Case Study

In the case of Lupita, she may be classified as an ESL student with limited formal schooling (Freeman & Freeman article), meaning she is behind her other classmates in their academic ability because she did not have the same amount of formal schooling. From the case study, it seems like Lupita does not have confidence speaking English, which results in her being shy or not comfortable speaking with others. If the school has an ESL program, I think it would be helpful to recommend her for that program to get one on one instruction in learning English. If the school does not have an ESL program, I would try to do some more group work where the students have to talk and work together to figure out a particular task. This might help Lupita feel more comfortable talking because she will be in a smaller group rather than the whole class. Also, the other students might be able to help her with her English just from the interactions. Because she felt comfortable helping the other students with the puzzle, it seems like she wants to interact with students but does not have the confidence. She is obviously smart because she finished the puzzle before anyone else, she just might need some more quality interaction time with the other students. Group work could definitely solve this problem, and help the other students in the class as well.

Jonathon is a student who is well below reading level, and he might be embarrassed about it because he refuses to ask for help. It might be helpful to construct some reading groups and work with them one on one. In my placement, the teacher put students at similar reading levels together and calls the groups up to his table one at a time during independent work time. There might be some other students in the class who are close to Jonathon's reading level, so if they read together they might be able to help each other. I would start off in these reading groups with really simple texts and have them read the stories more than once in a row. This repetition will help with their fluency and they will begin to recognize certain words. My mentor teacher told me that this really helps his students who are below reading level.

It seems almost obvious that Eddie has a form of ADD or ADHD because he is unable to focus or sit still at times. I do not think he fidgets and does not pay attention because he is bored, because even if he is interested in something he still can not pay attention, like with the frog/tadpole lesson. It might be worth getting him checked out medically for those disorders because the doctor might be able to put him on medication that will help him focus. If the parents or teacher do not want to take him to a doctor, I think the most appropriate thing for the teacher to do would be to do more engaging activities that get the kids up and moving around. The teacher could do this by singing songs and dancing, or even something simpler like doing centers where the kids are required to switch stations every 5 minutes. This will not only help Eddie but also get the other kids up so they are not bored as well.

Learning Through Literature

In the past couple of weeks in TE 402, we have been learning about how to use literature for learning purposes. I actually got to observe a lesson (involving the whole class!!) where literature was used to teach the students about animal habitats. Learning about habitats would be considered a science lesson, but my mentor teacher did a GREAT job with incorporating literature.

First the MSU volunteer read the students a book in which they were exposed to many different animals and where they live.

Then, after the story was finished, my mentor teacher asked the students about what they knew about habitats. And then he asked them what they wanted to know!

I was amazed by how much they learned just from listening to the book being read. By the end of the lesson, both sides of the chart were filled up completely! Everybody had really interesting ideas to add. These kids surprise me everyday! I wish I would have gotten a picture of the end result!

Literature in the Classroom

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.

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!