Week Three

What a difference one week makes!  Last week at this time I was despairing because I had a bad experience teaching my first self-prepared lesson.  Today I can say I successfully prepared and executed three much better math lessons, and I also executed a scripted social emotional lesson and several phonemic awareness mini-lessons.  One of my math lessons was observed by my college supervisor, and this went very smoothly.  This week was so much better. 

I have written the following in the inside cover of the notebook I write notes in at school:

• SCAFFOLDING
• MODELING
• KEEP IT SIMPLE
• SLOW DOWN

Holding their hands, slowing down, and modeling are guiding my lesson plans and making me more successful.  I am learning that there is a big difference between the Trinity lesson plans that I wrote for fake students all throughout my cohort classes and the lessons I am creating for my real students in my classroom.  The lesson plans I wrote for my teacher education classes were crammed with information and activities.  This is impossible in my current classroom (and probably most second grade classrooms in general).  For the most part, my students need slow and simple instruction and a huge amount of modeling and scaffolding.  I am learning that I need to dial back the amount of content I can expect to get through in one lesson. 

Learning more about classroom management is also helping with the lessons.  Here are some messages my CT and I had to deliver to the class as a whole and in some cases to individual students this week: 

• While you’re doing independent work, I will not answer your question if you are out of your chair following me or if you are calling my name.  I will come talk to you if your hand is raised and you are sitting.
• I will not help you if you are not even attempting your independent work.  I will help you if you are trying.
• If you choose not to use the bathroom during classroom bathroom breaks, do not ask me to use the bathroom, get a drink of water, or otherwise leave the room 10-15 minutes after we return to the classroom because I will say no. 
• When I am going through an assignment on the projector to read directions, explain how to do things, and model certain types of problems, and if you choose not to pay attention, you are on your own to figure out how to do the work.   
• If you throw your pencil, I will take it.  If this means you cannot do your work, you will have to take it home for homework.   You can have your pencil back later or tomorrow.

Obviously many of these things require discretion.  If a kid throws a pencil at 9:00am I cannot keep the pencil for the rest of the day and have this child miss all the writing of the day.  If a student obviously needs to use the bathroom, I have to let them go.   However, these things lay the groundwork of having the students present and at attention and critical times in the classroom.

Something that proves to work well for positive reinforcement is Class Dojo.  It is an app in that allows teachers to give students points for things like working hard, following directions, helping, etc.  The app makes a loud dinging sound that the kids can hear when someone receives a point.  When they hear it, their behavior and noise level instantly improve as they hope to earn points themselves.  The CT is deciding on what students can earn with their points.

Behavior during math has improved in part because there are fewer kids in the class.  Five of our twenty students have started taking math with a special ed teacher for a math intervention.  Having fewer kids makes it easier, but it seems that the remaining students are more are on task.  I am really learning a lot about avoidance behavior from the struggling students.  At least three of the five students who leave for math previously did a lot of talking, getting up, asking to use the bathroom, asking for a drink of water, asking to sharpen pencils, getting tissues, etc. when it was time for independent math work.  Of course several of the students still do this, but it does seem quieter.

Math has also improved because I am settling in and slowly gaining confidence.  In two lessons this week, after a whole group lessons on the board the students have played games for practice.  They absolutely, positively love this.  I think integrating games into lessons demonstrates Illinois Professional Learning Standard 4N, which states, “The competent teacher engages students in and monitors individual and group-learning activities that help them develop the motivation to learn.”  My college supervisor observed one of these lessons and gave me positive feedback.  I am getting a better feel for pacing during the whole group lessons, but I am having a little bit of trouble keeping track of the white board, my lesson plan (for reference), and watching the students for signs of understanding, boredom, and confusion.  I talked to my CT about this and she said it is something I will get a better feel for over time as well.  I think that if I am cognizant of it and if I am consciously trying to improve it, I am headed in the right direction.

I had an interesting experience with a student earlier today.  This student is known to me as someone who struggles with math and reading, but who tries hard.  She was working on a reading assignment in which she had to read some sentences about a book we had read in class, and arrange them in sequential order.  She told me she needed help, so I asked her to read the sentences to me and I would read the words she didn’t know.  I was shocked that she read almost every single word.  She needed very little assistance.  She also knew what order to put the sentences in.  In other words, she read and comprehended.  I told her she did a really great job and that I notice how hard she works.  I think that she lacks confidence, but she has a lot to be proud of.  Many of my other students who encounter school work that is hard for them give up quickly and start on some of that avoidance behavior.  The student referenced above puts her head down and tries.  She does not ask for help, but she does accept help when it is offered.  I think when she receives help, some of the time she knows what to do but is very tentative to try.  This is an interesting case I have not encountered before that I need to stay tuned in to.

This week I hope to continue to teach solid math lessons and prepare the students for Thursday’s test.  After Thursday’s math test, I plan to start my three lessons of my edTPA learning segment.  I am also adding social studies to my teaching load this week.  It will be eventful, but I am excited.  If only there were more hours in the day.  I am tired.