Teaching Today!

Class Period: 2nd period
Topic: Vocabulary taken from the Article “Jackman’s ‘Wolverine’ leads weekend pack with $87M”

I chose to do a jigsaw lesson today because I needed more practice with it, and I thought it would work well to teach vocabulary words. It worked out really well. Part of my philosophy of teaching is that students should collaborate to work on team skills and communication, and they should learn in a variety of ways. A jigsaw activity was new for them, and from my observation, they enjoyed it and learned from it. After all, teaching is the highest form of learning.
I only observed one "normal" day in this class because I have been working as a teacher assistant for the TTRM reading program. That one day of observation was very important because it showed me what a normal day looks like in Mrs. Messerly’s class. However, since this is an alternative school, there are not many “normal” days because every week, there may be new students or old students leaving to go back to their regular high schools. I observed a Monday, and that is the day they do a vocabulary assignment. Because of this, I wanted to teach on a Monday to keep the regular flow of the week. The objectives were learned successfully based on the monitoring I did throughout the lesson while they researched the vocabulary words in their expert groups and taught them in their home groups. Also, they made good predictions about the topic of the article, and one group guessed correctly. After reading the article, I asked questions, and they felt comfortable answering them. My set worked because it effectively caught their attention. They arranged in groups correctly and worked collaboratively; although, they did get off topic a few times. The students effectively taught the vocabulary words to the home group, and they responded well after reading the article. I think most everything worked well; however, if I were to change anything, it would be to already have the definitions printed out for them to make sure they are teaching the correct definitions to their group. Some of the definitions had multiple meanings, and the students had no way of knowing which meaning I was looking for them to teach. If I had provided a handout with the definitions on it, there would be no confusion over what the definition is, and there would be more focus on thinking of creative ways to teach the word. The main thing I learned about teaching from this experience is that it is important to set the rules for behavior and make sure the procedures are very clear to students before they begin the activity. Jigsaw can be a little confusing, and if they are clear on what they are supposed to be doing and what is expected of them, they will learn more. It is easy for groups to get off topic and socialize without proper ground rules for behavior expectations. I feel more confident about teaching based on my experience teaching real public school students.

Also, the SWA and DYE students are in the Daily News Journal! Here's the link to read the article: http://www.dnj.com/article/20090504/NEWS07/905040315&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL.

This Week

On Monday, I went to SWA to observe Kelly's class on a "normal" day in "Reading in the Content Area." On Mondays, they do a vocabulary activity that comes from an article, and they take a quiz on the vocab on Fridays. Next Monday, I will be teaching, so I plan to use a jigsaw lesson format to teach the vocabulary, and then they will read the article and discuss it for the remaining class time. I just need to find an interesting article!

SWA has won an award for participating in TTRM in service learning. Today a reporter will be walking with us to DYE. This is the final week in the TTRM magazine.

Friday, April 3rd at SWA

There are a few new students in Kelly's 2nd and 4th period classes, so today I came to train them for the TTRM session next week. After I went over the reading strategies and the basic format, I had them practice on one another, role-playing either the mentor or the mentee. Before the quick role play, I gave them tips on how to guide the mentee to the right answer in the paragraph, give clear instructions, and keep the mentee's attention. Afterwards, I asked them if they had any questions and if they feel comfortable taking on the role of the mentor next Wednesday when we go to DYE. They said they feel comfortable taking on the mentor role, so I think they'll be fine. On Wednesday, I will probably have to remind them of a few things, but what I've noticed from the other mentors is that if they generally feel confident about being a leader/tutor/mentor, they'll do a good job.

Also, many of the SWA students who participated in Session #1 are still at SWA (in 2nd period specifically), so they have gotten to experience TTRM the way it is intended. Kelly is assigning a reflection paper to write about what they have learned/how this experience has changed them, and I am eager to read those papers, talk with students, and watch the video that Kelly put together for Mrs. Davenport. Then I will be able to see how effective this program has been for the SWA students.

TTRM Session #7

Today we went to DYE as we usually do on Wednesdays. Many of the participating SWA students have been mentoring in TTRM for the whole 7 weeks now, while some of them have only been mentoring for 2 weeks. It has not been as difficult to train the new ones and switch out mentors with the 3rd grade mentees as we thought it would be initially, probably because the timing was right at the beginning. When we started Session 1, there were many new SWA students, and now many of them are still mentoring in the program at week 7.

