Saturday, September 24, 2011

3 Reflections for This School Year

Every year, I seem to grow more reflective in my practice, which is both a blessing and a curse. Perhaps you can't see why it would be a curse, as we are encouraged as educators to reflect on what we do.  Accomplishing tasks like curriculum mapping and lesson planning, however, take more time and brain power now because I  require so much brainstorming/processing time before I even get to the part where I can write anything. Hopefully, as I gain more experience as a 4th grade teacher, this process will take less time!

In any case, I have been working on these "big ideas" for myself as a teacher, and as always, I find great benefit in sharing with my wonderful network of educators around the globe.

  • Students need to reflect!  If we value an assignment so much that we allow an extended period of time for its completion, then we need to take the time afterward for students to reflect. Perhaps you already do this with student rubrics or some other method of reflection, but I recently found it very helpful after students read my comments on their work for them to respond with their opinions. Questions I asked included, "Do you think that this piece reflected your best effort?" "What were some of the challenges for you?" "What will you do similarly or differently next time?"  I received feedback from both parents and students indicating that they found this process helpful, especially for identifying issues of time management and developing plans for future success.
  • When integrating technology, it's critical to ask: "Am I just adding more 'stuff' to my curriculum or using technology as a way to let students process and showcase what they are learning?" I am working to synthesize the curriculum that I have with apps like "Showme" where students can use a screencast to demonstrate their process and understanding. Viewing their Showme's later has given me such an incredible window into student process! Isn't this the epitome of formative assessment?  So far, in math this has worked out extremely well, and I plan to use it this week for lessons with writing mechanics, beginning with comma use.  My plan is to then email the link to the Showme to the student, attach a few comments, and engage in a dialogue about their process. I see great opportunities for metacognition. 
  • When we offer students extra support, we must be careful to send the right messages. I am sure that I have, at times, ( more often than I care to admit!) impacted student efficacy negatively by jumping in too fast to alleviate confusion. Perhaps I have even given the impression that I believed that they "needed my support" to succeed.  We must be patient in the messy learning process, pause, and give students the opportunity for the "aha" experience. Of course, this is so tricky when so many other kids are clamoring for our attention, right? We must somehow be present, available, and open for them to discover their own benefit in seeking help and make it part of everyone's learning to need help.  I really want students to know that it is a sign of strength to make mistakes, as well as solicit feedback and clarification! 
I am thinking of many other topics, of course, but hope to write again soon on those. Intrinsic motivation, behavior management systems, and parental involvement are at the top of the list!
    What are some thoughts, reflections, questions on your mind as you get into the school year? Please share! 

    6 comments:

    Katie Hellerman said...

    Thanks for the great reminders Joan!

    Among other things, I've been really focused on reflecting with my students on their work. Even though it takes more time, I spend time every day with each one of them talking about their experience doing the class work or homework. I get the sense that when I do this, they feel "seen". (As a bonus, the quality of work has improved)

    Joan Young (aka Mancini) said...

    Katie,
    Thanks so much for sharing. It's so important for us to take the time to assess not only the final product but hear about the process that students are going through. I love the way you say, "they feel seen." Students really need to know that we see and know them.
    Time certainly seems to be the biggest obstacle to regular reflection, but what better way to spend it than to get to know our students and help them understand themselves and their learning better?
    Thanks again.

    Jeffrey Cufaude said...

    When facilitating, I'm always mindful of Nevitt's Sanford concept of challenge and support. The metaphor that generally keeps me from jumping in too quickly is that of a spotter for someone lifting weights.

    You want your spotter to have her hands over the bar with every one of your reps, but to not put them to use helping you until your muscles are shaking uncontrollably. otherwise you never grow (or learn when applied to the classroom pr workshop setting).

    Sarah3ahary said...

    I agree with you - students need to learn how to reflect. For example, writing an essay is very important in receiving quality education. The essay helps students to develop critical thinking and research skills, as well as the ability to develop and logically defend a position. If students need an assist with academic college paper writing and or looking for reliable college papers expert writers online, they always consult AussieEssayWriter - this website can help make college paper original, well-written and based on true facts. And they don’t turn to instructors. All this stuff makes me believe that we need new vision of teaching where there is less teacher talk and more student talk, where teachers focus on how to help students take responsibility for their own learning.

    Unknown said...

    Yes, it's true, the students really need it. I think that if in the future to bring this initiative on a permanent basis, the results will not keep you wait so long. A few months ago I also thought about this issue and even wrote an article on my blog using the help of these guys 99 papers. I talked about it just like you did.

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