Advice?

I am hoping to get some advice from all of you. I have noticed that the students in my class come up to me and ask me for help all of the time. Usually, it is with very minor things, like "I finished my story, what do I do" or "I don't know what this means." I want to help these students, but usually, they can ask others and figure it out. And usually, when they approach me, I am working with someone else. How can I discourage this overly dependent behavior? They are fourth graders, and I don't want them to be asking me every time they have a small question. Also, it is unfair to the student I am working with at that moment. Do any of you have any suggestions?

A new day, an new lesson

Today, I taught the second of my three lessons on fluency. These are the lessons that I am basing on my case study students that I am assessing for 497. I am doing this project on two kids, instead of one, and with both students (average fourth grade readers, I believe) struggled to read fluently. My CT and I figured that all of my class could probably benefit from some lessons on fluency, so I have been teaching these lessons to the whole class.

Today, we focused on trying to say words like what they might sound like, because it would help us understand the text better. I read a poem and had them listen for words I emphasized, and then we did another together. Then, after we worked as a whole group, I had them go off and work together in partnerships. They all practiced reading the poem, and then shared in the last 10 minutes of Lit. I hadn't originally planned to have them work together on this, and I also hadn't planned on having them perform. However, both of these choices were good ones, I felt. I felt that several students needed the extra support of working with a partner for this activity. Also, because so many students worked so hard on it, I felt that they would really enjoy sharing. I only had them share one line, but it worked out really well.

Tomorrow, we are going to work on speaking like characters, and will be doing some reader's theater. I am very excited about this, and so are the students. I passed out their scripts today, and I feel that it will go well. Also, I am trying to work a little more on the equity piece for this project. I am having three students who are quiet and don't contribute that much be "facilitators." They will fill the "director" role for their group, in addition to reading their own parts. I feel that this will give these students the opportunity to really get involved, and will help them seem more capable to their peers.

There were some minor management issues today with a few students. During my lesson, there was a group of about four students who were whispering to each other. At first, I was kept reminding them that while I was speaking, they needed to be listening. This worked for a moment, but then they would start it up again. Finally, I moved over to sit near them and continued my lesson from a few feet away. It worked, and they stopped chatting. Two of these students were also chatty during the partner time. I was conferring with other groups, so I didn't deal as effectively with them at that time, but when I went over to work with them, they did get back on task, although I think they got off again later.

I also started to use the facilitator role in the daily language today. We have been trying to get the students familiar with these roles in math and literacy, and facilitator is relatively new. I had the students talk in their groups about the work, and then the facilitator shared. It worked out very well. The students were much more engaged. Also, I think students who don't usually contribute shared in their groups.

I also provided an adaptation for a student during writing as well. This was the first time I had ever really done this. This particular student is usually pulled for literacy, but today, the students were writing stories in the afternoon. All of the students had an outline to help them plan for their stories, but this particular student was not really getting started even on that. I went and talked with her, and tried to get her started, but she didn't want to do it. I went around and helped a few others, and then came back to her. Instead of having her fill out her outline, I asked her questions, and filled it out for her. It worked out very well. She had lots of ideas, but just hadn't written them down. After we finished her outline, I got her the paper to write her story on, and then told her I would come back, and she got started on the story right away. It really worked well. This student regularly has behavior issues, and she did later in the day, but I felt that, for that period of time, I helped her feel like she could succeed. It was a wonderful feeling.

So, overall, a great day!

Literacy and other news

So I taught a lesson in literacy today. It went really well. It was one of my mini-lessons based on what I discovered during my literacy assessments. The teaching point was paying attention to conventions when reading because they tell us how the writer wants us to read the page. I read a book to the kids, and had them think about what I did, and then we read it together a couple of times.

The kids did an awesome job with it. They were really engaged in it, and they had a lot of fun with the story, I think. I originally hadn't chosen this story, but then, after remembering that it was on my bookshelf, I looked at it, and thought it would be a good one because it was very repetitive, and is also Halloween themed. The text was pretty easy for the kids, so they didn't really struggle to decode the words. The only problem with it was an abundance of capitalized words, so I had to project my voice quite a bit while we were reading together. My throat started hurting, so I must have been pretty loud. (Poor neighbors, LOL.)

The choral reading took a little longer than I had intended, but I was still able to confer with a few students. However, if I were to do this lesson again, I might try to take a little more time with it so I could get around to more people.

Also, though the kids were pretty engaged, I felt like I didn't really get to pay much attention to them, because I was trying too hard to be the lead voice. My eyes were pretty glued to the book. In the future, I would like to be able to look around a little more.

I am also teaching on fluency again on Wednesday and Thursday. I am excited. This lesson went really well, and the other ones are even more fun, so I think the kids will be even more engaged.

YAY!!

Videotaping

I just finished watching a video of myself teaching. I noticed quite a few things that made me very happy. First of all, you could hear me the whole time. I had been concerned about that, because I have often been told I mumble, but I was projecting, so it seems I have improved in that.

Also, as I was watching this, I was thinking about the first time I ever videotaped myself teaching, and I must say, I feel I have improved a lot. When I first started teaching during practicums, I seemed so meek and scared. It was no wonder I had management problems that quarter. While I still feel like I can get better at managing the class, at least I don't look like the kids are going to eat me alive anymore. I feel like I have become a lot more confident than I was in the past.

Also, I remembered, as I was watching the video, something that I did during a discussion time. One of the students in the class frequently takes over every discussion, and does all of the work for every activity. Yesterday, while he was think-pair-sharing with his partner, I listened in, and then directed the focus to his partner. This helped to equalize what was happening between the two of them, I think.

