Ch. 4-5
- Which of the questions on page 100 spoke to you? how did you respond?
- On page 111, Ritchart lists instructional strategies (flipping, Genius Hour, FedEx days, etc.) that are departures from the way we typically manage time in the classroom. Describe an experience you have had with one of these (types of) strategies-
- What dispositions do you hope to model for your students on a daily basis and why?
The question that spoke to me on page 100 was "If you could wave a magic wand and equip all students with ONE learning tool that would assist them in being more effective learners, what would you choose?" I wish there were a whole package of wands. But the thing that I would want to start with first is attention span. Sometimes I feel like I have delivered the most exciting and fun lesson, and it seems like the whole class can't wait to get back to their seats to move on to the "doing" part. Ideas have been flying and have been recorded, as the students discuss how to tackle the problem. Some ideas have already been thrown aside for better ideas. Some children have even come up with other solutions, ones that I haven't even thought of yet. We've even done the "tell your partner" thing a few times and even switched partners to talk to. They're laughing with me, and we're sharing, and I'm feeling quite like Miss Superteacher Cultures of Thinking Queen Rockstar. Then I send them off to begin their research and a kid comes up and goes "What are we supposed to do again?" The kid behind her says "What group am I in?" Before I can pick my jaw up of the floor to answer, another kid comes up and says "How many sentences are we supposed to write for spelling?" I answer "We're not even DOING spelling...we've been working on math for the last half hour..." and I realize that I have been blessed with a class full of actors and actresses. They certainly looked the part. So while the kids who were with me move on and start their group activity, my friends with out of body experiences as our class discussion happened sit with me as I explain what the kids are doing right now, and they wonder if I was ever planning on giving them time to discuss their ideas and share first. After a deep breath and a quick count to ten in my head, we start again as if I had never thought of doing that. But they missed the good part, and all of the ideas that everyone else had and bounced their ideas off on, and they are left with only me. And it's those kids who are looking for me to assure them if the idea is right or wrong, so they can succeed and be finished first. Which brings me to another wand to wave =)
ReplyDeleteDispositions that I hope to foster in my classroom every year, include respect for others, being polite, being fair, and working together as a classroom family. I want to show the children through my actions, that everyone is just as important as the next person. We all need to follow the rules (including myself and any other adult that is in our classroom) for everyone's safety and comfort. Years ago, I waited in the lunch line with my students, to buy hot lunch. The students informed me that, since I am a teacher, I didn't have to wait in line. Apparently, I get to "cut" to the front. I explained that everyone has to wait in line, and cutting is not fair. I feel like if I would have "cut" then I would not be able to then go back to my classroom and stick to my class rule that "cutting" is not allowed. One day my students will no longer be in a particular classroom family with me, but I want them to be able to move on and be able to be successful in any group setting. I hope to be able to convey this to them in my teaching and my actions.
On page 100, the first question that spoke to me was to recall a time in the past when my class was fully engaged and excited about learning. What were the feelings/energy at that moment? A time my students were really engaged and excited about learning was during our social studies unit about history/pioneer life. Since I have taught this topic for 11 years, I am very passionate and excited to share it with my students each year. I can feel myself being energized as I teach it and this energy and excitement transfers to my students. We had such a rich discussion; students were eager to share, ask questions and make connections. I was able to incorporate art and creativity into the lessons by doing crafts with the students--which is something that many of us find less and less time to do! Learning was visible, hands-on and the students loved it! It's always fun to culminate the unit by attending the one room schoolhouse field trip too! Another question that spoke to me was the one about having a magic wand. My ideal magic wand would allow students to be better listeners. Just like Angela mentioned above, I often find myself repeating the same directions over and over and still many kids say "what do I do?" This is frustrating and seems to get worse each year. The last question I'd like to respond to is what I wish I spent more time developing: my student's manners, listening skills, patience, perseverance and helping them become more independent learners. As I reflect on this assignment, I am reminded of a proud moment I had today with my daughter. This morning, I went to work out with my husband like I do a couple times a week. Today, we had no sitter so we had to take Arianna with us. I packed her backpack with a few coloring pages and told her that I expected her to sit in the chair while mommy and daddy did our routine for an hour. After about 45 minutes, (with no peeps from my daughter) our trainer and several members started coming up to me and asking me "How old is she? What did you bribe her with to be so quiet? I told them that she is 5 and I didn't bribe her with anything. She knows that the expectation is to be quiet and that there are times in life when you will have to focus and engage yourself or sit quietly. I have provided her with many opportunities to practice this skill-- sitting through the symphony for 2 hours, church each week, going out to dinner-- so she knows that's the expectation. This is the same thing I hope to instill in my students---to be more independent learners and that someone should not have to give them a direction every step of the way. No more "I am done...now what do I do?"
