The Fundamental 5. Fabulous? Fiction, or Fluff?
A book study by the teachers at Edna Junior High.
Ah! The tables have turned and the teachers have been given homework! Our fearless Fleener, (aka building principal) in his quest to make us even more fundamentally fabulous than we presently are, has given us assignment to read a book, yes a book, albeit a thin volume, and process the information compiled by Sean Cain and Mike Laird. We are all giving it the 'ol college try...
Our first task was : Read Chapters 1 through 3, and be ready to expound on ways to "frame" lessons.
Please...Share your thoughts to any or all of the thought provokers below...or whatever else your professional burning desire prompts you to!
- As you delved into this text, share what your thoughts were before starting the book?
- What did you affirm or question in the introduction?
- As you perused the Overview, how could you see the 5 fundamentals working in our school?
- How has the lesson framing been going? Is it helpful to you, the teacher? Do you see it as a benefit to your students?
I as I write this I still have two periods to visit classrooms with teachers. Some observations. I like having time scheduled to visit classrooms as it keeps other incidents from intruding on that time. I feel the discussions we had were productive and will lead to greater achievement for our students. Some positives I saw: one teacher who used higher level vocabulary in the "we will" statement also defined it for the students in student friendly language. That is a great way to reinforce the vocabulary. One was able to raise the rigor with the student product (I will statement). I do think we need to work on "I will" statement being a specific student activity or product that can be done during that specific instructional period. Also I would like to see teachers using the Choral Response technique to go over the statements with the students so they have a clear understanding of the learning expectations that day. Great Job! Please tell me your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteCreating my lesson frame forces me to really examine not only what the students are doing but where their thinking is. But how do we get students to attend to the frame? Or do they need to? Many of the kids I asked said that, yes, they did notice the statements, but no, they didn't really read them.( Or so they say.)
ReplyDeleteMy other stumbling block is often in language arts especially, we are doing multiple skills some days- do I try to incorporate all of them in the statements? Do I choose the most emergent skill?
I enjoyed the learning walk-it confirmed what I already know- our campus has wonderful, hard working teachers. ;)
I believe the I WILL and WE WILL statements posted on the board will keep teachers on track during a lesson (especially me!) and keep students resposible for their own learning. During class, I found myself turning to my board multiple times reinforcing the I will statement. Framing the lesson in I WILL and WE WILL statements is also more student friendly language. The statements are the basically the TEKS but in terms that the students can understand. I had my kids repeat the I WILL and WE WILL statements and I feel that is a great way to start a lesson and to let them know "Hey, this is what you are going to learn today!"
ReplyDeleteHowever, when teaching a new unit/concept, my WE WILL statement may stay the same. Is this okay? In science, I sometimes cover multiple concepts in one class period. Overall, as a new teacher, I believe not only will this help out my students, but it will keep me focused in the classroom and remind myself what exactly my kiddos are suppose to learn that day!
Great job EJH teachers! For the classrooms (teachers) that I saw today, you are great role models for a newbie like myself!
It was an interesting day with the visitors in my class "checking" out my "We Will" and "I Will" statements. Was it enough? Was I on target? These ideas did go through my head when my colleagues visited my classroom and I began to become apprehensive about the whole situation. Granted - I don't rarely get ruffled by administrators coming into my classroom; but somehow this was a bit unnerving.I found myself hoping for some type of affirmation from my colleagues to help me keep my nerves in check. Alas, nothing was given and the bell would ring to signal the end of class.
ReplyDeleteSo did everyone feel this way? Or was it just me? I have to admit that the We Will and I Will statements do keep me on topic and I find myself referring back to them as a "check" to reinforce the concepts taught. I find the statements easier to use than referring to the TEKS objectives all day and my students comprehend the words I am using. I still struggle with the statements and discerning if I have used "enough" information on the statements and if my I WILL statement is good enough.
I also visited classrooms today and saw some very good teaching. The students were engaged and I learned a few things too. The teachers were checking for understanding and monitoring the student's feedback. The We Will and I Will statements were clearly printed on the boards and their lessons were on target. There was no guessing as to what was being taught. I can only assume that with more practice and dedication the process will become easier.
I agree Sonya! We all need some positive feedback! Let's make that part of the walk -to leave a sticky note on the door with an affirmation or two. As far as constructive feedback is concerned...I believe we need to use these walks to internally improve ourselves....as we observe others, it should prompt us to reflect on our own practices.
