For my final field experience, I was placed in a 4th grade classroom at Timpanogos Elementary in Provo.
My cooperating teacher, Mr. Evans, is a UVU graduate.
And guess what?
He does morning meetings.
His morning meetings involve a share and then either a game or a greeting.
They are only 10 minutes long, but I can see the good that comes from them.
I think his morning meetings have helped with classroom unity and they especially helped the students with their social skills.
On the first day of my three weeks, all of the students were lined up outside the classroom. Mr. Evans explained to them that I was visiting and that they should greet me before entering the classroom.
Holy cow was I am impressed! Every single student shook my hand while making eye contact with me. They introduced themselves and told me good morning! Some of them even asked me how I was doing.
I know that those skills came from morning meeting.
I feel so grateful that I am placed in a class where I will be able to continue doing morning meeting when I student teach in January. I'm excited to see what I come up with and the results that will come from doing it.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Looking Back
Although my three weeks are over,
It is just the beginning
Student teaching in January will be a chance to
differentiate the content
the process
the product
for
readiness
learning profile
and
interest
better than before
Now I know the students.
I am learning how they learn,
thinking how they think.
I am becoming more confident with my classroom management skills
And my lesson planning
I will have more time to
differentiate
It doesn't have to happen every day
It takes time
It is not easy
But it is worth it.
It is just the beginning
Student teaching in January will be a chance to
differentiate the content
the process
the product
for
readiness
learning profile
and
interest
better than before
Now I know the students.
I am learning how they learn,
thinking how they think.
I am becoming more confident with my classroom management skills
And my lesson planning
I will have more time to
differentiate
It doesn't have to happen every day
It takes time
It is not easy
But it is worth it.
Monday, October 21, 2013
sylvia long and jentri youd
Two teachers.
Two very different methods of implementing morning meeting.
Both inspiring.
Sylvia Long. Wow is she amazing! She came and spoke to our class at the beginning of the semester. Her morning meeting looks like this:
Class creed
Greeting (Monday only)
Pledge
Memorization
Class business (vegetables, dessert, and medicine)
News
Share
Class Cheer
Jentri Youd. He came to our class about a week ago. He is full of energy that is absolutely contagious His morning meeting looks a little something like this:
Class game
Share
Class cheer (which involves a goal for that day)
I LOVED listening to Sylvia Long. I could listen to her all day. She told stories that made me laugh so hard, and stories that brought me to tears. I spent at least an hour retelling all her stories to my husband that night. I also loved listening to Jentri Youd. You can just tell that his students have so much fun in his classroom and that even the shyest student eventually opens up.
Both of these teachers have implemented morning meeting styles that differ from the original, but both of these teachers were successful because they made it their own. I love what Mr. Youd said: "Do what works best for you. Be your own teacher!"
I'm not exactly sure what my morning meeting will look like, but I definitely want a class creed. I'm thinking about having a list of short class creeds that change each month. I like the idea of addressing class business. (Vegetables are the every day stuff, desserts are the things the students did well, and the medicine is if there are every any problems that need to be discussed.) I will definitely want the students to share in some way and we will always play a game, because those are my favorite. :)
Two very different methods of implementing morning meeting.
Both inspiring.
Sylvia Long. Wow is she amazing! She came and spoke to our class at the beginning of the semester. Her morning meeting looks like this:
Class creed
Greeting (Monday only)
Pledge
Memorization
Class business (vegetables, dessert, and medicine)
News
Share
Class Cheer
Jentri Youd. He came to our class about a week ago. He is full of energy that is absolutely contagious His morning meeting looks a little something like this:
Class game
Share
Class cheer (which involves a goal for that day)
I LOVED listening to Sylvia Long. I could listen to her all day. She told stories that made me laugh so hard, and stories that brought me to tears. I spent at least an hour retelling all her stories to my husband that night. I also loved listening to Jentri Youd. You can just tell that his students have so much fun in his classroom and that even the shyest student eventually opens up.
Both of these teachers have implemented morning meeting styles that differ from the original, but both of these teachers were successful because they made it their own. I love what Mr. Youd said: "Do what works best for you. Be your own teacher!"
I'm not exactly sure what my morning meeting will look like, but I definitely want a class creed. I'm thinking about having a list of short class creeds that change each month. I like the idea of addressing class business. (Vegetables are the every day stuff, desserts are the things the students did well, and the medicine is if there are every any problems that need to be discussed.) I will definitely want the students to share in some way and we will always play a game, because those are my favorite. :)
Monday, October 14, 2013
tiering
I have often wondered how I can possibly give all of my students challenging instruction when they are all on different levels. After reading chapter 6 in Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, one of the answers is tiering. (Not to be confused with tiring.) haha
To get you excited about tiering, here is beautiful, multi-layered cake:
"Tiering assumes that within a particular lesson or product, a wide range of students should work toward the same knowledge, understanding, and skills. However, it acknowledges the varied readiness levels of students in approaching the task and thus presents the work at different levels of difficulty. Thus, while essential outcomes are similar, the demands of the task are structured and scaffolded in response to learner need."
Let's go back to the cake. Each tier is unique. Some are bold, some are not. Some are on bottom, some are on top. Even though each of these tiers looks different, they all serve the same purpose and that is to feed people. If the cake represents tiering a lesson, then think of each tier of the cake representing different tasks that could be given to different groups of students. The basic nature of the task (or the purpose) should be the same for each group. (i.e learning and exploring the stages of the water cycle) Even though each task entails the same goal, they will not all look the same. (Just like the tiers on the cake.) Some groups might learn best by listening to a book on tape about the water cycle, while some might need to act it out and pretend they are the water cycle.
I really liked the example given in the book with Mr. Johnson and his lesson on buoyancy. I was really interested in his lesson because first of all, I am teaching a science lesson on buoyancy with Brittany this Friday in our science class, and secondly, I was interested in how he tiered his lesson. I loved that each group was given an exciting, yet challenging task. You could see the different levels each task presented, but you could also see how each task appropriately scaffolded the group of students it was intended to scaffold.
Mr Johnson's two-tiered inquiry lesson: In tier one, the students needed to make a boat that could float and hold washers, in tier two (a little more challenging) the students had to create a boat that could hold exactly 10 washers, which meant it would need to sink if it hit 11. Can you see the difference and similarities?
I like this tiering idea. It will take more work, but if we are properly differentiating in our classroom, we have already decided to invest in our students so the extra time will just be second nature.
To get you excited about tiering, here is beautiful, multi-layered cake:
"Tiering assumes that within a particular lesson or product, a wide range of students should work toward the same knowledge, understanding, and skills. However, it acknowledges the varied readiness levels of students in approaching the task and thus presents the work at different levels of difficulty. Thus, while essential outcomes are similar, the demands of the task are structured and scaffolded in response to learner need."
Let's go back to the cake. Each tier is unique. Some are bold, some are not. Some are on bottom, some are on top. Even though each of these tiers looks different, they all serve the same purpose and that is to feed people. If the cake represents tiering a lesson, then think of each tier of the cake representing different tasks that could be given to different groups of students. The basic nature of the task (or the purpose) should be the same for each group. (i.e learning and exploring the stages of the water cycle) Even though each task entails the same goal, they will not all look the same. (Just like the tiers on the cake.) Some groups might learn best by listening to a book on tape about the water cycle, while some might need to act it out and pretend they are the water cycle.
I really liked the example given in the book with Mr. Johnson and his lesson on buoyancy. I was really interested in his lesson because first of all, I am teaching a science lesson on buoyancy with Brittany this Friday in our science class, and secondly, I was interested in how he tiered his lesson. I loved that each group was given an exciting, yet challenging task. You could see the different levels each task presented, but you could also see how each task appropriately scaffolded the group of students it was intended to scaffold.
Mr Johnson's two-tiered inquiry lesson: In tier one, the students needed to make a boat that could float and hold washers, in tier two (a little more challenging) the students had to create a boat that could hold exactly 10 washers, which meant it would need to sink if it hit 11. Can you see the difference and similarities?
I like this tiering idea. It will take more work, but if we are properly differentiating in our classroom, we have already decided to invest in our students so the extra time will just be second nature.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
other blogs
Today I was reading through some other differentiation blogs. One post I really liked was on Carolyn's Blog. She discussed the same thing I did which is that we need to teach students, not just the subject. I really like what she said, "I want to be a teacher of students, not a teacher of lessons." I want that too!
Another blog post I really liked was on Nichole's Blog. In one of her posts, she discussed chapter 3 in Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom. In this chapter it states that a certain faculty was great because they lived what they believed. Nichole pointed out that in our Education program, we are taught a lot of information but there are also a lot of opinions. Nichole said, "This is where I need to form my own opinion on what I believe. Once I know for sure what I believe I want in my classroom to feel, look, and act like, then I will be able to live it." Amen sista! There's a reason Sylvia Allen's morning meeting is different than the one in the textbook. She lived what she believed and she made her morning meeting work for her. And what an amazing work it was!
Sometimes I get really stressed about trying to be exactly like all the really good teachers out there. I get stressed thinking about using EVERY SINGLE good idea I have ever heard. The thing that helps me calm down and feel confident is knowing that I don't have to be just like other teachers. I need to be myself and do what works for me.
I like reading other blogs. :)
Another blog post I really liked was on Nichole's Blog. In one of her posts, she discussed chapter 3 in Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom. In this chapter it states that a certain faculty was great because they lived what they believed. Nichole pointed out that in our Education program, we are taught a lot of information but there are also a lot of opinions. Nichole said, "This is where I need to form my own opinion on what I believe. Once I know for sure what I believe I want in my classroom to feel, look, and act like, then I will be able to live it." Amen sista! There's a reason Sylvia Allen's morning meeting is different than the one in the textbook. She lived what she believed and she made her morning meeting work for her. And what an amazing work it was!
Sometimes I get really stressed about trying to be exactly like all the really good teachers out there. I get stressed thinking about using EVERY SINGLE good idea I have ever heard. The thing that helps me calm down and feel confident is knowing that I don't have to be just like other teachers. I need to be myself and do what works for me.
I like reading other blogs. :)
Monday, October 7, 2013
tame me
A couple blog posts ago, I wrote about taming the fox, a metaphor on using differentiation in the classroom. Chapter 5, in Fulfilling the Promise of the Differentiated Classroom, explains more about "taming" our future students. "Although the teacher's role bears some of the hallmarks of the counselor, parent, coach, social worker, and so on, those are not the teacher's central role. It is mandate of the teacher to teach" (p. 56). While it is important for us as teachers to be their coach and to counsel with them, it is far more important to equip the students with "intellectual wherewithal" that is becoming more and more necessary to succeed in a society that demands academic preparation.
One thing that stood out to me as I was reading chapter 5 of Tomlinson's book, is when she was talking about an 8th grade algebra teacher she once had. Tomlinson stated, "She taught Algebra. But she did not teach me." That kind of scared me. I don't want to be that kind of teacher. What if I think I'm teaching my future students, but in the end, all I've done is taught the curriculum. I don't want that to happen. You can bet your bottom dollar that I was paying close attention when she talked about her German teacher, a teacher who was successful in teaching the students and not just the subject matter.
Tomlinson's German teacher was successful because:
-She always seemed sure her students could succeed & gave them work so that they could prove this
-She had eye contact with her students & smiled a lot
-She made each student's presence feel significant
-She helped the students understand the importance of the subject & how it relates to real world experiences
-She checked understanding and proficiency & worked with individuals when needed
In essence, her German teacher was saying, "I will learn about you and do whatever it takes, using this subject matter, to make sure you are a fuller and more potent human being than you were when you walked in this room. Please be my colleague in that quest."
Tomlinson gave five characteristics of curriculum and instruction in the classroom that genuinely helped her learn. The work needs to be:
1. Important
2. Focused
3. Engaging
4. Demanding
5. Scaffolded
I completely agree with this! When I look back at my own personal experiences, I can relate. My Psychology teacher in High School, whose name is Ms. Leek, truly wanted each of us to succeed. She knew me by name, she knew what my hobbies and interests were, she made learning so interesting and challenging; her class was not easy. I had to work hard, but I was motivated to learn because she helped me see the importance of Psychology. This pales in comparison to many other teachers I have had. I cannot remember their names, and I cannot remember what I learned. All I remember is feeling frustrated and/or bored.
I have included the following page from the book because it breaks down the five characteristics of curriculum and instruction listed above.
I wanted to include this because if I ever forget in the future what curriculum and instruction should look like in the classroom, the basics are all right here. At the beginning of the year, my students will be saying, "tame me" and I will have a better idea of what that looks like.
One thing that stood out to me as I was reading chapter 5 of Tomlinson's book, is when she was talking about an 8th grade algebra teacher she once had. Tomlinson stated, "She taught Algebra. But she did not teach me." That kind of scared me. I don't want to be that kind of teacher. What if I think I'm teaching my future students, but in the end, all I've done is taught the curriculum. I don't want that to happen. You can bet your bottom dollar that I was paying close attention when she talked about her German teacher, a teacher who was successful in teaching the students and not just the subject matter.
Tomlinson's German teacher was successful because:
-She always seemed sure her students could succeed & gave them work so that they could prove this
-She had eye contact with her students & smiled a lot
-She made each student's presence feel significant
-She helped the students understand the importance of the subject & how it relates to real world experiences
-She checked understanding and proficiency & worked with individuals when needed
In essence, her German teacher was saying, "I will learn about you and do whatever it takes, using this subject matter, to make sure you are a fuller and more potent human being than you were when you walked in this room. Please be my colleague in that quest."
Tomlinson gave five characteristics of curriculum and instruction in the classroom that genuinely helped her learn. The work needs to be:
1. Important
2. Focused
3. Engaging
4. Demanding
5. Scaffolded
I completely agree with this! When I look back at my own personal experiences, I can relate. My Psychology teacher in High School, whose name is Ms. Leek, truly wanted each of us to succeed. She knew me by name, she knew what my hobbies and interests were, she made learning so interesting and challenging; her class was not easy. I had to work hard, but I was motivated to learn because she helped me see the importance of Psychology. This pales in comparison to many other teachers I have had. I cannot remember their names, and I cannot remember what I learned. All I remember is feeling frustrated and/or bored.
I have included the following page from the book because it breaks down the five characteristics of curriculum and instruction listed above.
I wanted to include this because if I ever forget in the future what curriculum and instruction should look like in the classroom, the basics are all right here. At the beginning of the year, my students will be saying, "tame me" and I will have a better idea of what that looks like.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Hallmarks of a Differentiated Classroom
When I first heard/read about the hallmarks of a differentiated classroom, I was a little confused about them. It sounded important, but that's about all I understood. Now that we have discussed them more fully in class, I LOVE the hallmarks! They are the blueprint to a differentiated classroom. They are eight, very important goals a teacher should strive for. To help us remember these hallmarks, our teacher split us up into different groups, and then we presented them using cute and clever analogies. To help me remember them even more, I am going to record them in this here blog.
Hallmark numero uno: A strong link between Assessment and Instruction. (This was my group's hallmark.)
We created a giant paper chain, beginning with assessment and ending with instruction. Members of our class helped bring up different links to link the two together. The links included phrases such as: continually assess, ensure progression, and inseparably connected. Once all of our links were attached, we added aluminum foil to our assessment and instruction links. Why? Because when they are linked together, they both become stronger. And who doesn't want that? Also, it doesn't matter what order the chain is in, just as long as it is linked together.
Hallmark numero dos: Absolute [teacher] clarity about what the teacher wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do-about what is truly important to learn in this unit.
For this one, the group put a small piece of text under the doc camera and there was no way we could read it. They started brainstorming ideas out loud of how they could make it clearer. They tried highlighting it, and that didn't work. Finally, they pulled out a magnifying glass which made it a lot clearer. The magnifying glass represents focusing on the essentials. Then our teacher added, that if they had memorized the text, it would have been even better. Hallmark number two is all about the teacher being clear. So think of the magnifying glass zooming in on the teacher, making him or her more clear.
Hallmark numero tres. Shared responsibility for the classroom is between teacher and students, in the goal of making it work for everyone.
This presentation was one of my favorites! It was all about A Bug's Life and how the Queen may seem like she is the one in charge, but really, she can't do it alone. Everybody needs to work together and everybody learns from everybody. Every member of the colony is important. Our teacher emphasized that in order for number 3 to be a success, then number 2 needs to be a success. In other words, the teacher needs to be clear, before everybody can work together.
