Part C:
To what extent you were expected to follow a
scripted curriculum, or add your own ideas to a curriculum that already exists,
or create a unit that is entirely new?
- I was required to use activity
packets that my MT uses while covering the 6 traits of writing, but those
packets were simply a reference for my students. I was given a lot of freedom
to create my own lesson activities, which mimicked those in the packets, but
were implemented my way. There were several whole-class discussions as well as
pieces of individual written work that I was able to obtain by branching off of
the scripted curriculum.
What was unproblematic and/or challenging about
planning a unit in this context?
- Having the scripted packets gave me
a starting place, in terms of creating my own lesson. I was able to see one way
of covering material and from there, make a lesson that included the same
material, but in a way that was suitable and interesting to my students. I had
the freedom to explore and use other resources within my unit and that helped
my students to become more involved with the material and ultimately take away
more from each lesson. Initially, I was challenged with the thought that I
would have to somehow fit every activity from the packets into my lessons, but
after discussing this with my MT, I realized that I could use whichever
activities I wanted, and that the rest could simply be used for extra practice.
What obstacles did you face? How did you overcome
them?
- I think that throughout the entire
guided lead teaching experience, the obstacle that continued to cause issues
for me was the limited time. In the middle school setting, students only get 45
minutes for each class, meaning that I only got 45 minutes to get through my
entire lesson each day. Initially, this was a problem because I felt rushed
through the activities and wouldn’t complete what I had hoped to. This caused
me to miss out on meaningful discussion in the beginning of the unit, however,
once I realized that the time limit was a reoccurring issue, I altered my future
lesson plans so that the writing activities were assigned for homework and
class time could be spent on actually teaching the material and getting
feedback from the kids.
What dilemmas (if any) did you face and how did you
manage them? Consider issues that may relate to developing your professional
identity, developing strong teacher-student relationships, constructing
relevant curriculum, or assessing students in meaningful and productive ways.
- I felt as though most of my students
comprehended the material within the unit, and when asked if they had
questions, there were typically very few. It wasn’t until I would review their
formative assessments that I was able to see exactly who was able to
successfully demonstrate what. Several students we’re confused about what could
and could not be a transition word, and instead of asking for assistance, they
just assumed and ended up making it more difficult on themselves than need be.
After observing this, I made sure to check in on students throughout the
lesson’s activities and monitor their progress. This allowed me to see my
students as specific, individual learners rather than gage the class’s progress
on a whole-class scale.
Did the unit proceed as you expected? Why or why
not?
- Looking back on the unit as a whole,
I feel as though I was able to accomplish what I had hoped to accomplish in the
ten-day span. There were days that had to be altered and assignments that ended
up changing throughout guided lead teaching, however, these were made with the
best interest of the students in mind, and resulted in better overall
understanding of the unit material. Students were still able to demonstrate
understanding of my objectives and were able to do so at their own pace.
What surprises or “aha moments” did you experience?
- If I learned anything from this guided lead teaching
experience it was that modeling within instruction is essential. I think that I
had anticipated that my students, being in 6th grade, would be able
to simply understand what I wanted from them. Although this may have been the
case in some situations, for the most part, any and all modeling that I could
offer my students ended up being beneficial for both them, and me. It made it
very clear what I was expecting, without repeating instructions multiple times
and perhaps getting frustrated. The importance of modeling is something that I
will take with me as I move on in my teaching career and attempt to do as much
as possible while implementing lessons in the future.
What do you still need to learn about teaching in
this target area, about your developing your core practice’ and about teaching
literacy in general?
- Even though I made sure to practice
differentiated instruction as much as possible, I still worry that I am not
able to communicate with my ELL students as well as I do with other students. I
realize that part of this issue is out of my control, however, it is important
to me that they, and I, feel comfortable and confident with any instructions
and expectations. I have made a conscious effort to support them as best I can,
but I am still struggling with how to do this while not losing the attention of
the rest of the class. Although this is something that I am concerned about,
I’m sure with more practice and experience that I will find a comfortable
balance between the two.
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