Welcome back! I hope all of you had a wonderful break!
For each week's post, you can answer the question below. Each week we will focus on a different disposition or element of the Conceptual Framework. Feel free to post your own questions for your classmates as well.
For each week's post, you can answer the question below. Each week we will focus on a different disposition or element of the Conceptual Framework. Feel free to post your own questions for your classmates as well.
Flexibility:
How did your supervising teacher express flexibility in and out of the classroom? Provide concrete and behavioral examples to that relate back to the characteristics of the dispositions.
Think about the following aspects of flexibility in your answer:
- responsive to change
- teachable moments
- reaction to different perspectives
- problem solving
Yesterday, the kids had specials. A man came in and had them shout out the letter that was on a flash card, and then the kids shouted out a word on each flash card, and the kids were pretty good at reading the words, some were a little fuzzy, but it's ok considering there 5 or 6 years old.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the teacher had to put papers in the kid's folders, so while she did that, I watched the kids being so into the book that the man read, and looking out for any kids that were not cooperating, which is understandable because they cant sit on a carpet for so long.
It had been two kids' birthdays yesterday, and the man was coming into the class for specials soon, so we made time to give them drinks and cupcakes. The kids really enjoyed them.
When the kids need help, it's hard when you are already helping another student, so the teacher will be in the back getting tuff together, and I make my rounds. I don't do the work for them but I'll help them by giving them pointers.
Being in a class that consists of teenagers with special needs, I would say that the #1 rule is to be flexible. What I like is that the teachers/aids know when to be flexible vs. when to hold their ground because when dealing with special ed kids, sometimes they need to be told 'no'.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I really like is that at lunch time, when the teachers and kids 'shmooze' with each other more, they problem solve. If a student is telling a story or making a comment, a teacher will reply 'and what do you think you can do to make that better', or something to that extent.
They are also open to the different perspectives the kids have(even if they don't make sense at all); however, if the kid is saying something really absurd, the teacher will tell the kid when he has gone too far.
My supervising teacher expressed flexibility both in and out of the classroom. Today the school had a "fall fest" which included pumpkin picking, arts and crafts, a hayride, and a petting zoo. However, things were running a bit behind schedule which left our kids waiting outside and hyper. Instead of letting things go crazy, my teacher found the time as an opportunity to practice the vowels. The kids were really excited to show the other classes their vowel songs.
ReplyDeleteI really admire the way the teacher I've been observing is able to answer students' questions, which can be controversial with the topics they're learning, while not pushing one view or another. She allows her students to eat in her class, provided they make a bracha aloud so everyone can answer amen. This teaches them the importance of brachos, as well as the correct brachos to say. If no one in the class knows what bracha to say, she sends a student to one of the rabbis in the school to ask, thus teaching them an important life skill for Jewish living. A student can interrupt in the middle of class to say a bracha, and the teacher will ALWAYS stop and wait for them, no matter how much material she has to cover. I think it really shows her students the right priorities.
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, I liked what Tamara said about her supervising teacher taking advantage of the time they spent waiting to review vowels. There are so many chunks of time during the school day that teachers can use to teach or review, many times without the students even picking up on it, depending on their age.
I am very with the way that the kindergarten teacher (who I observe for half the time) manages changes in the classroom. With about 30 kids, and she is only in her second year on the job, it seems that she really is good at managing changes and being flexible. Firstly, like Tamara said, she was pulled out an Alphabet cd and book, and the class got a quick review while waiting for their specialty teacher to come in. Additionally, she often gets parents who volunteer, aside from myself, and she quickly makes use of any of our assistance, politely directing us to specific kids. However, it's also fine when we are not there, and she always seems mentally prepared to deal with either way.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher I am observing is very prepared. I have never seen a lapse where the children are sitting while she get her things ready. However, a few weeks ago she was set off schedule. The class had a special and she was going to set up an experiment during that time. As she was getting ready to set up, another teacher came to remind her about the grade's weekly meeting. When the students came back from their special she used the remaining half hour to write summaries of their previous experiment.
ReplyDeleteOne day they were writing their own short stories, and as she went to help students, she saw that many had the same difficulty. She stopped everyone and had them all sit down on the rug to review the idea. The stories were not finished that day as they may have been if not for the impromptu lesson, but now the students have a better understanding of how to write the story.
Avigial, your teacher sounds amazing! It is great how she deals with students eating during class, she turns it into a lesson. How many times did we eat as discreetly as possible because we were not allowed to eat in class? Students will eat during class, instead of making it a point of conflict, we should turn it into teachable moments. My sisters teacher in fifth grade allows them to eat during reading as long as they have healthy snacks, thus encouraging healthy eating habits.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was observing my teacher, I noticed that she did something very smart. It was toward the end of the period and she saw that the students were getting ancy, so she ended her lesson there and dismissed the class early to get drinks and go to the bathroom before lunch. She realized the students were not paying full attention to the lesson so instead of becoming angry; she switched around her lesson plan to make it work best for the students. She was very flexible with changing her lesson plan to cater to her students needs.
ReplyDeleteOne teacher I observe teaches mostly the same girls for two periods in a row but for different subjects. Half the class stays for the second period and half leaves because they have a different teacher for that subject. In the middle of first period, the teacher stopped and announced that the other teacher had requested that she end the class so that the 2nd period girls who leave could get an early start on their tests. I liked how this teacher showed flexibility with her lesson (she took the time to review old subject matter for a test) and helped the other teacher out, even though it cut into her teaching time to do so.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher I observe is often very averse to change. She needs things to be in order according to her way. Furthermore, she often expects more of the students than they can offer, and when they don’t understand or they do something wrong, she often says “Shame on you.” I don’t think she notices she does it, nor is she doing it out of malice, but she often yells at them and embarrasses the students, simply by yelling at them in front of the whole class. By doing this, I think she is teaching them to NOT ask questions, because they only get yelled at for it. However, no one is perfect, and she does care whether they succeed. Her methods, however, are a little harsh.
ReplyDeleteI've been really impressed by some of the teachers that I've observed in the school where I do clinicals ( the students sometimes go to other classes for certain lessons). With all of the teachers that I have seen, the way they can smoothly integrate so much into their classes is just amazing to me! For example, a teacher might be discussing a certain topic. A student pipes up with a related point and the teachers brings that right in. Or sometimes, a student will randomly relate some fact, and whether it is pertinent to the topic at hand or not the teachers seem to be able to handle it, whether taking a quick detour from what they were going to talk about it to address it, or by finding a way to explain that "now is not the time" but making themselves very available to talk at breaks. In terms of teachable moments, of which there always seems to be an abundance, I was especially impressed with a scene from the other day. A third grade girl came in from recess crying and very unhappy, but she did not want to talk about what had happened. The teacher gave the girl some time, and at the next break, pulled her over and they talked about it. The teacher suggested that the girl talk to the friends who had made her feel bad and encouraged her to talk out her feelings ( which is particularly hard for this girl to do). I watched as this girl called over one of her friends and spoke to them, and how the teacher worked as a mediator, and I was just so impressed with how the teacher managed to turn a "hurt feelings" kind of situation into one where this girl learned to express her feelings and make up with friends.
ReplyDeletethe teacher i observe is very flexible. if an activity is takign longer than expected she will alow for extra time even if it involves taking time away from the next days activities. she is willing to take a few minutes out of the day when unexpected questions are asked or satments are made taht haev to be explained. when studenst are fighting over what they are fighting ove whether it be a toy or an idea the teacher knows how to seperate them and keep them calm.
ReplyDelete