Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Teaching Strategies...
Frequently as teachers, we utilize a particularly effective teaching strategy that was successful, fun, and met the teaching objectives of the class very well. Maybe it was addressing multiple intelligences, was interactive, or really fostered student-directed learning. Maybe it was a homework shortcut or an assessment that was particularly effective. Have you used a strategy you would like to share with the group? Tell us the level and subject area were you teaching and describe the strategy.
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Encourage students to write constantly. One strategy: Give the students a writing assignment every day to be written in a spiral notebook. At the end of the week, the students will mark with a paperclip the one writing assignment that they want you, the teacher, to grade.
ReplyDeleteThis strategy empowers the student to decide which of his written pieces is his very best. It also implies that the student can reflect on what is good, and what is not as good and fosters that skill. The teacher then grades only that assignment that the student decides is his best, but checks off that the other assignments were completed. It holds students accountable for completing the homework yet makes the grading burden manageable for the teacher.
This strategy is from Doug Fisher, an English high school English teacher in San Diego and education professor at San Diego State University.
A great way to have engage students in a lecture or whole class discussion is called "Outcome Sentences." At different points in the lecture, stop and ask inidividual students to finish one of these phrases: I was surprised to learn; I'm confused about; I just learned; or I am beginning to wonder...(This strategy can be combined with "turn and talk" or "think/pair/share.")
ReplyDeletePreparing students for a personal narrative writing assignment I experiemented using two of McREL's Nine Essential Strategies, (visualization and cooperative learning). I turned down the lights and after introducing the writing prompt, asked the students (3rd grade) to close their eyes and visualize the topic. I asked, "what are you doing, who is there, how do you feel?" and followed-up with a short pair and share.
ReplyDeleteThe students were warmed-up and ready to begin writing their first draft. This technique did seem to produce good results as, every student made significant headway organizing their initial thoughts. An added benefit: visualization and short discussion calmed the students and prepared them for writing.
One of the best strategies I've found and used in Student Teaching is Love and Logic. I've found it to be an EXCELLENT companion to our positive behavior support in the school and classroom. If you ever get a chance to take a class, do it! They are amazing and will change your classroom! The students manage themselves and respond very well. There are, of course, exceptions, but generally those that are exceptions are those that are exceptions to everything. :) So, for the vast majority, it's a great program and very easy to implement. It works on so many levels (classroom, home, spouse) and is so easy to adopt. It becomes second nature very quickly.
ReplyDeleteMy students love the website iknowthat.com. It has everything for kids to have fun while practicing a variety of skills including math and language arts.
ReplyDeleteI recently implemented role-playing in the classroom and the students loved participating. Role-playing exercises teach skills that are assumed to have been learned outside of the classroom. This type of strategy/exercise requires the students to use their imagination, communication skills, and pull from prior knowledge that can relate to the role being played. I have used this a couple of times and plan on continueing.
ReplyDeleteSondra asked me to post this:
ReplyDeleteFun, fill-in, educational ideas:
1. Students stand-up and push in your chairs..now show me 200 jumping jacks counting by 5s, show me push-ups to 30 counting by 3s, show me ski moves up to 40 counting by 2s, etc.
2. Students stand-up and push in your chairs...now show me 2 groups of 5 with your hands and fingers, show me 2 groups of 1, etc. Now get with a partner and show me 4 groups of 3, etc.
My Cooperating Teacher does a lot of this kind of stuff...it's great!!
My 1st grade students love the group projects I've had them do and the hands-on science experiments. One tough little boy said, as he left on Friday, "I don't want school to end! I want more experiments!" I want to find more opportunitites to teach in these ways.
ReplyDeleteMy cooperating teacher started her "school store" this week and the kids are soooo motivated because they get money for lots of different things throughout the day. Then on Thursdays she sets up the store where they use the fake money to buy real items.
The best results I have experienced when teaching my lessons are when I incorporate a variety of multiple intelligences. I am student teaching in a first grade classroom, and have learned the importantance of periodic transitions during each subject. Planning ahead and having lessons thoroughly prepared helps make transitions and lessons run more smoothly. Students seem to stay more engaged when multiple intelligences are addressed. I try to incorporate as many hands-on activities as possible when planning lessons. I believe students learn more when the lessons are enjoyable and engaging, and I try to make this my goal when planning lessons.
