The main dilemma I have is my regular level students failing to complete homework assignments and/or assignments that we start in class and should be finished at home. This has been a concern for me as a good portion of students are not completing these assignments and then it potentially alters my lesson plans for the following day, as some students are behind and others are ready to move on. Some of the beneficial suggestions I got were:
- Little to no homework in regular classes - Making sure the most important and essential assignments/information is done in class - Teaching core techniques better so students can do the assignments independently - Making homework an extension of the lesson, rather than an essential step in the lesson - Providing them homework that uses technology/phones for easier access at home (i.e. vocabulary.com, remind.com)
I talked to my group about my Period 1 class. I've had my share of talkative classes, but this particular class is the chattiest I've had since my first year teaching! It's seriously getting in the way of learning and it's a struggle everyday not only to get through a lesson, but to get through it efficiently and in the best interest of the students' learning.
Lucky for me, I was given some great suggestions by my group today:
- Provide a Talking Packet to individual students whose talking is getting in the way of learning. Make it a "quiz grade" and tell them it needs to be signed by a parent. Put it on colored paper as a signal of what's coming their way.
-Have a serious talk about what respect means with the students. Sometimes they don't realize they're being disrespectful.
-Give the students assignments where they have to present to the class. This might hold them accountable and encourage them to talk less while getting a task completed.
-Get kids moving around the room to channel their energy into learning.
Something that has been frustrating for me this year is the apathy of select students. Despite me constantly talking to him about it, one student in particular consistently does not (almost refuses to) follow the classroom behaviors that other students are expected to follow. This is something I know everyone experiences, so I would love to see additions to the already helpful list of suggestions I received today:
-Create opportunities to survey students on what they would like to read for class or activities they would like to do for class -Related- have students flip through the literature textbook and pick out readings they are interested in -Work to catch the student outside of class and connect through conversation -Have students see you positively interact with other students -Call home to parents with positive observations to try and encourage the productive behavior in class
My major dilemma was being able to provide useful and effective feedback on major and minor writing assignments in a timely manner. As many people struggle with this, I found it really beneficial having conversation with my group tonight. My major issue is that I want to focus on so many pieces of their writing, but it may be more beneficial just to focus on giving feedback for specific sections then work up to the whole overall piece of work. Some of the feedback I received today included: -Feedback does not always have to happen after the final paper, provide feedback in all steps- including introducing the project. Use trends that you've already seen and address them initially providing them already with a potential area of improvement in their writing -Focus on one specific area for writing in certain pieces and give detailed feedback -Give feedback in class on the spot as students are doing the work. -Based on trends in writing, while some students may be writing a draft, group students together based on skill and give mini-lesson to specific students who need help in a focused area, while the class continues working. -Use google docs to have students peer edit eachothers' work and then have a discussion on the revision process. -Have students appreciate the process of writing by offering points for each pre-writing step
My dilemma echoes the three that have already been written about above: how to overcome the challenges of apathetic and/or reluctant students. I have met with resistance even when planning lessons that I think are going to be more interesting to them than me talking at them or reading to them. Last week, for instance, they were put in groups to annotate lyrics for connections to A Streetcar Named Desire (Welcome to the Jungle and Don't Stop Believing). But two groups were awkwardly silent and the loud group were talking about everything except the assignment.
Good ideas included the Silent Work and the Talking Packet. Chris Wright also made a great point that many problems arise when we overestimate their maturity. When we underestimate it, we'll put more structures in place (clock buddies, etc.) and the lessons run more smoothly. I think I cause myself a lot of grief by giving them more leeway than they can handle, and then I wonder why things don't go well.
My dilemma is also apathy, specifically the students who just won't actively engage in classroom activities. Apathy is such a huge issue for probably all of us. So many kids can't find it in themselves to understand why any of this even matters. I was in Emily's group so her list above is also my list of major takeaways, too. And it can be so discouraging to plan lessons that we think are especially engaging just to end up seeing someone snoozing through it anyway. The biggest points for me today were mostly what Emily mentioned--giving students some degree of choice and focusing on positive behavior. Another idea that someone in our group brought up was having students "teach" something to others in the room, which at least might draw more kids in because they are responsible for knowing something and being able to explain it to someone else; they can't just sit there passively and let learning happen around them like they are so used to doing too often.
