Allusion

Day 2 of student teaching is done and I still can't believe this is my life now! I have definitely found the right career for me. Mrs. M and I didn't have anything planned for me to do today, but after I'd seen her give a presentation on poetry for one class, she let me take the reins and teach the other classes later in the day. I introduced the students to several poetry conventions while they took notes on their ipads using Evernote. I quickly found that I need to be paying more attention to timing, that I really need to know my stuff before I get up in front of students, and that I need to do a lot less of the talking! I am used to being the student, so I find myself wanting to share my thoughts and ideas when I should be seeking to help these students cultivate their own.

My favorite part of the lesson had to do with teaching allusion. The students enjoyed my example of how the main character in the book Wonder references "the cheese touch," which is an allusion from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. We discusses the following quote from A Christmas Carol as well:  

Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail...  

The mention of Marley's funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlet's Father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot -- say Saint Paul's Churchyard for instance -- literally to astonish his son's weak mind.

This was a perfect example and led to the discovery that many phrases we use today were coined by Shakespeare and, in fact, allude to his great works. 

For the second half of class, Mrs. M introduced a new project the students will be working on in relation to what they are studying in Social Studies. This requires some additional explanation. These GT students are a part of a "Discovery" program. They take GT English and GT Social Studies, and their teachers from both classes work collaboratively to create projects that encompass both subjects. Their Social Studies teacher has them doing an assignment wherein they will be thoroughly researching a country in Africa. Using Smore, the students will work in groups to create an interactive flyer about their country's geography, travel, government, foreign policy, economy, social and ethnic groups, religion, language, country flag, traditional holidays/festivals, traditional clothing, food, history, and notable people. For English, the students will use this information to create a news program wherein they will be writing, recording, and presenting four different topics about their country in both hard news and soft news formats. The kids seem pretty excited about it, and I love the way they connect the different subjects!

Smore looks pretty cool. It's a website where you can make interactive flyers with links and pages for additional information. They are artfully created and easy to share online (and they're printable). I'm very interested to see how they're used within the classroom!

Mrs. M is also involved in a GCISD program called VALOR. Essentially, she is involved in a group of teachers who observe, critique, and assist one another. While she instructs her class, she has other teachers come into her classroom who identify where she is excelling and provide strategies that could improve her effectiveness. I sat in while she received some feedback, and I think this is a great program. This is a way that Mrs. M can make sure she is always learning, growing, and being the best teacher she can for her current students.

I am also getting ready to help Mrs. M start grading student work (!!!). I love her grading philosophy. She is trying out Standards Based Grading (SBG). Here is the gist:

• Grading policies reflect academic achievement ONLY (behaviors are not factored in)
• Formative assessment is used throughout to help teach and prepare students for summative assessments.
• New evidence of mastery of standards replaces old evidence (grades should reflect latest learning)
• Assessment is most effective if done with students rather than TO students
• Grades are extrinsic motivators and can destroy intrinsic motivation. Poor grades have NO motivational value
• Make sure students know from the beginning what they will be graded on
• GIVE FEEDBACK THROUGHOUT
• Students should always be given opportunities to make-up assignments. Zero's are not an option!

2 days down and I've already learned so much! And I'm excited to come back for more :)

Sources:

Smore // smore.com