ReplyDeleteMarti Ostenson
30 Second Response. Following any student or teacher presentation, have each student respond to one of these prompts with a short written response: 1. I heard 2. I wonder 3. I'm puzzled 4. I'm surprised.
ReplyDeleteJeannie said...
ReplyDeleteSome teaching strategies that I found that help is a self-assessment of modality strengths. When the students take the assessment and score the results at the end you can see the characteristics of learning style that the student has. You can see whether the student learns best by visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.
I also have another activity called "On My Back." Students write their name on a piece of paper and go around the room to other students and the other students write a positive comment on that students sheet of paper.
During my student teaching, I have really tried to incorporate activities, or ideas, that allow the students to connect with the lesson. An example would be our text reading for the unit plan. The book mentioned "johnnycakes" several times throughout the first couple of chapters so one day I surprised the kids and brought in actual johnnycakes for them to snack on while we read. Of course, they loved the idea of getting to eat during class but it also allowed them to have a complete understanding of what they were.
ReplyDeleteI started using Literature Circles in my 1st grade class. I wasn't sure if it was going to fly with them (because of their young age) but it has been very effective. I'm doing less direct instruction and whole group teaching and they are highly motivated and engaged. In addition they have had to work on problem-solving in their groups (figuring out who is going to read first or who gets to be the "writer" for that day's group assignment etc...) and I've even gotten some requests to do them on days when I have opted not to.
ReplyDeleteThis year at my school a new program was implemented into our Literacy by Design curriculum. It is from the book “The Daily Five” by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. I was able to begin to incorporate the Daily Five into the first grade classroom during my solo student-teaching. The students immediately enjoyed beginning the day reading. We started off with just 10 minutes and now we are up to 25 minutes. The students look forward to reading every day. It has increased their reading ability and vocabulary along with fluency. If there is a day we are not able to start our day with reading, I am reminded how much they enjoy it when I hear “AH”.
ReplyDeleteThere were several strategies that proved successful for me this semester student teaching - for both classroom management and classroom learning. For classroom management, positive reinforcement worked WONDERS. Rather than pointing out that a student isn't doing what I want they are supposed to be doing, I praise the students who are doing what I want them to be doing. For example, "I see that Auggie is doing what he's supposed to be doing - he has his math journal and spiral out on his desk, and he's sitting quietly in order to hear my instructions!" In second grade, this works VERY well as at this age, the kids want to please you. As far as classroom learning, I really learned the importance of having the kids MOVE. They say a child's attention span is their age in minutes - so for a second grader, 7 - 8 minutes. This means that I need to break up my lesson so I don't lose the kids - and the more I get them moving and doing hands on work, the more engaged in the learning they become.
ReplyDelete- Trish Dunbar
One of the most ridiculously challenging things I faced in an elementary classroom happened a few years ago during a sub job I had in 1st grade. Dividing the kids into small groups, or pairing them with a partner for an activity can take more time than it should if you haven't got a plan for doing it. To avoid facing this challenge in my own classroom, I came up with a strategy called "Salt and Pepper Buddies". Last year when I was doing a 10-week long-term sub job in 2nd grade, I implemented the strategy and had fantastic results!
ReplyDeleteI prepared a deck of cards by using colored construction paper. I chose three colors (red, blue and yellow), cut the paper into four shapes (squares, circles, triangles and rectangles). Then I searched the internet for 'cartoony' looking icons of a salt and pepper shaker, a dog and a bone, a glass of milk and a cookie...you see where this is going. Then I attached a cartoony icon to each colored shape and laminated them (to give them superpowers) :).
Each student draws a card from a paper bag and we attach the card to the front of his/her desk. The cards allow me to quickly divide the class into cooperative learning groups of 4-6 by color, small groups of 3-4 by shape, and partners by the pictures. This way, when I need to divide the class, it becomes as simple as saying, "Find your Salt and Pepper buddy for partner reading," or, "Blue group here, red in the back and yellow group by the windows." The kids are allowed to re-draw every 3-4 weeks so they get a chance to work with lots of people.
Even better, since the cards are attached to the desks, they can also be used for the other 2nd grade class, when they come in twice a week for Social Studies, as they always sit in the same student's desk. Surprisingly, I did not have to replace any of the cards all semester (Thank You Laminating Gods). Good Luck!
