Reader Response 9

Reader Response #9: CAR Chapter 5, CAW Chapter 10

Chapter 5 focuses on lesson planning and instruction. The quote by Eisenhower at the very start of the chapter is one I have heard often and being the spouse of an Army officer it is a quote I have seen in action. This chapter brought attention to the idea that planning is the most important part of teaching. Plans can sometimes fail, like we saw in the video in class, but a good teacher has contingency plans. The beginning of the chapter is all about modeling, scaffolding and guided practice. These strategies are a way to ensure that lessons are going to be successful. The chapter also talks about B-D-A centered lessons being key to ensure students are comprehending and learning the material. B-D-A is a good assessment tool and a way to check in with students to be sure everyone is learning and comprehending the material. The teacher is able to quickly look at where everyone is and can then decide where to go from there. Unit planning is one of the most difficult parts of lesson planning. Taking a concept and breaking it down in to parts can be difficult. The chapter stresses making sure to have objectives laid out clearly for yourself and for the students. These objectives guide the lessons and help the students know what to look for and what to focus on. The rest of the chapter focuses different learning strategies. I especially liked the section on collaborative learning. I want to be the teacher that talks less and listens more. I want my students to think critically and discover answers instead of me giving the information. All the group strategies mentioned in the chapter are all helpful. Learning as a group helps facilitate individual learning. Once the cooperative learning happens it is easier for the individual to take the strategies learned in the group and apply it to his or her learning process. The biggest take away I got from this chapter is that the teacher is the facilitator and guides learning, but there is a lot of preparation and planning that goes in to this type of learning.

Chapter 10 is all about writing assessments; both the students writing for assessments and the teacher writing the test. After my experience at Johnson High School I have found that the classroom has such a wide variety of skill level when it comes to writing. The teacher I have been observing has to cover all these different levels when giving tests and when teaching writing. She has a great ability to work writing into every day instruction. She told me that it took a lot of time for her to be able to seamlessly integrate writing into her curriculum. Students are reluctant to write when they are given writing assignments, but they are more enthusiastic when writing becomes an on-going process. An end of quarter analytical paper was worked on throughout the entire quarter beginning with reader response questions, outlines and focused free writing. The paper was then edited over and over again until a final draft was finished at the end of the quarter. The final draft happened without most of the students realizing they had been in the process of writing it the entire quarter. The teacher used scaffolding and took each new writing skill and developed them into a finished product. I saw in action what this chapter was discussing. It will take lots of practice and some trial and error, but I know it will create better writers.