Step 7: Retrieve- Pages 148-167
Retrieval of memory in its most universal form is the ability to bring a past event or prior knowledge to one's mind. (Sprenger, page 149) If information or memories are not encoded or stored correctly, it is harder to retrieve the information.
My two favorite takeaways from this chapter are:
1. Often a problem with retrieval occurs when the instructional strategies used DO NOT match the reviews or the assessment.
2. Use good academic vocabulary words in classroom lessons and discussions and on formative assessments that when you use them on summative assessments, students will understand the words in context.
It's your choice! Choose one of the following reflections and share your connections and thoughts on the question.
1. Sometimes retrievals fail, not just for our scholars but for us too. :) What from the list on page 166, do you feel like you could adjust and focus more attention on to get more retrieval to happen from your scholars?
2. The ability to retrieve information quickly and easily offers scholars a feeling of self-confidence. How do you reinforce these feelings in every scholar in your classroom?
3. Some scholars are naturally slow processors and retrievers. What do you do in your classroom to provide them with the optimal environment for assessments and retrieval of content?
4. A constant reminder: Does what you are accepting as evidence that your scholars have enduring understanding match your instructional strategies?
I use many strategies to help my scholars retrieve information quickly and easily. To begin, I teach them mnemonic devices to help them remember what they have learned. Songs, acrostics, and acronyms have been successful in the past. Next, “drill and practice” has proven to be a quick review that empowers scholars. For instance, drilling scholars with math flash cards is a fun review game for them while they are waiting in line to enter their elective. The “sense of urgency” motivates them to study, so that they can win the game. Also, “cold call” is implemented to motivate scholars to always pay attention and be ready to answer questions (Lemov, 2010). “Cold call” is practiced by prohibiting scholars from raising their hand and randomly choosing them to answer a question. Writing their names on popsicle sticks and pulling a stick out of a cup to choose students to respond is a way to show scholars that you are being impartial and not targeting anyone in particular. In comparison, “no opt-out” and “right is right” is also used frequently in my class (Lemov, 2010). “No opt-out” requires scholars to answer the question correctly after hearing another student say the correct answer, and “right is right” is a technique that set high standards by only accepting “accurate” answers. Overall, the above techniques empower scholars and encourage them to “stay ready.”
ReplyDeletePLA #103
References:
DeleteLemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college. (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
As I was clicking the reply button I saw your reference! No opt-out and Right is Right-Those are 2 strategies from Teach Like A Champion that I use often and have observed other educators using as well.
DeleteI have to be careful when discussing things with my students because sometimes I use words that they do not understand. While this can be positive for their vocabulary, if I don't define the words they don't understand them. I use this opportunity to stretch them. I will generally write unknown words on the board, have them say the word a few times to be sure they are pronouncing it correctly and define it. I've even been known to get a dictionary and give it to a volunteer child to look up the word and read the definition for the class. I have the higher grade students write the word and it's definition in their journal. I feel this is a way for them to stretch and learn new vocabulary. I think they may also remember the words better because we are just talking and it is a different atmosphere than normal. Most students get involved when we do this. I try to remember to use the word at later times and praise them when they notice it. It makes them more confident in using new words.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFrom the list on page 166, I feel like I should adjust my teaching, by providing more opportunities for my students to engage in quality “reflecting throughout the unit” (p. 166). This means that students reflect at the beginning, middle, and end (not just at the end of a unit).
ReplyDeleteNow, throughout the year, there is so much to teach. It is hard to try and get everything in. While I want to do what is best for my students, I think that I am often guilty of zooming to the next unit without giving my students enough time for reflection. The author of our textbook warns: “Give your students the opportunity to make deep connections through reflection” (p. 166). If students fail to have enough time for reflection, then that could adversely affect the long-term retrieval of information.
So, what I can do? Some examples that I was thinking about integrating more include (but are not limited to): journal writing (perhaps as an opening or as an exit slip at the beginning and middle of a unit) and including a portfolio assignment (with reflections built in at the end of a unit). Heick (2017) recommends three different types of journal writing activities: Dialogue, personal, and highlighted (so this could be varied for effectiveness). Heick (2017) also recommends lettings students engage in creative activities like drawing or sketching. With the portfolio, although portfolio is usually considered an assessment, students could reflect and judge their own performance. They would also reflect by putting assignments together in a creative way.
Reflection should be ongoing and I think it should incorporate creative components, as well as, real world connections to practical applications for the learning.
References:
Heick, T. (2017). 15 Teaching Strategies to Help Student Retain What you Just Taught Them. Retrieved from: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/15-reflection-strategies-help-students-retain-just-taught/
From the list on page 166, I feel that I could focus more attention on a few items in order to get more retrieval from my students. I feel that I should reflect more on the unit I am teaching as I am teaching it and after I taught it. The class dynamics vary from class to class and therefore, I may not be able to teach the same unit the same way. I may need to tweak some things, make some adjustments depending on the class. Initially I may feel that a unit will take 2 weeks to get through and it does for one of my classes but the other class it may take 3 weeks to get through and I have to adapt to that so that my students can get a better understanding of how to do something. Another item from the list that I need to focus on is making sure I am providing enough reinforcement. I need to give them more feedback on what they are doing well on and what they can improve on as they are working on the project. I need to allow them to redo/correct projects so that they can see the difference and again be able to master the task of the project. I also think I will let other students help those that need it more often.
ReplyDeleteSohn'a Duff, Computer Teacher
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteI think this week’s reading was very eye-opening. When thinking about why retrieval fails I was struck by Sprenger (2018) “… where there is no storage there can be no retrieval,” (p. 150-151) because it is a variation of what I have mentioned a few times this summer. That students know much more than they think they do, they just lack the ability to recall it in a variety of contexts. This indicates to me that the knowledge transfer is not happening in the manner we as educators think it is occurring. Going back to my “Pledge of Allegiance” example from a few weeks back (yes, my ego tells me everyone read it) I know for a fact that scholars have been taught the form of government for the country in which they live, yet as adult students most are unable to define and articulate the nuances yet alone identify the proper form. So, here I would argue that it’s not a matter of simple “storage” but storage in a meaningful way that allows the scholars to connect to the material in ways that are personally relevant. This is particularly important when our scholars must retrieve knowledge for assessments and standardized testing.
Toward that end I feel there two things immediately I will implement into my teaching strategies to further this goal of knowledge transfer so the students can successfully own their own learning. First, I will restructure my reinforcements to better reflect the needs of our scholars rather than my own needs as an instructor. I am now considering that I may have structured the feedback and formative assessment instruments more for me to rate myself on the information and indicators of readiness to move on. I will employ a variety of tools and instruments that are scholar focused and include a variety of methods to better prepare scholars for true “storage” rather than “fire lane parking” of knowledge. Second, I am going to remain focused on academic language that is widely used to ensure scholars know what is being asked of them when they are tasked with standardized assessments. I have in the past upon student request replaced academic words with more common lay words. After reading this chapter I am questioning that wisdom and will return to academic language that is grade appropriate and expected to appear in grade level materials and assessments.
Best,
Mikael Badgett
TLJAMS
3. Some scholars are naturally slow processors and retrievers. What do you do in your classroom to provide them with the optimal environment for assessments and retrieval of content?
ReplyDeleteI find that students who struggle with retrieval are also those who struggle with most of the the other steps mentioned in this book by Sprenger. It's helpful to read the strategies in this book in order to change my instruction for reaching those students.
Some options that I have made available to kindergarten students include:
* not rearranging the room or desks until after unit assessments. I am also one who remembers where we were when we learned new information. I completely understand the impact of environment in testing situations.
*setting testing procedures, which include minimizing distractions by using privacy folders
*testing children during breaks
I find that some students require absolute peace during testing and do their best with me one on one at my table.
*giving children chances to 'play' on computers in order to become familiar with the location of important keys before the test is given. Luckily, STAR testing in kindergarten gives them a practice session that reviews specific keys before the test begins.