ReplyDeleteI agree in that the We Will, I Will statements help me stay on track for the class and also a great way for the kids to know what will be done in class and what they will be expected to do. From the rooms I went into I could tell by the We Will and I Will statements what was being done/expected in each class. I think by framing the lesson we are breaking the TEKS down into a language that the students can understand.
ReplyDeleteKelly Maxwell
Sarah and I walked throught the sixth grade hall and I saw great things happening. Teachers were teaching, kids were engaged and learning was underway. The majority of the teachers had their "I will" and "We will" statement posted on their board.
ReplyDeleteI know that for my lesson it was definitely on the lower end of Blooms because when the students walked in I had them write me two sentences telling me what they know about a pyramid and prism. Some wrote nothing, some had false information, some knew very little, and the list goes on. This was even the case for some in my enrichment class. Therefore, we had to start at the bottom. I had kids telling me that there could three or more bases on a figure.
Kelly, I agree that framing the lesson is breaking down the TEKS into a kid-friendly language because in the past I posted the TEK or TEKS we were covering on the board and that is as far as it went. IF they EVEN read it, I am sure they didn't understand what they were reading. This gives a new and better understanding for the students.
Thank you Candace for your humble reflections. We often get frustrated when we think the kids should have retained previously taught info--their poor brains don't know how and where to store knowledge far too often. We can use these statements and those oh-so-powerful VERBS in the statements to show them where they are and where we would expect them to be.
DeleteSomething I have noticed was that a few of my students have been taking notice of the "We will" and "I will" statements without me having to mention them even being there. I've had some that stop to look at the board as soon as they walk in the door and say "Oh so that is what we are doing today" or they have stopped another student and said "this is what we must be learning today in class."
ReplyDeleteI will admit that I did not have my statements up today since my classes were taking a test and I really didn't know how to phrase them...and well I did have students call me out on them not being posted!
When it came to the walk-through, I will agree with Mrs. Proper that it made me a bit nervous! Also, even though I had explained to my students what was going to happen with the teachers coming in and out and assured my students that it was for me and not them it still managed to put my class on edge and I completely lost them for a few minutes.
When I visited other classrooms it was interesting to see how other teachers had their statements. In one class I saw how a teacher utilized different colors to separate the different concepts in the "I will" statement and how they had a list of the day's activities listed on the board which was tied into the "I will" statements.
Also looking at some of the statements as a whole I can see that I may be too board with mine (even though I though I was being specific enough) and I was able to see a few areas that I need improvements with.
-Elaina Rusk
I didn't put the We will... and I will... statements up one day before 1st period and it was one of the first things that the students commented on. The fact that they are noticing this speaks volumes about it's impact. The kids really seem to appreciate knowing what the day's lesson will be about and what the expectations are for them.
DeleteElaina, your reflection on your own practices speaks volumes of your professional growth in this crazy trade! :) Thanks for your insight. As the learning walks become more routine, hopefully students ( as well as teachers) will see it not as a "gothcha" but simply as demonstrating accountability for our learning.
ReplyDeleteI felt my lesson went extremely well! It made my students more at ease with one specific thing to zone in on. I also thought the classrooms I walked through yesterday really seemed to be on top of it and it seemed to be going very well for them also. It made me feel a lot more organized with it yesterday and it takes me planning to a whole new level!
ReplyDeleteJoanna Fitch
This is my second attempt at joining this post. I tried last week, and my words of wisdom are evidently somewhere in cyperspace. So, ... I'll try again.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous - my schedule did not allow me to participate in the walk throughs last Tuesday, but I have enjoyed hearing and reading all the comments about teachers being impressed with other teachers. It's nice to hear positive feedback, because goodness knows we don't hear it from our students!!
I'm always searching for new ideas to "borrow" from other teachers, so I'm looking forward to visiting classrooms.
I have been pleasantly surprised watching students walk in and look for the "We will, I will" statements first thing. They seem to have a sense of curiosity about what's to come with the little bit of info they read. Framing the lesson seems like such a no-brainer now that we've used it for a couple of weeks. It's nice to have a method that has been proven effective be so easy - and free!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Robin Etheredge
Thanks for your input, Robin!
DeleteThank you for the great insights! It is wonderful that the students are looking and wanting to see these statements in their classrooms. And hopefully it is helping with your planning for your lessons and reteaching based on student understanding. Thank you for your hard work and I look forward to adding the next component.
ReplyDelete