Monday, October 18, 2020
Today I did a by-the-seat-of-my-pants Language Arts lesson. I thought I was co-teaching Text-to-Text connections with REM, who gave me the materials to preview on Friday, but she must have confidence in me (grin) because she handed me the overhead this morning and asked me to observe Sunshine teach the lesson so I could teach it to our class. That said....I LOVED it! I'm glad she did it this way and I'm happy to be in front of the class more. I had been feeling too much like an observer/teacher's helper, but this week, I was in front of the class a lot. :)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Observation #1
The last week or so, REM and I have been going over the first day of Division, which we were planning for my first observation lesson. I also used this lesson for my curriculum class (two birds with one stone kind of thing). I was doing well with the lesson until Tuesday after school when I started to doubt everything. SPEM and I went to a professional development for writing and then stayed to prepare the class for the next few days. I had written the lesson plan and REM looked it over and thought it was great! So I was working on what I would say, and started over thinking it. SPEM had me walk her through the part of the lesson I was doubting, and she helped me with the language. I really do have a great team of mentor teachers!!
On Wednesday, I taught all three math classes, and the observation was in the third class, which I was really grateful for! :) REM helped me with parts of the first lesson, and then backed off for the second, but interjected when needed, and then was strictly a "helper" in the third (as was SPEM because I was being observed during my integrated class!) The kids were WONDERFUL! I know they were talked to, but they were soooo attentive and respectful.
This lesson (reminder to self: you have a revised lesson plan stored!) went really well for my observation. First, I introduced division, with a PowerPoint presentation on the Smart Board, by reviewing factors and factor pairs. I then had the class highlight vocabulary sheets as part of my accommodation of the lesson plan. To show me they were ready, I asked them to put their highlighters in the air, and wave them around like they really do care! :) I got a few smiles for that one. I walked them through the vocab on the ppt, asking them to highlight key terms. I then asked them to file the sheet in their math vocabulary section, close their binders, put the highlighters away, and store their binders under their chairs, and keep a pencil.
Next, we did a work sheet to show how division is separating a whole number into equal size groups. First I had them change the dividend so the problem worked out better, however I forgot to explain why I was doing it. One student, who loves to fight the system!, asked me why we changed the number. Clever girl...this showed me that I need to explain the small details sometimes, because they're thinking about them. :) We then drew out circles to represent the divisor, which tells you the number of groups, and then separated out our dividend equally among the groups. The next step was to demonstrate division as repeated subtraction, using the quotient we found with the drawing. Next, the students had to explain in words what they just did. (See filled in example sheet/student's work.) The first I modeled for them, asking them to follow along and do the same I was doing. I then set them to the task of completing the rest of the worksheet.
Part two of the division lesson, I invited the back three tables up to the Smart Board area to sit behind my mapped out spaces. I then modeled with base ten blocks how you divide using repeated subtraction to separate the dividend into equal size groups, using the divisor as your known number of groups. Then I asked for student help with one more problem (I have the problem written on construction paper) and together we further demonstrated division. I then dismissed them back to their seats to a worksheet using images/drawings of base ten blocks. REM and SPEM were also set at two stations in the room to help students, which many took up on the offer! Others went back to their seats, or worked in pairs with base ten blocks. I circulated the room, checking in with independent/pair workers. I then gave them a five minute warning to start the process of finishing up. I then ended the class by asking them to file their worksheets and to have cleaned-up table teams. To further the transition to dismissal, I asked SPEM if she would like to take "visions" for the day. :)
I then went and met with my college advisor to discuss the lesson. She started off by telling me it was a great lesson, and she liked how I have a strong, but inviting, teacher voice. She said I was well organized, and used the time well, giving the class a warning time to finish up. She asked me how I thought the lesson could go better, and said not that it didn't, but as a teacher reflection, was there anything I could improve upon. I told her that this was the third time I was teaching the lesson that day, and from the first to the second, I had already changed the order of worksheets. Before I did the powerpoint, then the base ten demonstration, then the base ten worksheet, and then the drawing and repeated subtraction. I felt it was working backwards a bit, and wanted the class to have to vocabulary and familiarity of repeated subtraction before doing the base ten blocks. It worked out much better this way.
I have a few things to modify in my lesson plan, but other than that...it went REALLY WELL!!! YEA!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment