From your fieldnotes/teacher research journal, share some of the insights and questions that came from writing for 10 minutes every day about what has been happening in your classroom (or various classrooms, in Chris' case). You can share excerpts from different days or choose one day's entry to copy and paste here.
Something that has come to mind for me, in thinking about how/why some kids resist schooling practices, is the impact of the new generation. I have heard that businesses and colleges are changing their expectations and practices to meet the unique needs of millenials, but as far as I can tell, K-12 schools aren't taking them into consideration, and are just operating in a business-as-usual mode. We spend a lot of time talking about how different cultures don't know the "hidden transcripts" of schooling, but I wonder if it isn't broader than this. Just something to throw into the mix as you consider your research questions :).
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ReplyDeleteWith all the testing and snow days this month I have felt disconnected from my students. I have incorporated a daily writing prompt into the students morning work. Reading these has been the only thing making me feel as if I still know how they are feeling throughout the day and what is going on with their lives. All of this has made me even more excited for Friday. Friday was our quarterly auction.
ReplyDeleteThis was our second auction of the school year. The students have been looking forward to it, earning their money and working hard. The auction had to be postponed a week due to snow and an attendance reward, so they are anxiously awaiting today.
The morning ran as usual: Breakfast, Morning Work, and Morning Meeting. Two students were missing because each is on a three week trip to their home country. I noticed that “the trio,” three boys who are usually attached at the hip, being one member short has separated and are seated near other students for the meeting. I was happy to see this, as I have encouraged the kids to sit next to someone new each day. Although I wondered what caused this to happen.
At Morning Meeting one student shared that his high for the week was that some terrorists were captured in his home country, the Philippians, his low was that the terrorists killed about forty people before being captured. The student next to him shared that his low is that the bad guys captured a pilot who was shot down, put him in a cage and burned him to death in the Middle East. He said he has no high, even though he knows this is not an option. When I reminded him of the rules, another student questioned the rule. (I love when kids question the rules, it shows me that they are comfortable speaking their mind which is something I value. In order to be a lifelong learner, which is what I hope to create you must speak up and question things.) I reminded the class that you must have a high for the week because there is always something good every day, even if it’s small. However, you do not have to have a low. I helped the student find a high by suggesting the auction, or the weekend coming up, or the snow days. I made a mental note that I need to speak to the parents regarding the effect watching the news is having on these two students, and see if they are expressing this at home. Since they are watching the news that is in their native language, and is not necessarily the news Americans are being shown, their parents are the experts in this situation not me. I also need to check if they think their child needs more support from me or the school. Also, it shows me that the students are forgetting the rules and usual routine due to all the snow days, interruptions and testing.
During the auction I noticed certain students demonstrating some behaviors I don’t usually get a chance to see. One boy, part of the trio, went into a bidding war with the remaining member. This student usually lets his friends have things, but this time he does not let his friend win. His friend is noticeably upset by this and does not bid on any other items after losing this one. He began to work on his February packet instead and at the end of the auction has nothing. One girl whom I have noticed having a lot of trouble counting her money was unable to figure out that 5 one dollar bills, two quarters, a nickel, and two pennies don’t add up to eight dollars. I made a mental note she needs to be part of an intervention group to work on this skill.
I am glad that during the monotony of testing we were able to have a little fun and reward all the things students have worked so hard for this quarter. I am also happy I got the opportunity to see things I may not usually see if students were working within the confines of their daily routine.
Ashly, what an interesting memo! I understand why you insist on highs, but I am also impressed that your students are aware of what is happening in the world. It's so important that kids know what is happening outside their own zone. The question remains, then, how to support them when they hear about the awful things human beings do to one another.
DeleteAs I scramble around the room assisting students practice for the PARCC, I am frustrated as I see the looks of despair on their faces as they try and figure out what buttons to push on their laptops. The 4th grade students have to take the test on the computer and need to learn all the “tools” available for the test.
ReplyDeleteIt takes almost two hours to demonstrate how to use five of the tools provided. Having two adults in the classroom and trying to model what they should be doing on the ELMO, helping them, and hoping that our wonderful technology doesn’t boot them off becomes exhausting. At that point I have become annoyed along with my students. I note that the next practice time we need another adult in the classroom to assist.
We have already practiced for this test multiple times which has taken away from instructional time. With all the snow days we have had will the state extend when we have to take the test because we are nowhere near ready to even attempt to take this test. The accommodations for my ELL’s include that they can have unlimited time for the test. That means they can take this test all day. How comforting that is. Really? This is a form of child abuse.
So if that wasn’t enough, the fire alarm begins to blare. We exit the building to a vey snowy courtyard and nowhere to line up. We huddled together and wait patiently for the fire trucks to arrive and signal all is clear and our frosty bodies can now return to the building. Again I remind my frosty snowmen and women that they need to dress appropriately wearing long sleeves and not short sleeves making a mental note for my newsletter. Oh what a morning it’s been!
The district has implemented Math in a Flash to replace our old math fact computerized program. The students are not really fond of the program but they are required to complete it three days a week. It appears that the same students are on the same level for weeks because they don’t study their facts and can’t make that two-minute time frame. We have been studying our facts since September and parents are signing their math monitor sheets attesting to their child studying their facts 10 minutes each night and they still don’t know them? This frustrates me. I try very hard to have the school/home connection with my students. At parent conferences I need to address this issue again.
As our short week was coming to a close and we were running out of time, the students were anxiously waiting for their next project to be handed out. However, there were interruptions and it was impossible for me to hand it out and explain the directions to them. They were disappointed and begged me for the project. As they left disappointed I reassured them they would have it on Monday. After they left I was elated that they were excited. I remember the 1st project when they were reluctant to present and now, they were excited and wanted their next project.
Yikes! Lots of frustration here, Brenda, and all understandable. I am gratified that your students are looking forward to their next project, though. How cool is that?
DeleteSince your TR project needs to be within your control, perhaps experimenting with how to teach the math facts might be a place to explore.
Just as I began to prioritize what I am going to do after setting up the LCD projector, my student teacher, Steve, comes bouncing through the door. Steve and I are not a perfect match from the perspective of personal interests but from what I’ve gathered over the last 2 weeks of having him in the building he shows a genuine interest in learning how to teach health and physical education. For me, that’s enough. I set up a desk for him in the back of the room earlier this week and that’s where he drops his things. He takes his jacket off and immediately goes to work planning for his first period class.
ReplyDeleteAt this point in his experience Steve is teaching one class per day while I continue to instruct the other five (four health classes and one PE). This will be Steve’s first experience teaching what I know to be a particularly difficult eighth grade class and I’m interested to see how he handles the challenge. I sit and take notes in the back of the room for the purpose of later discussion. I kind of like being able to sit and observe from an outside perspective… it’s an experience as a teacher that I feel we rarely have. Often we are the ones being observed, analyzed, judged whether it be by students, administrators, or both. Now, it’s my turn! “I Got the Power” by C & C Music Factory briefly plays in my somewhere in my head.
As Steve begins to teach it’s evident from the first minute of class that he’s a novice. He stands stiff and uncomfortable in the front of the room. His voice is monotonous with the slight hint of a crack… he’s reading right off of his PowerPoint slides. I know it… but the students can smell it. He’s already losing them… I look around the room and notice several students have already begun to take their phones out and tap away under their desks. Some begin quiet side conversations while others deliver a blank stare sitting as if they’ve begun to melt out of their seats onto the floor. However, not all students are disengaged. Some listen intently, politely, giving him a chance. Deep down, I appreciate their effort. In some way, I’d like to think it’s a nod to a respect they have for me but I realize that I’m probably reading too much into it.
At one point in the class Steve is talking about stress relief when a male student yells out, “I know people who didn’t have to deal with stress…Hippies. They didn’t have any stress…they just smoked mad weed!” A large number of students laugh. Steve responds to the comment with some long-winded answer about the lifestyle of hippies. I knew he was bullshitting… the kids knew it too. Almost in immediate response to his answer Ana, a girl seated in the middle of the room yelled out, “How would you know? Are you a hippie or something?” Most of the class laughed again. Steve ignored the comment and continued with his rigid lesson plan.
In observing Steve today I couldn’t help but be fascinated by how “on the pulse” these kids are. They knew he was an inexperienced teacher… they knew he was lying about his hippie-knowledge. They pressed different avenues to see how much he would let them get away with and what he might put a stop to. In essence they passively challenged his authority and expertise and he didn’t even know it. As a result of his inexperience and lack of awareness, the students won today: Mr. Gorman-0 Students-1. I don’t know how I should feel about this as his guiding teacher but in a way, I’m proud. I’m proud that these students could smell the BS when class traveled into unfamiliar waters. I’m proud that they challenged the new authority and I’m proud that they simply had the courage to speak aloud in class (as in 8th grade classrooms this can occasionally be like pulling teeth). Steve will have many more opportunities to refine his skills as a teacher and I will have many more opportunities over the next couple of weeks to critique his classroom practices. But, for now, I’m happy to let the students have this one.
You crack me up, Jeff! Thanks to you I now have that song in my head. So I hope you kindly and gently offered Steve your critique, asking him first what he noticed. Working with student teachers--especially in developing their self-awareness--is a balancing act of not crushing the spirit but at the same time helping them to see what you see. As my principal told me, students have great BS detectors. Hopefully you can help him get comfortable in developing some authenticity,
DeleteObserved Max 8th grade
ReplyDeleteMax chose to read The Contender today. He read it quickly which was evident when he went to write his summary and he wasn’t sure. Several times he tried to copy his summary off of his neighbor. By the middle of class MA was giving up. His head was on his desk and didn’t know to what to write. I was working with another two boys who had speed read and we were sitting together to back and use our “fix-up” strategies to fill in the gaps. He didn’t join us but it appeared he was trying to listen from where he was sitting.
