Learning Letter

Anna Papst

Engl. 493

Learning Letter

            Dear Dr. Agriss,

Where to begin? This course was jammed packed with information. I have turned in so many assignments and feel like I have gone through the motions however, I have learned so much from the work I have done. There is a certain quality about your class that forces me to apply myself to my fullest capacity. The first assignment was the book talk. I decided to read and present my book talk on The Giver. This book is a study that eighth graders read at Garry Middle School. I started reading it last year during the end of my observation quarter in the spring. I wanted to pick it up again and read it. There is a plethora of wealth and knowledge in this book and it is a vital piece of curriculum for students to read and learn from. The lessons that the students can learn from Jonas and the other characters in the novel are lessons that will be taken with them through their lives. I felt like I but a great amount of work into my book study. I read the entire novel and answered the questions honestly and with the information that I thought would be the most beneficial for the students to learn from and take away from the novel. The peers in the classroom seemed to be interested from the responses that I got after class. One of the classmates came up to me after and said she wanted to read the Giver because of the interesting talk that I gave that was quite informative. So I gave my best effort and was successful.

            My mini lesson was on American Born Chinese. I was really excited about teaching my lesson and was very prepared. I have read the novel several times so it was difficult to decide what part I wanted to teach on. I used one of the teaching techniques that my teacher used as an activity. It worked really well. I had many activities to aid with my teaching. It is difficult to teach to my peers. The feedback part was extremely hard because I couldn’t defend myself and felt like a lot of it was useful. However, some of the feedback I have reflected upon and can sift through to work on what I need help with. It is a learning experience in itself to teach to peers. I need to work on my transitions and my time management the most.

            The Unit Plan that I worked on focused the novel Tangerine. I spent time planning in my head before even starting writing anything down. I put my best effort into this three week unit plan. I wanted to add as much on my own personality into this work as I could. I added many videos and differentiated instruction into my unit plan.

            The readings and reflections at the beginning of the quarter were difficult to read but I put my best effort into each assignment that I read and wrote on. The words were difficult to understand but after reflecting together as a class, I began to understand the concepts that we were learning through each reading. After finishing each discussion I understood the details and specific theories that would apply to teaching. The clarification and insight that I gained through the discussions allowed much comprehension. I made sure that I finished each assignment so I could engage in the discussion as much as I could.

            I feel successful at the end of the quarter. I applied myself as much as time allowed and did not half do any assignment. I have learned a plethora of information through the readings and reflections that I completed. Your class has allowed me and forced me to grow. Your expectations create a high bar that I strive to meet and surpass. I wanted to please you through the assignments that I submitted on time and by this, I have surprised myself and am proud of the work that I have done. I have learned that if I apply myself fully that I can accomplish much. I am feeling prepared to go into the Capstone with the work that I have done during this quarter.

            I am thrilled to have done so much work. I am extremely exhausted however; I feel great leaving this quarter. The knowledge that I have learned during this quarter will carry into next quarter and into my teaching career. Your classes with the discussion and readings have prepared me to be more confident as a person as well as a teacher. Thank you for the expectations that you have given to me and my peers. Your instruction style has given me a new excitement for learning and for being a better learner and educator.

 

Thanks,

            Anna Karin Papst!

American Born Chinese Mini Lesson Reflection!!!

Anna Papst   

Engl. 493

Dr. Sean Agriss

11.30.2013

 American Born Chinese

Reflection

            For starters I thought I was going to be a lot more nervous than I was. I knew that I would be teaching to my peers and that made it seem more difficult but all in all it wasn’t. I was extremely prepared and had gone over my lesson many times before teaching it. My classroom management was effective. They did not get off task and when they did for a second, then I reigned them back in. One of our classroom rules, the only one actually is that you do not talk while the teacher is talking. It ruins the educational dynamic and atmosphere that the teacher is creating. There are plenty of other times that the students get to talk in class. It slows down the pace a lot when the teacher has to stop and deal with each problem as it arises. I stuck to my guns and was not going to allow them to walk on me.

            Next time I teach this lesson, I will connect the learning targets to the lesson. I will also make sure the students meet the learning target by the end of the lesson. I should’ve tied the entry task and the Quickwrite more to the standards or at least gone back and referred to the learning targets for the day. I could’ve also asked how the activities linked back to the learning target and the concept of Social Justice that I had mapped out in my head for them to understand. I need to be more sensitive that they aren’t necessarily picking up everything just because I wrote the lesson that way.