*frequent reminders before each lesson that explain what our goals are, such as finding the number that is bigger or more, CVC patterns, or finding the setting in a story, etc.
*encouraging participation in movement and music inspired instruction. I especially hone in on those students who struggle and will dance/move/sing next to them if necessary.
I think my weakest link in this area is reteaching. The time constraints are always an issue with teachers, but especially where pacing is concerned. It's difficult to find the time in the day to instruct or review when I know a student is struggling. Reading this chapter has reinforced that awareness and I am making it a goal of mine to improve this area for my future students.
Jene' Rethlake
Kindergarten Teacher
Timothy L Johnson Academy
Chapter 7: Retrieval
DeleteWhen looking at the list on page 166, it caused me to start thinking about what have been areas of success and areas of failures that have come up in my classroom. The one that sticks out to me the most and what I would want to improve upon and focus on this coming year would be:
#2. Are your students reflecting throughout the unit? I think that time is and has been one of my biggest enemies as a teacher. I know that I put off reflection time because of the lack of time that I ended up having which in turn, may have caused more of an achievement gap.
Especially since reading about the importance of reflection and how it boosts memory and students to remember content. In the future, I do not want to be pressured by the "time" enemy, and to not let reflection time go by the wayside. I usually would tack it on in the end of the lesson or unit, but I want to specifically plan out when reflection time will happen throughout the unit and not just at the end or if there is extra time. My goal is to not let the time enemy get the best of of me and the connections that my students will make within the classroom.
Amanda Davis
PLA@103
Question 1: I could adjust my reflection on teaching experience. It is easy to check off the lesson and teach the next standard. It is difficult to conclude that maybe it is best to reteach the lesson, especially when there is a time crunch, and forgive yourself when the lesson was not successful. What I would tweak from this reflection is to recall the amazing teachers that I have observed and breath with relief that they needed to reteach lessons also. I have also noticed that most of the time, the teachers that I observed sensed that their lesson might be a flop beforehand. When I get the sense that there is a chance that a failed lesson will occur, I need to keep in mind to make it simple. Creating a mini-game or another fun activity easily creates a road to success.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3:
ReplyDeleteSome scholars are naturally slow processors and retrievers. What do you do in your classroom to provide them with the optimal environment for assessments and retrieval of content?
As a Special Education teacher, I often see many students with learning disabilities and other exceptionalities that have difficulty retrieving and processing information. There are several ways that I help reinforce information to these students.
1. Provide lots of visuals for students, keeping them in the same place throughout the year and then covering them up for tests. This allows students to "memorize" and constantly see information on the walls that is relevant and important. Many times during tests I see the students look at the chart (that I refer to constantly throughout lessons) during tests and a light bulb goes off.
2. Constant reinforcement! For example, if we are learning order of operations. The students need to remember PEMDAS. I am constantly sounding like a broken record in class. Having PEMDAS posted everywhere. The kids saying it multiple times a day. Stopping students in the hall and asking them, in the lunch room, have a before and after quiz where they right it out, having them draw a picture, etc. I am making sure I am hitting every sensory possible with the information they must retain. Then I spend Friday resource time as repetition of everything the students have learned up until that day.
3. For assessments, it is outlined in their IEP with what I can provide. I help students maximize their testing environment through with privacy folders, sound phones (which believe it or not middle school students still enjoy these!), sound proof headphones, and testing as many students as I can when possible where they learn best and can recall information. Either in my room or their classroom depending on their needs and ability.
I still have room to grow on helping students with retrieval of information. How does everyone help retrieve information after the long breaks and summer? This is where I can sometimes struggle.
Courtney Singleton
JRPLA
Special Education
Hi all! I can't believe how quickly the school year is approaching. I enjoyed this reading because it touched base of things that are real and that so many people struggle with. Throughout my education journey, school did not come easy for me. I had to put in the extra work, practice, take overly detailed notes, and basically anything that would help me remember the content. When it came to test,I always panicked and felt like I didn't learn the content and studied wrong. As a teacher, these are things that I want to help my students with. I don't was to give them a test knowing that they haven't yet mastered a skill. Since I too have test anxiety, I can relate to my students and share tips on how to cope and prepare them with encouraging thoughts! I want my students to know that we are in this process together.
ReplyDelete3. Some scholars are naturally slow processors and retrievers. What do you do in your classroom to provide them with the optimal environment for assessments and retrieval of content?
I chose to write about question three because, at some point, I can relate to being a slow processor of material. I want several examples, want to see how its done, and may need several days to understand. I know that some of my students will feel the same ways and will just need their time to process the information in a way that makes since to them. In hope of helping students process information, I can provide several opportunities for students to practice and to constantly reinforce mnemonics that will help students in the retrieval of information. I also can provide several visuals throughout my classroom for students to refer back to when needing to retrieve information. I also like to use songs, mnemonics, and anything that can get the students singing or taking along with me to promote engagement in the storage of information.
I am constantly learning and growing, even as a teacher, in learning how to retrieve and process information. I am excited to use some of these techniques in my classroom to help maximize students learning environment and helping them store and retrieve information. I am also excited to find and try new ways to encourage students in the retrieval of information.
Jacqulyn Ison, K
PLA 103
3. Some scholars are naturally slow processors and retrievers. What do you do in your classroom to provide them with the optimal environment for assessments and retrieval of content?
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do prior to assessing to aid with the retrieval of content is to create anchor charts with the students that contain the important information they will need on what is being taught. I have areas designated for Math, Reading, and Writing, so the students always know where specific charts will hang. Having the assigned areas helps the students to visualize where the information was when charts are changed in and out throughout the year.
I also try to teach students tricks and strategies that will help them retrieve content as needed. Throughout the year, we will use mneumonic devices, graphic organizers, and journals, among other things, to practice and review before assessments. I also try to teach different strategies to problem solve so students can ultimately choose the strategy that works the best for them.
To try and provide the optimal environment for assessments, I set up procedures for testing from day one. I have always found that my students work best when there are routines and procedures in place. It helps keep them calm when they know exactly what to expect.
I have found that seating assignments are another thing that play an important role in creating the optimal environment for assessing. Most of the students I have do fine with testing in small groups. Last year, I had a few students that had to read out loud to help themselves comprehend stories or directions. Those students had their own assigned testing places away from others.
Another thing I like to do in my classroom is play music. I have found that music helps keep the students calm and focused during independent work time and/or testing.
Deb Daniel
Timothy L. Johnson Academy
3. Some scholars are naturally slow processors and retrievers. What do you do in your classroom to provide them with the optimal environment for assessments and retrieval of content?
ReplyDeleteWhat I have found to be helpful in this area is to incorporate small groups build around engaging and challenging activities daily. These activities reteach steps, vocab, and target skills that’s required to be successful on the assessment. Also, by show the students how to take ownership of the information being taught, by putting it into their own words and charts that they can recall from later on. For example, the word unoccupied. They may not know what this word mean, but they do know what the words vacant and empty means. So creating a game in which they have to use these to words to arrive back to the main word; unoccupied is a great way to build their vocab, and retrieval skills.
2. The ability to retrieve information quickly and easily offers scholars a feeling of self-confidence. How do you reinforce these feelings in every scholar in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteImmediately after reading this question my brain went to differentiated learning, integration of vocabulary/strategies and academic discourse. There are lots of opportunities for building self-confidence embedded in these strategies.
Differentiated learning offers students of all levels to not only learn from their starting point, but get some of those self-confidence building WINS.
Integrating academic vocabulary into daily life in combination with key strategies that can be used cross-curricular scholars are presented with a variety of ways to be given academic feedback and grow self-confidence. As you build these tools throughout the year, self-confidence and independence grows.