The best teaching strategy I used in my kindergarten class was cooperative learning. The kids loved it and I loved it! We made a cooperative snowman. We divided the class into several learning groups (mostly based on behavior needs). Each member had a job, then they worked together to build a snowman. There was hardly any teaching model, it was very process oriented. We also used the same strategy to make a human body during our health/nutrition unit. The kids stayed busy, focused and hands-on for an hour! They had so much fun. I highly recommend cooperative projects.
ReplyDeleteTry Fishbowls and Socratic Seminars. The students get the opportunity to take control where the teacher only steps in when the discussion is off topic or inappropraite! They are great tools.
ReplyDelete-Brenda Trupp
I am at the secondary/high school math level. There have been a couple activities that my students have absolutely loved. These activities entailed working in small and whole groups toward a common goal, competition and of course, food! High school students will do any work necessary if it involves "winning" and food. The mastery they obtained from these activities was astounding. A couple of them complained, but they are the students who complain about everything regardless.
ReplyDeleteDuring these activities, the students were randomly placed into small groups. After they worked in their small groups for a certain period of time, they would either work with another small group or as a class depending on the activity. The transition to working with other small groups/whole group was to encourage students to rely on one another for information and learn how to work cooperatively with peers and colleagues. Cooperative learning was one of the main strategies used in my classes. It was amazing to watch the students work together and help each other throughout the semester.
I'm not sure what strategy this would fall under, but every day we did exit reflections. I would develop 2-4 questions related to current events and/or the topic at hand. The students would pick a sticky note color of their choice and right their answers on this sticky note. They would then stick it on the door as they left. The first couple days were rough and full of complaining, but the students soon began looking forward to it and would become anxious if I didn't get the sticky notes out right away!
Mari
My 1st grade cooperating teacher uses a great classroom management strategy that I have stolen. Instead of saying something like "one, two, eyes on me" or "clap clap clapclapclap," she uses chimes. Once the students hear the chimes they know they must be quiet. The chimes are very soothing. She plays the chimes twice. The first time is to give instructions. The second time basically means "go." It works like magic!!
ReplyDeleteEmily Manion
http://regisstudentteaching.blogspot.com/2009/05/teacher-resources-as-of-2009.html#comments
ReplyDeleteCHECK OUT THESE SHORT VIDEOS FOR COOL STRATEGIES!
Often times, the verbal cues or physical responses to the student behavior can be overwhelming or uncomfortable for the students themselves or their peers within the learning environment. Picture cues and schedules provide direction and communicate expectations without auditory stimulation. I have even used this with colored shapes. The colored shapes are nice because they send the message without any shame or judgment. After all, this is a behavioral support not a consequence. I placed/posted a yellow triangle (any shape or color will work, I would recommend using a student's favorite) in places that typically required prompting for the student. The student and I discussed what is expected when the teacher touches the yellow triangle (a teach-to discussion about behavioral expectations). Then the teacher would simply touch the shape as needed. For the student with more concrete need, a teacher can use a picture of a student raising a hand or any other behavioral expectation. Then, simply touch the picture as needed. I had one situation in which the student actually began to reach for the shape when he felt his behavior getting out of hand (self-monitoring).
ReplyDeleteIn addition, visual clocks are a god send. This type of clock allows the student to see how much time is left for the task, break or expectation. The benefits greatly out way the cost. I've had it work wonders for students who need constant reassurance. I set the clock and tell the student it is time to work independently. If they speak up I refer them to the clock and remind them they can ask questions when the timer goes off or there is no more "red" on the clock. After a short period of time, the student will begin to look up at the clock instead of interrupting. Here is a link to the product... http://www.timetimer.com/
One BIG thing I have learned through observation and practice is knowing which battles to pick and which children/families to pick them with. This became apparent during PT conferences moreso. I continue to be a big believer of nodding my head and say hmmmm....then stop and really think about what you have to say before you say it. This goes for children, their parents, relationships and all across the board. Which battles do you really want to pick and is it one that you are willing to go through with?
ReplyDeleteMy first grade classroom is working on counting and adding mixed coins. A great way to teach them real life application and experience is to use piggy banks, they work for their coins (plastic coins that look similar to real ones) and they have to save up their money to make a purchase from a classroom store. They love it and have a lot of fun while learning. Also include a log of some sort so that they can continually retotal their money and track what they've got in their piggy banks. This keeps the practice going and you can watch their excitement increase. You can even integrate writing into the lesson by having them write about what they are saving up for and how much they need!
