit a few of the standards and make sure there is a logical flow with previous units and future units. If lessons jump all over the place, then kids have trouble remembering previous information. I try to break each subject down into 8 units (2 per quarter), and from there break it down into component lessons. But it really depends on the subject.

3. What determines what materials and knowledge are presented in the lesson and what are not?

It is highly dependent of the group of students. Some years I would have students grasp lessons very quickly, so I didn't need to go into too much depth or drill a point home through repetition. Other years, the lesson seems to be written in Greek and the kids just don't get it. In those cases, you need to rework it or change it or come up with an entirely new lesson taught in a new way in order to reach the kids that aren't getting it. The more detailed the lesson is, the longer it takes to plan. Because of that, I found my lessons in later years to be much more complex because I could build on them each year with what time I had. It helped already having the base of the lesson.

4. How long does it take you to plan a lesson?

It can vary widely. For simple things like vocab, it can be very quick and easy to plan a lesson. For more complex topics, especially when discussing literature being read in or out of class, it can take hours. But once again, having the framework from previous school years to build upon is a big help and a big time saver.

5. Do you already have specific activities planned or do you get creative upon having to cover the material? Planned ahead homework assignments or other assessments? 

Most of it is pre-planned, but it is always a good idea to have a collection of "in case of emergency" activities to do in case the lesson ends up being much shorter than you anticipated. Also, if you teach the same class to multiple groups, some groups finish quicker than others. In those cases, you need to get creative with your remaining class time. Likewise, I usually planned out homework in advance, but sometimes we did classwork that the students did not finish in time, and it became homework.

6. Do you use a template? Why or why not? 

For creating the actual lesson plans, no, because our school did not collect them. But there are templates available for our teachers to use for those that just like to be organized that way. I think templates are a good idea overall as long as filling out the lesson plan doesn't turn into a 5 hour drag that takes away from the teacher's teaching or planning time. Paperwork should be quick and painless.

7. What do you think makes your lesson applicable and relevant to students?

Grammar is hard because they'll often just ask you "Why do I need to study this? I already speak English." I try to show them it is applicable by (1) referencing when they would need to have good grammar (job interviews, which career paths, writing for publication, etc.), (2) Showing them examples of real-life stories involving improper English (especially with humor, such as someone with a protest sign with incorrect grammar or spelling error), (3) Including students in my tests and quizzes (this doesn't necessarily make it relevant, but it does increase their interest and investment in assessments when the quiz includes a story about them)

8. Technology, yes or no or always or never?

For ELA, technology is good for writing papers, conducting internet research, creating flash card decks or pop quiz games, and for looking up vocabulary in dictionaries and thesauruses. I try to keep it 50/50, however, because it is also important that students learn to use good handwriting, learn how to spell properly without a spell check, and recognize and/or write cursive.

9. What makes a lesson good?

If the kids enjoy it and remember it. It is hard to get both at once, but it is really rewarding when you see them several years later and they mention to you "That time we talked about X, Y, or Z in class".

10. What is your favorite lesson and why?

I would make up my own vocabulary lists once we finished our vocabulary book. One of the lists was based on German loan words and included "schadenfreude." That was a riot every year because 6th grade kids thought it was just the greatest word in the world. They would tell the funniest stories and they would ALWAYS remember that word for years and years afterwards.

Jillian Tarkany (French Teacher)

1. How long beforehand do you plan a lesson?

That depends.  I prefer to have everything in order at least the afternoon before, but sometimes it happens the morning of if there's a lot going on.  Sometimes I'll sort of sketch out vague lessons at the beginning of the chapter or make a list of things to cover for the week, and that list gradually morphs into specific lesson plans.

2. What is your "process" of determining what needs to be expressed through the lesson?

Since I already know my goals for the unit, this is usually just a matter of thinking of what 1 or maybe 2 things can and should be covered that day.

3. What determines what materials and knowledge are presented in the lesson and what are not?

Again, it mostly has to do with the unit as a whole.  In French 2 and 3, those units are the textbook units normally, with maybe a little bit of adaptation.  In French 4 and AP, because I am preparing them for advanced real-life communication, the textbook units seem very artificial, so I create my own units.  Sometimes those units are concepts in francophone culture (the deportation of Jews in France, creole music in the Caribbean and Louisiana, Marie Antoinette), sometimes they are themes that are just important to be able to talk about (family-children relationships, the environment, cooking).  Those topics are all broken down into small components and from there it's just a matter of what I can fit into 45 minutes.