One thing that I noticed was that I tend to call on the same kids a lot. I think this happens because they are often the ones who are raising their hands. I think I want to start a new system so I don't call on the same people all the time. I have heard from some teachers that they have a can filled with sticks that have the kids names on them, and these teachers just pull from that when they are asking questions. I like this idea because it promotes equity, however, I am concerned about using it in times that the student might not know the answer. He/she might feel intimidated by having to share.

I also feel like I am doing a good job of focusing on the students when they are sharing their ideas. This makes me happy, although I know that I also need to pay attention to other things. I really want the kids to know that I respect them and value what they have to say, and showing that I am listening to them is really important. I feel that I have been good at doing that.

Today

So, I taught the last of what would have been my TWS if I hadn't bombed the first one today. It went well. I felt weird teaching it though. I had planned on something else, but when I was planning, I just never felt right about my teaching point. This morning, I talked with Carole, and she pointed out that I still hadn't taught them some of the things that were required for my assessment. So right before my lesson, I changed my teaching point. That is sort of what happened in my first two lessons, as well, but those ones were not successful.

So what was different? I think my internalization of the objective. I really felt like today, and yesterday, I really knew what I wanted the students to learn. I also didn't let the students take me on any digressions. I stayed on my teaching point. There was one point when the students wanted to discuss something other than the lesson, but I stuck with it, and told them we weren't going to talk about that yet.

I also think that bringing up my goal to the students repeatedly really helped me as well. I said it several times to the students, and that really helped to keep me focused as well. The students knew what I wanted, and because I kept saying it, I feel that I kept being reminded of it.

Hurray, I was successful today!

A Change to my Teaching Point

So, when I was trying to solidify my teaching point this evening for this blog, I was really debating between the one in my original post, and visualizing what is happening in the problems that they are solving. I had put comparing the numbers that they are using to one another to see how they are the same and how they are different. However, I don't feel any longer that that would be all that helpful to the students. What I am actually going to have them do is really focus on picturing what is happening in the problem. I want them to really think about what is going on in the problem. Several of the problems are multi-step problems. Others are money problems. I really want to see the students thinking about what is happening in these problems. My teaching point is going to be that the students really visualize what is happening in the problem. What is going on? I want them to picture it in their minds so they understand it. Some ways that I am going to support them in this is through drawings, place value blocks, and numberlines. I really want the students to think about what is going on, and I think these representations will help them do that.

Third time is sort of the charm

So I taught my third math lesson today. It went much better than all of my other lessons that I taught today. I felt much better about it. Lots of things were improved.

What went well?
First, I was really solid on my teaching point, and I stuck to it throughout the entire lesson. I stated it right off the bat at the start of the lesson, and addressed it several times during the discussion. Even after I had sent the students off to work independently, I still brought up my teaching point to individuals, reminding them that they needed to think about the similarities and differences. I think this helped them to refocus.
I also felt that I did a good job of assessing and monitoring the students' understandings with my teaching point in mind. As I was wandering around the room, observing what students were doing, I knew that very few, if any, of the students were actually starting the problems the way I wanted them to. Knowing that few students had the start that I needed, I was able to think about what I needed to do.
I improved in selecting and sequencing who I had discuss their ideas as well. At first, when I asked the students who had used the first starter problem to solve their main problem, I did call on some people that I shouldn't have called on. One students raised her hand saying she had solved her problem that way, but she hadn't, and I called on her. It did cause us to digress a little. But with the other students that I called on, I conferred with them before I had them come up, and was really clear about what they were thinking. I also was really thinking about which of the two students I chose had an easier idea for the class to understand. I still need to work on this, but I do feel like I am getting better.
When I was conferring with individuals, I felt that I did a really good job of not spending too much time with one student. I didn't confer a whole lot with my focus students, but I moved to lots of groups that were really struggling, and tried to refocus them. This wandering of the class really helped me to know who was doing what, and what the students were understanding.
Management was better overall. There were still some students who were bored, and I didn't feel that I provided them with enough checks for understanding. However, there weren't as many problems with students getting up to go to the bathroom, or whispering to their neighbor, although some of that did still happen.
What would I do differently?
If I were to teach this lesson again tomorrow, I think that I would be more cautious about who I called on to share their ideas about the strategy. I called on one student without checking what she had done, and I think it caused her to be unsuccessful. I want to really focus on not calling on individuals who I have not talked with. I have no idea what they will say, and that confuses me and the students.
I would also do more checks for understanding if I were going teach this again. Throughout the lesson, many students were confused and bored. I really want to be sure that they are engaged, so I need to think of more ways to engage them. I have those engagements written in my lesson plans, but when I am teaching, I tend to forget where they were. I need to work on letting go and letting the students share their ideas with each other. This will help them to be more engaged.

Where will I take the students tomorrow?
My teaching point for tomorrow is going to be really thinking about the differences between the numbers that they are using. I really want these students to focus on the numbers that they are using. I want them to think about what they are doing to these numbers. One of the activities that they will be playing will be Which is Farther? How Much Farther? For this activity, the students will really need to be thinking about what is similar and what is different about the two numbers that they are using. I want them, much like they did today, to really think about what is the same, and what is different in the numbers that they choose. I want them to be compare the numbers that they see in front of them. So, in kid language, my teaching point will be, I want you to think about the numbers that you are using, and see how they are the same, and how they are different.

My questions
How can you tell which idea should be shared first? Which one is easiest to understand? Which one will naturally build into another?