For example, a scholar may get a 2/4 on a writing rubric and need some reinforcement. However, the scholar understood the vocabulary and were able to create a venn diagram to use for pre-writing, but they were missing important details. There is quite a bit of positive feedback to go with the corrective feedback. They can feel confident about being on the right track and understanding EXACTLY what they need to correctly respond to the question. So many a-ha moments occur when scholars see what they have missed.
While I was still in college I observed a 2nd grade classroom using academic discourse. They clearly had practiced and expectations were clear. When the scholars were responding during a whole group lesson, even if they were incorrect, that feeling of embarrassment is not there. You could compare it to someone standing straight when dressed professionally. Using academic discourse gives scholars confidence, they will sit up straight, speak more clearly and may even mention that they struggled or know they are missing something, but they are giving it a shot.
In tandem with academic discourse is the general culture of the classroom around sharing and error. Specifically, why mistakes are a good thing and how they help our brains grow. Also, when we share our thinking and hear other thoughts /ideas we are giving ourselves opportunities learn from others in a way we may have missed. For example, I am thinking back to this previous year and reviewing a lesson making mistakes and how the brain works during our Mind Unit. We were all laid out on the floor, sitting on chairs/desks while at the front of the room a scholar (our ’teacher’) shared their re-telling of the days information. The scholar compared sharing our thinking (whether correct or incorrect) is kind of like ‘talking it out.’ He went on to ask the class if they ever just had to say something out loud to ‘get it.’ HANDS WENT UP LIKE CRAZY! And our daily reflection time was his prime example of how we not only do this during lesson but after as well.
Retrieve
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading and reflecting on the list on page 166, the one that came foremost in my mind was number 3.
Are you providing enough reinforcement?
I began thinking about my steps of planning a lesson and I start considering some other questions that came to my mind.
Before planning a lesson, I need to be clear and specific about the outcomes that are intended for the students. The students also need to understand the objective of the lesson.
When planning lessons/units there should be very intentional planning of reinforcement activities where there is immediate feedback. Instead of focusing on grades, focus on reinforcement activities that will enable students to understand the concept/skill being taught.
One reinforcement activity that I use and make more use of is cooperative learning groups. Students do seem to learn best from their peers. Students are grouped 3-4 to a group. They are able to share ideas on how to solve a problem that is related to the unit. The students are actively involved in the learning.
Focusing on making use of different types of feedback would be most effective.
Providing feedback to the student where they improve upon their skills would be very effective. Providing feedback that gives evidence to what a student is thinking leads to greater understanding, thus there is more storage in the memory. The students tend to be more actively involved in the learning. When students are asked to justify and explain an answer, this requires higher level thinking. Providing more activities where the students have discussions and make decisions enable students to adjust their thinking/understanding about a concept/skill.
Overall, I think if very important to have a minimum of 2-3 reinforcement strategies for lessons.
Angela Posey
PLA @ 103
Week 6: Retrieval
ReplyDelete“1. Sometimes retrievals fail, not just for our scholars but for us too. :) What from the list on page 166, do you feel like you could adjust and focus more attention on to get more retrieval to happen from your scholars?”
After reviewing the list on page 166 I was able to immediately reflect on what I do well, and what I could improve on.
I always incorporate and step back to what I am trying to teach and how I can incorporate my objective.
Reflection is something I do well as a person, but because of the pressure of time I tend to skip or do few of them with my students. I plan on incorporating and focusing on this important step this following year.
Reinforcement is one of my strengths, and I will just make sure to keep on including it in my small groups.
I like to keep a routine with my students, I will be mindful and incorporate different rehearsal strategies when I need to reteach. I tend to include several different ones to reach all of my students.
I could include more reviews and I haven’t really put much thought in spacing them. I tend to review before an assessment, I will be more intentional with these reviews and include more of them.
Reflection is my thing, I love to go back and review what went well, what could have been better. Adjusting the lessons to a new class is part of the challenge of teaching that I enjoy. I love to go through my data and reflect on the results and why they were awesome or not so impressive.
