Throughout the course of the day, I feel that I am constantly assessing my students. I am always observing and listening in to what my students have to say to each other or to another teacher/myself. It's like an overload of information. To me, I become overwhelmed at what to assess and how to go about getting information explained/shown. Often times, I feel like I need to have students show their learning in a way that I can then show someone else, such as my mentor teacher, coordinator, liaison, or small group coordinator.
Because of the position I'm in within the program, I feel that I must document everything and therefore I try to keep a paper record of all students learning. However, once I stop and think about how I assess my students, it becomes clear that I don't need to have them write everything down. Sometimes, a very useful and appropriate form of assessment cause be verbal through informal discussion or in groups. The biggest thing for me to realize is that "IT'S OKAY to show learning that way!"
While teaching science and social studies for the last five weeks, I've had students complete journal activities, creative projects, presentations, and teacher made tests. I feel that it is important to see how each student best demonstrates their knowledge and then play upon those strengths to then build their knowledge in other areas. For example, I know that some of my students are very creative, so I let them demonstrate their learning in creative ways, such as drawing or artistic expressions. There are also students who love writing, so I have incorporated speeches, brochures, poems, and letters.
I think it's best to work with the students, and not all forms of assessments have to be used. There is a time and place for different types of assessment. It really depends on what you are trying to assess and the learning goals that you have set for your students. The biggest thing that I've noticed so far is that assessment of my students shows me that they have accomplished the learning goals that I have set for them, and it doesn't always mean that those moments have to be captured and stored to share. Maybe that's why teachers always save everything...
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Week 6- All about distractions
Classroom interruptions unfortunately happen. Even more unfortunate is that they can occur more often when many of the students in your classroom are easily distracted. This not only can disrupt the learning of the student distracted, but also other students within the classroom who need to concentrate or listen to directions, peers, etc. I often wonder how students do learn with so many interruptions throughout the course of the day. Even something as small as an intercom message can completely disrupt the flow of the lesson and it's important to be able to pull attention back to the lesson.
Sadly, a couple of my students are interrupting the classroom enough so the lesson needs to be completely stopped. This can mean students move physical locations within the room or even move to a new location within the school so the situation can be handled in the best way for the student. Those students who depend on schedules and the same routine everyday often find it difficult to continue working in a new setting. Even looking back at myself in elementary school, I know that I, too, did not like changes in routine. If it did occur, I felt that there was something "special" about that school day which meant that my focus did not need to be on the learning, but instead the assembly, field trip, meeting, or event that was occurring.
Instead of dwelling over the change in events, it is always important to have back-up plans and be flexible enough to accept that just because the lesson did not begin or finish that day does not mean that the day is ruined. Instead, use this teachable moment to practice being flexible and encourage students to remain positive and as focused as possible during the occurrence. Instead of jumping right back in, give a direction that is small in nature to get them back and focused. If certain students are struggling to refocus, try nonverbal clues to let them know what you expect without calling attention of others.
Also, it is important to try to eliminate as many distractions as possible, such as pencil sharpening or bathroom breaks. Currently, we have a bin that contains sharpened pencils for students to pick up if theirs becomes dull. This eliminates the noise of a pencil sharpener going off during instruction or quiet work time. One issue that I would like to work on within my current classroom is to regulate bathroom/drink trips so students did not use them as avoidance behaviors. Students now are constantly in and out of the room and it becomes very aggravating to myself and my mentor teacher because they ask during instruction and at staggered times. You feel really mean and crummy to tell them no because it's possible that they can't hold it but you never know who is using the excuse and who is being serious. Overall, distractions are something that is always going to be present in the classroom, but more exposure to these distractions can help us plan better ways to both avoid and handle the situations when they occur.
Sadly, a couple of my students are interrupting the classroom enough so the lesson needs to be completely stopped. This can mean students move physical locations within the room or even move to a new location within the school so the situation can be handled in the best way for the student. Those students who depend on schedules and the same routine everyday often find it difficult to continue working in a new setting. Even looking back at myself in elementary school, I know that I, too, did not like changes in routine. If it did occur, I felt that there was something "special" about that school day which meant that my focus did not need to be on the learning, but instead the assembly, field trip, meeting, or event that was occurring.
Instead of dwelling over the change in events, it is always important to have back-up plans and be flexible enough to accept that just because the lesson did not begin or finish that day does not mean that the day is ruined. Instead, use this teachable moment to practice being flexible and encourage students to remain positive and as focused as possible during the occurrence. Instead of jumping right back in, give a direction that is small in nature to get them back and focused. If certain students are struggling to refocus, try nonverbal clues to let them know what you expect without calling attention of others.