            I will not be snappy with my comments. I assigned the Quickwrite and then went on and I totally had spaced the Prompt for the Quickwrite. I was embarrassed. When I ask students to expand more on their answers, I need to be more hospitable in the way I talk to them and not be so short sounding. For this lesson I needed to make more of a connection between the characters in the book and the students’ individual identities. For them to learn the connection, I need to make it clear in my teaching and questioning.

            While students are reading, I need to have them actively reading the text by marking it up and writing key phrases or circling words and key phrases. How is reading and focusing on characters going to help students write about themselves? I should have incorporated this question into my lesson planning. I needed to make my purpose and meaning more explicit for the students so that I make sure that they are understanding and getting to where I want them to or at least making progress towards the goal and targets for the lesson.

            Also I need to work on my Exit Tasks to make sure that it is more academic, because the students did not take it seriously. I try to make it random every time to get to know my kids outside of the academic, classroom environment, and I try to pick a question that every student does not have to think so hard going out the door, and that every student can answer.

            I thought overall that my lesson was okay and that the feedback will allow me to do a better, more thorough job in the future. The feedback that I received was appropriate and allowed me to view my lesson through my students’ eyes. I need all the feedback that I can get to improve because it is not about me it is about student learning and success!   

Night By Anna Papst

Night was an emotional rollercoaster for me. I couldn’t read the entire book in one sitting. I understand why this book was chosen for a unit on the Holocaust because it gives the personal perspective of a person who went through this history. There are many opportunities and teaching moments that you can pull from this text. Students would feel a connection with the main character due to the fact that he is their ages. The family ties also would allow you to direct thoughtful discussions in the classroom. Even if students do not know too much about this history, through this book, they would be able to get that deeper understanding.

I would also use the different characters in the book as case studies. Each student could take a different character and write a paper with the perspective of the individual that they chose. This would allow deeper discussions and meanings to come out of the text. Also, I would have students read the book in groups and aloud if they wanted to for extra credit. The book is well written and the language is emotional and impactful.

This is definitely a book that I would also want to read aloud to my students. I would take parts out of the book and create a lesson around the language that he has chosen. I would not want the students to read the book at home, due to the emotions that it could create. It would be better to read it in class and then discuss as we go along. There are multiple themes of loss, hardship, striving, and even dignity that one could pull out and teach on. This book is definitely needed to understand the holocaust in an unusual way from the perspective of a boy who went through, lived it and survived to tell the story today.

Romeo Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?

 

Romeo and Juliet is a classic tragedy love story. The story of two lovers that will do anything to be together. They both defy their families and will stop at nothing to become one. I have read this play so many times and have studied it a number of times as well. It never seizes to amaze me how much I learn and gain from this story every time I encounter it. There are numerous themes that a teacher can pull out of this story to use in a classroom setting. Some of the themes are as follows; coming of age, defying the norm, holding true to your own hopes and dreams, risk, family  issues and of course the overall theme of undying love. Tragedy is also not a common theme to use in the classroom but one that can lead to interesting discussions and even possible paper topics.

This play would be extremely fun and impactful to act out in an in-class reading. You can break up the scenes or characters amongst the students. You could also break up pages or lines to include as many of the students as possible or who want to participate. There are many adaptations and remakes of this play. However, I believe that the strongest portrayal is the hard copy of the play itself. It has so much to offer any person who picks it up the read it. As a high school student acting out the part of Juliet, it was heartbreaking to read the lines. There is so much sorrow and beauty in this single play that it is almost impossible to never partake in the reading of it. For many teenagers it would provide a foundation for the symbol and understanding of true love is, but with that understanding would allow for teaching about the proper waiting for this love to happen because then it wouldn’t be so difficult to pull off. It also allows for discussions about families and how a person’s individual identity is wrapped up in your last name and the weight that it carries. There is background and history that is found in heritage and this would also provide an interesting topic for discussion.

This post is all over the place. There is so much to say about this play. There is so much to say about the lives in this story. To top it all off, there is so much to say about the theme of love that can pull people together but in the process, can cause much heartache, strife and much tragedy!