Overall, the mentors enjoy coming to see their mentees and reading with them, even if it's only to get out of school for an hour. Today as I monitored, I noticed that the mentors have improved on interacting with their mentees, answering questions, guiding them to the right answers, and relating the reading to their everyday lives. They seem more comfortable, and they have found what strategies work for them. I didn't have to guide them much today, which is a sign that they are improving as mentors and leaders. As I have been training the new SWA students, I have told them that their goal for their mentees is to train them to read better and more independently, and the way to do that is through scaffolding: I do (modeling), we do (choral reading, shadow reading), you do (independent reading). I see that they are understanding this concept more now that they have had this experience. Also, I hope that this experience is showing the SWA students that they can have a positive influence on someone else, and maybe that will make them think more about the decisions they make in their personal lives and at their regular high schools. I have found that working with children can have that effect on people when they begin to take up the mindset of a leader and mentor. When you want children to make positive decisions, as a mentor for them, you want to show them what it looks like to make good choices, and as a result, you become influenced by them to make better choices yourself.

Friday at SWA

On Friday, I went to SWA for 2nd and 4th period. In 2nd period, Kelly videotaped each of the mentors and me telling about our experiences with TTRM so far. This is for Mrs. Davenport to take to a national conference.

In 4th period, I taught the new students about TTRM and trained them for mentoring on Wednesday. Two of the new students were at school, and one was absent. While we were training for TTRM, the other students in the class were playing some kind of string instrument led by an older lady. Needless to say, it was loud in there, so the new guys had a hard time paying attention. On top of that, the lady leading the music told us to quiet down a few times, which I thought was a little rude, especially since we were not talking loud. We ended up moving to another part of the room at her request. It was an interesting day.

TTRM Session #5

Today during the TTRM session, we started quicker than usual, probably because the teens and 3rd graders know the format by now. Because of that, they had more time today than they have during past sessions. I noticed that the mentors (teens) were using the reading strategies more this week instead of just allowing their mentee, struggling or not, to read the whole section independently. Kelly told me that she had refreshed them on the reading strategies in class and told them not to have the 3rd graders read the whole section by themselves. That was a positive change today.

However, because of the extra time, I noticed that after the pairs were finished with the magazine part, instead of starting the next step (reading the free book together), they skipped it and started playing hangman or tic-tac-toe. The mentors need more direction on what their roles are--the leader. It is their jobs to make sure the 3rd graders are focused on reading during the session, and instead, some of the mentors were causing their mentees to goof off. Part of the purpose of the program is to help 3rd graders want to read more on their own (outside of school), so when their mentors don't seem to care about sticking to the reading after the first part of the session is finished, it sends the mentees mixed signals, and that is probably confusing for them. If my professors goofed off in class instead of sticking to their lessons, I would not be too motivated to do my best work. As a mentor, it is important to show the mentee that you care about the reading lesson, and that you expect them to do their best.

Next time I tutor new SWA students on mentoring, I will be sure to focus on reading strategies and keeping the 3rd graders on task through the whole session.

Teen Trendsetters Session #4

Today, the SWA students, Kelly, and I went to DYE for session #4. I was unable to come to the past 2 since they went on Tuesdays due to scheduling conflicts the last two weeks, but I am glad we are back on for Wednesdays now. We brought 10 SWA students for 2nd period today, which is a good number. So far, we haven't had problems with numbers (TTRM requires 15 mentors and 15 mentees participating during the 10 weeks).

Interestingly, I noticed today that the SWA new student I talked about in a previous post (I'll call him Joe), looked nervous today. When I tutored him to catch him up with the other mentors, he was very unmotivated and had a negative attitude. Today, though, he probably realized that he had to take it seriously. As I monitored the session, I made sure to pay special attention to Joe and his mentee. I had to remind him what to do, but I think he'll come better prepared next week since he felt so nervous today. Even another SWA student commented on Joe looking nervous. He did it, though, and his mentee did a great job reading. She looked like she was glad he was there to read with her, and she said "bye" to him when he left. I think this will be a good experience for him.

While I was montitoring, I noticed that some of the mentors need a refresher on reading strategies because I mostly saw the 3rd graders reading aloud to the mentors, and some of them were struggling. When I tutor next time, I'll remind them to give clear instructions to the mentees, to use the reading strategies, and to guide them to the answers instead of telling them the right answers (to the questions in the magazine).

Also, I observed today that some mentees were very excited about the books they were given. They get to keep them!