Also, it is important to try to eliminate as many distractions as possible, such as pencil sharpening or bathroom breaks. Currently, we have a bin that contains sharpened pencils for students to pick up if theirs becomes dull. This eliminates the noise of a pencil sharpener going off during instruction or quiet work time. One issue that I would like to work on within my current classroom is to regulate bathroom/drink trips so students did not use them as avoidance behaviors. Students now are constantly in and out of the room and it becomes very aggravating to myself and my mentor teacher because they ask during instruction and at staggered times. You feel really mean and crummy to tell them no because it's possible that they can't hold it but you never know who is using the excuse and who is being serious. Overall, distractions are something that is always going to be present in the classroom, but more exposure to these distractions can help us plan better ways to both avoid and handle the situations when they occur.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Week Five-The Week of Substitutes
This week has consisted of a lot of substitutes. Our teachers are out for PLC or Professional Development, so there are many substitutes in our building. I always appreciate having a substitute that I know has been at the school before, known the procedures, and can not be "duped" by the students who try to trick them. Often times, it takes multiple encounters with students to know what they're really like and how to best meet their needs.
So, what is it, then, that whenever there's a substitute, no matter whether it's someone from related arts or an outside person as a substitute, do students make poor choices and consequently, show poor behavior to the guest teacher and peers? Last semester, the students I had always were off balanced when we had a guest teacher. They would do things they knew were inappropriate. But why? To see what's it's like to actually do them? To see how far they could go without being made to stop? And how, exactly, are you supposed to stop them?
In no way should a teacher ever touch or grab a student, which is understandable. So how could you get a student, who is completely and totally defiant, to listen to you? Substitutes, and even myself in the current situation, often feel inferior or a "bad teacher" if you need to call for help. To me, that means that I am unable to control the classroom that was left to me, and need someone else with more authority to do it for me. How do you, the substitute, intern, or other guest in the classroom demand respect from the students?
I really do believe that all students can learn, but that it all depends on how to make that information available to them. Is it then, that substitutes or guests, do not know the culture of the classroom, or the way things are "usually" ran, so they do not expect as much as of students because they are not familiar with what they are capable of? What about the students who are special needs and need routine? Wouldn't this change or normal plan disrupt their potential learning? I believe it does. I've noticed that when things are out of order or not the "norm" of the classroom, students become easily distracted and even anxious about the change.
In this way, I can see how some students do react poorly. I now see the importance of the "sub binders" that give guest teachers the "lay of the land" so that the day may go smoothly. It is also important that when at a school, you know who to contact for help. Just because you ask for help, doesn't mean that we are "bad teachers", it just means it can serve as a time for us to learn. One thing I've learned in order to ease my fears about "What Should I Do" scenarios that could occur in the classroom, ask a colleague or administrator. This not only alleviates any worry, but it also makes you more aware of what to do in new situations.
So, what is it, then, that whenever there's a substitute, no matter whether it's someone from related arts or an outside person as a substitute, do students make poor choices and consequently, show poor behavior to the guest teacher and peers? Last semester, the students I had always were off balanced when we had a guest teacher. They would do things they knew were inappropriate. But why? To see what's it's like to actually do them? To see how far they could go without being made to stop? And how, exactly, are you supposed to stop them?
In no way should a teacher ever touch or grab a student, which is understandable. So how could you get a student, who is completely and totally defiant, to listen to you? Substitutes, and even myself in the current situation, often feel inferior or a "bad teacher" if you need to call for help. To me, that means that I am unable to control the classroom that was left to me, and need someone else with more authority to do it for me. How do you, the substitute, intern, or other guest in the classroom demand respect from the students?
I really do believe that all students can learn, but that it all depends on how to make that information available to them. Is it then, that substitutes or guests, do not know the culture of the classroom, or the way things are "usually" ran, so they do not expect as much as of students because they are not familiar with what they are capable of? What about the students who are special needs and need routine? Wouldn't this change or normal plan disrupt their potential learning? I believe it does. I've noticed that when things are out of order or not the "norm" of the classroom, students become easily distracted and even anxious about the change.
In this way, I can see how some students do react poorly. I now see the importance of the "sub binders" that give guest teachers the "lay of the land" so that the day may go smoothly. It is also important that when at a school, you know who to contact for help. Just because you ask for help, doesn't mean that we are "bad teachers", it just means it can serve as a time for us to learn. One thing I've learned in order to ease my fears about "What Should I Do" scenarios that could occur in the classroom, ask a colleague or administrator. This not only alleviates any worry, but it also makes you more aware of what to do in new situations.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Week 4- My "first" assessment dos and don'ts
Today I gave my first assessment in the fifth grade! It was a big moment so I thought I should share while I had it fresh on my mind. I remember reading that teachers should try to make as much feedback as possible positive. Because of this, I made sure I commented at least one good thing that a student did on every single paper. Instead of saying "This is wrong", I decided to ask questions about their answer so I could better understand it, rather than just saying "No, ____is the answer". I hope my students will receive this in a positive way so they know that I want to help them learn rather than just expecting them to regurgitate answers.
