Clinical Observations #6

This week ended my observations at MPHS. I finished up on Tuesday. I taught my lesson that I planned. I finished up all my Case Study stuff. And...I returned all the things that I had borrowed from the teacher.

On Monday, the students worked on using Context Clues to define new words in Grammar. Honestly, it did not go over really well. Most of the students ended up getting a dictionary and just looking the words up. They could not discover the meanings from the Context Clues.

Also on Monday, the students picked groups (except for one class had assigned groups) and began working on characters, setting, and plot diagrams for the play they are writing later. Mrs. J explained the requirements for the play very well. The students began working without many problems.

The play requirements are:
1. At least 5-10 minutes long
2. At least one SPEAKING part per group member
3. Minimum of 2 Acts
4. Decide on setting (define clearly)
5. Minimum of 15 stage directions
6. Plot diagram for brainstorming (must be turned in with final project)
7. Written script (copy to teacher for performance day)
8. MUST perform for class
9. Keep it PG-13 (no R rated plays)

The students really seemed to like the idea. Some of them began coming up with great things!

On Tuesday, my last day, I taught all three classes. I used the lesson plan I had developed. It really went better than I expected. I really thought I might pass out considering I was going to have to deal with some terrible discipline issues during the lesson. All 3 classes have students who spend more time in ISS/OSS than they spend in class. (It's really sad, but that's probably why they are failing English and have to be in the High School Success class!)

I had a list of 10 journal topics, and I asked the teacher to pick the one she thought would work the best. The journal prompt was, "Imagine yourself in 10 years. Where are you? What are you doing? Who of you current friends is still around?" Some of the students wrote over a page about it. Some only made a list of 4-5 items and I had to "convince" them to write actual sentences.

The lesson itself was really fun. I used an excerpt of "Pygmalion" (George Bernard Shaw) that they had already read and discussed and I showed them the clip from "My Fair Lady" that matched it. We re-read the excerpt first. We discussed how using words/grammar can make a picture in the reader's mind. Then we watched the clip. I asked them questions about the differences. It was one of the Strategies from Image Grammar.

The last 30 minutes of class (of course, as always) was study hall. The students worked on their plays in groups again. In 1st period, I finished up my work with my case study participant. She did improve her fluency some just by doing a couple of strategies that I gave her. However, I was a little disappointed that she did not finish the vocabulary strategy I offered.

So now, I have to write up my Clinical Action Research Project, my Case Study, my final Observation Reflection, and finish my Unit Plan.

This semester at MPHS has been very interesting to say the least.

Image Grammar Mini-Lesson

Considering that I am observing in a class that does not do much reading other than to prepare for the English I EOC, I was really stumped about this week’s assignment. I had to dig really hard and it will be a big stretch, but I think my mini-lesson will work.

The strategies I have chosen that I could possibly fit into the classroom that I am currently observing or that I am sure I would like to use in my future classroom are:

Chapter 1—Strategy #2—“Explore Images from Films of Best-selling Novels” (This is actually my mini-lesson strategy.)

Chapter 2—Strategy #1—“Paint the Personality Behind the Clothes”
The teacher in this classroom is always trying to get the students to be more detailed in their writing. She is always trying to get them to show more than they tell about the characters and things in their writing. This would be a good way to get them to practice that.

Chapter 3—Strategy #1—“Adding Grammatical Music to a Sketch”
This would also get the students to add more information for the senses to their writing. I think this would help the students to gain a better understanding of what authors are trying to say when they use this strategy. Authors often try to bring in all the senses. However, students don’t always grasp that. I think if they were to practice it with this strategy, it would help them tremendously.

Chapter 4—Strategy #1—“Keep a Writer’s Sketchbook”
This would work with just about any English class. This strategy helps to keep students writing. If students have a place for their ideas (like drawing artists do) then they could come back to them later to formulate them into something.

Chapter 4—Strategy #5—“Do Your Own Edgar Allan Humpty”
In their regular English I classes, the students have just finished reading some Poe stories. I think this would be a great way to get them writing. Plus, it would help them to understand Poe’s style a better. They say that “imitation is the highest form of flattery,” so we could also say that “imitation is the best way to learn”, right? How did we learn to drive? We imitated what the Driver’s Education teacher showed and taught us. We also imitated what other drivers had shown us. So, I think the students could use this strategy to understand Poe better and to get themselves writing.


********************************************
Time: 20-30 minutes

Rationale: The NC English I EOC has several practice tests that the students work on throughout the semester in English. On the EOC, the students are given excerpts of things to read. Many times, on the practice tests at least, these excerpts are from novels that have been made into movies. From just this week, I have seen in the book that there are excerpts from “Pygmalion”, Frankenstein, and others. So, after the students have read the excerpts and understand them for the test, then I can show them the scenes from the movies so they will understand the excerpts from a more literary perspective. It will help the students to understand some of the things that the teacher is trying to get them to see in the writing. It might also help them to see what the teacher is trying to get them to put into their own writing.

Activity: The students will read the excerpts from different novels or plays that have been filmed as movies. Upon reading them, the students will answer the practice questions in the EOC review. The class will discuss the answers to the practice questions and the teacher will explain anything that the students need more explanation on. Then the teacher will have the students to watch the movie versions of the excerpts they just read. After completing each movie clip, the students will quickly (and individually) write/jot as many differences as they can see in the movie and the excerpt. Then the students will just which they personally preferred. After all the clips and excerpts have been compared, the class will discuss together the differences and similarities in the pairs. The class will also discuss how the director and the author both “painted” important parts of the story for the reader/viewer.

********************************************
Text Reflection: I think that this text will provide me with ideas to use in my future classroom. I really like some of the things that are listed in the strategies. I definitely will have my students keep a “Writer’s Sketchbook” and I plan to use the strategy with the clothes for painting the personality! J I like the suggestions that Image Grammar gives. However, I can see ways that I could change them to fit into situations I could possibly be in.