This past week marked the first full week in our practicum schools. Over the course of the week, I was in two math classes and three science classes in grades 7, 9, 10, 12. I am very fortunate to be at OKM for my practicum because they have grades 7-12 and it gives me a chance to gain experiences in middle school and high school age students. For my full practicum I will be teaching Biology 12, Apprenticeship & Workplace Math 11, Grade 7 Science and Grade 7 Math. Since my grade 11 & 12 classes are semester classes, for this week, I was only able to work with my grade 7s that I will have for my full practicum. It was great to get to know their names, personalities, and needs now and start to build a rapport with them. Here is what my week looked like: Monday:Monday was the first day of the week, so I started off just observing and assisting students with their work. In the morning I was with my grade 7 class. Going into this program I thought I was more interested in teaching the senior grades, but working with the grade 7s this week I enjoyed it so much and am starting to be drawn maybe to the junior grades. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to work with both the junior and senior grades and find out if I fit in one more than the other. This grade 7 class definitely has some students with unique needs and there are two CEAs in the class. I was able to see different techniques and adaptations for these students based on their IEP (individualized educational plan). I worked with some students one on one as well as in small groups while they were doing their work and I can already see how rewarding it is when you help them get to the point when the switch flips and they are able to understand it. Especially at this younger age the students get very excited when they finally 'get it'. After lunch I was in an introduction to math 10 class. The students are taking this class in order to develop their math skills enough to be successful in Foundations and Pre-Calculus Math 10, which is the required course as there is a provincial examination. It was the first time I was able to see my math mentor teaching and see some of the classroom routines and management that he implements. The class was working on decomposition, which is a way of factoring, although it is one of the harder methods to do. Once again I was able to work with the students while they were doing practice questions and help them to increase their understanding as they completed the different questions. One fun method that I observed was a "Brain Break" which involved working in groups to solve Rebus puzzles such as below. The students loved it and it gave them an incentive that if they worked hard they would be able to have a "brain break" in the last few minutes of class. See if you can solve these! Tuesday:Tuesday morning would normally be my prep during my full practicum so for this week I jumped into a grade 9 science class. This week they were working on the periodic table. Once again this class has quite a few students with exceptionalities and two CEAs. I have worked a fair amount over the last few years with people with developmental disabilities and at risk youth so I think I bring some experiences to the table that will help me to be able to have some success working with these students. The class started working on their element brochures, where they selected an element and have to create a brochure on various characteristics of their element. They started working with laptops and since I am pretty technologically advanced I was able to assist quite a few students with their brochures.
In their group (of 4) they had to research their disorder and complete a chart with the following: causes, main area(s) affected, symptoms, treatments and prognosis. After their group had completed part 1, they were put in new groups (of 7) based on their card's suit. In their new group, each person took turns teaching their disorder to each other while the others completed the row of the chart for that disorder. Afterwards, I brought the whole group back together and reviewed the different disorders and some of the interesting things they had learned. This was my first time working with these students and at times it was hard to get them to speak up and share their thoughts, especially when I didn't know their names. I hope that as I work with my classes more they will be comfortable with me and willing to share. Overall I think my first lesson went quite well! It was good to complete a lesson from start (planning what I wanted to do) to finish (execution). Wednesday:Wednesday morning I was back with my grade 7s and it was supposed to be another day of observing but the life of a teacher is always changing. When I got to the class in the morning my mentor had lost her voice, so I was thrown into the game. This was actually one of the highlights of my week because I was able to push outside my comfort zone a bit and teach even though I didn't know before hand or had prepared beforehand. My mentor gave me a rundown of what the class would look like and we started out with a math quiz on divisibility rules, so once I explained what they would be doing they worked on that. I am pretty good with names so I had been able to pick up a majority of the students names and since I was in the class working with them on Monday I had started to build a relationship with the class. For the rest of the class we did science and I took the lead where we worked on erosion. Since at the grade 7 level students often struggle picking out what is important information we read from the textbook together and we broke down the information and filled out a chart of the 4 types of erosion. It went really well and it helped boost my confidence. In the afternoon I had the unique experience to be a part of the math department collaboration where we are starting to work on a lesson study. A lesson study, as I understand