Week 5

Week of September 21, 2009
This week the collaborating special education teacher and I learned team teach very well. In first period, we started using the computer to take notes. As I was going over readings and discussing with the students, the collaborating teacher would assist in typing notes up on the whiteboard. This helped eliminate time of discussing then typing. It allowed for the students to get the best environment for learning about Beowulf. In second period, we tried the same technique. It really proved to be successful across grade levels. Having a visual for the discussions allowed students to stay on task and absorb the novel in a more efficient manner.

In English 10 Honors, we approached different reading techniques. I allowed the students to vote on how they wanted to read and discuss the novel this week. They voted on reading and discussing the chapters in small groups. I facilitated their reading and group discussions by roaming around the room. This approach proved to work successfully among the students. Student understanding and the discussions were very strong.

In creative writing, we covered a wide range of genres, such as letters, diary entry, birth certificates (and other formal documentation), bumper stickers and customized license plates, and songs. The students expressed strong interest in learning new genres every day. They liked that I keep them on their toes.

Overall, I learned many useful teaching techniques to use in the wide range of classes that I teach. I learned that various approaches work better based on the class needs.