Week 5 Focused Observation: Learning Interactions

 Nicole Tate

Date of field experience: February 19-23, 2024

Yorktown Middle School - ELA 8th Grade - 2nd and 3rd period

In my field class right now, we are in full swing of our novel, "Between Shades of Gray". Despite its unfortunate name, it is not at all related to Fifty Shades of Gray, but is instead set during the 1940s focusing on Soviet prison camps. One thing I helped my host teacher with is choosing quotes from the book as a prereading assignment for the students to do a "gallery walk". She printed out the quotes I chose, and had them walk around the room with sticky notes, posting their thoughts and reactions to each of the quotes. This is something I am for sure stealing to use for the future. Another way I have helped her prepare for this book is by narrowing down a list from online of hundreds of vocab words that appear in the novel, and choosing ones that the students wouldn't already know/are more challenging for their grade level. I narrowed it down to 30 words, and put them on a shared Google doc that my host teacher sent me. From there, I started finding where each of the words are located in the book. Instead of doing regular vocab units for the weeks that they are doing the novel, their vocab is going to be based from the novel, which I think is super smart. The more you can connect things your students are learning to other things they are learning, the more successful they will be. 

Although it is a week early, I taught my first solo lesson. (I have already had a solo teaching day two times when there has been a sub, but it has been more leading independent work and less "instruction"). Working with my host teacher, we developed a plan for a background day for our novel. To focus on learning interactions between students, but knowing that independent time is also important for where they are at, my lesson included both. First, I chose some vocabulary words that appear in the first few chapters (that were not on the vocab list, but more "cultural" words, like words in Russian or referring to specific social groups that appear in our book). As an attention grabber, I had the words printed and cut out, and I placed them into a cup. When they came into the room, each student grabbed a paper. When instructed to do so, they formed groups based on the word they had. When in groups, they were handed a large wall sticky note. Each group had to research their word, provide a pronunciation guide, and draw a picture. I made sure that each student was involved in some capacity in the groups, and walked around making sure everyone was involved, as well as guiding students on the right track. One thing about the words I chose is that many of them were words that have different definitions in the context of WW2, like "partisan" and "bourgeois". After groups finished the work, they all presented. Students all moved back to their seats and were handed a KWLF worksheet. First, students filled out what they know about the time period/Soviet prison camps, then what they WANT to know. I chose two educational videos talking about Lithuania specifically, then Soviet gulags in general. After watching these two videos, students filled in what they LEARNED, and how it made them FEEL. I collected all of the worksheets and posters to bring home, and I am very proud of the work my students did!

This week, I had auditions for my play over at Northside. I am so happy with how they went! Additionally this weekend I hosted a 72-Hour play festival that is youth audience focused. We had a sold out crowd on Sunday, and we are going to perform for the 2nd-4th graders on Monday morning! My favorite area of theatre is honestly morphing into new works for youth, so I am so proud of myself for hosting this event! My host teacher said my lesson went really well, and I have to agree. I even made adjustments between our 2nd-3rd period classes to improve it even more. I think I have said this before, but one of my host teachers biggest strengths is how she changes instruction from period to period, and I am so glad to be having this experience.