it, is a process in which teachers collaboratively plan, teach, observe, analyze and refine classroom lessons. It is a way to improve certain lessons, such as in math the concepts students normally struggle with, often across all grades. We started out discussing our 'why' which I did a blog post on previously that you can find here. The math department head, who was organizing the meeting had actually read my post prior and complemented me on it which was really awesome. We watched the Ted Talk by Simon Sinek (which I recommend). Here is a brief summary: This principle focuses on three things: What How Why This "Golden Circle" is the reason some can inspire and others do not. Everyone knows what they do, some know how they do it, but very few know why they do what they do. Why - what is your purpose. We normally work from the outside of this golden circle in, starting with the easiest and working their way in. For those who inspire, the difference lies instarting with why and working their way out. People don't buy what you do.. They buy why you do it. After watching the video we wrote down our 'why' - why were we there and what did we hope for in this process. We categorized them as follows: to learn new techniques, to learn better ways/techniques of teaching certain lessons or concepts, to collaborate with our colleagues, to observe others, to increase consistency and continuity of concepts across grades, and to increase teacher and student understanding and comprehension. We then wanted to determine different criteria for high quality lessons I am grateful that I am able to be a part of this process because I think it will be a great experience for a new teacher such as myself. I also am able to collaborate and learn from teachers more experienced than I am and see them in action. We also wanted to determine the 'trouble areas' for students that often span across grades and those were as follows: Problem(s) of Practice o Factoring o Algebra o Fractions Thursday:Thursday I mostly observed and assisted my mentor and the students. I worked with the grade 9s again, this time doing a laboratory. I was glad I was able to see a lab be executed and the different things my classroom will have to offer for hands on activities. In the afternoon I was back with the grade 12s where we finished up the digestive system and they were introduced to the circulatory system. Before I had found out my practicum classes I was hoping for Biology 12 because it contains the human body systems and my background is mostly in human biology. So I am looking forward to getting to teach some of the systems. After school we had a Pro-D event - Practicum Mentorship Learning Network. It was for all of the SD 23 secondary and middle school mentor teachers, teacher candidates, administrators, faculty advisors, school/district-based instructional leaders and UBCO faculty members. We were able to see our fellow teacher candidates after being a part for pretty much the longest since the beginning of the program, as well as meet other educators in the district. We also worked with our practicum school team to create a network (below). We each wrote down our strengths, stretches, interests and goals and drew lines to connect us to others in our school. We did some reflections on the week with our mentors in a group with two other teacher candidates and their mentors. I was especially grateful that everyone took the time out of their busy schedule to attend for us teacher candidates. It is nice to have the support of our mentors, our faculty advisor and our vice principle as well. Friday:Friday was pretty much a full day of teaching for me. In the morning I was with the grade 7s and had my first observation from my faculty advisor. I was teaching the Earth's Layers, and as a way to introduce the students to the lesson and give them a bit of a hook I showed them this rap, be careful it might get stuck in your head! I walked them through the layers of the earth - how long it would take to drive through all the layers, the temperature, what they were made of etc. Then it was time for them to create a model of the layers (below). I gave them a template I had created that they had to color, cut out, assemble and then add this information: name of the layer, what it is made of, approximate thickness, and temperature. I thought it was a good thing for them to look back on and visualize the different layers. The lesson went really well, when I was reviewing my lesson the night before I had come across something in their textbook that stated we have only been able to drill into the layers of the earth 12 km, so I asked myself 'well how do we know the layers and their characteristics?' So I looked up the answer and it was a good thing because one of the students asked me the same question and because I had prepared beforehand I was able to answer that we can tell because of earthquakes for example and the refraction of their waves etc. I felt very comfortable with my class, I knew their names, I was starting to know their needs and personalities and the students were coming to me for questions not my mentor (their usual teacher), and my mentor also added my name to the classroom (below) which was nice! My mentor and faculty advisor gave me great feedback that I was really proud of, some of the points were:
In the afternoon I taught a lesson in the math 10 class on algebra tiles. I had created my lesson as well as practice questions into a worksheet packet for them. It was a smaller class, I had not yet spent much time in so as I noted earlier it was hard to get them to speak up at times. My mentor teacher noted however, that even though they weren't volunteering they were still engaged and completing the examples. Hopefully, once again, I think with time students will become more comfortable and willing to share their thoughts. Final Reflections:Here are some last thoughts/reflections I have from the week:
