Practicum ends tomorrow. While I can't say that I'm super excited to jump from being a teacher back to being student I do feel ready for this experience to be over. Although it feels strange to leave as soon as I'm finally feeling like I have a connection or rapport with most of my huge amount of students, staying longer would make it harder to leave. In my last class with the 7s today a student came up to me, one who only really started acknowledging me today, and put his arm around me and thanked me for teaching him things. I could have cried.
A month has really been the perfect amount of time necessary for this experience. I struggled and improved and perfected and struggled and improved and perfected enough to now be confident that this is something that I can do and do well. This last week my AT hasn't been offering as much feedback. I suppose there is less to comment on. This week has felt less like practice teaching and more like actual teaching. The students have stopped going to Mr. Latter as much with questions, concerns, etc. They are recognizing that I'm teaching them and they are coming to me. They are looking to me to guide them and help them and it feels great.
Tomorrow ends with two grade 8 classes and their presentations of the YouTube spoofs they've worked on. I'm really excited to see them. They have already shown evidence of a high degree of effort, more than I've seen in other scene work. Hopefully the assessment should be easy. I think that my AT is very generous in his marking. Personally I believe it is important to challenge students to meet higher standards. I suppose that if there's one thing I want to learn about the most it would be about assessment and standards and what level of achievement different grades are capable of.
In weeks one and three I commented on Catharine's blog. Week two I commented on Jen's blog. Week four I commented on Sarah Brown's blog.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Assessment. Yay.
In weeks two and three of my practicum my experience and my abilities have definitely improved. The challenge has become assessing the drama work I have assigned. I have already assessed a grade 4 unit, and will have one more next week, as well as a grade 6 unit on rap (yes, I taught rap). Still to go are the two grade 7 classes and their war scenes and the two grade 8 classes and their YouTube spoofs. My issue is that even having a rubric I find assessment difficult. For one, I am assessing them on the spot during their scene presentation. Which means that I have about one minute while the students are performing to follow what's happening, make observations, and assign a grade. My AT gives them their grade on the spot. I've given feedback but have opted not to immediately assign a grade.
The grade 4s began their drama rotation at the same time that I started my practicum. Ultimately the assessment is to help figure out which students should be directed into the drama stream next year. Their war scenes with me were their first drama scenes and therefore I think I must take that into consideration. I had a mini conference with them after their scenes were all presented so that we could debrief on how it felt to perform for the first time and how we can improve for next time. They were able to recognize that nerves came into play and that their focus was off. However now we have a starting point for further work and having observed them during rehearsals I know that they are all quite capable. Still I wonder if giving the majority a B is too harsh.
Debates on harshness of grades will definitely come into play for the older grades. I was very clear in my assignment expectations and have provided students with extra rehearsal time and individual guidance. I have talked repeatedly about what I'm looking for, which I think is fairly simple: a plot with a beginning, middle and end, well-planned depictions of violence and distinct characters who each have some dialogue. They all have a copy of the assignment as well as the rubric. Yet I continue to watch rehearsals where they engage in random violence with absolutely no plot direction and no relevant dialogue. So the question becomes do they all get really bad marks? Was the assignment too difficult? Should my standards be lower? Was it too much to ask to try and steer them away from video game violence towards more thoughtful work in honour of Remembrance Day? In part its hard to tell because I don't have anything to compare this work to. I've seen a few other grade 7 and 8 scenes that my AT has marked and I think he's more generous than I'm inclined to be.
I'll assign grades and then discuss them with my AT before entering them in his logbook. I don't want to be unfair by judging them at a standard that is too high for their level of learning, but I also don't want to devalue what I've been teaching by assigning grades that are too high. That's the challenge with something perhaps more subjective like Drama.
The grade 4s began their drama rotation at the same time that I started my practicum. Ultimately the assessment is to help figure out which students should be directed into the drama stream next year. Their war scenes with me were their first drama scenes and therefore I think I must take that into consideration. I had a mini conference with them after their scenes were all presented so that we could debrief on how it felt to perform for the first time and how we can improve for next time. They were able to recognize that nerves came into play and that their focus was off. However now we have a starting point for further work and having observed them during rehearsals I know that they are all quite capable. Still I wonder if giving the majority a B is too harsh.