One thing I've been struggling with is differentiating assignments and work for students in my classes with a wide range of abilities. Part of the problem was because some of my students are ELLs or former ELLs, some just don't yet have fully developed reading and comprehension skills, and some have switched into my class from Honors or AP classes and have a much higher ability than the average student. They're not being challenged enough.
Most of the suggestions I received ended up being around groupwork of different kinds. I've been trying to incorporate more groupwork anyway, but yesterday's conversation really solidified the need for this. When students are in groups doing station rotations for example, I'll be able to help some students develop their skills. I can also give different groups different levels of work that suit each student's ability and need. On assessments and homework assignments I can modify the assignment so that students can focus more on certain questions and skills by eliminating others for a few students. Those were the most helpful suggestions, but I did receive plenty of others.
I think hearing from other teachers that they have the same problems helped me more than anything else, in a sense. It's a relief to hear that I'm not the only one with this problem, and having a chance to help each other out and hear from each other was refreshing.
Differentiation is one of the biggest challenges for all teachers, I think!
One other suggestion I would make... different readings on the same topic, but at different reading levels. Then you can jigsaw the articles - students become experts in their text, then mix up groups and students teach their new group the article in which they are the experts. It will take you a while to compile a set of texts, so consider starting with one set per unit.
In the meantime, here's a handy Text Compactor that you can use to shorten/simplify texts for your struggling readers: http://textcompactor.com/.
My biggest problem of practice that I discussed on 1/25 was dealing with assignments that are contingent on all students finishing or be near-done at the same time. For instance, if I wanted to move the whole class on to peer-editing an in-class writing assignment, most if not all of the class would have to be done at the end of the allotted time for it to be meaningful. I've found that, especially with my lower-level classes, it's wishful thinking.
I did manage to successfully move onto an in-class peer-editing session once with my "honors" level group. The 2-4 students that weren't done managed to sprinkle their way the mix as other peer-edit pairs finished their edits.
Now, this doesn't necessarily have to be for peer-editing, but any type of group work or jigsaw activity. What can be done about ensuring that all students are done so no one is left bored (those that finish too quickly) or left behind (the stragglers)?
My dilemma or biggest problem of practice that I discussed with my group at the Write Boston PD on January 25th was students completing homework or assignments at home. This issue is important and very obvious because my students will produce work in class but, will not produce any work at home. This causes even more dilemmas like time constraints, lack of a work ethic, and no accountability to deadlines.
My example would be the Character Obituary Project I recently assigned. I assigned this project on a Monday and gave students 2 70 minute class periods to work on it and told them it must be finished on their own time by Friday if not completed during that time.
The suggestions my group members made for this dilemma was chunking the assignment into parts that needed to be complete in a certain time frame, grade check ins, or just taking them.
The suggestion I tried that Friday was just taking them. It was hard for me to take blank ones but I think students realized that I was not messing around when I said I was taking what they had and maybe this will be a good lesson for them and they will use class time more wisely/do some of the work at home.
The January 25th session of Write Boston PD allowed me to get useful feedback on my issue of effectively teaching grammar to my 8th graders, a problem that I found extends across all grade levels. I had the same issues while teaching 7th grade for nine years and it's particularly disheartening this year because the kids I had last year seemingly "forgot" what I personally taught them just a grade previous.
My team suggested doing consistent Do Now work and other warm ups that can be assessed both daily and weekly. Another suggestion I received was to have students edit their own work while specifically targeting specific rules of grammar in their own writing. I'm looking forward to using this with my kids and I'm hopeful that they'll becoming invested in it when they see it improving their own writing rather than some textbook exercise.