ReplyDeleteStephanie-I am totally validated this week...I'm teaching a week long first and second grade drama workshop with the theater company run by my father and my sister. I have 21 awesome kids, they're all going into first and going into second grade. (One of them is my daughter!) I have them three hours a day and we have to put on a culminating performance on Friday. We're dramatizing Marcus Pfister's "The Rainbow Fish." For the introduction on the first day, I kept it short and sweet and got them moving IMMEDIATELY. Within two minutes, my very own flesh and blood called out (as I die of embarrassment) "This is boring and I don't want to do it anymore." (I later asked her "You have never actually SAID that in school, have you?" and she assured me no but I wonder...) In one more minute, a kid came up and said (as someone was having their turn acting something out) "I have to go to the bathroom." After bathroom guy #1 went, they all took turns one at a time, one right after the other, interrupting each other to tell me that they had to use the restroom. I stopped the lesson and took them on a group bathroom trip. When we got back, they were hungry. Class stats at 9:00, this was 9:25. It's been kind of a long week =) I am kind of ripping my hair out, yet glad to know that it's not just kids in ONE place doing it. They really need constant stimulation, and they do give up easily.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter on time was really powerful for me. The time I have with each of my groups is very limited, and reading this chapter helped me to rethink my use of that valuable time. I stopped and reflected on the question from page 99, "How will I enable my students to use their time in class to maximize their learning?" Instead of thinking in terms of, "How will I fit this lesson into our 20 minute session?", I shifted my thinking to "How can I enhance student learning and understanding in 20 short minutes?" Going into this school year, I am reflecting on how to maximize student engagement so every minute of their time with me pushes their thinking and learning.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of time that I want to become more aware of in my teaching is giving more think time. When we are discussing a text in small groups, I often see students sit back and wait for their peers to respond, taking the pressure off themselves. By increasing my wait time to 3 seconds or more, I will give more opportunities for all students to have a chance to not only respond, but to elaborate their thinking as well.
The chapter on modeling was also very powerful for me. The quote that stuck out to me the most was on page 125, "We must acknowledge again that the most important, indeed, the only, thing we have to offer our students is ourselves. Everything else they can read in a book or discover independently, usually with a better understanding than out efforts can convey." This was a powerful quote for me because students do have all of the information in the world at their fingertips so as educators, we need to bring something more personal and unique to learning that can't be found anywhere else. I want to model the fact that the goal of learning is not perfection. I want to show my students how to react to mistakes, learn from experience, and be a reflective learner. This chapter helped me realize that "as teachers were are always modeling; We are always on" (pg. 127). Students look to us see what a dedicated learner and thinker values, and we need to make sure we are modeling the dispositions we hope to see our students internalize.
I really enjoyed chapter 5: Modeling-Seeing ourselves through our students' Eyes. I often times use the word 'modeling' such as modeling how to interact with others in the classroom, modeling how to complete a task, etc. But to really think about my disposition in the classroom and how it connects to modeling is important. Some dispositions I hope to model for my students on a daily basis are to be a problem solver, curious, a thinker and a learner, an encourager, and a person that is okay with making mistakes along the way. On page 117, the spotlighted teacher, Natalie is quoted saying, "I want them to know I am authentic, that I am true, and that I value them." This, too, is a disposition I hope to emulate. I strive to ask my students questions at the start of the day about their interests, what they did over the weekend, and follow up on things they told me previously such as how is their soccer team doing. In addition, I want my students to see me as a thinker and a learner. In every area of learning, I want to make my thinking visible by talking aloud my thoughts. For example, in science, they often times ask questions about weather or animals or states of matter that I do not know the answer for. So I try to show them how I find the answer and share my problem solving way of thinking by sharing my thoughts such as saying aloud, "okay, where could I find the answer to that question?" or "What could I do to try and find the answer?" By really sharing my thinking with them, they will see me as a problem solver. I also want them to feel safe as they show themselves as learners and thinkers and in order to do that, I need to be an encourager. I want to encourage students to share how they solved a problem or found an answer and when mistakes are made, I also want to encourage students to share those as well. I want them to see me making mistakes so that they know it is okay to make mistakes and as a group/team, we can collaborate to find another way. On page 126, it is stated that "The important thing to remember is that in modeling your learning, you are not giving up any of your expertise. In fact, what you are modeling is the desire to develop even more expertise." No matter how many years I have taught the same subjects, I want to still have the disposition of being vulnerable to show how I learn and that I do not have all of the answers. I strongly believe your disposition is extremely important in fostering a love for learning in your students and the desire to take risks, knowing that to make a mistake is absolutely okay.
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ReplyDeleteThe disposition I hope to model for my students each and every day is that I have time for them! The phrase that slapped me across the face from this section said "although hours and minutes in a day are fixed, energy is a renewable resource". Wow!! No more complaining that we don't have enough time at school, not enough time to get the girls to practices, not enough time to workout, etc. We can choose how we spend our energy and if something isn't working, we need to reexamine. I hope that my students see that I value them as a student, as a kid, and an individual. I look forward to fostering more relationships with my students this year.
I've already stated that giving more wait time is a goal this year. This is a topic addressed in chapter 4. The research shows that teachers typically wait less than 1 second. That shocked me! Just by increasing to 3 seconds, yielded great change. Surely I can wait an extra 2 seconds. Also, the chapter talked about if teachers aren't consistent with our timing, then we actually train students to use their time poorly. I want to be more conscious to use a timer in class to hold myself accountable so I am not creating bad habits. I really enjoyed this section from many viewpoints...teacher, learner, mother, daughter, sister, and friend.
I have had a little experience with the Flipped Classroom and I really enjoyed doing it. I am going to try to do it again this year and hopefully the children and parents will be on board. (In the past I had an issue with internet connectivity but I think that all parents have a phone so we should be able to view the video.) I particularly want to use this with math.
ReplyDeleteIn the past when I tried it, I recorded the lesson of the day and I then put it on line for the children to view at home. They then were able to replay the lesson for understanding and then complete their homework. This year I want to truly flip it with homework and assignments being completed in class and viewing the lesson at home. I will still have a mini-lesson in class but the children will be given more group work like exemplars and assignments that will engage and apply what they have learned.
A lesson that really hit home for me last year was that the students and I thought that they had mastered multiplying fractions and when they had to apply this skill to area - they were blown away. They could easily multiply 2 1/3 by 1 1/8 but when the numbers got to be 43 1/2 by 32 1/8 they stumbled. This included the strong math students. I hope that with trying this again, I can really allow the children to apply what they are learning.
When reading these chapters, the quote that I held onto was on page 106 "transfer is the holy grail of learning. We want students that can actually apply their skills and knowledge in novel situations, not just give us back information on a test." This is of course what we all want but in our age of testing, score keeping and rating, I hope that we don't lose this goal.
In the chapter on time I connected with the idea of our "big rocks" and what we need to be sure we are allotting time for everyday within the class room. It is easy to fill a day with busy work to keep students working (sand and pebbles stuff) but they aren't necessarily learning or even thinking (big rocks). This year I really want to impress upon my students the big rock ideas from page 101: Learning is a consequence of thinking; feedback should propel their learning; and that when they are being challenged, stretched, and pushed to perform just beyond their current abilities is when they are truly learning. One idea I'm considering for this school year is rather than having seat work for them to complete each morning upon arrival, giving them the opportunity to spend those first 20 or so minutes of the day to set and follow their own goals and aspirations. Rather than free choice time at the end of the day for those who earn it this would be for all students a way to ease into their school day by choosing activities that are of interest to them. Who knows it could even help with those chronic tardy kids if they are eager to come to school. Allowing them time to collaborate, investigate, and ruminate each morning could be a wonderful way to help shape our classroom culture of thinkers.
ReplyDeleteThe two perspectives in Chapter 4, with regard to time, really made me think: learning to prioritize and always prioritize learning and managing energy, not time. I know that learning is a priority, but I am always stressed about time constraints. Completing units and making sure my lesson plans are within a few days of my colleagues continues to be an ongoing struggle. Because of this I feel as though some student learning has been compromised. I have to admit, there were days when I rushed through activities and lacked the depth of instruction necessary for students to develop the transfer of knowledge that is crucial for absolute comprehension. One way I will work on this skill is to continue to keep the objective in mind during each lesson. This will help to keep me focused and ensure I use class time to maximize student learning.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of managing energy, not time was a powerful statement for me to read. On page 107 it states, "...what one really needs to do to combat stress is to manage one's energy. Although the hours and minutes in a day are fixed, energy is a renewable resource." This is going to be my new mantra. This perspective will also be an effective tool to engage and motivate students. We all need downtime during the day, time to recharge and refuel. I am hoping to feel more in control as I continue to explore the cultural force of time.
I am hoping this next year to make a greater effort to focus on "Cognitive Apprenticeship: Making our Thinking Visible." As educators, we all are aware of the importance of many of these concepts and I feel that we do a good job of modeling our teaching. Where I feel I need to make a stronger effort is to make sure that I allow the chance for students to model their own thinking. For me it keeps going back to the "permission" to slow things down in the classroom. Having students model their own thinking takes time. I feel that it is very beneficial, but realistically, it takes a greater amount of time. There were some opportunities last year that I had each student come to the smart board and demonstrate their work. I found that was such a valuable use of time because I was able to see what they were doing and have them explain how they worked out a problem. The best was when they were having difficulties and other students in the class were able to assist because they understood what their peer was thinking sometimes quicker than I was able to figure out what their thought process was. Not every learning opportunity would need this amount of time spent. However, I am going to make sure that I pause and allow time for students to explain their thinking as well as having me explain my thinking in order to help others.
