There are several practices in the classroom that I would say define my style as an educator. One of these is the implementation of reader's and writer's workshops. The use of workshops in reading and writing allows time for whole-class instruction, student sharing and collaboration, small-group instruction, individual conferencing, and individual practice. All of this allows time for communication, collaboration, differentiation, and mastery of writing.
Another one of these practices is the use of Cognitively Guided Instruction. CGI math, specifically, centers around the modeling of numbers, inclusion of different number sets (which students can choose based on their level of comfort), and solving problems with little or none direct instruction. This practice encourages students to take control of their own learning and really explain their reasoning.
Lastly, I use Project Based Learning, especially in regards to social studies and science. These are subjects that are traditionally "memorize facts, write notes, test." The implementation of hands-on learning and projects as assessment makes learning these subjects a more real-world experience, and of course more fun. Additionally, projects usually integrate other subjects including language arts (ex: writing a diary or journal entry), art (ex: designing), and math (ex: measuring). This full integration of subjects tends to make the learning more fun and relatable to students, and allows for better retention of information. Most importantly, it allows them to show off their knowledge in a variety of ways.
Another one of these practices is the use of Cognitively Guided Instruction. CGI math, specifically, centers around the modeling of numbers, inclusion of different number sets (which students can choose based on their level of comfort), and solving problems with little or none direct instruction. This practice encourages students to take control of their own learning and really explain their reasoning.
Lastly, I use Project Based Learning, especially in regards to social studies and science. These are subjects that are traditionally "memorize facts, write notes, test." The implementation of hands-on learning and projects as assessment makes learning these subjects a more real-world experience, and of course more fun. Additionally, projects usually integrate other subjects including language arts (ex: writing a diary or journal entry), art (ex: designing), and math (ex: measuring). This full integration of subjects tends to make the learning more fun and relatable to students, and allows for better retention of information. Most importantly, it allows them to show off their knowledge in a variety of ways.
{I wore this shirt once for Spirit Week, and the kids loved it so much they insisted I wear it every Friday} This video was taken of a writer's workshop lesson in my 2nd grade student teaching placement. We had been working on making "All About" books using the Growing Educators Balanced Literacy approach. It involves teaching a mini lesson in writing through the use of teacher-model and classroom-group writing topics and then individual practice for students. In addition to students working individually on their own, the teacher conferences with one student about a specific thing they can work on, or two-three students if they all need the same type of help. Another important part of balanced literacy is the inclusion of mentor texts; for example, when students are learning about writing topic sentences I would pick out good examples of topic sentences in books at the class's reading level.