ReplyDeleteI am teaching a culture unit. As a capstone, the students are researching a culture and preparing a PowerPoint. To help them with their research, I created graphic organizers for them to categorize their research and bibliographic sources. I then made GOs for them to create drafts of their PowerPoint slides. Students were then easily able to transfer their hand-written drafts onto PowerPoint. I feel that this helped students use their limited computer lab time to their best advantage. Students were also required to type all of their text into their PowerPoints before adding images and bells and whistles, which forced them to focus on their content. Students will present their PowerPoints during a culture day when they will dress in costumes and share traditional arts and foods.
ReplyDeleteGreat project to integrate organizational skills, technology skills, and presentation skills. Plus, I bet the students are very engaged in the process. They will know what it takes to go from idea to research to product. I hope they enjoyed it!
DeleteI found a fun game to use to practice vocabulary words in 3rd grade. Have two students sit facing the class with the board behind them. Then write a different vocabulary word behind both students. Have groups take turns giving the two students clues to guess the vocabulary words. Some clues are synonymns, antonyms and definitions. The students have a lot of fun and learn vocabulary. Thanks, Alissa
ReplyDeleteI like this idea. It would be a fun and engaging way to teach vocabulary.
DeleteThis is a neat idea. It reminds me of the TV game Password or $10,000 Pyramid. It really makes the person giving clues be very clear on what the word means. The better you know the word, the better your clues will be. Plus, anything that resembles a game is a hit with the students!
DeleteI have re-learned how fun the game "around the world" is. I have found it can be used in many aspects at all levels. When I was in school I only used it for multiplication, but now in my Kindergarten classroom we play all the time with sight words, number recognition, color words, addition, and subtraction. It's such a fun game that students can benefit from. I also learned a great technique: if you have a higher level student against a lower level student tell the higher level student they have to close their eyes for 10 seconds. This gives the lower level student a chance to succeed without being quite so obvious.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of doing jumping jacks counting by 2's, 5's or 10's!
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Liz Hoagland, I am currently student teaching at Summit High in Breckenridge, CO. I am working with Spanish I & Spanish II classes and teaching 9th and 10th grade. I have studied Spanish since a small child, taken over 60 hours in credits throughout university level, and NEVER until NOW have I been more sold on a specific teaching strategy.
ReplyDeleteHere at Summit they use T.P.R.S. to teach Spanish, which means they do not teach conjugating or verb structures. Instead, we introduce high frequency vocabulary (ex: esta, se va, no tiene) to the student in the verb's applied form through reading or storytelling, and then focus a lesson on getting up to 60 to 120 repetitions of the 4 vocabulary words that day in the lesson. How do we do it? We start the lesson with a song, using a vocabulary word, we then have a phrase using it, then we question/ answer in a guided discovery method the meanings of our new vocabulary words. We then act out a skit with props and student actors to use the vocabulary. We can also use our TPRS books to read about it, and write a reflective summary using the vocabulary. What is the result: 9th and 10th graders are speaking conversational Spanish by the end of taking Spanish I!
Check out "Restorative Practices" for questions to ask students who have challenging behavior and those who have been hurt. The website is www.IIRP.EDU.
ReplyDeleteI really liked using I have Who Has Time. The students have to pay attention to what time is on their clock and then they have to ask who has the next time. It should go all the way around the circle until they get back to the first one. My students really liked this.
ReplyDeleteI also had a game like this for multiplication and they did really well with this.I liked these educational games because they got the students up and moving and learning. This was good for students to visaully see what was on the card and hear what is being asked.
During a technology meeting of the Kindergarten teachers I learned about some useful sites. Check out symbaloo.com, dafont.com, and Bubbl.us
ReplyDeleteOne strategy I have found that works throughout the day is "Turn and Talk". This strategy can be used with any lesson at any given time. While at the learning rug, carpet, or groups students can discuss their learning by simply asking them to turn and talk. Students turn "knee to knee" and "eye to eye" to show they are listening. They receive great peer interaction and develop a responsibility in listening during the lesson. I have also seen the confidence students gain by using Turn and Talk because they have had think time and through discussion know what their thoughts might be. During "Turn and Talk" time I can also confer with students and listen to them and identify their learning. This also helps me understand if they are ready to move forward to independent practice time.
