I think I did great in planning the time for today's Art lesson. Most of the students finished within the period.
I created a net for the red pockets before hand, and I explained to the students what a net is. I showed them how to cut along the solid lines and how to fold along the dotted lines. I learned from my last Art class (the Valentine's card one) that writing numbers to show them the sequence of the steps would work really well, so I did the same thing for this lesson. I numbered the tabs to show them which one to fold first and where to glue. The lesson went smoothly, and most of the students understood and did pretty well.
I brought in some samples of red pockets to show the students what they could draw on theirs. I told them that this year is the year of the pig, so they might want to draw pigs on their red pockets. They could also draw flowers and other plants, which is more traditional. I put up my samples so that they could refer to them while they were working.
To my surprise, some of the students went up to the board and tried to copy the Chinese words on the sample red pockets! I find that very cute and creative. Some told me that the Chinese words are very hard to write, and a Chinese girl said that it is easy for her because she is Chinese. It opened up a space for the sharing of culture among the students.
I bought some chocolate coins to put into their red pockets, but I forgot to bring them with me. At first, I thought that it didn't matter because that was not the point of the lesson. However, when I thought of how the kids would love the coins, I decided to bring them in on Wednesday. One student asked me what do they do with the red pockets, so I told them that I had a surprise for them, but they had to wait for two days because I forgot to bring them. They were really excited!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Lesson Reflection: Feb.19, 07 -- Red Pockets
I think I did great in planning the time for today's Art lesson. Most of the students finished within the period.
I created a net for the red pockets before hand, and I explained to the students what a net is. I showed them how to cut along the solid lines and how to fold along the dotted lines. I learned from my last Art class (the Valentine's card one) that writing numbers to show them the sequence of the steps would work really well, so I did the same thing for this lesson. I numbered the tabs to show them which one to fold first and where to glue. The lesson went smoothly, and most of the students understood and did pretty well.
I brought in some samples of red pockets to show the students what they could draw on theirs. I told them that this year is the year of the pig, so they might want to draw pigs on their red pockets. They could also draw flowers and other plants, which is more traditional. I put up my samples so that they could refer to them while they were working.
To my surprise, some of the students went up to the board and tried to copy the Chinese words on the sample red pockets! I find that very cute and creative. Some told me that the Chinese words are very hard to write, and a Chinese girl said that it is easy for her because she is Chinese. It opened up a space for the sharing of culture among the students.
I bought some chocolate coins to put into their red pockets, but I forgot to bring them with me. At first, I thought that it didn't matter because that was not the point of the lesson. However, when I thought of how the kids would love the coins, I decided to bring them in on Wednesday. One student asked me what do they do with the red pockets, so I told them that I had a surprise for them, but they had to wait for two days because I forgot to bring them. They were really excited!
I created a net for the red pockets before hand, and I explained to the students what a net is. I showed them how to cut along the solid lines and how to fold along the dotted lines. I learned from my last Art class (the Valentine's card one) that writing numbers to show them the sequence of the steps would work really well, so I did the same thing for this lesson. I numbered the tabs to show them which one to fold first and where to glue. The lesson went smoothly, and most of the students understood and did pretty well.
I brought in some samples of red pockets to show the students what they could draw on theirs. I told them that this year is the year of the pig, so they might want to draw pigs on their red pockets. They could also draw flowers and other plants, which is more traditional. I put up my samples so that they could refer to them while they were working.
To my surprise, some of the students went up to the board and tried to copy the Chinese words on the sample red pockets! I find that very cute and creative. Some told me that the Chinese words are very hard to write, and a Chinese girl said that it is easy for her because she is Chinese. It opened up a space for the sharing of culture among the students.
I bought some chocolate coins to put into their red pockets, but I forgot to bring them with me. At first, I thought that it didn't matter because that was not the point of the lesson. However, when I thought of how the kids would love the coins, I decided to bring them in on Wednesday. One student asked me what do they do with the red pockets, so I told them that I had a surprise for them, but they had to wait for two days because I forgot to bring them. They were really excited!
Monday, February 19, 2007
Lesson Reflection: Feb.19, 07 -- Dragon Dance
It was Chinese New Year yesterday, and the celebrations are going to continue for another two weeks , so I read a picture book about Chinese New Year to the students today. I explained to them about the traditions as I read, so that they could get a better sense of what it is like to celebrate Chinese New Year. The Chinese students in the class were pretty excited in sharing their knowledge with the rest of the class, which was great for discussion.
After reading the book, I asked some Chinese students to share with the class what they did for the last couple of days. They were more than willing to share their exciting experiences! I think that was the time when the students learned the most, because the information is real-life rather than from a fiction, and their peers are experiencing them first-hand. One of the non-Chinese students told us that his grandparents would give him money on Chinese New Year, which was very surprising for me, because I have never heard of someone from another culture celebrating for Chinese New Year.