That's all for today. :)

Mentoring the Mentors Again

SWA got some new students, so on Friday I went to both 2nd and 4th period to teach the new students what to do when they go to DYE to mentor their 3rd graders. I began by telling them why it is important, why they will have fun doing it, and the importance of being a positive role model for younger students. Then we took it step by step so they would know what to do when they sit down one-on-one with their 3rd graders on Wednesday. Another important step I focused on was having them memorize and practice reading strategies: model reading, choral reading, shadow reading, and independent reading. I also gave them pointers on how to assist the 3rd graders if they had a difficult time finding the answers to the questions in the student magazine. I told them it was good to point out a specific paragraph and guide them to the sentence that tells the answer. I told them that if the mentee is talking more than the mentor, that means the student is comfortable and learning what he/she needs to learn. I also told them to try to relate these topics to their everyday lives if possible. At the end, I quizzed the small group by going around the circle to see if they remembered the order of the session and the reading strategies. We go to DYE on Wednesday. This will be their 4th session out of 10.

SPSE 3220: #3 Blogging

Create a posting exploring the benefits of blogging in the classroom. Include two links to articles you found on the web that cite pros and cons of blogging in the classroom.

The pros: According to "Blogging in the Classroom": novel approach to learning and teaching, easy to use, free service at certain sites, communication tool, increased information retention

The cons: Safety can be an issue, time, access to computers ($$$)

http://www.sparta.k12.mo.us/FacultyStaff/SBaldwin/ProfDev/ShareFair/Blogging%20in%20the%20Classroom.ppt
http://www.techlearning.com/article/14180

SPSE 3220: #2 Role of Technology for Me in School

What you think the role of technology played for you in school and how you think that it will be different for your students?

Starting in middle school, my teachers started using PowerPoint to lecture instead of an overhead projector. In an elective computer class, I learned the homerow (asdf jkl;). When I had extra time, my computer teacher let me type notes to my best friend and print it out. In high school, I participated in a few group projects using video cameras (English and Drama class). Also, I learned how to type on a computer at school in Keyboarding class. I did at least 4 presentations using PowerPoint (for English). I went to the computer lab in my school to start research before writing papers sometimes, but usually I did the bulk of research at home. Also, I took electives: Multimedia Design and Programming 1, which are both computer classes. There is probably more that I'm not thinking of, too.

For my students, I think it will similar to my experience, except they will probably already know how to type by high school (or middle school). They will already know how to use many computer programs like PowerPoint. Also, they will use WebQuests; I didn't use them at all in high school. I didn't even know what they were. They will also have cell phones/ipods, etc. I didn't have a cell phone until my senior year in high school, and I've had an ipod for about 2 years now.

SPSE 3220: #1 Brief Biography

This is for my Teaching in Technology class.

I am an English/Secondary Education major and Psychology minor. My student teaching is next semester, and I am excited about it! I have lived in TN my whole life, and I'll probably be here forever. : )

New Student at SWA

Kelly got a new student in her morning class this week, so today I filled him in on what he would be doing as a reading mentor at DYE. He was very unenthusiastic about it. He told me he hates SWA, and he's been there four times already. Most of the students I have worked with up until today have been easy to get along with and motivate, but the new student today was not happy to be there at all. Who knows--maybe he'll end up liking the TTRM experience. It'll be something different than what he's been used to a SWA.

Next Wednesday, SWA has a half day, so they will be going to DYE on Tuesday instead. I won't be there because I'll be in class at that time.

That's all I have for now.
Elizabeth

Our First TTRM Session

Today we went to DYE to meet and begin mentoring the 3rd graders for the first time. The high schoolers rode to DYE in Kelly's minivan and the SRO officer's policecar. They had already turned in permission slips to be able to do this. Some days, we may have to walk to DYE, but today was so cold, I'm glad we drove there instead. The SWA students are not allowed to have their coats on during school, so it would have been pretty miserable walking in the cold, even though the school is across the street. DYE is actually across the street, up a hill, and across the parking lot from SWA.