Debates on harshness of grades will definitely come into play for the older grades. I was very clear in my assignment expectations and have provided students with extra rehearsal time and individual guidance. I have talked repeatedly about what I'm looking for, which I think is fairly simple: a plot with a beginning, middle and end, well-planned depictions of violence and distinct characters who each have some dialogue. They all have a copy of the assignment as well as the rubric. Yet I continue to watch rehearsals where they engage in random violence with absolutely no plot direction and no relevant dialogue. So the question becomes do they all get really bad marks? Was the assignment too difficult? Should my standards be lower? Was it too much to ask to try and steer them away from video game violence towards more thoughtful work in honour of Remembrance Day? In part its hard to tell because I don't have anything to compare this work to. I've seen a few other grade 7 and 8 scenes that my AT has marked and I think he's more generous than I'm inclined to be.
I'll assign grades and then discuss them with my AT before entering them in his logbook. I don't want to be unfair by judging them at a standard that is too high for their level of learning, but I also don't want to devalue what I've been teaching by assigning grades that are too high. That's the challenge with something perhaps more subjective like Drama.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
To Do or Not To Do
This week our blog topic is things to do or not do in the classroom.
I've learned that with the grade 7s, my personality, or how I would want to interact with them, has to come second to my authoritative teaching persona. As I documented last week, my first full lessons with the 7s totally got away from me. They were testing my boundaries and although I maintained my composure I didn't have control of the class. I was hard on myself the entire weekend. There was nausea, tears and constant mental replays of what went wrong. To come back from that experience and create a better classroom environment my AT and I decided that my next lessons with the 7s should start with a class meeting. I had them all line up in the hall and didn't let them into the class until everyone was quiet. I then sat them on the floor. I explained to them that their number one class rule is respect and that rule applies whether Mr. Latter is teaching or I am. I told them that I didn't think they had demonstrated respect to me, themselves or their drama work in the previous lesson, and outlined what I expected to change. The class meeting set the tone for the class and hopefully for my remaining lessons with them. With my increased authority and constant reinforcement of classroom management things improved significantly in my second week. The 7s will continue to be a challenge. Although I can't say that I enjoy teaching them I have definitely learned what to do in order to make it workable.
The second thing I started doing this week is writing myself little teaching scripts (how fitting of a drama teacher). Even though I'm teaching one subject, because I have 6 different grade levels there is a huge variety to what I teach. I'm using drama techniques like hot-seating that are new to me and I'm also teaching content like rap which I'm not particularly well-versed in (ha ha). By turning my lesson plans into scripts that I have on my clipboard I'm able to make sure I follow the plan and hit all my teaching points. The scrips are point form plans for the entirety of the lesson and include content that I'm covering, questions I want to ask and ways to guide their learning. I also include notes that my AT has given me as things to remember to do or not do as well as things I sometimes forget like telling them to clean up the classroom before they leave. There is just so much to remember and my scripts help keep me on track and keep my lessons running smoothly. They're also a bit of a security blanket, as knowing that I have a clear plan that I can refer to is sometimes all I need to feel comfortable and in control.
So overall week two was substantially better than week one. To be expected I suppose. Bring it on week three!
I've learned that with the grade 7s, my personality, or how I would want to interact with them, has to come second to my authoritative teaching persona. As I documented last week, my first full lessons with the 7s totally got away from me. They were testing my boundaries and although I maintained my composure I didn't have control of the class. I was hard on myself the entire weekend. There was nausea, tears and constant mental replays of what went wrong. To come back from that experience and create a better classroom environment my AT and I decided that my next lessons with the 7s should start with a class meeting. I had them all line up in the hall and didn't let them into the class until everyone was quiet. I then sat them on the floor. I explained to them that their number one class rule is respect and that rule applies whether Mr. Latter is teaching or I am. I told them that I didn't think they had demonstrated respect to me, themselves or their drama work in the previous lesson, and outlined what I expected to change. The class meeting set the tone for the class and hopefully for my remaining lessons with them. With my increased authority and constant reinforcement of classroom management things improved significantly in my second week. The 7s will continue to be a challenge. Although I can't say that I enjoy teaching them I have definitely learned what to do in order to make it workable.
