As teachers, we want our students to succeed. We know our behavior in the classroom affects how they learn, so we must be positive and consistent. Our classroom must be a safe place for all students. Students will thrive in the right environment. And, in the right environment, we can apply different teaching methods to help students do their best. I recently watched three videos of very different teaching techniques that I would like to share with you.
Video # 1: The Roller Coaster Project (video)
This video shows a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subject-based project. In the video we see 5th graders working in groups collaboratively. They are expressing their ideas, problem-sovling, creating and building. The teacher is seen moving from group to group interacting as necessary but it is clearly a student-centered project.
It is clear throughout the different sequences of the project that the teacher has high expectations for her students. She is continuously engaging with them in dialogue or asking deep questions. Every step of the project has a specific purpose, for example, the students may not just take the elements they need to build their foam roller coaster models, they must purchase each piece with a set budget they have been given. The students not only stay on task, but they seem genuinely interested in the project. They transition from sequence to sequence with ease, moving from the chime to a four minute individual sketch to a group sketch and then on the the model simulator with no difficulties. I really like the role she takes in her classroom with her students and that she lets the students discover their project on their own in their groups.
Behavior Expectations
We don't see in the video how the teacher has established behavior expectations with her class, but simply from seeing the way she acts in the classroom with them is very telling. She models the behavior she would like to see. She shows respect to all of her students by listening to them. She maintains eye contact and smiles a lot. She really lets them take the lead in their learning but we see her on the side accompanying them.
Norms & Procedures
The norms and procedures for this project can be seen at norms. The norms revolve around tardiness, missed work, electronic devices and restroom procedures. The rules are very clearly stated and instill the seriousness of the project. In terms of daily procedures, the teacher has set up certain times and places in the classroom where the students know what is expected of them. For example, during chime, the students sit at one big table facing each other and one person from each group is in charge of sharing something with the rest of the class. All the students know what they are supposed to do.
Video #2: 3rd Grade Chinese Math Lesson (math)
In this video we see a teacher speaking in Chinese to her students who are repeating Chinese words back to her. They are chanting or saying words. With all the students sitting on the floor in front of the white board, it is an animated lesson and every student seems to be engaged in what is going on in the lesson.
Academic Expectations
The teacher has established academic expectations through her interactions, both verbal and physical. She seems to be continuously talking, moving her hands and walking around. She expects the students to repeat the answers out loud. They follow her cues and sing or clap when they are supposed to. She seems to correct them or move on to other students when an answer is not correct. She expects her students to stay focuses on the lesson and participate in helping to find the correct answer. While it seemed like much of the learning was done by rote, the students did seem engaged and rote learning can be good with certain math concepts like multiplication.
Behavior Expectations
In the video, we see the teacher correct unwanted behavior with hand gestures. For example, she puts her finger to her mouth when she wants it to be quiet. She expects them to listen when she is talking. She is the leader of the class and they are supposed to follow her lead.
Norms & Procedures
Through her actions, the teacher has set up expectations. It seems that when the students are sitting on the floor in front of the white board, it is a time to listen, watch and repeat. Again, she does this with her verbal and physical interactions with the students.
Video #3: Whole Brain Teaching (WBT)
I had never heard of Whole Brain Teaching before and, in this video, we see a few short sequences of different techniques of this method. In one, we see the students repeating everything the teacher says. We also them repeating the class rules along with gestures. At one point when she asks them to turn to page 7 of their Geography book, they all repeat page 7 over and over until everyone is on the right page. There is also a "crazy professor" sequence when in pairs, one student reads the book while the other one mimes what they are saying. The last technique was speed reading. It seems that the basis of WBT repetition and movement.
Academic Expectations
The academic expectations seem revolve around all students working at the same pace, which may allow slower students to keep up with higher-achieving students. The WBT method also keeps the students engaged because they always have to be ready to participate and repeat or respond verbally or in motion to what the teacher says. Personally, I didn't see in this short video how this method would really establish high academic expectations. Much of the repetition and movement seemed more distracting than challenging the students with deep questions and encouraging them to strive to do their best.
