This week's post is about literature in the classroom. In my placement, the teacher reads a book to the kids almost everytime that I am there, which is at least two times a week. When I arrive right after lunch and recess, the students come in and sit on the rug. The teacher (or I) read them a story before they start their independent reading time. I also observe the teacher individually working with groups of students throughout the day on their literacy.
The Leland article that we read for this week really opened my eyes to critical literature and its importance. Critical literature deals with emotional and controversial topics. These topics can sometimes make teachers feel uncomfortable because they are unsure if the students will understand. The Leland article reinforced that students, even as young as the first grade, can comprehend these topics and really learn from them. In my placement, I have not seen any critical literature being used. We usually read fun stories where the students are able to get involved, such as books with songs or rhymes. I think it would be interesting to see what the student would think of a controversial book. I can definitely shape my language arts and literacy lessons around the concept of using critical literature.
I also learned that it is important to talk about literature and all of its components. I really like how my mentor teacher asks the students questions about the story during and after reading it. Last week, I observed my mentor teacher asking the students comprehension questions about a story they had just read about weather. He asked them questions such as "what did the story say that children do when it is hot outside?" and "by looking at what the children are wearing, what season do you think it is?" He has been teaching the students to use context clues to figure out the meaning of a story. It is so amazing to see the progress that the students have made in their comprehension skills.
I believe that using literature is extremely important in the classroom. In the Montessori school, a lot of emphasis is put on independent work, but I love how my mentor teacher at least does some group instruction with literature. It is crucial for a student to be able to use the pictures and text to find the meaning of new words, which is exactly what my mentor teacher looks for. A great emphasis is put on reading, and the students have reading time more than once a day. I look forward to observing more literature instruction in my placement.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Introduction
Hello fellow TE 402 bloggers! This is such a new experience for me! I am really excited to share my experiences with everyone. I will use this first post as an introduction to the kind of classroom I am in for my placement.
I am placed in a 1st/2nd grade split in a Montessori classroom. Before this year, I was not familiar at all with the Montessori style. It is a very interesting and non-traditional way of teaching, and I am skeptical if the teaching style really works. In my classroom, the students are free to make choices about which learning activities they participate in. All of the students have "work plans," which sort of spells out exactly which activities they can choose from for the week. The students usually work in pairs or in groups, and they rarely do individual work. The second graders are encouraged to help the first graders, which helps reinforce their content knowledge.My students come from all different backgrounds and cultures. One teacher told me that a lot of students get school of choice options in order to come to the Montessori school.
I go into my placement every Monday and Wednesday in the afternoon. During this time, I see independent reading time, group work from each student's work plan, some social studies, and a lot of classroom management (since the students are so young and restless). When I am in the classroom, I interact with the students a great deal. I usually do the social studies work with the second graders, and recently I have been assessing different students letter/sound fluency and sight words individually. It has been a great learning experience so far, and I can't wait to share more experiences with the blogging world!
I am placed in a 1st/2nd grade split in a Montessori classroom. Before this year, I was not familiar at all with the Montessori style. It is a very interesting and non-traditional way of teaching, and I am skeptical if the teaching style really works. In my classroom, the students are free to make choices about which learning activities they participate in. All of the students have "work plans," which sort of spells out exactly which activities they can choose from for the week. The students usually work in pairs or in groups, and they rarely do individual work. The second graders are encouraged to help the first graders, which helps reinforce their content knowledge.My students come from all different backgrounds and cultures. One teacher told me that a lot of students get school of choice options in order to come to the Montessori school.
I go into my placement every Monday and Wednesday in the afternoon. During this time, I see independent reading time, group work from each student's work plan, some social studies, and a lot of classroom management (since the students are so young and restless). When I am in the classroom, I interact with the students a great deal. I usually do the social studies work with the second graders, and recently I have been assessing different students letter/sound fluency and sight words individually. It has been a great learning experience so far, and I can't wait to share more experiences with the blogging world!
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