Before I taught the lesson, I thought about the order in which I would guide them through the 5 Ws organizing plan for the story. I think I did it much better than last time, because I am more organized and I planned the sequence. The lesson flowed well, and the students seemed to understand it.
Overall, I think the lesson went pretty well. If I can do it again, I think I will read the book through once, and then read it again and stop every now and then for discussion. That way, the story would flow better and it would seem more coherent.
After reading the book, I asked some Chinese students to share with the class what they did for the last couple of days. They were more than willing to share their exciting experiences! I think that was the time when the students learned the most, because the information is real-life rather than from a fiction, and their peers are experiencing them first-hand. One of the non-Chinese students told us that his grandparents would give him money on Chinese New Year, which was very surprising for me, because I have never heard of someone from another culture celebrating for Chinese New Year.
Before I taught the lesson, I thought about the order in which I would guide them through the 5 Ws organizing plan for the story. I think I did it much better than last time, because I am more organized and I planned the sequence. The lesson flowed well, and the students seemed to understand it.
Overall, I think the lesson went pretty well. If I can do it again, I think I will read the book through once, and then read it again and stop every now and then for discussion. That way, the story would flow better and it would seem more coherent.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Lesson Reflection: Feb.12, 07 -- Valentine's Pop-Up Card
I think that today's Art lesson went really well. I was trying to come up with a Valentine's Day craft that would be fun to do with the students, and I remembered making these pop-up cards when I was in Gr.5. Since then, I started making pop-up cards on every occasion because I thought it was so much fun. I think that the Grade Ones would love it too, but I wasn't sure if they were capable of making this kind of pop-up cards or not, because it is kind of complicated. Knowing that the practicum is the place where I can try new things and take risks, I decided to go for it.
I made my own card beforehand, as a model for the students. I also prepared step-to-step instructions that I can stick on the board and point to as I show them how to make the card. This way, if they got lost when they were doing it on their own, they could refer to the board. I demonstrated to them twice, just to make sure that they understood it. For the first time, I showed and gave the instructions. For the second time, I asked them questions like "What do I do next?" and "Do I draw on this side or that side?", so they were participating and not only listening. I believe that letting students talk allow teachers to know what they understand and what they do not. After making sure that they were comfortable with going back to their desk and working on their cards individually, I handed out the papers.
Most of the students drew very nice hearts, and their cutting skills were not bad a all! Only a few of them asked me for another piece of paper because they cut it wrong, which was better than what I expected. I was impressed! They have empowered me by showing me that they are children that can take on challenges, letting me know that I can take on challenges too. Overall, I think that my instructions strategies worked well today, and I would keep going from here.
I made my own card beforehand, as a model for the students. I also prepared step-to-step instructions that I can stick on the board and point to as I show them how to make the card. This way, if they got lost when they were doing it on their own, they could refer to the board. I demonstrated to them twice, just to make sure that they understood it. For the first time, I showed and gave the instructions. For the second time, I asked them questions like "What do I do next?" and "Do I draw on this side or that side?", so they were participating and not only listening. I believe that letting students talk allow teachers to know what they understand and what they do not. After making sure that they were comfortable with going back to their desk and working on their cards individually, I handed out the papers.
Most of the students drew very nice hearts, and their cutting skills were not bad a all! Only a few of them asked me for another piece of paper because they cut it wrong, which was better than what I expected. I was impressed! They have empowered me by showing me that they are children that can take on challenges, letting me know that I can take on challenges too. Overall, I think that my instructions strategies worked well today, and I would keep going from here.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Lesson Reflection: Feb.5, 07 – Recount
I did two lessons today, but they are actually one lesson divided into two sections. The first part is reading, and the second part is writing. While reading the story "Miska and the Long, Cold Winter", I asked questions and filled out the recounting plan with the students. I introduced the 5 Ws in the plan, but I thought that I should elaborate it and explain it more so they understand how important it is. If I can do it again next time, I'll tell them that "Who, what, when, where, and why" are essential elements to notice when reading or telling a story, because we need information from each of the Ws in order to form a complete and detailed story.
I think that teaching students to do text-to-self connection is pretty difficult. It is an abstract concept, so students need more exposure and time to get used to it. I used the recountng plan of the story as my guide to relate to my life. I pointed to the "what" section, and told the students that when the animals felt hungry, it reminds me of last time when I felt really really hungry. Then I went on to tell them my story and how to fit it in a recounting plan. I also told them that when they think about how the text relates to their life, they can think about the characters in the story, maybe the mouse reminds them of something, etc. I think it makes them realize that they don't need to have a similar experience in order to relate to the story.
I think the best part of the lesson was the part where I asked them to do "think, pair, share". I gave them two minutes to think about how the story relates to them. I noticed that some of them were just sitting there, and they didn't look like they were thinking. Then, I asked them to turn to the person beside them, and tell them about what they thought about. That worked! They started talking, and I could hear some great conversations going on. One girl sat there, couldn't think of anything to tell anyone. So I started asking her questions like, "Have you ever seen a mouse before? What about a squirrel?" Then she said, "Yeah! I have seen a squirrel before. It was jumping on the wires while me and my parents were in the car." So I said, "Great! That's a good connection!", and she went on to talk to another student about her story. I think the thinking part really got them into organizing their thoughts, which is good for the next part of the lesson. I asked a few students to share with the class afterwards. Then I handed out the recounting plans, and asked them to organize their stories into the 5 Ws.