Anna Christina Luna
PLA 103
2. The ability to retrieve information quickly and easily offers scholars a feeling of self-confidence. How do you reinforce these feelings in every scholar in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteA) The strategy I use the most is linking the obvious. I ask something like..."How did you get there?". This allows the student to think through how they were able to retrieve the information so that they can use that strategy again. They can then say,"I retrieved because I used these steps."
B) Many of my students don't have anyone that cheers them on. I try to be their personal cheerleader. I can not imagine a life were I didn't have anyone in my corner. So I try to make them feel like I live for their success. This may seem over the top to some. But I feel it helps the child develop perseverance by knowing someone is there excited for their success. But more importantly that I will still be there in their failures with support and encouragement.
C) Many of my students have instability at home. I try to be someone that they can trust and who will provide the tools they need. They often don't have a parent to give them good advice about how to navigate the social and academic challenges of school. I try to be trustworthy so that they feel comfortable coming to me for the tools they need.
D) I encourage my students to develop buddies or partners. These partners become equally vested in each other success. It builds community and a feeling that they are "in this together." (Sprenger page 154) I feel it lowers anxiety.
Most of these strategies are emotional. I feel these emotional strategies are the essential foundation for building self-confidence. They are the foundation that allows the students to then build the retrieval strategies.
Question 1:
ReplyDelete1: Did I take a step back? Once, very early on I was teaching a math lesson for the week and then gave the test at the end of the week that was provided with the lesson. I soon found out that it was a mistake not to look at the test first before teaching the weeks lesson. I from then on out used a backwards teaching model. I start with what I want my scholars to show me after I taught the lesson and work on strategies to make them proficient before they test at the end of the week.
2. Do my students reflect enough? After reading this book I think we could reflect even more! I try to include reflection time each day, but now I realize I need to incorporate reflection after each subject. This is something I will focus more on.
3. Reinforcement? I think I do alright in this category. I have many ways to encourage scholars to be successful in their own learning. Prizes, pictures on the wall, giving feedback, redirecting...
4. Varying strategies. This is also something I feel I do, but could improve on. Using multiple visuals, videos, adding in music and songs. I do this with curriculum and include differentiation, but I can always improve. When reteaching I do try to teach in a different way to possibly help a scholar who didn't comprehend the first way taught.
5. Reviews. Another area of need improvement for me. With kindergarten it can be hard to incorporate review strategies. Often I make games to correlate with what we are learning. Young students learn through play and fun. If we play and learn, I have found this helps with recall later on tests.
6. Reflection. I reflect all the time. Sometimes I can't sleep at night because I am trying to figure out how to improve something I have taught. I am constantly making changes to my curriculum to find out what works and what isn't working. But, again... there is always room for more improvement.
After reading the list on p. 166, I thought about several things that I could do in my classroom to get more retrieval from students. First, I need to have the students do more reflection. This seems like a very easy and simple step to add in a social studies classroom. I thought about adding some essential vocab into their reflection question to give more exposure to those words too. Another thing I can do is encourage more students to redo/correct their work. I do allow this but it seems the only students who take advantage of it are the students who want to get an A instead of an A-. I need to find a way to encourage this in more students so they not only learn to take pride in their own work and mastery but also to add to their depth of knowledge as they make corrections and learn from those mistakes. Lastly, I think adding a word wall of essential academic vocab would be a great way to constantly expose my students to the words they should know.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2:The ability to retrieve information quickly and easily offers scholars a feeling of self-confidence. How do you reinforce these feelings in every scholar in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteOffering a celebration for everyone in the classroom who is able to retrieve information is very important and offers a boost in self confidence. However, those scholars who struggle with retrieval need more encouragement in order to not give up. In my classroom, one of the most important goals for me is to develop a sense of community and respect. With this comes TRUST. When we all trust each other, scholars feel more comfortable being a "buddy" and asking for help or for further explanation in order gain their own "ah-ha" moment when they are able to finally retrieve information. I want my students to know that in our classroom we are family. We can use each other as cheerleaders. With the proper support, which often doesn't come from home, my scholars are less likely to give up. These positive feelings are the boost they need to begin using proper retrieval strategies.
