This week, I finally collected all the necessary signatures for my research brief and began conducting my Action Research. I am conferencing with three different students (at three different readiness levels)during Writing Workshop and tracking their progress.
I also got observed by my liason this week. I taught a whole group lesson on learning the words "I am". I read them a book on the carpet with some of the words covered up by post-its. I asked the students to try to guess the words based on the pictures. Even if they guessed right, I wanted them to keep guessing. After every suggestion they would yell out, I asked them what sound and/or letter that word would start with. I peeled back the post-its to check and see if they were right. After learning the first letter, I would slowly sound out the word ("stretch it out like bubblegum!")to try to help them figure out what the next letter was. This lesson worked well, and most of the students participated and were kept on task.
However, there are a few students who can never seem to pay attention during circle time, no matter who is teaching or what we are doing. They will turn around, play with their shoes, play with anything they can find, or try to talk to their neighbor. Sometimes I send them to sit with their head down (an appropriate consequence that I have seen my mentor teacher do), but I don't like doing that too often because they miss out on instruction. My liason suggested that I try calling on them for answers more, so I will make an extra effort to do that next week.
This week, I finally collected all the necessary signatures for my research brief and began conducting my Action Research. I am conferencing with three different students (at three different readiness levels)during Writing Workshop and tracking their progress.
ReplyDeleteI also got observed by my liason this week. I taught a whole group lesson on learning the words "I am". I read them a book on the carpet with some of the words covered up by post-its. I asked the students to try to guess the words based on the pictures. Even if they guessed right, I wanted them to keep guessing. After every suggestion they would yell out, I asked them what sound and/or letter that word would start with. I peeled back the post-its to check and see if they were right. After learning the first letter, I would slowly sound out the word ("stretch it out like bubblegum!")to try to help them figure out what the next letter was. This lesson worked well, and most of the students participated and were kept on task.
However, there are a few students who can never seem to pay attention during circle time, no matter who is teaching or what we are doing. They will turn around, play with their shoes, play with anything they can find, or try to talk to their neighbor. Sometimes I send them to sit with their head down (an appropriate consequence that I have seen my mentor teacher do), but I don't like doing that too often because they miss out on instruction. My liason suggested that I try calling on them for answers more, so I will make an extra effort to do that next week.