4. How long does it take you to plan a lesson?

If it's from a textbook and course that I've taught from for 2 years or more, than it can take just a few minutes.

If it's something newish but I have taught something similar or already have materials for it, it can take 10-20 minutes.

If it's something I'm teaching for the first time and I don't already have any materials for it, I expect it to take at least an hour.

5. Do you already have specific activities planned or do you get creative upon having to cover the material? Planned ahead homework assignments or other assessments? 

I LOVE when I have the chance to get creative about it but that depends on the amount of time I have and what else is going on.  If it's the end of the quarter, I'm sorry, but grading is taking precedence and lessons will be much less creative.  But if I have the time, I love to create something new.  My favorite is to teach through media, so if I can find a pop song or news story or image or poem or whatever from a francophone source then I can build on that it the students really prefer that to the textbook or worksheets.  

In class, to assess along the way, I ask questions to the class at every step.  Sometimes I call on volunteers, but I also have a stack of note cards with each student's name on them so I can call them randomly.  I love this because the students all know that they can be asked anything at any time.  When I use the cards, I don't accept "I don't know" as an answer.  I'll help the student get there by giving hints or re-explaining or giving them time to look it up, but I think it's really important that every single person is accountable for the information.  This is tough at first and feels like a lot of time is wasted, but a few weeks into the school year, they are all used to the process and I really think it makes them pay attention and push themselves more.

I give very little homework and it's usually basic grammar practice that I check only for completion and go over by having the students write their answers on the board or read out loud.

I give difficult quizzes frequently but it's not a large percentage of the final grade.  In levels 2, 3, and 4 I give a test around every 3 weeks.  In AP I give a quiz each Wednesday and a test each Friday because there is so much to cover.  Their quizzes are also very difficult but they can use their notes.

6. Do you use a template? Why or why not? 

Every year I plan to do this and never do!  I don't think I'm a template person.  The way I write lessons is I have them in a binder on loose-leaf paper, usually labeled by the day of the week.  After that, the information is listed on how it comes to me instead of how it's listed for other lessons.  For me, this makes it easier to put the most important reminders first.

7. What do you think makes your lesson applicable and relevant to students?

With teaching a foreign language, this is easy!  I teach what they will actually use when they go to France of another Francophone country!  Like I said, I use as much media as possible.  I try to use very current media, but even if it's not, it's still authentic.

We also talk a lot about what's going on in our lives.  Every Monday, we chat for however long the class wants to, in French only, about the weekend.  I also like to every once in a while make a worksheet about Despicable Me or Taylor Swift or something else in pop culture.  

The funny thing is, sometimes when it's more real-life, the students don't do as well on it because they are used to lessons being very systematic and basic.  For example, I have one worksheet where you have to answer questions about Batman using a new grammar structure.  Even though the grammar you use is incredibly basic, they have a hard time with it because they want to just be able to copy a model and fill in the new words instead of actually thinking about the answer.  Some students say they would rather have a fill-in-the-blank activity instead of one where you have to come up with ten sentences yourself, even if it's on a topic they like.  A lot of students just want to get the work done and get the good grade instead of learning how to use the information in a more real-life way.  But for me, I know that the latter is more important and do my best to show the students why it should be our priority.

8. Technology, yes or no or always or never?

Sometimes =)  In a foreign language class, it's all about communication.  Face-to-face communication is still important, so a lot of my class is us talking to each other.  But technology is great for presenting information and showing media.  

9. What makes a lesson good?

It's good when the students are engaged and interested AND they also get information that they can put to use.  For this to happen, it needs to be somewhat predictable, so they can follow it, but at the same time not monotonous.  A lot of students will ask "When are we ever going to use this???" so we need to be pre-emptive in showing them from the very beginning of the lesson a believable way in which they will use this.  A good lesson needs to be at a good pace, which is hard to have, especially in a big class.  It needs to include visual and auditory presentations and assessments.  

10. What is your favorite lesson and why?

Oh I have so many favorites!!!  I'll give you 2--one from lower-level and one from upper level.

