Pre-Student Teaching: Part 2
Spring Semester 2018
Course: EDUC 359.2
Lincoln Elementary School
4th Grade: Mrs. Michelle Sabetti
For Part 2 of my Pre-Student Teaching experience with Moravian College, I was placed at Lincoln Elementary School in Bethlehem, PA. This experience required a minimum of 75 hours spent in the classroom. I had the opportunity to work with Mrs. Michelle Sabetti in her 4th grade classroom. The courses corresponding with pre-student teaching for this semester focused on math and literacy instruction. Creating appropriately rigorous lessons and incorporating total participation techniques (TPTs) in lessons were a continued focus this semester from the previous semester. Understanding various classroom management programs and being able to speak intelligibly about these practices was also a major focus during this semester of work. In my college course, I completed a classroom management project focused on functional behavior assessment (FBA) and behavior intervention plans (BIPs). During my time in the classroom, I taught two language arts and two math lessons. I also taught an additional lesson that incorporated the children's book that I created as an assignment for another course.
Language Arts Lessons
Math Lessons
Classroom Management Project
Compare & Contrast Lesson: King George III vs George Washington
This lesson focused on the strategy of comparing and contrasting. The class had previously spent a large amount of time discussing and learning about the American Revolution. King George III and George Washington both had significant roles in this historical event. Students first recalled previously learning information about these two individuals. Then portions of the text "George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides" was read aloud to students. A Venn Diagram was completed as a class to record the similarities and differences about these two men. To close the lesson, students completed an exit ticket in which they needed to provide at least one similarity and one difference about the two individuals in order to show what they learned.
Creative Writing Lesson
This lesson required students to work in collaborative groups to develop a story based upon a specific sentence starter. The objective for the lesson was for all students students to collaborate with other classmates to finish the prompt and create a story. The prompt they finished was “A storm came along and the next thing I knew, our boat was in pieces. We were washed up on a strange island. So, the next thing I did was…” Students were very engaged in the process and the lesson ultimately resulted in very unique stories. At the end of the lesson, all of the groups shared their stories with the rest of the class. Students were able to see that even though they started with the same prompt, very different outcomes were achieved. All of the students really enjoyed listening to their classmates share their stories.
Measurement Lesson
In this lesson, students worked with Customary Units of Length. The objective of the lesson was for all students to convert customary units of length from one unit to another and recognize the relative size of different units. The customary units of length in the lesson included inches, feet, yards, and miles. Within the lesson students had to make conversions and comparisons with this units. The lesson involved four centers: First in Math, which is a requirement by the school; completing the guided and independent practice in their math book with me; playing customary units of length war; and completing a conversions worksheet followed by a customary units of length matching game.
Number Sequencing Lesson
This lesson required students to recognize patterns, identify rules, and complete number sequences. The objectives for this lesson involves students using rules to create and extend number patterns, identifying features of the number patterns not described by the rule, and creating their own number patterns and rules. Students worked through pages in their math workbook and also engaged in an activity that required them to get out of their seats and become a number sequence. For the activity, each student received a card with two number on it. The activity began with the green numbers. I told students that the sequence started with 0 and they then had to put themselves in order and determine the rule. They were able to do so and collaborated well with each other to find a solution. Then they had to flip their cards over and look at the red number and put themselves in order once again. This sequence started with 92 and focused on subtraction. Then they returned to their seats and I gave each student one last number. This set was trickier because it involved rather large numbers and multiplication. However, they were once again able to put themselves in order and determine that the pattern was multiplying by 2 or doubling. Students really enjoyed this activity.
Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) based on Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA)
Our classroom management project involved researching and completing interviews in regards to a specific classroom management approach. My assigned topic was Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) based on Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA). I completed research on this topic as well as an Interview with Mr. Daniel Burkeholder, the director of special education for Saucon Valley School District. An interview was also conducted with Ms. Roseria Frey about the topic. Following the research and interview process, I wrote a paper and completed a class presentation with another colleague who researched the same topic. Other colleagues from our class researched, interviewed, and presented on other classroom management practices. The purpose for this assignment was to provide us with the knowledge to speak intelligently about classroom management and behavior management programs, and best practices based on research. This assignment also demonstrated a focus on every child by exploring approaches to classroom management that address individual students' needs and strengths.
Children's Book Lesson: The Power of Hands
My course, EDUC 422.3 Effective Inclusionary Practices, focused on understanding the social model of disability and determining how in our role as educators, we can successfully create inclusive environments for all students. The main project for this course was to create a children’s book that represented the multi-dimensionality of disabled experiences. The assignment for this course involved writing a book, illustrating the text in some way, completing research to contribute accuracy to the disability aspects, and writing and implementing a lesson using the book. Prior to writing our own books, we viewed, discussed, and analyzed books in class that represented disability in both positive and negative ways.
The book I wrote is titled The Power of Hands. This story provides the thoughts and experiences of a 4th grade male student who interacts with deafness and sign language for the first time. He becomes friends with the new student, Hannah, who communicates with sign language due to her deafness; learns sign language because of her; ultimately helps a man who is deaf and the grocery store; and reflects on how this experience impacted him as a person. The process for writing my book incorporated multiple steps to ensure that it reflected a social model perspective of disability, and reflected accurate information in regards to deafness, sign language, and ASL motions.
 |
|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |