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Reflection #7: Phonetic Punctuation!

We watched a Victor Borge clip in one of my classes the other day because phonetic punctuation can be a fabulous idea to integrate into your classroom. It makes learning punctuation fun, and when you pair it with saying the name of the punctuation before the sound it reinforces the vocabulary. I've picked this video because it demonstrates the idea so well, and Dean Martin is a favourite of mine! Enjoy!

Reflection #6: Asking Questions

It appears to me that asking questions is a big element of teaching. This article emphasized the importance of asking questions in the classroom and the reasons why teachers do so. Teachers ask questions to check understanding. If the class is answering your questions correctly and with considerable thought this can be evidence of their knowledge of the content. The key, however, is to ask the right type of questions. The article mentioned something fascinating and something that I find to be true. Early on, students begin to grasp how they are viewed by those around them, whether it be "smart", "funny", or "indifferent" and they will act accordingly. When a teacher asks a question, some students may simply sit back, stop thinking, and let the "smart kids" answer. Similarly, some students stop thinking about the question as soon as a student is called on. One strategy that the article suggests is to ask a question and pause for 3 seconds to allow students to process the question and come up with an answer before calling on a specific student. This strategy can also be combined with a random popsicle stick system so that students are somewhat randomly selected to give an answer. Another article that talks about the "wait time" after teacher questions or student responses is Using "Think-Time" and "Wait-Time" Skillfully in the Classroom by Robert J. Stahl.



Credit: The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom by Ben Johnson

Reflection #5: Elementary School Observation

The other day I observed a first grade classroom in the afternoon. I observed many excellent methods that the teacher used in her classroom that I view as important to the structure and function of the class. These include the way she managed her class and made efficient use of their time. For instance, the teacher provided motivation for the students to model exemplary classroom behavior by reinforcing positive behavior with verbal encouragement and setting up a reward system for the class. She promoted an organized environment and orderly transitions in several ways, one of which was dismissing students by table whenever a task needed to be accomplished, including getting water after recess and getting their backpacks at the end of the day. When instructing the class she was very specific with what she was asking them to do. It is so important for a teacher’s expectations to be clear, and I could tell that she worked hard to make this happen by not only saying the instructions, but also having a visual model.

I would have to say that first grade is distinguished from other grade levels by the nature of the students. In my observations I noticed that they participated in a great deal of kinesthetic activity in their learning, as well as choral response. These two elements in particular are likely more necessary especially in the younger elementary grades because of their short attention span and level of distractibility. The teacher often brought the class back together by calling out a fun little rhyme, and the students had already learned the proper response. I look forward to asking the teacher more about how she integrates kinesthetic activity into her teaching, particularly in learning to read. I learned some valuable tips when observing her math lesson and it has inspired me to think more critically about different ways to integrate the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles into my own teaching. I’d also like to ask her how she initially teaches the class about how the classroom functions, including her different class rules and the general schedule of the day.

Reflection #4: High School Observation

I observed a freshman Honors English class and found it to be a great learning experience. What stuck out to me in particular about this class was the high level of organization and how attentive the teacher was to her students. First of all, the class was very orderly. There were whiteboards on almost every wall, some were used for upcoming school events and others were used to display the homework assignments for the upcoming week. The teacher had a slot of time specifically for students to write their assignments in their school planner. She also had the class period schedule posted on the wall next to the objective for the day. The teacher's organization and hard work conveys her desire for her students to have what they need to be successful. She was constantly moving around the classroom while they were working, assessing students and checking in with those who seemed disengaged. She integrated a journal prompt at the beginning of class, and after giving examples of a new concept would call on students for their examples. She would also put prompts on the SMART board for the class to easily refer to as they worked on their homework.

This class was different from the upper grade high school classes that I’ve observed. As it is their first year in high school they seem more industrious and focused on learning. They appeared to be very compliant and didn’t have as much attitude as some of the upperclassmen. The students were for the most part highly engaged in their work, working with one another when instructed to, and asking the teacher questions with great ease. I would be interested in asking the teacher more about her teaching strategies and how the multicultural nature of her classroom influences her lesson planning and the way she approaches the class. Overall it was a very informative classroom observation and I learned a lot from the way she organizes her class and the way in which she prompts the students to think critically.