Behavior Expectations
In repeating words and movement, all students are treated equally. They are expected to follow the teacher's lead. With all this repetition, the teacher is consistent in her classroom behavior and she models how the students are supposed to act.
Norms & Procedures
In the video, the class repeats two of the class rules: students must be in their seat when the tardy bell rings and they must read each other with dignity and respect. These are rules that were most likely laid out at the beginning of the school year by the teacher. Additionally, with the WBT method, students know that they are to repeat what the teacher says or they have an automatic response to what she says.
Summary: In My Classroom
Watching these three very different videos really makes you reflect on what you already do in the classroom and what you could do to improve. Out of the three videos, I found the Roller Coaster project video the most inspiring. The students were not repeating, like in the other two videos, but they were collaborating and creating. They were explorers and inventors. It was great to see them working seamlessly together. These students were genuinely interested in their project and, although it was complex and with many different parts, they rose to the expectations set by the teacher. In the second and third videos, they students were not being creative or collaborating to produce work of their own. It seemed that these teachers' expectations were lower for their classes because they did not give freedom to their students to learn on their own.
Next year, I will be teaching in a special setting. I say special because it is not the traditional elementary school set-up. I will teach in an American-based program within an international school in France. Because the students spend around eighty percent of their school week in their French classes, they are only in the American program for two half days a week -- one morning session and one afternoon session for a total of 6 hours per grade level per week. So, I will have three classes of three different grade levels. For example, I could teach Kindergarten, 2nd grade and 5th grade. There are generally three types of students in this program: 1) those who come from American families and who are expatriates France, 2) those who come from French-American families with one parent from the U.S.A. and the other parent from France and 2) those who are French or another, usually European nationality, and who have lived in the U.S.A. for an extended period of time and speak English.
Because I will be teaching students from different cultures and backgrounds, I believe it is beneficial for my students to be able to share who they are and where they come from with the rest of the class. This can be as simple as expressing their opinions during a group project or doing a group project on different cultures. For me, I think a project-based learning could work well in all elementary grade levels if the project was tailored to each specific grade level. I think the more choices you give students as well as collaborative and student-driven opportunities, the more they will rise to meet high academic expectations. If they are empowered in their learning, then they will be interested and engaged. They will succeed.
In terms of more repetitive techniques, I think they could also work in all elementary grade levels as adjust to each specific grade. But, in my opinion, these are not the techniques that will raise them up to meet my high academic expectations. The WBT method would be good for classroom management and using between transitions or to check that all students are paying attention. And, chants or songs, like seen with the Chinese math lesson could work as well in reviewing vocabulary or a specific topic with a class. But, again, I do not believe that these videos are the basis for creating high expectations in the classroom.
Sources
Chen, C. (2011). 3rd Grade Chinese Math Class. YouTube. From: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=h7LseF6Db5g
Mace, R. (ND). Roller Coaster Lab. Glogster. From: http://pilotrobertmace.edu.glogster.com/roller- coaster-lab/
Migdol, D. (2012). Roller Coaster Physics: STEM in Action. Teaching Channel. From: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-stem-strategies
Shayne, R. (2011) Whole Brain Teaching. YouTube. From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXTtR7lfWU&feature=youtu.be
Sources for Images (in order displayed)
Quote: http://carloscody.tumblr.com/post/143423671218/distractions-come-to-rock-you-to-sleep-and-take
Rollercoaster: http://www.drawingnow.com/tutorials/118973/how-to-draw-a-roller-coaster-for-kids/
Math: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chilisapps.android.mathAttack
Follow Directions: http://gingersnapstreatsforteachers.blogspot.fr/2012/08/whole-brain-teaching-set-preview.html
American flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States
French Flag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_France
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