For lower-level, the one that comes to mind first is an introduction to 2 relative pronouns.  I love it because it's so hard but my students get it really quickly.  Instead of starting it by presenting the relative pronouns, I give them sentences (in French)  that have relative pronouns in them but they have to fill in a blank with a noun.  I make the sentences extremely basic at first but then they get more complicated, and I make them as realistic as possible.

Here are some examples, translated into English.

A class at school that I like is ______.

A channel on TV that is boring is ______.

A food I eat a lot is ______.

_______ is movie that I've seen more than 20 times.

_______ is the best-looking actor/actress.

First I call on students to read their answers.  Then we go back and translate all the sentences to make sure we all know what they all mean.  We go through this process with both relative pronouns.  Then I explain that "that" is a relative pronoun and have them write that down.  Then they have to underline "that" in every sentence.  Then I'm able to explain it deeper, compare the two pronouns, and do practice sentences that require them to choose the relative pronoun.  It works because the students can see how relative pronouns are useful in real-life, they have a list of relevant examples to consult, and it's been broken down in an extremely basic way.

For upper-level, my lessons are not so much presenting grammar and vocabulary explicitly, but are about communication.  Something I do a lot is present news videos from Euronews.com.  Usually I show the students the topic and ask them what they already know about it (in French, or in English if I do this for lower levels).  Then we watch and listen to the video and ask them what they saw and heard.  Then I give them a transcript of the article with blanks and they listen 4 times and complete the blanks.  Then we go over it and translate or re-phrase parts of the most important parts.  Then we answer short-answer questions about it.  This usually takes up a class period, and the next day we'll go more in-depth with it and maybe analyze the point of view or compare it to another article on the same topic or have them write sentences with certain words/structures in the article or do more listening practice with it.  (This can be done in lower-levels too, but you have to choose an article on a topic they already know about, make the fill-in-the blank section only a short excerpt or only like 5 easy blanks, and emphasize that you don't have to understand every detail in order to get the basic gist of the report.)

Summary and Reflection:

Both Steven and Jillian are fairly experienced teachers. Each have been in the field for about a decade, which compared to my measly two (almost three!) years seems like a lot longer. They are also close friends of mine, and incidentally, when I am having an issue related to school or parents or kids, I will give either, or both, a shout. I also believe that a good deal of my lack of planning after the first year has to do with the fact that neither of them planned a ton after their first years. Both know their material and the standards/objectives that need to be taught, and as result, they already have planned internally how to handle the lessons.

From these interviews, I figured out that I have adapted a good deal of my “lesson planning” from these two teachers. I plan way far in advance by breaking down the units into quarters and semesters. I have a general idea of what needs to be accomplished by a certain time, and I throw together the week’s timeline of events either the Monday before or the Sunday afterwards. We all tend to become comfortable with what we have used because so far it has worked with pretty good results from our students academically and socially. We all also tend to lean towards thinking outside of the box when it comes to activities and education because it makes the lessons more memorable for the students. Teaching is supposed to be about getting the students to respond to the material being introduced in class, and making it relevant sparks interest and intrigue, allowing students to actually be invested in the lessons. Discussion is a huge forum for student involvement, and I think that I have stolen that from Steven and Jillian.

Sometimes I kind of wish I did more lesson planning that was done bit by bit, and I realize that is the entire purpose of this module unit, but in the same movement, I wouldn’t change the way I do things either. I like being able to be understand the concept of a lesson plan and a template, but in all reality, isn’t a lesson template just a compilation of objectives, standards, assignments, and assessments? There really is no one unique template that is correct for every teacher on the face of the planet. I honestly think that there is no right way to lesson plan if you come out with the same results of having the lesson broken down and prepared for your class. I’d like to think that as long as my students were absorbing the material and then able to use it in classroom assessments or outside of the classroom, and enjoy it, then I have done my job correctly. True, there will a person telling me I’m not doing it the “right way” or the “Common Core way” or in the school template, but if I’m getting the results, then I think my “template” is pretty okay. 

Reflection on Classroom Standards

Reflection on Standards

                Let me say that this module looks like it is going to be the most intensive one yet, and I think that is because we are halfway through our course, and it is high time we got into the meat and potatoes behind planning lessons. I am not going to lie…I have done very little lesson planning in the past. I basically knew what I needed to get done in two week intervals, given homework and assessments, and then moved onto the next part that needed to be accomplished, and as a result of this teaching, I am steadily remiss in all the areas involving actual hard core lesson planning. Because my experience has been limited, this whole unit was difficult for me to wrap my head around.

