MCM 499-514

LESSON PARTICIPANT INTERACTIONS
This would be an extremely interesting topic to research. I'd actually like some ideas right now on how to increase participation in my classroom. After the second week I can point out the 5 students who will be doing all of the talking this semester unless I do something quick.



5 MINUTE PAPERS
I think I will try some 5 minute papers. My only reluctance is that it will go similar to the journaling I have students do at the beginning of class. Some of my ELL students will write 2-3 sentences in the 10 minutes I give them to write and some of the native speakers will write 2-3 solid paragraphs, if not more. It worked great last semester, but then I only had one ELL student, and he had been speaking English since he was 5. So I'll try having them reflect at the end of class. But that still doesn't solve what I should do at the beginning of class. The purpose behind having them write at the beginning of class is mainly to generate ideas for paper topics. Sometimes it is just to have them practice their writing. And sometimes we use it as part of a class activity in which they will respond to one another. I don't want those first 15 minutes to be a waste of time for 1/4 of my class. Ideas? Questions I should be asking? Research I should be conducting? :)
I just don't want my students hiding in the corner like this guy, afraid of what I'm making them do in class.

FORMATIVE FEEDBACK FROM PEERS

Although I have always appreciated the feedback I have received as a teacher after being observed, I would have to agree with the author that I almost always knew in advance what they were going to address. I think observing other classrooms is even more valuable. It is one of the best ways to understand new techniques and how to implement them properly. Also, it gives new teachers an idea of what expectations to hold students to, at least a gauge to go by. When I first started teaching full-time, I thought my class was always out of control--until I did a couple of peer observations. The classes I observed were way louder and more off task than my classroom. I hadn't realized how strict I really was. I had always thought I was kind of a pushover. Interesting.