ReplyDeleteWe use this same strategy in the classroom I am student teaching in. I have found that this works best when the students connect with the lesson and have tons to share. It is a great informal assessment because you can listen to the students share their knowledge and understanding.
DeleteSome of the best advice I received this semester came from a few nuggets of wisdom shared with me by my cooperating teacher and supervising teacher. Their simple strategies were a tremendous help.
ReplyDelete1. Have a clear and simple objective for the lesson or activity. (I know it! The students know it!)
2. Focus on student learning, NOT my teaching! (Use the objective to guide me.)
3. Closure! Review the objective. (Did the students learn it? How do I know? Can they show me or tell me?)
These three things were something I held onto closely and they certainly made me gain in confidence as the semester progressed.
I have used a teaching strategy over and over during my student teaching. The strategy is simply to center my teaching around my student's interests. At the beginning of my student teaching, I had a difficult time getting my third graders interested in writing. I felt like they could not really understand a purpose for their writing; one student told me, "My mom never reads this stuff. She just takes it out of my backpack and throws everything away". This was really heartbreaking. The students that I teach really do have rough home lives. I needed to take another direction with my students. I decided to center their writing assignments about a book I was reading a loud to them; the book was Naya Nuki, The Girl Who Ran by Kenneth Thomasma. They absolutely loved this story. I had them make a Venn Diagram comparing the life of Naya Nuki (an Indian girl) to their own lives. They wrote about their comparisons and shared them with the class. The computer teacher even helped them make pod casts using their stories. I used this book for many other reading lessons and found a guided reading book written by the same author. This teaching strategy has saved my life in student teaching! Thanks Naya Nuki!
ReplyDeleteWhen teaching vocabulary words to 3rd graders, I review the words for the week with them first. Next, I put the students in groups of 3-5. I give each group a different vocab word to act out for the rest of the class. I give the groups around 5 minutes to prepare. After each group shares, they call on students to guess their word. After a group has shared, they go back to their seats. The kids love this game and ask to play it every week. I'm sure this could be adapted to any grade level.
ReplyDeleteThe strategy that has worked the best for me this semester has been incorporating physical movement into every lesson. From “fishing” for literary hooks with a make shift fishing pole, foam fish, and magnets to vocabulary egg hunts for Easter, I had my students moving everyday. As a result, students were having fun and remained engaged in the lessons, which in turn also limited the disruptive behaviors I had previously seen.
ReplyDeleteIn our district we do a lot of Kagan Cooperative Learning. I use a couple of the Kagan strategies all the time and try and learn others and work them in. Our math group does a lot of Rally Coach. The students are paired up. Student A does a math problem and as student A does it student B must say yes I agree or no I disagree after each step. This keeps both students engaged on each problem and they get practice whether they are doing the problem or checking it. The other one I do a lot is Quiz-Quiz-Trade. This is a great tool for reviews. You have the question on one side and the answer on the other. They walk around and ask each other the questions. During both of these they must also give their partner a cheer and thank them for being their partner. These are great tools to keep your students engaged in what they are learning.
ReplyDeleteThis semester has been a wonderful learning experience. I have used many different teaching strategies to reach a very diverse set of students. For math I used an interactive 100's chart on the Smartboard. The students were so engaged and loved coming up to the Smartboard to find the right number. I would give the students a clue and then they would utilize what they know about a 100's chart to find the number. I would give clues like find a number that is 10 less than 36. Then I would ask them to find a number that is 10 more. They did a fantastic job!
ReplyDeleteI have also used a vareity of graphic organizers during guided reading. My cooperating teacher has a book with a varity of graphic organizers for defining the problem in a story, the main idea, predicting what will happen, comparing the characters, KWL charts, Venn Diagrams and many others. These charts have helped me teach solidify the skills the students need. Early on in my Student Teaching experience I learned how important PBS is and also using visuals. Both have helped stregthen my teaching style.
I have been fortunate to have an I-Pad in the classroom. During a nonfiction unit in readers workshop, I used the I-Pad to introduce new teaching points. The students loved the technology and were very impressed by the features on the I-Pad. I am excited to learn more strategies to become a more effective teacher!