                I think the hardest part for me to understand with the standards was the whole idea of unpacking via stages of difficulty. This was especially tricky for me because, according to California, each standard also has specific stages of advancement based on learned material. I do not know if this is the case elsewhere, but this is an aspect that seems like it can be consistently changing. For example, if my Spanish II class is better than my Spanish III class, then it would seem that perhaps standards were not taught in summation the year before by the previous teacher or, perhaps, stages were ignored. It made me wonder if some teachers have difficulty with the stages and their levels of rigidity. Are these stages and their standards set in stone, or can they alter depending on the class and its level of intelligence? Just something I was thinking on for a bit.

                By the same token, the easiest part about all of this was the unpacking because ideally a teacher knows what he or she wants the students to have mastered by the end of a unit. In unpacking, the teacher illustrates to himself or herself what needs to be done in order to reach a final point in the lesson. Unpacking also allows the student to know what needs to be learned and completed before he or she can move on and advance to the next lesson. Everything in constantly building upon itself and it is imperative to keep that in mind. It makes creating lesson objectives clear for the student and the teacher. I found this especially true in the California state standard stages for foreign language because stage two can only flourish because of a good stage one and stage three can only exist because of successful evaluations of the first two stages.

                All in all this was the start of a unit that really got me because it was an aspect of teaching that I was aware existed, but I had never done. Now that I have actually lesson planned, I see why this is so time consuming. I do think though that it is easier to lesson plan for middle or high school when a teacher is only doing one or two different classes, but I have a whole other level of respect for the elementary grades because they must be planning all day long!

Video Reflection on Classroom Management

Classroom Management (Video Reflection)

I really enjoyed this video overall. It was like a short documentary of what a nightmare and a blessing the first year of teaching really is all about. I relate to both of these young teachers in ways that only newbie teachers would be able to understand: not really knowing how the heck to balance life in school and out of school, lack of sleep, and of course, dealing with insubordination and wise cracks from students.

When I was watching this video, my first thought when I saw the man, Alex, introducing himself as the cool younger teacher was that I have been here before, and I have pulled off this routine before, but it all blew up in my face midyear. The same happened to him because being the cool young teacher is awesome by all means, but it also makes the lines for behavior difficult to draw. I had the same issues with the chattering students and not wanting to raise my voice, and I think the difference is that I had to realize that I am not their friend. I am their teacher, and I am in charge, and at times, the students need to be reminded of that. After that first year, I figured out ways to avoid raising my voice and using non verbal cues like pausing the lesson to wait silently or raising my hand to signal that I am holding out until my entire class is ready. I did not have a mentor teacher, but I did have a friend that worked at the school with me, and he was of great help with these techniques. I think I would inform Alex that while it is great to be well liked, it is more important to remember your role. It is okay to be the teacher and to make the rules. That is why we do what we do.

At the points and times where the woman, Saray, was on screen and dealing with students that had repeated for possibly the third time, I have to say I was impressed with her constant vigilance to get them involved. As she had previously mentioned, other teachers weren’t exactly giving these kids the time of day or the attention to succeed, and she wanted to remind them that she was different. She wanted them to do well and kick science behind! I thought that her attitude was inspiring, and it was one of the main reasons that behavior in her class was slightly better than behavior in Alex’s class. True, she did have some chatter, but she use hard glances and pauses to get her points across. Her non verbal cues were on target, and I think that the kids really responded to them. Her classroom management put off a vibe that she was serious about them learning, and yes, it was going to fun, but as students, work would be required and could not be ignored.

I responded to both of these young teachers, and I ultimately felt like I would hope they could improve on their skills in the following year. From what I learned in three years, that first year in the classroom is all about surviving and making a solid relationship with the students. Staying afloat is the hardest part with all the work that new teachers are drowned by, and I know that I still feel that way. I would say that their behavior management skills were fairly decent considering they hadn’t ever done this before, but obviously, there are some changes that need to be made. Non verbal cues and proximity are two techniques from my repertoire (previously stolen from other teachers) and from our module for this unit. I think that both these techniques are easy to use, and both say a lot without having to use any words at all.

Sources Used:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/new-teacher-experience