In my classroom this week, we began our newest long term investigation (LTI). We are focusing on the question, "which pumpkin will decompose the quickest?" On our counter, there are two containers both with pumpkins, one is whole and the other is cut into many pieces. Before creating our data chart, we discussed what decomposing is (to become rotten) and what it looks like, so students would have a clear understanding of what to look for when we made our observations. After the discussion, we had the students make predictions about which one they thought would decompose the quickest, pumpkin number 1 or 2, after each student had a turn to give his/her prediction we set up the LTI on the counter where students had assess to it at any point during the day. The students then made observations using their senses of sight. On Friday, box number one (which holds the whole pumpkin) was already showing signs of decomposition and our kids were quick to observe this and question why the other was showing no signs of decomposition. We allowed for the students to discuss this among themselves and they decided that maybe the box being bigger had something to do with it. After science on Friday, they are more than curious to see what our LTI looks like come Monday.
During teaching science this week, Dr. Davis modeled what a five E's lesson plan looked like and gave us a wonderful hand out to give us a better understanding of each phase. (Third picture in the slide show above) Sometimes I find it a struggle to begin planning with any subject and I've found these past few science classes to be particularly useful in giving me solid ways to begin to use some of the knowledge Dr. Davis is giving us on how to actually teach science. This week in science we were asked to read an article about questioning and the importance of teachers in the classroom, sometimes you read articles think yeah that makes sense or even disagree with an article however there are also times when you read an article and it makes you reevaluate. After I read Olson's "Crucial Role of the Teacher" I felt this pang in my heart knowing that I was guilty of asking yes/no questions or questions that I didn't want answered. What I didn't expect was to feel such a reaction to this article and walking into my classroom on Friday did I feel the change this article had stirred in my teacher heart. As my collaborating teacher lead math that day (a review of comparing numbers 6-10) I found myself uncomfortable with how my collaborating teacher was leading the lesson. This has never happened before, I've never felt the need to question my teachers on their educational practices but in that moment I did. It wasn't until later that day I posed the question to two other residents and a graduate from last year, how do you question your collaborating teachers educational practices without offending them? The answer that came next was mostly what I expected, you don't. So with that answer I'm still undecided about what I'm to do next.
In teaching mathematics two, we went began learning content on geometry and how to teach geometry to our students. We began the day with looking into standards turnonccmath.net, we specifically looked into shapes and angles. After looking into different standards for each grade and discussing how each one builds upon one another we then went into Van Hiele's levels of geometric thought (the last picture in the slide show). The first few levels are where the students we'll be working with, those levels are called visualization and analysis. Soon in Kindergarten we'll be starting to work with shapes and forming the basis of students understanding for geometry. Sometimes whenever I'm talking to one of the coaches or the professors, I'm reminded that in Kindergarten you are the basis for so many different subjects. Its scary and exciting all at once.
And that's all for this week,
Ms. Brookes