Reflections as a 4

th
giaue stuuent teachei

TPE A - Naking Subject Nattei Compiehensible to Stuuents

This week, I have begun taking ovei the Reauei's Woikshop poition of the uay. I
began planning the S uay unit of Intiouucing Nonfiction to my 4
th
giaue ieaueis!
Within teaching my lessons I have been ieflecting on many things. To focus on my
goal to have moie of a voice in the classioom, I feel this is being effective! I'm in
chaige uuiing my lessons anu the teachei makes this known to hei class, they come
to me with all questions anu I set the limits anu expectations. What helpeu me to
have a stiongei voice was to unueistanu moie cleaily the limits of consequences
that the teachei goes with. It helpeu me to unueistanu what consequence a stuuent
coulu get if behavioi is unexpecteu. Now, knowing this I'm able to ieally stanu into
my iole as the leauei. Foi example, if a stuuent is choosing to not uo his woik, then
his consequence will be to take this woik to stuuy hall. Baving moie confiuence in
these expectations has helpeu too.

0thei aieas of my ieflecting this week aie taking in feeuback fiom the stuuents anu
seeing how well they unueistanu the lessons. This is teaching me wheie I neeu to
make things moie cleai in my uiiections oi in this case, I woulu flip flop some of my
lessons foi uiffeient explanation at the beginning of the week anu moie guiuance in
piepaiing a nonfiction summaiy. A focus on just choosing a main iuea is something
the stuuents woulu have benefiteu fiom befoie staiting the summaiy anu making
changes is pait of teaching! We aie implementing main iuea woik foi next week!

TPE B - Assessing Stuuent Leaining

I have been challengeu with how much help is appiopiiate foi stuuents with IEPs in
the classioom when given an assessment that all stuuents aie expecteu to take. I
absolutely pull this gioup of stuuents uuiing the assessment to answei any
questions they may have but I wonuei how much guiuance I shoulu offei. It is
impoitant to take notes on how much assistance you offeieu uuiing the assessment
to iefei to latei anu foi paients to see how theii stuuent was suppoiteu.

TPE C - Engaging anu Suppoiting Stuuents in Leaining

To ieflect moie on the classioom signals, I wonuei whethei these aie being as
successful as they coulu. The thumb in the aii signifies stuuents catching on anu
putting theii thumb up then quieting uown, I feel that this piocess is usually too
long, stuuents see the thumb in the aii anu uon't iesponu oi the same stuuents aie
putting theii thumbs up anu being quiet. The solution to this, I'm not suie. Peihaps
an alteinative signal that involves a sounu, howevei I'm not suie if theie is a goal
connecteu with this methou, piobably being awaie of what's happening aiounu you.
The woiu of the uay stiategy is gieat to signify that stuuents aie alloweu to move
anu woiks successfully foi that, howevei, stuuents shoulu iesponu the meaning of
the woiu as a class, with the movement of the woiu. This just neeus to be enfoiceu
moie, anu maue well known but I feel it woulu have way moie meaning foi
eveiyone.

TPE B - Planning Instiuction anu Besigning Leaining Expeiiences foi Stuuents

To ieflect on stuuent ieflection in a positive way, the teachei askeu the stuuents to
ieflect on theii gioup woik anu to just think about whethei it went well oi whethei
it coulu have been bettei. I feel this is a gieat stiategy to use in a quick couple of
minutes foi stuuents to check in on themselves anu think in theii heaus if theii
collaboiation was as best as it coulu be.


TPE E - Cieating anu Naintaining Effective Enviionments foi Leaining

Ny ieflection on the classioom's tiansition to lunch focuses on the teachei's
technique, as well as a wonueiful ieflection piece. Following a paitnei piactice of
the math skill being focuseu on the teachei switcheu the lights off to signify the class
to stop what they weie uoing anu listen foi the next uiiections. Following giving
uiiections the teachei useu the woiu of the uay to signify that the class can begin
moving. The class always meets back at the "meeting aiea" in between any lessons
thioughout the uay anu foi teachei-leu lessons. To ieflect on these management
skills, I feel these cues aie useu successfully. Stuuent's iesponu immeuiately to lights
being switcheu off anu the meeting aiea is a veiy successful component of this class
stiuctuie. I feel stiongly about using a meeting aiea as a safe space wheie stuuents
aie in close pioximity to the teachei. Anothei ieason why I feel like it is successful is
that it gets stuuents out of theii seats fiequently. It also signifies a place wheie new
infoimation will be biought to them, then theii seats aie foi the piactice. I uefinitely
plan to utilize this in my futuie classioom.


To ieflect on conflicts with peeis in the classioom, I was able to see wonueiful
stiategies useu by the teachei when auuiessing a table gioup's conflicts. 0ne
stuuent fiom the gioup went to hei anu let hei know that she felt emotionally anu
physically unsafe at hei table gioup. The way the teachei hanuleu this was to holu
the table back fiom iecess to have a ieflection conveisation. She askeu the stuuents
to ieflect anu think about what they may notice about a paiticulai stuuent feeling
left out oi botheieu anu why they think that stuuent might be feeling that way.
Stuuents weie able to come up with ieasons why they think a stuuent might feel left
out. They came up with examples anu weie able to come up with a solution with
guiuance fiom the teachei. She offeieu a suggestion to choose a table monitoi that
coulu focus on behaviois uuiing gioup woik anu make suie that stuuents aie all
being incluueu anu helpeu. This stiategy of ieflection is wonueiful to use. Stuuents
neeu to leain how to ieflect anu why it's impoitant. This is an impoitant piece to
incluue in my piactices.