The main dilemma I have is my regular level students failing to complete homework assignments and/or assignments that we start in class and should be finished at home. This has been a concern for me as a good portion of students are not completing these assignments and then it potentially alters my lesson plans for the following day, as some students are behind and others are ready to move on. Some of the beneficial suggestions I got were:
ReplyDelete- Little to no homework in regular classes
- Making sure the most important and essential assignments/information is done in class
- Teaching core techniques better so students can do the assignments independently
- Making homework an extension of the lesson, rather than an essential step in the lesson
- Providing them homework that uses technology/phones for easier access at home (i.e. vocabulary.com, remind.com)
I talked to my group about my Period 1 class. I've had my share of talkative classes, but this particular class is the chattiest I've had since my first year teaching! It's seriously getting in the way of learning and it's a struggle everyday not only to get through a lesson, but to get through it efficiently and in the best interest of the students' learning.
ReplyDeleteLucky for me, I was given some great suggestions by my group today:
- Provide a Talking Packet to individual students whose talking is getting in the way of learning. Make it a "quiz grade" and tell them it needs to be signed by a parent. Put it on colored paper as a signal of what's coming their way.
-Have a serious talk about what respect means with the students. Sometimes they don't realize they're being disrespectful.
-Give the students assignments where they have to present to the class. This might hold them accountable and encourage them to talk less while getting a task completed.
-Get kids moving around the room to channel their energy into learning.
-Never underestimate the use of a good timer.
Something that has been frustrating for me this year is the apathy of select students. Despite me constantly talking to him about it, one student in particular consistently does not (almost refuses to) follow the classroom behaviors that other students are expected to follow. This is something I know everyone experiences, so I would love to see additions to the already helpful list of suggestions I received today:
ReplyDelete-Create opportunities to survey students on what they would like to read for class or activities they would like to do for class
-Related- have students flip through the literature textbook and pick out readings they are interested in
-Work to catch the student outside of class and connect through conversation
-Have students see you positively interact with other students
-Call home to parents with positive observations to try and encourage the productive behavior in class
My major dilemma was being able to provide useful and effective feedback on major and minor writing assignments in a timely manner. As many people struggle with this, I found it really beneficial having conversation with my group tonight. My major issue is that I want to focus on so many pieces of their writing, but it may be more beneficial just to focus on giving feedback for specific sections then work up to the whole overall piece of work. Some of the feedback I received today included:
ReplyDelete-Feedback does not always have to happen after the final paper, provide feedback in all steps- including introducing the project. Use trends that you've already seen and address them initially providing them already with a potential area of improvement in their writing
-Focus on one specific area for writing in certain pieces and give detailed feedback
-Give feedback in class on the spot as students are doing the work.
-Based on trends in writing, while some students may be writing a draft, group students together based on skill and give mini-lesson to specific students who need help in a focused area, while the class continues working.
-Use google docs to have students peer edit eachothers' work and then have a discussion on the revision process.
-Have students appreciate the process of writing by offering points for each pre-writing step
My dilemma echoes the three that have already been written about above: how to overcome the challenges of apathetic and/or reluctant students. I have met with resistance even when planning lessons that I think are going to be more interesting to them than me talking at them or reading to them. Last week, for instance, they were put in groups to annotate lyrics for connections to A Streetcar Named Desire (Welcome to the Jungle and Don't Stop Believing). But two groups were awkwardly silent and the loud group were talking about everything except the assignment.
ReplyDeleteGood ideas included the Silent Work and the Talking Packet. Chris Wright also made a great point that many problems arise when we overestimate their maturity. When we underestimate it, we'll put more structures in place (clock buddies, etc.) and the lessons run more smoothly. I think I cause myself a lot of grief by giving them more leeway than they can handle, and then I wonder why things don't go well.
