September 2012 Reflection
I am starting my reflection really thinking about my class and my data collection. I thought I was so smart. I would give students choices and make sure the lessons were relevant. No problem!!! Wrong! As usual, I believed I had a good grasp on what I was doing. So I will back track a little with my research. I want to show that by giving students a choice and making the content relevant, students will be more engaged in the content. I thought I knew the basic outline of how the class would develop or grow. In the beginning, most things went as planned. I gave the students questionnaires, examples, and choice. I soon realized students did not know how to think like I wanted them to. Surely, a small group of seniors students could understand where I was going. Why didn’t it fall into a nice, neatly folded pile?
As class evolved into what I thought it would be, and what the students thought it would be - well, well, well - I could see they just didn’t understand what I wanted and wanted for them. I won’t take up too much space - but, as I continued to read for research, I came across a very interesting article. It was about making the content relevant and applied directly to the English content. In a space of about three minutes I “got” it!! I felt like a student who sees the light - finally. Since, this miracle of learning, class has evolved into something I expected to see at the start of the year. I finally could see and understand how to make the class relevant.
Yipee!!! I could physically feel the shift happen. I know this sounds extreme, but I could feel it. As I felt it, I could see my students feeling it as well. Yes, I documented my observations. Honestly, I find it difficult to observe and write what I see without injecting my thought. I have used the two column model, but occasionally still put my thoughts into an observation. Is this the weight an English teacher must carry? I am really trying be a researcher rather than an English teacher, but at times it is difficult.
So back to making content relevant. It was so easy. I just did not see it at first. I used the examples in my reading and focused on two themes for the class. Family issues and identity. First, we will focus on family issues. As you know, this covers a lot of area.
We read a story that connected to family issues. I shared my story, and once they heard my story, everyone shared their own story. Hmmmmm, this resonated with me - our story. Where have I heard this term before? lol. For some reason this is fitting into my class perfectly. The stories we are reading and sharing will lead up to us writing our own short story. Students will be able to write fiction or non-fiction. It will be their choice. We have discussed writing our story each day. Students love to share their stories. Is this how I thought the class would be? Nope! It is evolving into a short story class in which we add our own stories almost every day.
I read the diversity book. I actually ordered the What If? book and used stories for my class. This short story class is not your typical class. At first, I was a little nervous. As we evolve, I am feeling it more and more. We are covering the same information in a different way. I can honestly say the class has grown into what the students (actual students) need. Rather than using curriculum their mothers had, they, themselves are creating their own curriculum. This doesn’t sound like I hear it in my head. We have all heard the saying, “It’s not your mothers - something.” I can’t remember. Again, ha!!! Is this going to help them create their own story? I honestly don’t know for sure. I hope so. Time will tell. I do know the students I have now can connect to short stories that connect to them - personally. We have read a few classics and I chose them specifically for this class. I use a variety of formats and sometimes I read the story aloud. Students really enjoyed me reading aloud. Something they haven’t had for a few years. This has lead to them wanting to read aloud.
I also read the two chapters in The Power of Questions. This has been helpful to me. It pushed me to look over my data and question it. Really question what types of observations and field notes did I actually record. Will they be enough? Am I using enough detailed descriptions? No. How can a create interview questions that will help me? This reading has given me much to think about. I almost think it would be easier to observe younger students instead of seniors. At times, I think they give me what I want. It is difficult to make observations and take field notes that are of genuine learning or application. Hmmmmm. More food for thought. I have a lot of data, but I don’t think I am very good at covering a variety of learning. I need to remember to document everything - good, bad, and ugly. Analyzing the data and coding it is sooooo hard and time consuming. Chapter 7 really did help me think about data and coding it. It also makes me think that maybe I am making this difficult. I could observe one student at a time and write and record data for that one student. Then move on to another student. Oh my gosh - Reflective Analysis!!! Should be wrapping up our data. I hope not. I am not where I want to be. I am hoping to o to Christmas. This is a good place for me to stop and reflect on my research, my students, class, and everything else.
As class evolved into what I thought it would be, and what the students thought it would be - well, well, well - I could see they just didn’t understand what I wanted and wanted for them. I won’t take up too much space - but, as I continued to read for research, I came across a very interesting article. It was about making the content relevant and applied directly to the English content. In a space of about three minutes I “got” it!! I felt like a student who sees the light - finally. Since, this miracle of learning, class has evolved into something I expected to see at the start of the year. I finally could see and understand how to make the class relevant.
Yipee!!! I could physically feel the shift happen. I know this sounds extreme, but I could feel it. As I felt it, I could see my students feeling it as well. Yes, I documented my observations. Honestly, I find it difficult to observe and write what I see without injecting my thought. I have used the two column model, but occasionally still put my thoughts into an observation. Is this the weight an English teacher must carry? I am really trying be a researcher rather than an English teacher, but at times it is difficult.
So back to making content relevant. It was so easy. I just did not see it at first. I used the examples in my reading and focused on two themes for the class. Family issues and identity. First, we will focus on family issues. As you know, this covers a lot of area.
We read a story that connected to family issues. I shared my story, and once they heard my story, everyone shared their own story. Hmmmmm, this resonated with me - our story. Where have I heard this term before? lol. For some reason this is fitting into my class perfectly. The stories we are reading and sharing will lead up to us writing our own short story. Students will be able to write fiction or non-fiction. It will be their choice. We have discussed writing our story each day. Students love to share their stories. Is this how I thought the class would be? Nope! It is evolving into a short story class in which we add our own stories almost every day.
I read the diversity book. I actually ordered the What If? book and used stories for my class. This short story class is not your typical class. At first, I was a little nervous. As we evolve, I am feeling it more and more. We are covering the same information in a different way. I can honestly say the class has grown into what the students (actual students) need. Rather than using curriculum their mothers had, they, themselves are creating their own curriculum. This doesn’t sound like I hear it in my head. We have all heard the saying, “It’s not your mothers - something.” I can’t remember. Again, ha!!! Is this going to help them create their own story? I honestly don’t know for sure. I hope so. Time will tell. I do know the students I have now can connect to short stories that connect to them - personally. We have read a few classics and I chose them specifically for this class. I use a variety of formats and sometimes I read the story aloud. Students really enjoyed me reading aloud. Something they haven’t had for a few years. This has lead to them wanting to read aloud.
I also read the two chapters in The Power of Questions. This has been helpful to me. It pushed me to look over my data and question it. Really question what types of observations and field notes did I actually record. Will they be enough? Am I using enough detailed descriptions? No. How can a create interview questions that will help me? This reading has given me much to think about. I almost think it would be easier to observe younger students instead of seniors. At times, I think they give me what I want. It is difficult to make observations and take field notes that are of genuine learning or application. Hmmmmm. More food for thought. I have a lot of data, but I don’t think I am very good at covering a variety of learning. I need to remember to document everything - good, bad, and ugly. Analyzing the data and coding it is sooooo hard and time consuming. Chapter 7 really did help me think about data and coding it. It also makes me think that maybe I am making this difficult. I could observe one student at a time and write and record data for that one student. Then move on to another student. Oh my gosh - Reflective Analysis!!! Should be wrapping up our data. I hope not. I am not where I want to be. I am hoping to o to Christmas. This is a good place for me to stop and reflect on my research, my students, class, and everything else.