Hallmark numero uno: A strong link between Assessment and Instruction. (This was my group's hallmark.)
We created a giant paper chain, beginning with assessment and ending with instruction. Members of our class helped bring up different links to link the two together. The links included phrases such as: continually assess, ensure progression, and inseparably connected. Once all of our links were attached, we added aluminum foil to our assessment and instruction links. Why? Because when they are linked together, they both become stronger. And who doesn't want that? Also, it doesn't matter what order the chain is in, just as long as it is linked together.
Hallmark numero dos: Absolute [teacher] clarity about what the teacher wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do-about what is truly important to learn in this unit.
For this one, the group put a small piece of text under the doc camera and there was no way we could read it. They started brainstorming ideas out loud of how they could make it clearer. They tried highlighting it, and that didn't work. Finally, they pulled out a magnifying glass which made it a lot clearer. The magnifying glass represents focusing on the essentials. Then our teacher added, that if they had memorized the text, it would have been even better. Hallmark number two is all about the teacher being clear. So think of the magnifying glass zooming in on the teacher, making him or her more clear.
Hallmark numero tres. Shared responsibility for the classroom is between teacher and students, in the goal of making it work for everyone.
This presentation was one of my favorites! It was all about A Bug's Life and how the Queen may seem like she is the one in charge, but really, she can't do it alone. Everybody needs to work together and everybody learns from everybody. Every member of the colony is important. Our teacher emphasized that in order for number 3 to be a success, then number 2 needs to be a success. In other words, the teacher needs to be clear, before everybody can work together.
Hallmark numero cuatro. Individual growth is emphasized as central to classroom success.
For this one, they brought in a bed of flowers. Each flower was different, but each is important. Each flower is important. Just because one is taking longer to bloom than another, doesn't mean it isn't as important. Student growth is not compared to other students, only to themselves.
Hallmark numero cinco. A "way up," usually through multiple and varied pathways, and never a "way out."
This one was really cute! They made little airplanes and clouds and placed them on the white board. As they were trying to place the airplanes on the board, a couple of them kept slipping (which was not part of their plan). However, this ended up adding to their lesson because instead of just giving up and taking the airplanes off the board, they found other magnets to hold up the airplanes. They adjusted their plan to help each individual airplane. Some students can stay up all on their own, but seem need assistance. It is our job to find the right pathway.
Hallmark numero seis. "Respectful" and engaging work for all students.
This one was hilarious! They showed this really funny youtube video of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Their main point was that "just right" is different for everyone. The porridge represents what each students needs to take in. Some like it hot, some like it cold. Some like it in between. This Hallmark is all about being equitable, not equal. Each students gets what they need.
Hallmark numero siete. Flexible Grouping.
This was another one of my favorites. First they had us get into groups according to our shoe color. There were about 5 different groups and nobody was left alone. Then they had us get in groups according to the style of our shoe. I was left alone, because I was the only one wearing high heel wedges. Teachers need to be flexible with their grouping. Sometimes a student needs some one on one attention and sometimes you can do groups of 4 or 5. It all depends on the students and the objective.
This was another one of my favorites. First they had us get into groups according to our shoe color. There were about 5 different groups and nobody was left alone. Then they had us get in groups according to the style of our shoe. I was left alone, because I was the only one wearing high heel wedges. Teachers need to be flexible with their grouping. Sometimes a student needs some one on one attention and sometimes you can do groups of 4 or 5. It all depends on the students and the objective.
Hallmark numero ocho. Flexible use of time, space, and materials.
For this one, they used tangrams. Each piece represents different materials used in the classroom and the picture is the objective or the goal. Sometimes you need a simple square, and sometimes you need something more complex. The teacher needs to be willing to switch up the time, space, and materials used in order to achieve the goal. At least that is how I understood it. The goal (or picture) should always come first. Then you can look to see what materials (pieces) you will need.
All of these hallmarks are important. I'm still a little overwhelmed thinking about trying to become perfect at all of these, but my teacher said that you don't have to be. Veteran teachers still have a hard time getting all of these down. I think continually trying is the key. I can do that. :)
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