Perhaps I'm beginning this reflection blog a little late in the year for it to benefit my teaching this year, but I can't not write anymore. I have to figure out some way to deal with the issues that I face every day in my classroom, behaviorally and otherwise, and it seems that writing is the only way that I can process this somewhat anonymously.
I'm teaching first grade for the first time this year. For the past two years I've been teaching middle school ESL. Moving to first grade was quite a leap. I had no idea what I was getting into either. I had no idea that the class I would be spending most of my time with would need as many behavioral interventions as it did and I didn't know the first thing about working with 6 year olds. Before this post becomes one big whine fest and totally counter productive let me just say that I have also never felt so supported as I have this year in teaching. The last two years were a bit isolated.
It's the end of May. Last week we finished up the NYSESLAT tests and for the first time in about six weeks I am back in the classroom. Back to my normal schedule the day flew by and I am hoping that it continues for the next couple of weeks. My main concern (as it has been all year) is what to do with my first grade group. I started working on their vowel sounds before all the testing started. . . a little late, but I didn't have any data before I began so I did what the book told me to. That was a few months ago and we're still not getting it. Well, a few are, but for the most part, we're still stuck on how to differentiate between a short a and short e, never mind the various combinations of other vowels. After all my time out of the classroom I foolishly planned a lesson where the students would craft sentences using a combination of words that I had on the board (I have _________. I like ________________. I am ______________________). It wasn't until 10 minutes in that I realized they were a) totally zoned out, b) playing with their pencils and sharpeners, or c) looking at me with blank expressions. How do I keep doing this? I've done this so many times - totally misjudged their levels and/or capabilities and over shot the mark. I think I'm scaffolding for them but am I? I must not be because something that shouldn't be too hard for them (and I'm not talking about the lesson today but in general) crashes and burns and results in a huge classroom management concern. Tomorrow I'm going to go back to the basics. Maybe group work?
No comments:
Post a Comment