Erica Andrews
First grade, TLJA
I will definitely be bringing in some of the ideas and suggestions I have gotten from this book. I think in the past I have not included enough reflection in my lessons for myself or for my students. I need to make sure that we reflect everyday so that all the skills we are learning are connected more deeply. I also think I need to do more reviewing what we have learned so far, especially in language arts. I don’t think I utilized this strategy enough last year. I will definitely make sure to do more this year. I really like these two strategies because they help skills and concepts become more cemented in thought but also in students ability to use the concepts. I have never been the best at reflection when I was studying myself, at least not strategies reflection. I think that makes it difficult for me to help others reflect and review correctly. I figured out what worked for me through trial and error, rather than having a strategy to try. I would really like to help my students have an easier time in figuring out how they remember and learn than I did. It is important to me that part of what I teach goes beyond a subject. Part of what I feel teaching is involves helping students figure out their brains. That is so much more important than any skill I will teach, because it allows my students to learn how they learn. Part of learning is how we remember important things. I really loved all the strategies I was taught and learned about in this book. I will make sure to consult it as I am teaching.
ReplyDelete"Sometimes retrievals fail, not just for our scholars but for us too. :) What from the list on page 166, do you feel like you could adjust and focus more attention on to get more retrieval to happen from your scholars?"
ReplyDeleteTo help my scholars with retrieval, I want to focus more on #4 "Are you varying your rehearsal strategies to meet diverse needs?" Differentiation of instruction is something I want to work on more this year. I know that the kindergartners I will be getting this year will come from all different backgrounds, so I want to meet them where they are, and help them by guiding them through their weaknesses. I liked the idea of rehearsing and reteaching the lesson in a way that would help the scholars who might have missed it the first time around.
I would also like to reflect on my teaching more. Last year I kept a journal and reflected after the kids left for the day. I think it lasted maybe a week. Reflecting on my day can be stress relieving. It can also be used as a tool to look back on, and see what was going well, and what might need to be tweaked and retaught.
Maddy Hinesley
GVPLA
3. I understand the idea of a student processing something a bit slower than others. I believe that each scholar can be reached based on how they learn best. I know growing up I preferred more of a hands on and visual learning experience. I try my best to discover how each of my students learn and to accommodate lessons to fit the needs of each scholar. A lot of my scholars this past year struggled with the assessments given throughout the year. I found myself to be teaching largely by using manipulatives and then not providing this aid during an assessment. Some students could have improved greatly by having the aid they learned with to accompany them during assessment. I think that taking a step back and reviewing a lesson and deciding whether to reteach or not may also be beneficial. Often times I set myself to a strict schedule and tell myself there is no room for wiggle space or to return. However, I have realized that reteaching a lesson until students are grasping is very important. I want to focus on teaching until there is proficiency this school year.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: The ability to retrieve information quickly and easily offers scholars a feeling of self-confidence. How do you reinforce these feelings in every scholar in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI try to instill self confidence in all of my scholars by creating a safe classroom environment. From the first day of school and on I reiterate to them that we are a team and we cheer each other on no matter what. This year my scholars have really bought into that. Just in this first week of school I have had scholars congratulating their classmates when they got an answer correct, and saying "good try" to scholars who got the answer incorrect. These simple remarks instill a little more self confidence into those scholars who may be more timid to participate.
ReplyDelete“2. The ability to retrieve information quickly and easily offers scholars a feeling of self-confidence. How do you reinforce these feelings in every scholar in your classroom?“
I love this because I’m a firm believer in having a n interactive notebook to look back to/fall on. My scholars have 3 notebooks.. one for reading reflections, morning quote reflection, and math. During these times of day I can have them pull out their notebook and go back to anything they did to have a conversation about it or share for reference. Having something the scholars can refer back to is a great way to make them feel confident about answering a question or make them feel comfortable about having peer discussion.