Giving up the answer:
Numerous times, since I have been observing this classroom, I have noticed that the teacher will not answer the children’s questions directly. Instead he will answer with another question. A good example of this was shown today during the internal dissection. During this dissection, the students were instructed to read and follow the directions that were provided for them in the dissection handbook. Later a student asked if they could remove the head of the grasshopper, the teacher’s response was “Do the directions say to remove the head?”
I liked this because it asked the students to take the time and look for the answer in the directions they were instructed to follow. I think it also asked the students to think about why this may or may not be part of the directions. This was also a great example of redirecting the students and getting them back on task.
I think it was awesome to see how the teacher’s worked together for the good of the student, Even as small of a thing as asking him how his day was going, and trying to provoke a feeling of happiness, is a great way to go beyond teaching the content and really teaching a student. It takes a little extra effort to take the time and understand and assist a student who may seem out of control or hard to manage, but I think it is worth the effort. This school had a great system set up and had been gently guiding this young man for a few years, without seeing much reward for it until recently. I think this is a part of teaching many people forget.
Lesson adaptations:
The second to the last class, the students are less responsive to the teacher. They are a bit louder, and more concerned with their social lives than their peers in the other classes seem to be. Because of this the teacher has made certain adaptations to his daily lessons, just for that class. I have watched as he did this throughout the day every day.
Numerous times, since I have been observing this classroom, I have noticed that the teacher will not answer the children’s questions directly. Instead he will answer with another question. A good example of this was shown today during the internal dissection. During this dissection, the students were instructed to read and follow the directions that were provided for them in the dissection handbook. Later a student asked if they could remove the head of the grasshopper, the teacher’s response was “Do the directions say to remove the head?”
I liked this because it asked the students to take the time and look for the answer in the directions they were instructed to follow. I think it also asked the students to think about why this may or may not be part of the directions. This was also a great example of redirecting the students and getting them back on task.
I think it was awesome to see how the teacher’s worked together for the good of the student, Even as small of a thing as asking him how his day was going, and trying to provoke a feeling of happiness, is a great way to go beyond teaching the content and really teaching a student. It takes a little extra effort to take the time and understand and assist a student who may seem out of control or hard to manage, but I think it is worth the effort. This school had a great system set up and had been gently guiding this young man for a few years, without seeing much reward for it until recently. I think this is a part of teaching many people forget.
Lesson adaptations:
The second to the last class, the students are less responsive to the teacher. They are a bit louder, and more concerned with their social lives than their peers in the other classes seem to be. Because of this the teacher has made certain adaptations to his daily lessons, just for that class. I have watched as he did this throughout the day every day.