Week 7
Week 7 in the books! This is too fast. I feel like there is so much more for me to do with my students!
This week, we started to wrap up our unit on the First Americans. Last week, I assigned a really cool tribal research project where the students were tasked with choosing one specific tribe, and filling in a chart about that tribe. The chart included the following: the region, the climate, the natural resources available, clothing, shelter, food/diet, type of home, weapons and tools, transportation, arts/crafts, customs/beliefs, type of government, and ceremony/ festival. For extra credit, the students were tasked with creating an artistic expression of something that was culturally relevant to the tribe they chose. I gave them complete artistic freedom! They could make a drawing, a 3D model, re-create an important historic scene, etc... The only stipulations were that they could not recreate a weapon and bring it to school, and that they had to be able to explain it's cultural relevance.
This week, the students presented their projects to the class. It was really cool! The students were so excited to work on it, and it gave them the opportunity to look deeply into a specific tribe. This social studies curriculum gives a lot of overview, and I designed lessons throughout this unit to look into specific tribes. However, we studied the tribes mostly by region. This gave the students an opportunity to put together all the puzzle pieces we have been working on throughout the unit.
Additionally, the students had an exam on Friday. I spent time creating a study guide for the students, and reviewing it together after they worked on it individually. I originally was going to write the entire exam myself. However, after looking at the Chapter test the curriculum provided, I liked a lot of the questions. I used that exam, but I took out questions I thought were unfairly worded. I also added a chart into the exam for the students to fill in that was directly from one of my lessons. I am almost done grading those, and the majority of students did pretty well! That was really my week in a nutshell. Tomorrow, I will give the students their tribal charts back. I haven't graded them yet, because I want the students to REALLY connect the dots. I have created a couple of writing prompts for them to complete about their chart. They have already seen student presentations of their research, have completed the exam, and will complete their writing prompts tomorrow. Finally, they will have a chance to look at their charts again after all of the aforementioned, and make sure that they put in their charts exactly what they want in there. If there is something they think they should have added, they can write it as a note on the side of the chart and hand the chart and the writing prompts in. This way, I can consider reflection and connections into their final project grade! On Wednesday, we move to Science!
My cooperating teacher has been more active in the classroom, as we are trying to get the students used to having her in there. We have been splitting the class into smaller groups when need be and having both of us work with the students so it won't be so shocking when I leave in two weeks. Speaking of, I'm really sad. I'm going to miss these students and the relationships I've made with the other teachers and staff so much!
I'm nervous about the looming switch in placements. I'm nervous for a couple of reasons. First being that my placement is in CPS, and a strike on the 17th is on the horizon. I am set to begin there the 22nd. I'm terrified that the strike will be very long and screw up my student teaching! Also, I'm nervous about switching from 5th grade to 10th grade. Will I be as confident in my abilities in the classroom with older students? Will my new cooperating teacher find my skills and talents as valuable as the one I'm placed with right now? It just feels like starting over again and it makes me anxious. Of course, the edTPA looming over my head is not helping my anxiety decrease!
Chapter 5:
In my class, I LOVE questioning. It's one of the most important aspects of my classroom. I usually begin my lessons with discussions where everyone is sitting in the front of the classroom together. It's my favorite time to ask questions. I love to ask open ended questions to begin, and gradually ask questions that lead the students to connect the dots! When a student answers an open ended question, I usually respond with another question. I guide the questioning until the students go "OHHHHHHHHHHHHH". It's like you can see the light bulb flash on! It's amazing. I always talk to my students about what questions they should be asking themselves when we are doing an activity, or reading, or researching. Finding the answer to the big question by asking a set of smaller questions is our favorite social studies game!
Signing off until next week!
Lisa P.
This week, we started to wrap up our unit on the First Americans. Last week, I assigned a really cool tribal research project where the students were tasked with choosing one specific tribe, and filling in a chart about that tribe. The chart included the following: the region, the climate, the natural resources available, clothing, shelter, food/diet, type of home, weapons and tools, transportation, arts/crafts, customs/beliefs, type of government, and ceremony/ festival. For extra credit, the students were tasked with creating an artistic expression of something that was culturally relevant to the tribe they chose. I gave them complete artistic freedom! They could make a drawing, a 3D model, re-create an important historic scene, etc... The only stipulations were that they could not recreate a weapon and bring it to school, and that they had to be able to explain it's cultural relevance.
This week, the students presented their projects to the class. It was really cool! The students were so excited to work on it, and it gave them the opportunity to look deeply into a specific tribe. This social studies curriculum gives a lot of overview, and I designed lessons throughout this unit to look into specific tribes. However, we studied the tribes mostly by region. This gave the students an opportunity to put together all the puzzle pieces we have been working on throughout the unit.
Additionally, the students had an exam on Friday. I spent time creating a study guide for the students, and reviewing it together after they worked on it individually. I originally was going to write the entire exam myself. However, after looking at the Chapter test the curriculum provided, I liked a lot of the questions. I used that exam, but I took out questions I thought were unfairly worded. I also added a chart into the exam for the students to fill in that was directly from one of my lessons. I am almost done grading those, and the majority of students did pretty well! That was really my week in a nutshell. Tomorrow, I will give the students their tribal charts back. I haven't graded them yet, because I want the students to REALLY connect the dots. I have created a couple of writing prompts for them to complete about their chart. They have already seen student presentations of their research, have completed the exam, and will complete their writing prompts tomorrow. Finally, they will have a chance to look at their charts again after all of the aforementioned, and make sure that they put in their charts exactly what they want in there. If there is something they think they should have added, they can write it as a note on the side of the chart and hand the chart and the writing prompts in. This way, I can consider reflection and connections into their final project grade! On Wednesday, we move to Science!
My cooperating teacher has been more active in the classroom, as we are trying to get the students used to having her in there. We have been splitting the class into smaller groups when need be and having both of us work with the students so it won't be so shocking when I leave in two weeks. Speaking of, I'm really sad. I'm going to miss these students and the relationships I've made with the other teachers and staff so much!
I'm nervous about the looming switch in placements. I'm nervous for a couple of reasons. First being that my placement is in CPS, and a strike on the 17th is on the horizon. I am set to begin there the 22nd. I'm terrified that the strike will be very long and screw up my student teaching! Also, I'm nervous about switching from 5th grade to 10th grade. Will I be as confident in my abilities in the classroom with older students? Will my new cooperating teacher find my skills and talents as valuable as the one I'm placed with right now? It just feels like starting over again and it makes me anxious. Of course, the edTPA looming over my head is not helping my anxiety decrease!
Chapter 5:
In my class, I LOVE questioning. It's one of the most important aspects of my classroom. I usually begin my lessons with discussions where everyone is sitting in the front of the classroom together. It's my favorite time to ask questions. I love to ask open ended questions to begin, and gradually ask questions that lead the students to connect the dots! When a student answers an open ended question, I usually respond with another question. I guide the questioning until the students go "OHHHHHHHHHHHHH". It's like you can see the light bulb flash on! It's amazing. I always talk to my students about what questions they should be asking themselves when we are doing an activity, or reading, or researching. Finding the answer to the big question by asking a set of smaller questions is our favorite social studies game!
Signing off until next week!
Lisa P.
Kim, I'm really glad you went past just the factual information with the tribes project. I love that they had a choice and could do something on a higher level of thinking with this.
ReplyDeleteI understand your anxiety about the looming strike. If it happens and drags on, we will think of something.