ReplyDeleteI agree Donna. I loved the analogy of the jar of big rocks. I thought of actually having a jar of rocks in my classroom as a daily visual reminder.
ReplyDeleteThinking about times that I was dedicated to learning something, I have researched various resources, asked questions and had discussions with many people, and I continued to practice until I felt successful. Allowing students to do these same things are powerful tools that will help them be successful at learning and understanding.
One of the dispositions I want to work on is the "Gradual release of responsibility, modeling for independence". Students feel empowered and full of energy when they are in charge of their own decision making. When they can rely on themselves and each other, not only will they learn and understand more, we will have a closer knit community.
I've attended a few professional development sessions on the idea of doing a Genius Hour and it's been something I've been wanting to try for awhile now. In terms of my media curriculum, it works really well with many of my technology and research goals. I like the idea of students being able to research something that interests them and choosing a technology tool that showcases their talents.
ReplyDeleteWhat worries me about doing something like a Genius Hour is that it could be a nightmare in terms of logistics (90ish students all doing different projects...yikes!) and students could delve into projects that they are not prepared to properly. For example, I don't want students jumping straight to Google whenever there is a research project. I want to have taught them about search engines, databases, website evaluation, etc. beforehand. So if I was to actually try this idea I think I would have to look for ways to set some parameters or only do Genius hour(s) after we've had a chance to work on some research/tech skills. Another idea that I learned from my pd session that I would like to try at some point is that of appointing 1-2 students (could be rotating) to be tech experts for the day. This would allow students to get their tech questions answered by their peers and allow the teacher to keep meeting with other students.
ReplyDeleteI had a few small experiences with the flipped classroom idea a few years back when I taught kindergarten. I made a few videos about reading strategies and some of the basic math concepts. Although it was a lot of work on my end, the kids and parents, really liked it. I did still teach these concepts in school, but I felt that it was a good way for extra review at home. This year in our room we are trying to eliminate “busy” homework and send home important skills to be practiced. I wonder if we made some videos going over some of the ideas that we are no longer sending as pencil/paper homework would be beneficial to the students. The like seeing their teachers and it would be a fun and different way of “doing homework.”
When students watch flipped classroom videos, it really does save time in the classroom. The year I did make those few videos, students would reference them during the day- which eliminated the need for me to review the concept. As with any homework, the students have to choose to do it at home. Maybe with everyone having smart phones, students can watch the videos any time now. I am very interested in trying this out again this year!
Which of the questions on page 100 spoke to you? How did you respond?
ReplyDeleteThe question that spoke to me most was, “Recall a time from your past teaching in which you knew you entire class was fully engaged in and excited about learning. What were the feelings and energy like in that moment?” After thinking about this question, I immediately thought about the lesson on invasive species in Michigan in science. During that lesson, my students were actively involved in discussions, asked thoughtful questions, and even brought in pictures or items they had at home the next day to further share their knowledge about invasive species. To further extend their learning on the topic, I assigned students a group project. Each group was assigned an invasive species in Michigan and could present the information they gathered about that invasive species any way they wanted. This gave my students choice. Some groups chose to do a Powerpoint. Others chose to make a commercial/news reporting segment informing TV viewers about this problem. While other groups chose to make informational posters. During this lesson, all the members in each group got along, all the members participated, and students went out of their way to find additional information, resources or props for their presentation. The energy in the classroom was positive, each student was doing something different, however, they were all on task and helping each other. I even saw students who were in different groups bring in information, pictures, or samples they had to share with other groups on their invasive species. The students truly took over and became responsible for their learning. Overall, the students were very excited, enthusiastic, inquisitive, and engaged throughout the whole lesson. As I move forward throughout this year, it is important for me to find other ways to engage my students in learning just as they were during my invasive species lesson.
The chapter on time really spoke to me. As a teacher with many responsibilities, colleagues and I always ask how we will get it done in a certain amount of time. After reading this chapter, reflecting on other articles and conversations with staff members, the questions that were being asked need to shift to, how can I enhance student learning in every subject I teach? Another aspect of time I want to be more purposeful in is wait time. Often times the same students are the ones supporting conversations during group discussions. Extending wait time and giving learners more time to think or even discuss concepts with partners would be beneficial to others who do not share as often.
ReplyDeleteIf I could magically give my students one learning tool it would be persistence. Too many students give up when they don't get it the first time or want the teacher or someone else to do the problem for them. Developing a skill takes time and practice but sometimes students do not want to invest in the process of understanding. If each student was motivated to understand and not give up if an obstacle got in his or her way, learning would more effectively take place.
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