This week went by just as quick as the previous two.
My two PE classes started their Inventing Warm-ups. I had two eager volunteers who wanted to present first, which shows a lot of courage. During the presentation, I was able to observe an exceptional level of student engagement. It was fantastic to see the level of participation increase among all students as their peers lead them over several mini games as well as some stretches. The energy levels in the classes were set high right from the beginning which lead to a highly energetic and interactive class throughout. I am looking forward to seeing other groups of students (who don’t appear as outgoing as their peers) present their warm-ups. This activity is very useful to me because it gives me an idea of what the students are interested in. Reading over their Inventing Warm-up plans, I have noticed a common trend with tag games and dodge-ball type activities. This will help me plan future warm-up activities with these students, setting a high level energy and engagement from the start of the class until the end, aiming to increase participation and overall student interaction.
In my Spanish class, I have observed that students enjoy drawing activities over writing, thus I have shaped my lesson plans to include a drawing option into almost every activity that we do. Giving them this choice allows each student to engage in the activity and to express their unique characteristics. I have also learned a lot from looking over and marking students work, especially the projects that include some kind of art. In addition, my SA, FA and a former FA have observed my class and are amazed at the student-teacher relationships that I have built in such a short time, and the overall positive classroom environment. I owe a lot of this to inviting students to be involved in a co-created rubric and cell-phone policy. I believe that my students respect me and this class because I’ve allowed them to use their phones in such a way that is respectful and fair.
On to week four!