My dilemma is also apathy, specifically the students who just won't actively engage in classroom activities. Apathy is such a huge issue for probably all of us. So many kids can't find it in themselves to understand why any of this even matters. I was in Emily's group so her list above is also my list of major takeaways, too. And it can be so discouraging to plan lessons that we think are especially engaging just to end up seeing someone snoozing through it anyway. The biggest points for me today were mostly what Emily mentioned--giving students some degree of choice and focusing on positive behavior. Another idea that someone in our group brought up was having students "teach" something to others in the room, which at least might draw more kids in because they are responsible for knowing something and being able to explain it to someone else; they can't just sit there passively and let learning happen around them like they are so used to doing too often.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've been struggling with is differentiating assignments and work for students in my classes with a wide range of abilities. Part of the problem was because some of my students are ELLs or former ELLs, some just don't yet have fully developed reading and comprehension skills, and some have switched into my class from Honors or AP classes and have a much higher ability than the average student. They're not being challenged enough.
ReplyDeleteMost of the suggestions I received ended up being around groupwork of different kinds. I've been trying to incorporate more groupwork anyway, but yesterday's conversation really solidified the need for this. When students are in groups doing station rotations for example, I'll be able to help some students develop their skills. I can also give different groups different levels of work that suit each student's ability and need. On assessments and homework assignments I can modify the assignment so that students can focus more on certain questions and skills by eliminating others for a few students. Those were the most helpful suggestions, but I did receive plenty of others.
I think hearing from other teachers that they have the same problems helped me more than anything else, in a sense. It's a relief to hear that I'm not the only one with this problem, and having a chance to help each other out and hear from each other was refreshing.
Differentiation is one of the biggest challenges for all teachers, I think!
ReplyDeleteOne other suggestion I would make... different readings on the same topic, but at different reading levels. Then you can jigsaw the articles - students become experts in their text, then mix up groups and students teach their new group the article in which they are the experts. It will take you a while to compile a set of texts, so consider starting with one set per unit.
In the meantime, here's a handy Text Compactor that you can use to shorten/simplify texts for your struggling readers: http://textcompactor.com/.
My biggest problem of practice that I discussed on 1/25 was dealing with assignments that are contingent on all students finishing or be near-done at the same time. For instance, if I wanted to move the whole class on to peer-editing an in-class writing assignment, most if not all of the class would have to be done at the end of the allotted time for it to be meaningful. I've found that, especially with my lower-level classes, it's wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteI did manage to successfully move onto an in-class peer-editing session once with my "honors" level group. The 2-4 students that weren't done managed to sprinkle their way the mix as other peer-edit pairs finished their edits.
Now, this doesn't necessarily have to be for peer-editing, but any type of group work or jigsaw activity. What can be done about ensuring that all students are done so no one is left bored (those that finish too quickly) or left behind (the stragglers)?
My dilemma or biggest problem of practice that I discussed with my group at the Write Boston PD on January 25th was students completing homework or assignments at home. This issue is important and very obvious because my students will produce work in class but, will not produce any work at home. This causes even more dilemmas like time constraints, lack of a work ethic, and no accountability to deadlines.
ReplyDeleteMy example would be the Character Obituary Project I recently assigned. I assigned this project on a Monday and gave students 2 70 minute class periods to work on it and told them it must be finished on their own time by Friday if not completed during that time.
The suggestions my group members made for this dilemma was chunking the assignment into parts that needed to be complete in a certain time frame, grade check ins, or just taking them.
The suggestion I tried that Friday was just taking them. It was hard for me to take blank ones but I think students realized that I was not messing around when I said I was taking what they had and maybe this will be a good lesson for them and they will use class time more wisely/do some of the work at home.
The January 25th session of Write Boston PD allowed me to get useful feedback on my issue of effectively teaching grammar to my 8th graders, a problem that I found extends across all grade levels. I had the same issues while teaching 7th grade for nine years and it's particularly disheartening this year because the kids I had last year seemingly "forgot" what I personally taught them just a grade previous.
ReplyDeleteMy team suggested doing consistent Do Now work and other warm ups that can be assessed both daily and weekly. Another suggestion I received was to have students edit their own work while specifically targeting specific rules of grammar in their own writing. I'm looking forward to using this with my kids and I'm hopeful that they'll becoming invested in it when they see it improving their own writing rather than some textbook exercise.