The second thing I started doing this week is writing myself little teaching scripts (how fitting of a drama teacher). Even though I'm teaching one subject, because I have 6 different grade levels there is a huge variety to what I teach. I'm using drama techniques like hot-seating that are new to me and I'm also teaching content like rap which I'm not particularly well-versed in (ha ha). By turning my lesson plans into scripts that I have on my clipboard I'm able to make sure I follow the plan and hit all my teaching points. The scrips are point form plans for the entirety of the lesson and include content that I'm covering, questions I want to ask and ways to guide their learning. I also include notes that my AT has given me as things to remember to do or not do as well as things I sometimes forget like telling them to clean up the classroom before they leave. There is just so much to remember and my scripts help keep me on track and keep my lessons running smoothly. They're also a bit of a security blanket, as knowing that I have a clear plan that I can refer to is sometimes all I need to feel comfortable and in control.
So overall week two was substantially better than week one. To be expected I suppose. Bring it on week three!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
350 Students Aged 5-13
Teaching rotary drama at Runnymede means that I will teach over 350 kids, ages 5 to 13. It's a tall order and mentally and physically demanding to finish a period with the grades 1's and switch gears for the grade 8's two minutes later. But there is no better to way to become familiar with the scope and breadth of teaching. I am fortunate in that all the conditions are in place for an optimal practicum experience. Runnymede is a great school, I'm teaching my teachable subject and my AT is is positive, supportive and insightful. When the conditions are seemingly perfect, how can I go wrong?
The challenge for the drama classroom, and this is true of almost every class in every grade, is that classroom management is different than in rooms with rows of desks. Perhaps the idea of drama class is more relaxed and students feel they can take a break from structure. Perhaps sitting next to each other on risers provides the irresistible temptation to chat and fool around. Whatever the reason, classroom management and audience etiquette become the primary focus of the class. My challenge for the week is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I have spent years on stage and I am comfortable with public speaking. Getting up walking students through our activities is not an issue. My teaching persona is unflappable. I am authoritative and confident. What I didn't realize was how difficult it is to stand in front of a group of 30 students, ask for silence and then wait for silence. My first day I rushed through attendance and warm-ups. I knew what I had to do and I wanted to get it done. But doing so meant that I wasn't getting their full attention and respect and that I wasn't giving as detailed instructions as I could have. So now I stand with my arm up, asking for silence and waiting for it. I add demonstrations to my instructions to make sure the students understand and I take my time with each activity. The more classes I do the more comfortable I will become performing the role of teacher and demanding the respect and attention of my audience.
I have to remind myself of that after my first full lessons with the grade 7's on Friday. My lesson plan was engaging but I did not have full control of the class. I asked for silence, waited until it was mostly quiet and kept on instead of waiting for complete silence that didn't seem to be coming. The students were definitely testing my boundaries and many were blatantly disrespectful. I asked, I ordered, I commanded. I moved students and stood my ground but the class still got away from me. I feel frustrated with them and upset with myself for not being more authoritative. I am hoping that I won't let my nerves about Friday's experience affect my performance with the 7's next class. Fingers crossed.
The challenge for the drama classroom, and this is true of almost every class in every grade, is that classroom management is different than in rooms with rows of desks. Perhaps the idea of drama class is more relaxed and students feel they can take a break from structure. Perhaps sitting next to each other on risers provides the irresistible temptation to chat and fool around. Whatever the reason, classroom management and audience etiquette become the primary focus of the class. My challenge for the week is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I have spent years on stage and I am comfortable with public speaking. Getting up walking students through our activities is not an issue. My teaching persona is unflappable. I am authoritative and confident. What I didn't realize was how difficult it is to stand in front of a group of 30 students, ask for silence and then wait for silence. My first day I rushed through attendance and warm-ups. I knew what I had to do and I wanted to get it done. But doing so meant that I wasn't getting their full attention and respect and that I wasn't giving as detailed instructions as I could have. So now I stand with my arm up, asking for silence and waiting for it. I add demonstrations to my instructions to make sure the students understand and I take my time with each activity. The more classes I do the more comfortable I will become performing the role of teacher and demanding the respect and attention of my audience.
I have to remind myself of that after my first full lessons with the grade 7's on Friday. My lesson plan was engaging but I did not have full control of the class. I asked for silence, waited until it was mostly quiet and kept on instead of waiting for complete silence that didn't seem to be coming. The students were definitely testing my boundaries and many were blatantly disrespectful. I asked, I ordered, I commanded. I moved students and stood my ground but the class still got away from me. I feel frustrated with them and upset with myself for not being more authoritative. I am hoping that I won't let my nerves about Friday's experience affect my performance with the 7's next class. Fingers crossed.
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