Wednesday, December 9, 2015
December Blog Post- Nicole Ashley- Chapter 12- You Only Have So Much Time- December 9, 2015
I laughed when I saw the title of this chapter- because I'm really feeling that right about now. This month, we have so many things going on in first grade....Christmas Around the World, Grinch Day, Polar Express Day, Dibels,....the list goes on- all the while trying to keep a bunch of " Christmas Ready" first graders in their seats just long enough to listen to ONE thing. I loved the part about spending most of your time thinking....I find myself doing that at the oddest times. I wake up thinking about how I can do that lesson better, or while driving to school I'm thinking about a different approach to teaching a new topic. Routman was right in saying you have to trust your own experiences to help plan in the most effective way. I guess that's why I do so much thinking and planning ahead...realizing what may have NOT worked in the past and knowing that I need a new way or approach that might work better. Another part in the chapter focused on keeping a lively pace. I feel like we have that one DOWN to a T!!! There is no other pace that we keep!!! I try to move along at a pretty quick pace, keeping things interesting and engaging students as much as possible. That goes right along with maximizing participation....I love my tables as opposed to the desks that I had years back. It suits perfect for a classroom that invites collaboration with one another- even in first grade. It's important that they are social in their learning environment. Sometimes they can teach each other much more effectively than I can teach them. I really enjoyed reading the suggestions about how to find ways and time to collaborate with colleagues. Some of the best suggestions were...institute a late start for students one day a week, dismiss students early one day a week, hire roving subs, add paid days to the school calendar! LOVE THESE!!! haha
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I smiled reading your response...when I think of your classroom, "lively pace" definitely comes to mind! I have never walked by or been in your room when your students have not been engaged in learning...EVER!! There is no way any of your students go home and say they had a boring day. I love how you use collaborative learning in your room and it is working well for you. We have to have that collaboration to build successful adults with effective social skills. I loved all the ideas for collaborating with other teachers. Mention some of these in your SLO meeting! If we want to improve practices and continue to improve our ability to meet the needs of our students, we will need to get creative and some of these ideas may be just what we need in order to do so!
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about your classroom and how you work to provide your students with authentic opportunities to collaborate with each other. When our Furman teachers came by to observe technology integration our time in your room was so enjoyable because of the high level of student engagement and interaction. Thank you! Dawn