I am happy to
report that many of my students learned during my lesson! During my lesson students sorted pictured word cards into words that start with the /a/ word and 'other sounds.' There were two/three
students who did not meet proficient which was sorting 4/5 correctly (without help). Two students had trouble figuring out
whether or not two of their words started with the /a/ sound (students P &
B, they both got 3/5). The other child I cannot call proficient because she did not finish my
center for behavior reasons (student N). Throughout the lesson I learned that
my students are learning! Many of them remember letter sound that we have been
working with throughout the past few weeks. In addition, I noticed that for
some students they already know that the letter ‘a’ has more than one sound.
For students that
need additional support I will work with them during choice time. We are giving
assessments so many time I can have a quick side conversation maybe in between
assessments about the /a/ sound would be beneficial for them so they are continuously
hearing it. In addition, I will tell the interventionist they work with to work
on the initial /a/ sound. The one thing I learned is that I need more tricks
for how to respond to a student when they answer the question wrong. I don’t
want students to feel back for answering incorrectly, but I also want them to
learn from their mistakes! I think the other students can also learn from other
student’s mistakes.
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful reflections! It is rewarding to observe students learning from our teaching, especially when they retain that learning from day to day or week to week.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of responding to incorrect answers is definitely tricky. Each student and situation needs to be evaluated in order to determine the best response for that moment. Students need to know that their ideas are valued and that you will support them as they try to reach the correct answer. They also need specific feedback about what was wrong about their answer and guidance so they can try to correct themselves. Knowing how to balance encouragement and correction is the challenge, but reflective teaching is the way to improve! You can acknowledge that students are close, or say something else positive about the student's behavior or response before you point out what was wrong with their answer. Framing your comments in a positive light is always helpful, and having a strong trusting relationship with each student in a classroom environment where they feel safe is essential as well. I wish you well as you seek to refine this key practice!