It was great to be back with the students today after missing last week’s class due to the unexpected effects of an October snow-storm! This past week has definitely gone to show how flexible teachers need to be when unexpected circumstances arise. This blog will focus on three more important aspects to consider when teaching science: classroom management, process skills, and the lesson conclusion.
In order for any lesson to be a success, a very important factor is that of classroom management. Teachers need to keep some form of order in the classroom and establish routines that students can easily follow. In our science class, Katie and I have used a variety of classroom management techniques that help us to gain students’ attention. Some cues we use to help refocus students when needed are the echo clapping in which students repeat a particular clap and the “One, two, three- look at me!” cue after which students respond “One, two- look at you!” Because these routines are familiar to students, they usually respond immediately when these cues are used. Another great technique Katie used today to gain students’ attention during an activity was to ask the students to touch their heads, shoulders, knees, etc. if they could hear her speaking. This strategy definitely got students to stop what they were doing and focus on Katie while she gave the next directions. Another strategy that we have used is to include both whole group instruction as well as small group work. When students work in groups of three, we also assign a number to each student in the group. In doing so, we can easily assign specific tasks to certain number students to help the activities to flow more smoothly.
Another important aspect of teaching science is the incorporation of process skills. Today our students used the skills of observation and collecting data. Using hand lenses, the students carefully observed the caterpillars. Building upon previous lessons in which the students learned how to make safe observations using four of their senses, students continued to use this process skill to observe the appearance of the caterpillars. The students then recorded their observations in their science journals through detailed drawings and sentences.
The lesson ‘finale’ is also an essential part of the science lesson. The words spoken during this time may end up being what students remember the most from the entire lesson. During our conclusions, we usually gather the students at the classroom meeting area. We review our key questions of the lesson through a brief discussion in which students may share what they have learned. We also review any key vocabulary terms we have introduced during the lesson. These words are then posted on a science word wall and categorized into groups so that students can visualize how some words are connected. We also tend to make some reference to next week’s lesson in order to keep students engaged and to heighten their curiosity for our next class.
Overall, these three aspects are key points that teachers need to consider when lesson planning. Classroom management is the key to whether or not students will ultimately learn the lesson objectives, process skills are tools students learn how to use which aid in their scientific explorations, and the conclusion is an important time to wrap up and bring a sense of closure to the lesson.
Mia- you arent kidding about the flexibility of elementary teachers- we experienced this first hand this past week. My favorite idea that I read in your post was while you put the students in groups of three, you assigned each student a number so that you could designate duties to each number, and therefore, each student more efficiently. This is a fantastic idea! I can also imagine that it helps with materials management as well! I also like how you are making a word wall with the students and adding to it every week and discussing the words in the conclusion. This is a great way to keep them their memories sharp and not forget important terms! Bravo!
ReplyDeleteHi Mia,
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned the importance of establishing routines in your classroom as a means of behavior management. Using cues is a great way of getting the students to focus their attention, and as an outsider in another teacher's classroom, it is really easy to tell when you use the cue that their teacher generally uses because of the students' reaction to it. For example, in me and Alyssa's class yesterday, we were having trouble with behavior management so I used a cue that we have seen in other classrooms and it totally did not work. Then I remembered what their typical cue is (1,2,3 eyes on me)and they quieted down right away and listened to our instructions. It's funny how quickly the students get used to that routine, and it was like they were blocking out all other cues except for the one they were used to listening for! Good to hear that your lesson went well, keep up the good work!
Hi Mia,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you assign numbers to each group member so that they each have a certain task. That is something I am going to try next lesson. It seems like you and Katie have a great balance of flexibility and structure in your classroom!
Mia,
ReplyDeleteSounds like another successful week for you and Kaite! Keep up the great work. I still believe your thorough lesson planing is what makes your activities so successful. It was excellent that you realized that your class works well with a balance of whole group instruction and small groups, and planned your lesson to fit that structure. Changing up the activity ensured that you would not lose the students attention as easily.
Also, off of what Eric said, I found it interesting how quickly students respond to their familiar cueing systems. The teachers we are working with must have done a good job practicing these routines with their students. It seems to be essential to focus on classroom management thoroughly at the beginning of the year, so less time is spent on it later on.