Once we got there, we handed the secretary a list of students, and DYE's principal walked us over to a portable where we got the whole room to ourselves with the 3rd grade mentees. I thought it was a nice place for the mentoring to take place since we had space and didn't have to worry about being noisy. Kelly introduced herself and the high schoolers to the 3rd graders, and then let the mentors and mentees each pick out a colored pencil to see who their partner would be. Each mentor sat by his/her new mentee who picked his/her matching colored pencil. For the first few minutes, the mentors conversed with the 3rd graders, and then they started guiding them through the student magazine (Great Lives: Louis Pasteur). Kelly and I monitored while they were working together. As I walked around, I reminded some of the mentors of the order to go in the magazine and of the reading strategies. The mentors seemed to be doing a good job, and the 3rd graders were participating. One mentor, in particular, caught my attention because he seemed very interested in guiding his 3rd grader. He was encouraging and helped his mentee with difficult words, and I also saw him give his mentee a high five. He was talking in a clear voice so that the mentee could understand him, and he seemed to be giving clear instructions.

Another mentor, though, was not talking or guiding his mentee enough through the session. He seemed very shy, so Kelly and I need to make sure he practices more before the next session. I intervened a few times to help his 3rd grade mentee answer the questions in the magazine. He told her to read the section, but did not go in the correct order or use the reading strategies we previously discussed in class at SWA. He was not helping her find the answers to the questions, and I could tell that she was having a hard time following his guidance.

As we were monitoring, Kelly quietly told me that a mentor we had brought was not excited about coming today and that the SRO officer didn't want him to be there because he had been kicked out of his school for gang involvement. Today, however, Kelly pointed out to me that he smiled more than anyone else even though he had previously been unenthusiastic about mentoring.

When we were lined up waiting for the SRO officer to pick up the students to bring them back to SWA, I asked some of the high schoolers how they felt about mentoring. One girl told me that she enjoyed it, and she likes helping kids. She also assured me that she is not a "bad kid;" she went to DYE for elementary school and saw some of her past teachers, and she didn't want them to think negatively about her. Overall, she was excited to be at DYE and to mentor her 3rd grader. She said that she felt confident about it.

The guy that Kelly had pointed out to me earlier told me that he liked the mentoring today, but he wasn't used to being around kids. I think he will feel more confident next time since he has experience now.

I will go back on Friday to tutor newer mentors so they will be more effective next time. Overall, though, today was successful, and I can't wait to hear feedback from Kelly, the SWA students, and DYE teachers.

Mentoring the Mentors

The plan was to go to DYE on Wednesday to meet and greet with the 3rd graders. The SWA mentors had a craft planned to do with their mentee once they were paired off. However, school was called off Wednesday because of snow, so they are going to have to shorten the meet and greet next week so they can get 10 sessions in this semester.

Today I went to Kelly's 2nd and 4th period classes to mentor the high school mentors. Some of them are new to the school, so they needed to get filled in on what they were supposed to do with the 3rd grade mentees. I wanted to make sure they are confident when they begin mentoring the 3rd graders. I went over the Teacher Guide with them, focusing on how much time they have per activity and what reading strategies they can use with their mentees (Modeling, Choral Reading, Shadow Reading, and Independent Reading). Then, to review, I asked them the order of activities they will be doing during their mentor sessions. Once I felt that they knew what to do, we practiced together. They paired off, one as the mentor and the other pretending to be the mentee. Once they got through the activity in the TTRM magazine, they switched so that both would have a chance to practice mentoring. Afterwards, we reviewed the order of activities and reading strageties again.

Also, just so you know specifically what the mentors will be doing with their mentees, here is a brief description of the weekly session:

For the first 5 minutes, they will meet & greet and review last week's theme from the TTRM student magazine. The magazine's theme for this semester's 10 sessions is titled "Great Lives," and it focuses on people such as Louie Pasteur, Thomas Edison, and George Washington Carver. Next, they will spend 15 minutes on the student magazine (title, pictures, vocabulary words, "find it" grammar review, reading section, timeline, and questions about the reading). Finally, they will read through a book together that TTRM provides for us to give to the mentees, and the mentees will be able to keep the book.

As I reviewed the mentors today, I noticed that some of them were very confident and excited about participating in this reading program. Others seemed nervous and shy about taking on the role of the mentor. After all, some of the vocabulary words in the student magazine were tough (e.g. microorganisms). Each week, I will be going with them to DYE for one hour and reviewing/mentoring new students on how to mentor their 3rd graders for one hour at SWA. Hopefully they will become more confident in their leadership abilities once they have started. Our first day will be next Wednesday, and I am excited! : )

Elizabeth

Kelly and me at the TTRM Summit in Orlando (Fall 08)

Meeting with DYE 3rd grade teachers

Today I went to Smyrna West to meet Kelly's students and talk about scheduling. Since the TTRM program requires 15 high school students, she is using two of her classes to participate as mentors for the 3rd graders at DYE. Right now, she has 15 students between her 2nd and 4th period classes, and the numbers may change any day. In fact, she says she wouldn't be surprised if she gets 2 more students tomorrow. She has already been training her students to mentor from the curriculum that TTRM has sent her. Each high school student will mentor a 3rd grader using the magazine that is focused on great leaders in history. Each mentor will have 10 sessions with their mentee this spring semester. Towards the end of each session, the mentors will give their mentees free books to take home with them and keep. The TTRM program provides these books to us as long as we have 15 participating mentors and give them a few statistics. For more info about TTRM, here is the website: http://www.teentrendsetters.com/.