Interpreted
Max has a choice of what he wants to read. It does actually have to be a book for this particular 20 minutes of class, but it can be any book. We do book groups for the students who want to work in book group, but they don’t have to be a part of a book group. There is a separate 20 minutes of class that students can read articles, blogs, poem, online texts, etc. Since Max chose The Contender, I would expect to see a little more engagement based on the research about student choice. Much of Guthrie & Wigfield’s work tells us that student choice for reading is an important part of student engagement. Yet, Max is unresponsive to books he has chosen! This is the third book he has chosen this year, but it doesn’t seem to matter much. This leads me to think about how a students’ reading identity is comprised of more elements than book choice. It essential that we examine and connect to students’ reading identities.
Observed
Rudy is reading a new Jerry Spinelli book that he seems excited about. Typically Rudy reads short non-fiction books such about sports or motocross racing. He read one chapter today and he took the book with him. He doesn’t usually bring books with him.
Interpreted
Rudy demonstrates excellent listening comprehension. This likely carried him through most of the early grades during read-alouds. When the kids can choose to independent read, partner read, of listen to the read-aloud, Rudy always chooses the read-aloud group. He struggles with fluency, so since his fluency is choppy it is hard for him to focus on a text. The Jerry Spinelli book Rudy chose is above his independent reading level. However, we know from research that sometimes student choice can compensate for reading difficulties since the student has more perseverance to plug along through the text. In the past when Rudy has been excited about an independent reading book, he will get through a few pages, maybe a chapter and then put it back on the shelf. This is likely for two reasons. First, he likely took him so long to read the chapter that he got discouraged. Second, despite his effort, he likely cannot fully understand the chapter so he is no longer motivated to go forward to the next chapter. Almost every time Rudy has put a book back on the shelf, he will tell me that it was boring. I could get frustrated with his lack of interest and his accusation that everything is boring; however, I believe the deeper meaning is that it is a good cover-up to protect his reading identity that he struggles with independent reading.
Kristin, I am so glad that you are noticing that choice is not enough. There are larger factors at work, and that's what you're looking into. I love that you give those choices--independent, group, read-aloud for your readers too :). Jerry Spinelli is a great choice, and I think reading above-level books can be a way for kids to gain confidence in themselves as readers.
DeleteMy objective was to analyze how my students are perceiving me and their focus in the classroom? As I picked up my 4th grade students, I could tell that some students were excited that I was their substitute for the day. After we were in the classroom, the students seemed very happy and proceeded to tell me they haven’t had a substitute but once before me this year. The students were very focused in their routines of getting breakfast, doing their morning work, and putting their belongings away. There were quiet whispers, students getting settled for the day and there were quite a few kids that I heard asking where the teacher was in which I told them she was in a professional development in school. They had asked me was in for the whole day, in which I replied, “yes” and about five students in unison said, “yes!” I was curious to find out why they made that gesture and one of the students informed me that the regular teacher was mean. There were a few students who mentioned to me that their perception was that it would be a more fun day with less stress. The students were very open and and they knew that I would have the same expectations as if their teacher were here, one boy said that I would be more fun because “I’m a man!” He then went on to say, “men are more fun!” My perception of what this student was meaning possibly was that in his perception men are more easy-going, relaxed, laughing with students, maybe letting things slide, or play more games. The class as a whole had great focus on routines, rituals, and expectations. I can tell that for the most part this class had respect and that their regular teacher had order and discipline and they followed the rules and proceeded with the day as any other day as if their prospective teacher were with them in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI also had a 5th grade classroom in which the kids were very polite and knew the routines as they came into the classroom. They proceeded to sit down, get breakfast, and start their morning work. They knew that they had to follow the rules and expectation that their teacher had for behavior if a substitute were to run the class in his absence. Some of the students were a little excited, but knew their teacher would be upset if they acted disrespectful to the substitute teacher. I asked the students if they usually behaved for a substitute and their reply was, “it depends on who the substitute is and that some students behave and some students don’t behave.” This class is being very respectful to me as they attend to their schoolwork, even if I have to remind some students to not talk and socialize too much and to start focusing on their assignment. They for the most part complied with my directions without any hesitation. This was a really good group of students and the way that they were exhibiting themselves showed me that the teacher has absolute good control in his classroom and it’s probably well structured, organized and the expectations are really high in academic and expected behavior in this classroom setting. Overall, I had two great experiences with these two classrooms and I’ve enjoyed working and teaching these wonderful classes because I know as a substitute, sometimes you don’t get this, you end up getting a class that is out of control and students that have no respect for teacher nor doing their schoolwork! Those days are not only stressful but it makes me appreciate the well run classes that I’ve come to expect and thoroughly enjoy substituting for on any given day of any given week.