Saturday, November 13, 2010

Reflection Blog #2

Earlier in the year, even before we Had Dr. M’s class about cutting, a first period lesson didn’t go over too well, and during our second period planning the second year math teacher at my school, GS, masterfully concocted a new lesson about the Order of Operations involving paper cutting. It was the one where you fold hot dog style, then hamburger style, then hamburger again, and cut down the creases only on one side of the paper so that you have four flaps. We put P(arentheses) at the top, E(xponents) on the second, MD(multiplication/divison) on the third, and AS(addition/subtraction) on the fourth along with the accompanying information under each flap.
I really think the kids enjoyed it overall simply because it was a break from the norm which had already established itself even though it was still early in the year. They were pretty good with instructions and with the safety of the scissors. The activity also seemed to manage the kids for me. They seemed to occupied with cutting the paper and writing down the information to care about talking. Admittedly, I let some talking go, but it was the volume was low and controlled, which honestly gave the classroom a very comfortable environment.
Though I haven’t gotten to use another paper cutting activity, it’s definitely something I would like to incorporate into another lesson

Monday, November 8, 2010

Chapter 3: Class Discussions

Talking less... oh man, if I could only talk less during class. If I was spending less time at the board talking, then that would mean I would be spending more time sitting, which means my class would be more quiet because I would be comfortable enough to sit in the first place. Talking less would mean more student-centered learning such as class discussions, and I agree with the book that “students learn and remember best when they participate in a dialog about class topics”.
If there’s one thing about math, it’s that it can be a tad dry sometimes, and the whole lecturing/monitoring process of “I do, we do, you do” can be a bit taxing on the voice and stamina. However, this is also a very plain way of teaching and it’s something in which I have begun to be comfortable because I find it as an easier way to manage my classroom. My fear is expressed in this section of the chapter: “...teacher often respond that it’s never as easy for them as we make it appear. They are often hesitant to plan discussions because some of their students act immaturely... The reluctance is based on the fear that students will get out of control.” This describes me to a tee. I can barely fathom attempting a class discussion with competent students, much less students of my students’ caliber (i.e., students who fart in class and who can’t control themselves because of it for the next 5 minutes).
What I have had to learn the hard way is that setting the tone of the classroom early on is crucial for being able to exercise more advanced activities such as classroom discussions. I want active engagement so bad. I want students to discuss and even enter heated debates about the topic for the day. However, far from actually trying to moderate a class discussion without it getting out of control, I don’t think there are many topics in math that students could even get passionate enough about in order to induce a fiery argument.
Bottom line, I agree with the book that classroom discussions are a wonderful tool to help increase student comprehension. I also agree with this quote by Samuel Johnson: “The seeds of knowledge may be planted in solitude, but must be cultivated in public.” However, a teacher strong in knowledge of content, discipline, and confidence is the only viable medium that I see through which a successful classroom discussion can be had.