Also, today was my first time at Smyrna West, so I observed how different the environment is there compared with other high schools. They are not allowed everyday privileges like using ketchup at lunch unless they have shown good behavior long enough to be at a high level, I think like level 4. The lower level students have not been at Smyrna West for long or have not shown enough good behavior yet to get up to higher levels. They are evaluated on their behavior everyday. Also, in most classes, they are not allowed to talk to each other, and they are especially not allowed to talk about why they are there. Kelly said that since her class is service learning, they are allowed to talk in there more than any other class. Also, some of the other teachers have commented that the students should not be allowed to go to DYE and talk if they are not at high levels, but since she does not have many students, she does not have much choice. The important thing is that the principal is on board and accomodating to what we need to do to participate in the TTRM program.

After I met with Kelly and her students, we travelled over to DYE to meet with Angela Montgomery, the 3rd grade teacher that Kelly has been communicating with over email. We worked out scheduling and met some other 3rd grade teachers. Kelly gave her permission slips as well. The teachers seemed very excited and accomodating about having the Smyrna West students mentor their 3rd graders! This will be a great opportunity!

I also got to meet the principals from Smyrna West and David Youree today, and they were both excited about the reading program. Mrs. Davenport, Smyrna West principal, was glad to have me helping out at the school. Both principals were very welcoming and glad to see us starting up this reading program.

That's all for now!
Elizabeth

Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentors

To kick off my new practicum that I will be doing at Smyrna West Alternative School, I will try to be brief since I do not have much time to type right now. (I'll continue later, but I want to get as much out as possible now since I'm on my computer.)

I met Kelly Messerly, an English/Reading/Librarian/Service Learning teacher from Smyrna West, at a conference I went to last semester (Fall 08) to get certified to teach service learning in the secondary school. She told me that her principal encourages her to sign up for anything that is free, and she had received some info about a free trip to Orlando, FL to learn about a reading program called Teen Trendsetters. She knew little information about the program, but thought it was worth looking in to. The program required a lead teen, and since she teaches at an alternative school, a lead teen may not be the best option since some of her students come and go throughout the year. It seemed to her at a college student would be a great fit, especially in the beginning the implementation of the reading program.

I signed up, we went to Florida, and it was free and fun! They gave us free meals, airfare, and an afternoon at Universal Studios! It was a fun way to get to know Kelly better, and I am really looking forward to helping her get this program started.

What we learned at the workshop in Orlando is that TTRM (Teen Trendsetters Reading Mentors) is a reading program that up until this point has only been implemented in the state of Florida. They have grown and seen many positive changes and now wish to see the program spread throughout the country. Kelly and I met a teacher and her lead teen from Eagleville High School, which is a small school in Rutherford Country, and we hung out with them throughout the workshop. We are keeping in touch with them to help each other out with starting the program. In TTRM, we will be sending high school students to mentor 3rd graders at a nearby elementary school (David Youree--my mom teaches 2nd grade there!). The program gives us free books that the high school mentors will give to the 3rd graders (mentees) to keep! It sounds like a really great way for lower achieving high school students to gain confidence and take up a different role than they are used to taking! They are used to being the students, and in this program, they will act as the reversal--the mentor and leader. It's great for high school students and it gives the 3rd graders someone besides their teacher and EAs to look up to. And they get free books! I will get more specific about the program as I go along.

Kelly and I have been emailing each other, and I am meeting with her and the 3rd grade representative, Angela Montgomery in a few days. I will also be meeting the high school students sometime early next week. Kelly and I still need to work out scheduling. Also, a problem we have right now is we do not have enough high school students. TTRM requires 15, so hopefully we will get some more, and Kelly may be able to work something out with Teecy, the head of the program in FL.

This has been long, and I haven't even gone over all of it! More to come of course.

Elizabeth