Workshop Methods

After watching all the videos relating to workshop methods and teachers actively teaching in the classroom, I have come out with a real sense of what it means to teach well and effectively as well as what not to do!

While I am sure all of the teachers featured had good intentions for their students, some students were/would be certainly more engaged than others.

Some things that seemed to go well in the mini lessons featured in 1st grade, kindergarten, etc. especially have to do with the questions teachers asked. The teachers made eye contact, were in close proximity to students, and asked them deep questions as well as CROWD questions in which C stands for completion questions, R stands for recall questions, O stands for open ended questions, W stands for wh- questions (who, what, when, where, why,) and D stands for distancing questions (text to world, text to self, text to text). Not only does this protocol or CROWD method of asking questions work to keep students paying attention and on their toes, but it encourages students to pay close attention to detail and be eager to answer questions from the instructor.

Yet another thing that went well in the mini lessons or videos (and specifically the second video) was the way that the teacher built up students’ background knowledge/introduced students to the book and topics within the lesson. The way that the teachers asked questions like, “What do you already know about readers’/writers’ workshop?” was beneficial too. Instead of just having a book in front of them with unfamiliar words, the teacher assessed what students already know or what they may need to become more familiar with. This could have even made a segway into something more elaborate like a K-W-L chart. Yet another aspect of these mini lessons that I enjoyed is the fact that the teachers were conscious of student strengths and built off of them. The teacher in the second video, for instance, did not bore her students and rather made them think and dig deep. The teacher in the fourth video may have bored her students though as her lesson was very long and a little tedious. The second video’s teacher also asked students to brainstorm ideas and I thought this also could serve as a way to empower students and let their voices be heard.

Additionally, the teachers in the videos were generally very supportive and encouraging with their students. Sometimes, too, they pushed their students (in a good way though) by asking add on questions to student answers. However, this leads me into some of the cons of some aspects of the videos featured.

First of all, the teacher in the third video, for example, did not prod or ask any more of students than what they gave. It’s great to encourage students to add more or build off of their answers in my view (and I know many educators would agree with me). For instance, if a teacher asks the class, “How was Miguel feeling in this story?” and a student says, “he was angry,” we teachers should ask them for more and maybe ask about why or “How do we know this?” or “why do you think he was angry? What made him so angry in the first place?” Challenging our students and asking them to think critically, deeply, etc. are all things we need them to do. If we do not teach our students to be thinkers, then what are we really doing? In other words, teaching students to use their brains on a deep and meaningful level is a major aspect of education.

Another thing I did not like in the last video was the length. I would have broken or separated the lesson into different parts or sections. Perhaps there could be a part of the lesson where students could get up, shake out their “wiggles,” and interact with classmates, etc. What I mean is that the lesson was very teacher-focused and I feel as though if it were more student-centered, children would enjoy it more. If it was dragging by for me to listen to, I can only imagine what type of energy the children had after listening. They may also have felt super uninterested if I myself too found a lack of motivation within the lesson to listen. It was very dry and like a lecture. Kindergarteners and other students learn best through play, as studied through countless loads of research, and this almost seemed like the opposite. Students would definitely benefit (and especially young children like kindergarteners) if some movement, fun, or energy were integrated within the lesson. I would even go as far as rewriting the mini lesson and taking the kids on a “writing workshop adventure!” Writing workshop and writing in general can be very exciting and like a whole new world for children and I feel as though the teacher sucked the life out of it in a way.

Yet another aspect of the videos that did not go so well is the fact that the teachers did not always explain why they were doing what they were doing. In other words, I think sometimes it would have been more helpful if teachers went back and helped students who maybe did not understand the content 100% and explain why the answer is the way it is. Basically, sometimes the teachers did this, but sometimes I felt as though their reasoning, logic, and explanation were lacking. I just wish teachers would be clearer in their learning targets and objectives for students so they know what they are supposed to get out of the lesson/mini lesson. This is something that I learned in my EDU 414 class this semester and I rarely see teachers incorporate learning targets, objectives, goals, etc. for students. Maybe the teachers went over these before the lesson, but it was not always shown in the videos.

Overall, though, I think most of the teachers did a fairly good job. Even the teacher in the fourth video did positive and effective things like including visuals and asking students for questions (so it was not just one teacher talking the whole time). There is always room for improvement though, which some educators might find daunting, but to me this just ignites my fire to become the best and most effective teacher I can be as I know I can be more, do more, and achieve more!