The assessment was for chapter four in our science unit about ecosystems, population, and communities which included biomes as well as the food chains/webs. I decided to include part of my assessment from the text since students are so used to textbook assessments. This part of the "test" was all vocabulary based. It did include a picture where students had to identify three nonliving things within the ecosystems. Most students chose things like the sun, dirt, rocks, water, etc. while others wanted to include the plant life that was in the picture. I wonder if I misled them when talking about living and non-living things within an ecosystem. Maybe I wasn't clear enough that although plants do not have "body" parts, they are considered living things.
The second page I created myself. Eight of my students needed modifications made to their test. All students were given a word bank, which I was debating over. All of the words were only used once and only the words on the sheet were given. I expected students, especially those without special needs to easily match these terms. If students missed a majority of the problems, they typically missed the matching vocabulary. I wonder what I could do differently so my students do know and own the vocabulary. This is part of what I want to work on in my action research during literacy stations.
For my eight students, they had two open-ended questions relating to a map, where as the general education students had 3 open ended questions that asked not only to give an answer, but to explain why or how they know that. Many students wrote one part but did not answer why or how. I think this may be because students are often not asked to explain why they think what they think, but it is such a critical part of the learning process. This is definitely an aspect that I would like to continue with during my assessment techniques.
I did have multiple 100's on the test and 9 that scored 90 or above and 8 that scored in the 80s. The lowest score was an 27%. For those students who did poorly, I contemplated giving their tests back and letting them fix their own mistakes. I wonder if students who do get the opportunity to fix mistakes would remember it more than those who do not get the opportunity. Is it fair to those students who did study? Some students misinterpreted the graph (i.e. they gave me the months where the temperatures were the same for each city). I definitely want to make sure I'm following all IEP regulations that are given for my students, and I know that means if certain students score below a set score they may retake it.
Ideally, I would like to have more authentic assessments that students do throughout the chapter. However, I feel like with this group it is such a struggle just to read the text that it's almost impossible to then further divide a set amount of time into projects during each chapter. Perhaps I need to work on finding a balance...until next time...
The assessment was for chapter four in our science unit about ecosystems, population, and communities which included biomes as well as the food chains/webs. I decided to include part of my assessment from the text since students are so used to textbook assessments. This part of the "test" was all vocabulary based. It did include a picture where students had to identify three nonliving things within the ecosystems. Most students chose things like the sun, dirt, rocks, water, etc. while others wanted to include the plant life that was in the picture. I wonder if I misled them when talking about living and non-living things within an ecosystem. Maybe I wasn't clear enough that although plants do not have "body" parts, they are considered living things.
The second page I created myself. Eight of my students needed modifications made to their test. All students were given a word bank, which I was debating over. All of the words were only used once and only the words on the sheet were given. I expected students, especially those without special needs to easily match these terms. If students missed a majority of the problems, they typically missed the matching vocabulary. I wonder what I could do differently so my students do know and own the vocabulary. This is part of what I want to work on in my action research during literacy stations.
For my eight students, they had two open-ended questions relating to a map, where as the general education students had 3 open ended questions that asked not only to give an answer, but to explain why or how they know that. Many students wrote one part but did not answer why or how. I think this may be because students are often not asked to explain why they think what they think, but it is such a critical part of the learning process. This is definitely an aspect that I would like to continue with during my assessment techniques.
I did have multiple 100's on the test and 9 that scored 90 or above and 8 that scored in the 80s. The lowest score was an 27%. For those students who did poorly, I contemplated giving their tests back and letting them fix their own mistakes. I wonder if students who do get the opportunity to fix mistakes would remember it more than those who do not get the opportunity. Is it fair to those students who did study? Some students misinterpreted the graph (i.e. they gave me the months where the temperatures were the same for each city). I definitely want to make sure I'm following all IEP regulations that are given for my students, and I know that means if certain students score below a set score they may retake it.
Ideally, I would like to have more authentic assessments that students do throughout the chapter. However, I feel like with this group it is such a struggle just to read the text that it's almost impossible to then further divide a set amount of time into projects during each chapter. Perhaps I need to work on finding a balance...until next time...
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