4. Will an assignment place the material in a context the classroom can not?
- Some assignments are more effective outside the walls of the classroom, if learning is applicable to everyday life, it becomes more meaningful and worth the time it may take to complete 5. Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there? - Flipped classrooms can sometimes help with this but in traditional models, students are doing their work away from the teacher and therefore need to be provided with resources such as online tutorials to offer support and instruction when they may be stuck 10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking
- From Teach Thought 1. If You Build it… This is a flexible activity that can be adapted in many ways to make it more appropriate for specific content areas or lessons. Students are in teams and are given certain materials and are required to construct something. The challenge can be variable, for example when given spaghetti and marshmallows, who can build the tallest castle or the most structurally sound castle etc. Skills: Communication; problem-solving 2. Save the Egg This activity is the traditional egg drop that I completed it grade 6. Students must find a way to save the egg from breaking when dropped from a specific height. They can be creative in their approach, whether that means creating something for a soft landing or a device to protect the egg when it is dropped. Skills: Problem-solving, creative collaboration 3. Zoom Students are formed into a circle and each one is given a picture of an object, animal etc. You start a story that incorporates whatever your picture is then the next student continues the story incorporating their photo and so on around the circle. Skills: Communication; creative collaboration 4. Minefield Arrange some sort of obstacle course and divide students into teams. Students take turns navigating the “mine field” while blindfolded, with only their teammates to guide them. You can also require students to only use certain words or clues to make it challenging or content-area specific. Skills: Communication; trust 5. The Worst-Case Scenario Fabricate a scenario in which students would need to work together and solve problems to succeed, like being stranded on a deserted island or getting lost at sea. Ask them to work together to concoct a solution that ensures everyone arrives safely. You might ask them to come up with a list of 10 must-have items that would help them most, or a creative passage to safety. Encourage them to vote — everyone must agree to the final solution. Skills: Communication, problem-solving 6. A Shrinking Vessel This game requires a good deal of strategy in addition to team work. Its rules are deceptively simple: The entire group must find a way to occupy a space that shrinks over time, until they are packed creatively like sardines. You can form the boundary with a rope, a tarp or blanket being folded over or small traffic cones. Skills: Problem-solving, teamwork 7. Go for Gold This game is similar to the “If you build it” game: Teams have a common objective, but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials. For instance, the goal might be to create a contraption with pipes, rubber tubing and pieces of cardboard that can carry a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of steps, using only gravity. Skills: Creative collaboration, communication, problem-solving 8. It’s a Mystery Everyone enjoys a good mystery, so why not design one that must be solved cooperatively? Give each student a numbered clue. In order to solve the mystery — say, the case of the missing mascot — children must work together to solve the clues in order. The “case” might require them to move from one area of the room to the next, uncovering more clues. Skills: Problem-solving, communication 9. 4-Way Tug-of-War That playground classic is still a hit — not to mention inexpensive and simple to execute. For a unique variation, set up a multi-directional game by tying ropes in such a way that three or four teams tug at once. Some teams might choose to work together to eliminate the other groups before going head-to-head. Skills: Team work; sportsmanship 10. Keep it Real This open-ended concept is simple and serves as an excellent segue into problem-based learning. Challenge students to identify and cooperatively solve a real problem in their schools or communities. You may set the parameters, including a time limit, materials and physical boundaries. Skills: Problem-solving; communication
o Ready, set, show – students hold up a single finger to represent their understanding. One finger if they are very confused, two fingers if they are starting to understand the material and three fingers if they have mastered the content
o Sage & Scribe – one student says everything they know about a topic and the other writes it down. The students switch and the previous scribe adds anything else to the list that was not previously included. It is a good way to know what background knowledge students have about a new topic before starting it. o Exit Slip – students write a note to the teacher about a point of confusion, two questions they still have and three take away points from the lesson they just had. Students must hand this in to the teacher before leaving the class. o Think Pair Share o Plus/Delta/Next – a quick group conversation at the end of the day regarding what students feel like they need to change about their learning that day (delta), what they liked or gained for their learning (plus), and what they suggest they still need for their learning (next) o Laundry Day – before a test, students reflect on what they need to ‘clean up’ or improve their understanding of. In each of the 4 corners of the room there is a laundry detergent jug representing a different state of readiness for the upcoming test. At each station there are appropriate worksheets, instructions or activities to support the students’ learning. Tide – students feel that the tidal wave of information might drawn them. Students will need a comprehensive review of the information Gain – students understand the basics of the concepts, but need to further their understanding of the finer detail Bold – students are fairly confident they have understanding of the concepts and will be successful on the test but still have some question Cheer – students are confident they will be successful on the test, to extend and refine their learning they may help those students in the Tide category to further their understanding o Science Notebook – students keep a science notebook, somewhat like a journal, to keep track of their learning. They will document their scientific processes, methods, discoveries and points of learning. o 4 Corners – on days when students are struggling getting the concepts of the topic of the day, to get them up and moving the teacher calls 4 corners. Students moved to a labeled corner that best represents their learning at that time. Once in their chosen corner, students generate questions with their peers about what they’re learning and try to ask the teacher challenging questions. By doing this, the level of difficulty of the questions asked is a good reflection of the level of understanding within each corner. Corner 1 – Stop! – Students are totally confused Corner 2 – Slow down – Students have some understanding but would not be able to pass a test today Corner 3 – Keep moving – Students are understanding the conepts and don’t feel like they need much more practice Corner 4 – Let me help – Students have a full understanding and could teach it to their peers o Cups – Students are given a green, yellow and red cup. Green means the student understands completely, yellow means the student has some understanding but is still unsure and red means the student needs help or does not understand. As the lesson continues, students will switch their cup to reflect how they are feeling regarding the content o Ungraded quizzes |
AuthorI am a teacher candidate at UBCO living in Kelowna, BC. I love increasing my knowledge of education, and look forward to bringing my passion and creativity to my teaching. Archives
May 2015
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