Pamelia Valentine: Taking Time to Reflect

A new year with all the angst and shiny promise is upon us! Well, O.K. it actually began in September as all “teacher-years” do. But for teachers, the new start is a new semester and many of us have already got it planned out. Reflection-it’s how we work.

 

I always plan what “students should know and be able to do” as a result of the teaching and learning that optimally takes place. But now when I teach a lesson I carry a spiral notebook with me and write “quick reflects” (my honest impressions).

 

For example: Students watched a video on the sculptures of Henry Moore and I directed them to use a T-Chart and to find similarities and differences between the sculptures and then write a compare and contrast essay on it.

 

I discovered that students could easily list differences in the sculptures. “One is an owl and one is sort of a person.” “One is really big and one is really little.” But they had problems finding the similarities. Several minutes passed before students came up with very general statements “They are both living things” “They are both sculptures.”

 

“Uh oh,” I wrote, “They don’t understand the concept of biomorphism (essential to understanding Moore’s sculptures)- or sculptural processes either! They need more background information and better modeling before they can complete the T-Chart- much less a full compare-contrast essay.”

 

I had previously learned a “ME-WE-TWO-YOU” modeling method for teaching students a new process: model (ME)- show and work together (WE)-practice with a partner (TWO)-and then have them complete the task (YOU) and I implemented it the next class period.

 

With the quick reflection I started the next class much differently than I had approached the first group. I spent time discussing biomorphism. Then we examined two Henry Moore sculptures as a class– using pair and share discussion. Following this, I used a projected T-Chart that we completed as a class and then we used the chart information to write a practice essay.

 

This preparation took one class period–students wrote their own essay the following day. They were highly successful. (Of course- the class that I had reflected on was a day behind so they spent three days on this task instead of two.)

 

The new year, semester, month, week or just the new class period- it’s all an opportunity to make a fresh reflective start and inject new insight into the shiny promise of your teaching.

 

Pamelia Valentine is a guest blogger and teacher in the Shelton School District.

 

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