Up till then, I thought the lesson was alright. After lunch, I showed them how I would use my plan as a guide to write the story in sentence form, and then let them write individually. However, since I split the lesson into two, and the gap inbetween was too big, some of them seemed to have forgotten about what they were doing before. So it took them some time to realize what they were doing. I didn't want to do the whole lesson in a big chunk of time, because they might feel tired and bored of the writing. If I can do the lesson again, I would minimize the gap between the lessons.
I think that teaching students to do text-to-self connection is pretty difficult. It is an abstract concept, so students need more exposure and time to get used to it. I used the recountng plan of the story as my guide to relate to my life. I pointed to the "what" section, and told the students that when the animals felt hungry, it reminds me of last time when I felt really really hungry. Then I went on to tell them my story and how to fit it in a recounting plan. I also told them that when they think about how the text relates to their life, they can think about the characters in the story, maybe the mouse reminds them of something, etc. I think it makes them realize that they don't need to have a similar experience in order to relate to the story.
I think the best part of the lesson was the part where I asked them to do "think, pair, share". I gave them two minutes to think about how the story relates to them. I noticed that some of them were just sitting there, and they didn't look like they were thinking. Then, I asked them to turn to the person beside them, and tell them about what they thought about. That worked! They started talking, and I could hear some great conversations going on. One girl sat there, couldn't think of anything to tell anyone. So I started asking her questions like, "Have you ever seen a mouse before? What about a squirrel?" Then she said, "Yeah! I have seen a squirrel before. It was jumping on the wires while me and my parents were in the car." So I said, "Great! That's a good connection!", and she went on to talk to another student about her story. I think the thinking part really got them into organizing their thoughts, which is good for the next part of the lesson. I asked a few students to share with the class afterwards. Then I handed out the recounting plans, and asked them to organize their stories into the 5 Ws.
Up till then, I thought the lesson was alright. After lunch, I showed them how I would use my plan as a guide to write the story in sentence form, and then let them write individually. However, since I split the lesson into two, and the gap inbetween was too big, some of them seemed to have forgotten about what they were doing before. So it took them some time to realize what they were doing. I didn't want to do the whole lesson in a big chunk of time, because they might feel tired and bored of the writing. If I can do the lesson again, I would minimize the gap between the lessons.
Feb.5, 07
Today started with the daily routines as usual. At the beginning of the school year, Ms.Carson would lead the students in doing the calendar, singing the songs, asking them about the weather, counting the number of days that they have been in school, etc. As the year goes by, she is giving the students a greater responsibility. She chooses one student each week to lead the calendar time, so they become little teachers of the class. I can see that they really love it and enjoy it. When they stand up there, even if some of them are shy, they look more "teacher-like" in front of the class, like a little leader. I think this is a great way to make the students feel comfortable about themselves, and they can learn to speak publicly without feeling nervous.
Before I start my practicum, I thought that Grade Ones are very little children. They surprise me by being more mature than I expected, and Ms.Carson surprise me by the way she talks to them. Once, I saw a girl tapping on another girl with a ruler, and the first girl said, "Hey, I don't like it, stop it. I don't like you doing that." I don't believe I was able to do that when I was in Grade One. Today, Ms.Carson sat down and talk to them about their recent issues in the classroom. They were having a lot of arguments, so she told them that when they encounter a problem, try to solve it themselves before coming to her. She wants them to try as best as they can, but if it doesn't work, that would be the time to tell her. However, if they are out in the playground and some older students are trying to bully them, they should not confront them because they are weaker and smaller. They should run and tell a teacher about it, just to protect themselves from immediate harm. I would never imagine saying that to Grade One students if I have not been doing this practicum. There are still a lot that I need to learn from these students and Ms.Carson!
Before I start my practicum, I thought that Grade Ones are very little children. They surprise me by being more mature than I expected, and Ms.Carson surprise me by the way she talks to them. Once, I saw a girl tapping on another girl with a ruler, and the first girl said, "Hey, I don't like it, stop it. I don't like you doing that." I don't believe I was able to do that when I was in Grade One. Today, Ms.Carson sat down and talk to them about their recent issues in the classroom. They were having a lot of arguments, so she told them that when they encounter a problem, try to solve it themselves before coming to her. She wants them to try as best as they can, but if it doesn't work, that would be the time to tell her. However, if they are out in the playground and some older students are trying to bully them, they should not confront them because they are weaker and smaller. They should run and tell a teacher about it, just to protect themselves from immediate harm. I would never imagine saying that to Grade One students if I have not been doing this practicum. There are still a lot that I need to learn from these students and Ms.Carson!
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