 

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.”

 

“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”  

 

 

 

Things Fall Apart Response

This book would definitely open the door for culture explorations of other countries and people. Part of students’ development and maturity come with learning about other cultures and customs. It allows their world and the knowledge of their immediate surroundings to be tested and stretched. The enrichment factor from other cultures also helps with the deepening on their own individual identity and can help them appreciate their own life more. Also, to understand historical aspects, it is vital to study cultures and families that live differently. Students would also be able to recognize that people from around the world struggle just like they do but in different ways and due to different factors. Everyone has struggles. Everyone has to deal with issues that are challenging. With great strife come the most meaningful learning opportunities. Students would then learn how to accept other cultures more because they have studied them and learned how they live, what they have to deal with and how they come out of situations.

The traditional aspect of changing the way that you live according to the environment around you would be difficult to understand and coup with. However, there are many pros and cons that can be dealt with around this subject. Change can be good and bad at the same time. Change is very uncomfortable because it puts you into uncomfortable positions, but can allow for great growth. I think that most people do not like change because they are afraid of the risk. People get into their own grooves in life and when change is on the horizon they are afraid to take the plunge, to do something new, and grow in the process. This happens to the Protagonist in the novel. He is put up against opportunities where he is forced to change. His lifestyle is changing also. Is he going to risk his comfortable lifestyle for this new way of life? This book is enriched with learning lessons in life and culture.

I think this book would be a great tool to use in the classroom. Students would find it difficult at times, but would be able to  sympathize with the Protagonist.

TPA TEMPLATE: ANNA PAPST

     I have used the TPA quite a bit at this point in my educational journey. At first I didn’t enjoy answering every question. It felt like it was so repetitive and the answers seemed to be the same throughout each section. But now that I am in the classroom it has prepared me to stay focused throughout the period. I am answering the same questions however; I know what is following each step. I have written down the same learning target many times in different forms all the way through the lesson. I am able to stay focused and keep a fluid pace because I have gone through the lesson so many times and know exactly where I am going. The student voice section tripped me up for the longest time until it was finally clarified for me. I believe it to be the part of the lesson where I am continually checking in with my students for clarification. The students also need a chance to give me feedback throughout the lesson, and this is the point that I check in with them and see that they are getting it. It has allowed for me time to think through the different methods and planning that I have already done. When I have the TPA in front of me it acts as a form of checklist where I just go bing, bing, bing, down the list and make sure that I am not leaving anything out. Yes, it can become monotonous, but I don’t know where I would be without it. My field advisor told me that my lesson was completely concise because I had the academic language all the way throughout my TPA and it was all aligned. Yes it is a pain to fill out, but after you go through the motions, making sure everything is accounted for; it makes for a complete, concise lesson. Plus I could probably do the lesson without it at this point, but having the TPA in front of me allows for a quick reference. This way I make sure that I do not leave anything out.  

Differentiated Instruction: www.ascd.ord

By:Anna Papst

Content, process, and product. Start with one student and differentiate only the content – take baby steps. Make activities and avoid just duplicating the same ones. The best way to meet the needs of a gifted student is to raise the bar for everyone. Discovering what makes your students tick is going to be of so much value in the classroom.

“Objective: to offer students individualized learning experiences during an independent study unit so that the students might sustain or create an interest, showcase their interests, and develop their skills in language arts”

Different projects, even though they seem weird, offer a wide range for student learning. Like creating a poster about mythology that is based off of a fairy tale, might seem a little nontraditional, but it offers for a wide range of learning to occur. I think that the way to make differentiated instruction a reality is that we need to continue to learn about what is out there and what is available. We need to not close our minds to the world that is changing around us right and left. We need to adapt those skills and tactics into our classrooms. We also should not be afraid of change. Change will only make us better teachers.

Students want to be challenged. Instead of finding something easier, challenge each one with variations of the same assignment, if you have an over achieving student. This allows for the class to keep on the same track, but gives permission to that one student to not worry about moving ahead of the class because he/she has a special task that they are working on that will challenge them just as much as everyone else in the classroom.

We need to get energized and we need to step out of our comfort zones and be the teachers that our students need and want. We need to appeal to them and to the world that they live in.