I taught in a classroom for the first time ever. It was nerve-racking, exciting, difficult but rewarding. I am starting to understand and agree with lecturers that teaching is 50% classroom management. A teacher can have an amazing topic/lesson, however if they cannot settle the students and control the class in a professional, appropriate and calm manner then the amazing lesson becomes pointless as the students will not be focused and the lesson will not come across authentically or how it was intended to be taught. Therefore classroom management strategies are critical.
My lesson went well. The aim of my lesson was to teach commas. I did not realise that grammar is taught through text types and therefore this confused me a little. Regardless the outcome of my lesson from the NSW English K-6 Syllabus was WS1.10 Produces texts using basic grammatical features and punctuation conventions of the text type (NSW Board of Studies, 2007, p. 38).
In order to teach commas, I used text types that the students were familiar with – nursery rhymes – Jack and Jill as well as Humpty Dumpty. Before using the text types however, I revised the student’s prior knowledge through listening to the students and engaging them in a classroom discussion (4.1.3 NSW Institute of Teachers Professional Teaching Standards) about nouns, verbs and pronouns. I then went through the rhymes on Miscrosoft Powerpoint slides. This is an example of Teaching Strategies Element 4.1.5 and the slides can be seen below.
One slide had commas and one slide did not have commas. I compared the two slides with the class and asked for the differences. They liked the visual representation of the nursery rhyme on the interactive white board. The students also liked taking turns reading the nursery rhyme with and without commas. I pointed out when a commas was needed.
One slide had commas and one slide did not have commas. I compared the two slides with the class and asked for the differences. They liked the visual representation of the nursery rhyme on the interactive white board. The students also liked taking turns reading the nursery rhyme with and without commas. I pointed out when a commas was needed.
I also made a ‘Comma Game' the template can be seen in the link below. However for teaching in the classroom, I cut and laminated to make flash cards with part of the nursery rhyme and separate flash cards with commas. The students had to arrange the nursery rhyme in the correct order with the commas in the correct place. The students enjoyed this game, but were not entirely sure about the correct placing of the commas.
Comma Game
Comma Game
I used a Comma Worksheet which can be seen below to further teach commas and show the students where commas are placed in sentences
The students were a little unsettled and chatty however they enjoyed the Powerpoint slides I prepared as well as my game. My classroom teacher suggested strategies such as:
- Praising students for behaving well and making a big deal about it; and
- When asking for volunteers, reinforce that I want volunteers who are showing proper behaviour, sitting quietly and still.
I am pleased with how my first lesson went. I feel that the students did enjoy it and that they did learn from it. Most of the students completed the worksheets I handed out with very few mistakes. I am looking forward to teaching more.
I was fortunate to observe a science lesson this week and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the behaviour management strategies used by the teacher from the beginning of the lesson. The teacher asked students to sit in a circle and explained what they were going to be doing – using a dropper to count how many drops can fall onto a 5cent piece. However this lesson involved turn-taking and respectful behaviour. These behaviours need to be taught and reinforced (Arthur, Gordon & Butterfield, 2003). The teacher actively asked who was going to act in a respectful way – hands up and who was going to take turns as the lesson involved turn taking. This was very effective and the class focused.
This lesson incorporated elements from Blooms Taxonomy which engaged students and makes them learn and think for themselves, this is what I love!
There is a visual representations of Bloom’s Taxonomy below, the original on the left and Anderson’s Revised Taxonomy on the right.
Source Overbaugh, R. C & Schultz, L. (no year), Bloom’s Taxonomy, Old Dominion University Retrieved April 7th, 2011 from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
Original ICT Resource that I Created and Used In the Classroom
References
Arthur, M., Gordon, C., & Butterfield. N. (2003). The impact of curriculum and instruction. In Classroom Management: Creating Positive Learning Environments, (pp43-52). Thomson: Southbank, Victoria.
Board of Studies NSW. (2007) English K-6 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW.
Board of Studies NSW. (2007) English K-6 Syllabus. Sydney: Board of Studies NSW.
New South Wales Institute of Teachers. (2006). Professional Teaching Standards, from Week 1 Reading. Retrieved 3 March, 2011 from http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/Main-Professional-Teaching-Standards.html
Overbaugh, R. C & Schultz, L. (no year), Bloom’s Taxonomy, Old Dominion University Retrieved April 7th, 2011 from http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
Useful Links Relating to Bloom’s Taxonomy
