Miss James' Portfolio of Growth - Home



12-6. Rachel's Period 3 ELD (16 students)

Spelling test! Students were very focused and responsive to your reminder about extra talking, etc. Monitoring the group by walking around while giving words in sentences was great proximity. Allowed you to address questions discreetly.

Very professional demeanor... And dress! You have such a nice tone and humor is engaging - cat comments, reading objectives from book theatrically, checking individuals and 'catching' them on task, acting out a bit....

No one leaves for free. (Fun, but what does it mean??)

Moving student sent message to group and all focused. Easy to implement quickly.

Students went to work and came up with some good ideas. Looking for strongest reason - some sharing allowed!

Redirecting student comment to others - good job! Lots of terrible examples that they were able to discuss in relation to the prompt. Nice balancing of student comments and focus on developing these reasons. Did the worksheet guide them to develop ideas effectively?

You are so quick on your feet! Clear that you're prepared with big picture goal, so that you can come up with good examples that engage students. Your oral model was specific and interesting to the group.

Putting an example opening up got lots of good reactions - more examples for them to use. Clearly a good topic! (Have they already written on this?)

Carpal tunnel discussion/story - good and relevant side conversation for just a minute.

Sample of Jose's paper all filled... Moved them along.

Final moments asked students to clean up, take handout home, and leave row by row. Super!

You are in your element! I hope you're having as much fun as it appears!

Questions/Ideas -

Writing prep for persuasive essay - "General audience," does that really guide them effectively? Something we may talk about later today.

"You guys!" Very casual address. What else might you say? (This is something we'll address as a group!)

Are these students all working at about the same level or do you notice many differences? 3 periods together is a lot. Is there a good variety of activities each day.

Ms. James, right? I am forgetting!

Some of the resistance here is because writing down their thinking is hard! Keep supporting and giving these examples, helping them actually get down their words!

3/26. Rachel's Period 1 Seniors (23 students) - Last half of class

Great cues to interpretation as you stop audio and talk about Modest proposal - view of Americans, Irish famine, persuasive techniques.... Pointing out key elements while giving them background kept them with you.

Agenda and key focus on board each day really good habit!

Friendly and humorous presentation! Very nice! You'll get a chance to know these kids quickly! Your smile is a winner!

Great reminder that this is satire from student... Colbert Report is good connection.

Great start here, it seems!!

Questions/Ideas -

Looks like you're getting names down! do you have any idea about skill levels Cross the group?

What are students supposed to be doing while listening? Are there questions or types of arguments they should be tracking?

Things slowed down when they were asked to find specific examples - good to do, but clear that some students are having trouble with the reading.

What's typical pack up procedure? ( BE PREEMPTIVE ON THURSDAY

I'll look at binder next time.

4/11. Rachel's period 1 ELA 11 (31 students ) Last 35 minutes of long period)

Students listening to your explanation of aspects of the poem when I came in.

Once you gave assignment, students asked a few questions about technical language and then wee supposed to find examples in Wordsworth poem. they may work with nearby partners.

Questions asked about what to write, when it would be used, what to,do, etc. How about a model there to get them going? When you hear those kinds of questions, jump back and help them get started by doing some part together. How about a time limit for this to get them moving?

Going to student in corner with head down got him awake briefly, but then back to head down.

Nice job of addressing questions about research project with girl in back.

Some kids dove right in, while others talking....

Good job of addressing structure with whole class when you saw that many were having trouble. Examples with your voice and other familiar works reinforced concept of lyrical.

When you are asking for whole group's attention, students are responding. good job of waiting for them! It works!

Lesson plan for today looks fine - I assume you're not getting to essay....

Once you moved on to questions in the book, the expectation about where to write these responses and what you would collect were more clear.

When you erased the page and question numbers, some kids complained... How to use board space consistently?

Nice closure to think about effects of personification - example of silent city was quick, but clear. Final comment on papers allow for some independent thinking.

3 minute cue and then calling on students for ideas. (Sentence frame is great! This is the kind of structure for responses that many students need!)

Asking Cody to repeat response worked to settle them back in...

"So what?" Great cue to push to analysis!

Finished with expectation to be in seat and quick comment about essays tomorrow.

Questions/Ideas -

What kinds of help did students seem to need?

Students need help analyzing and addressing all parts of a prompt.

How will this work be evaluated? Do students know?

Will talk to them about it next week after we finalize the prompt.

Is this kind of bookwork routine what they are used to?

They usually do it as homework, not in class work. But many don’t turn in HW so I do it in class, though sometimes they have overnight to finish it.

What are you noticing about the range of skills in this class? How is that affecting your planning?

Skills are mostly C and above. There are 8 students with an F and 4 students with a low D. Mr. Roberts and I are going to work on singling out these students and addressing the issues, which are mainly related to attendance and not doing homework.

Are you balancing student and teacher-led activities?

This is my third week; I feel like I lead a lot of the activities but they do the work… I’ll work on implementing more activities, as suggested today.

Boy hanging out at door?

He’s the TA. He comes and goes…

Are you using students' names regularly yet? Helps develop build those relationships!

I don’t know everyone’s names but I have a seating chart so I am trying to learn them. I know O Naria, Jackie, Carlos, Mo, Sasha, Tasha, Freddy, Cody, Andrew, Tammi…. :P

4/17 Rachel's Period 2 ELA Intensive (13 students)

RChel reading aloud and asking students questions about Mice and Men.... You asked several different students about plot details - do you think they are following? It appears that they are following the book closely.

Catching them by stopping and having them fill in words seems fun.

Keeping their heads up working nicely! hold to expectations!

Acting out parts for them, voice inflection, reviewing the story parts - great ways to make it dramatic!

Previewing your specific questions with a general statement of "Let's review the story so far." was good general cue.

Moving around the room while you read worked well, too.

Great question about what's going on! Why gun came up... Migrant lifestyle...

Hurt feelings because of tone... Then moved to young man. Got him involved! Good humor is keeping them with you.

Questions/Ideas -

How to make this story visual for kids? They need as many different avenues for engagement as possible. Map of CA to see where they've been? Having them draw scenes from the book - like their impressions of the men, the bunkhouse, or a map of the ranch set up? maybe have them cast a new version of the movie with current actors so that they have to consider characteristics? They could make a movie poster that hangs up, so that they can refer to it later as you read.

Can you ask for their opinions as you go along? "What do you think bout shooting an old dog? How do you think X feels? how can you tell?"

Binder for this class?

Can students red this on their own at all? Reading together is nice, but are you having them do any of it?

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