MTV Instructional Strategies Reflection

Trinity Robertson
The MTV Instructional Strategy Edie and I taught was "Compass Points." We
exemplified how this strategy would be used by teaching students about different types of
government and how to apply that knowledge of government to a position as a political advisor
to President Snow from The Hunger Games. The different points in the lesson were Excitements,
Worries, Needs and Stance/Steps/Suggestions. Students would first name what it is about the
subject that excites them, what worries them (either in terms of comprehension or feasibility of
the subject), what else they need to know to be successful, and what further action/steps are
needed to continue. Edie and I really enjoyed this strategy because we got to expand a little bit
on the K W L instructional strategy by seeing exactly what students wanted to learn more about
to be successful in future lessons as well as what they were already confident discussing. Edie
and I both thought that we could definitely see ourselves using this strategy in our own
classroom. While discussing The Hunger Games and different types of government fell more
under her content area's jurisdiction, I think that I could see myself working with a history
teacher to have students read books which coincide with what they're learning in other classes.

I'm pleased that we were able to get our peers to work collaboratively in groups so
effectively. While Edie and I were excited about the lesson we created, I don't think either of us
expected our peers to have as much fun with it as they did. They responded well to the role-
playing aspect of our activity and seemed to be immersed in the world we had intended them to
work within. Even students who didn't know much about The Hunger Games were able to pick
up on elements of the story from their peers because of how effectively students worked together
to support one another and offer ideas to propel their group forward. A few students mentioned
during the feedback period that it was nice that we didn't reject some of their ideas or comments,
even if they were silly, because Edie and I were just trying to get our students to think creatively.

In the future, I might want to preface a lesson like this one with more context. This lesson
would be a great one to use in the middle of a unit and ensuring that my students would know
everything they need to about different types of government as well as the government we'd be
studying would make the lesson much more effective for students who struggle with history or
who haven't seen The Hunger Games. When the class debriefed after the lesson, they mentioned
how everyone seemed to be in a different mood than they usually were and were acting much
sillier on this day, and this lesson matched up with how they were feeling. This is great feedback
for my future students, who are unlikely to come to class as excited to learn as my college peers
seem to do. I want to be able to adjust my lessons to the temperature of the room to reflect how
my students are feeling and match their energy level if they happen to come in with an
exceptional amount of energy one day.