Putting on the Shoes of a Teacher: Lesson Plan 1 Reflection

Brief Assignment Introduction

        In this post, I will be discussing our class's most recent assignment, a lesson plan. This assignment tasked us with creating a lesson plan revolving around argumentative writing. We were asked to find standards, create student learning objectives/goals, write an opening script, as well as create a model of the assignment for student clarification. Once completed, we were then in charge of presenting our lesson to small groups, consisting of our peers, to gain some practice with teaching and receiving feedback. 

Reflecting On My Own Lesson

        The argument topic I decided on for my own lesson was: "Should schools switch from five to four day school weeks?" I selected this topic because I figured it was something the students would be really interested in, which would help them stay engaged and excited to write their arguments. Throughout my lesson planning process, I wanted to make sure that I was being clear about my expectations for the assignment while also engaging the class. In past classes I have had to write several lesson plans, so I didn't find much difficulty in completing this one. However, I have never had to present a lesson I have created so that was very nerve-racking for me at first. Although I was nervous, I was pleased to receive positive feedback from every member of my small group. One nice comment I received was that I presented in a casual way that made them feel more comfortable to speak up and stay engaged. My group mates also liked how I shared my own personal opinion on the argument topic because it made them feel confident to share their own. One challenge I faced during the presentation was that my screen sharing was not working, so I had to come up with a new way of explaining my article on the spot, and it ended up being fine. Ultimately, I actually really enjoyed presenting one of my lesson plans for the first time and I'm excited to practice more in the future!

I have included a link to my lesson below in case you want to check it out:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRMMdTyY1m5G7sckEDHkSFOfhb-lS1l6TBRrmlKgvSBuuAP7BzUiN5gCmW461RCxbxpI-NDx6uMd7KV/pub

Reflecting On My Experience as a Learner 

        As a learner during the presentations of my small group, I noticed some teaching moves that were effective for me as a student. During one of the lessons, a teaching move I liked was how the instructor had everyone raise their hands for the side they were taking and then went around and asked students to explain. This was completed before any articles were introduced, so it gave me as a learner an opportunity to present my prior knowledge and initial thoughts on the topic before potentially being persuaded by the article. Another teaching move I liked was the engaging questions at the beginning of everyone's lessons. Each teacher at the time would start off asking an engaging question related to the argument topic of their lesson plan and have us respond to the question. I really liked this approach because it got me excited as a learner to share my thoughts and learn more moving forward. During my group mates' presentations, there weren't any moments that I found challenging. Each of my group mates did a great job at presenting interesting topics and keeping me engaged the whole time!

Diving Deeper Into One Lesson

        Out of respect for the privacy of my peer, I will not share their name. However, the lesson I wanted to dive deeper into was centered around the question of if the death penalty should be abolished. I really enjoyed this lesson because my classmate gave us multiple opportunities to ask questions throughout their time sharing, which I think is really important in classrooms. I also wanted to note how they went into depth of fully explaining every step of what was required of students, which provided clarity and didn't leave room to question what needed to be done. There was also a moment open for a class discussion so students could get a feel for arguments and how to go about writing them. Something I included in my own lesson plan that was also included in this one was questions to consider. I think these are really important to include when expecting students to write because it gives them questions to fall back on if they are feeling stuck and don't know what to write about. Overall, I think this lesson plan was well organized and the topic was very engaging, which is what drew me to dive deeper into it. 

Harnessing the Power of Workshops and Temporal Landmarks to Fuel Student Growth

         In English classrooms, it is essential to find various strategies that not only engage students, but also develop their skills. Two strategies that I've encountered so far in my course readings that have stood out to me are writing workshops and temporal landmarks. By combining writing workshops with key moments for reflection, English classrooms can create a supportive environment that fosters confident writers, enhances writing skills, and helps students keep track of their progress. Writing workshops, which Steve Peha spends some time discussing in Welcome to Writer's Workshop, help develop stronger writers. In writing workshops, students have more opportunities to actively engage with their writing rather than completing repetitive class work. Between the mini-lessons, status checks, writing time, and sharing, students have several opportunities to learn new strategies and apply them authentically over time. As Steve Peha puts it, "They spend more time applying what they've learned authentically. They spend time writing and sharing-- two things they enjoy--instead of doing things they find boring and meaningless" (Peha, 1995-2010). When students are constantly pressured to take a test or fill out a worksheet applying their new knowledge, they sometimes forget to actually take in the new knowledge and apply it in their own writing. With writing workshops, that pressure is lifted off of students since they have the opportunity to apply it on their own way, on their own terms. 

         On the other hand, temporal landmarks, as discussed in Chapter 2 of Troy Hick's, Creating Confident Writers: For High School, College, and Life, highlight the necessity for individual reflection. These temporal landmarks, or "checkpoints," serve as a moment for students to pause and reflect on their progress, assessing any personal writing goals they've set for themselves, and creating any new ones they find fit. Troy Hicks puts it perfectly when he quotes Hengchen Dai, Katherine Milkman, and Jason Riis, "temporal landmarks interrupt attention to day-to-day minutiae, causing people to take a big picture view of their lives and thus focusing on achieving their goals" (Hicks, 2020). When students are finding themselves rushing to get work done on time, they sometimes forget to pause and reflect on the quality of the work they are doing, and making sure they are achieving their writing goal they set out for themselves in the first place. By implementing time in our classrooms for temporal landmarks, we are giving students a chance to make sure they are writing something they are proud of and reaching their writing goals. 

        One potential drawback to writing workshops is that some students may struggle with time management within their writing time. With free writing time, students may feel stuck at times, or fail to reflect on their progress. One potential drawback of temporal landmarks is that students may fail to be completely honest with themselves. Students may feel lazy at times, or like they did "enough" when doing the bare minimum during their personal reflection time. This can prevent students from going the extra mile and putting in the work to make their writing stand out. However, both of these drawbacks are easily remedied by implementing writing workshop and temporal landmark techniques together in classrooms. When it comes to potential time management struggles for students with writing workshops, temporal landmarks being implemented can help students manage their time. By setting aside time for these reflections, students can make sure they are achieving their writing goals as their writing is progressing. Writing workshops remedy the potential drawback of temporal landmarks because of the sharing aspect. During these moments, students are asked to share with the teacher and their classmates who can offer feedback. This can help students see a new perspective they may not see on their own during their reflections. In conclusion, blending writing workshops with temporal landmarks creates a supportive classroom environment that fosters confident writers and skill improvement. Would you consider using writing workshop and temporal landmark strategies in your classroom?

Sources:

Hicks, T. (2020). Chapter 2 Setting Goals. In Creating Confident Writers: For High School, College, and Life. essay.

Peha, S. (1995-2010). Welcome to Writer's Workshop. Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. https://ttms.box.net/shared/static/18htc7rcb2.pdf

Fostering Better Writers Through Workshops

         

        After reading some excerpts from Welcome to Writer's Workshop by Steve Peha, it is evident that writing workshops are crucial in building better writers. Writing workshops are a flexible way to teach students without immense pressure. One way they are vital in building better writers is through the mini-lessons. Mini-lessons are flexible and don't need to be presented whenever you want to engage in a writing workshop. However, due to their brevity, mini-lessons provide focused support on a topic that students may be struggling with and plan to use in their writing. Mini-lessons are also beneficial in building better writers because they remove the intimidation that comes along with normal lessons. Typically, students feel pressure when listening to a new lesson because they know a test of some sort is going to follow. However, mini-lessons are quick and straight to the point for the benefit of more time dedicated to writing and less pressure for students. 

        Another way writing workshops are crucial in building better writers is through the status of the class checks. These checks, which are very flexible and only need to occur every once in a while, help keep students and teachers on track. With writing workshops, every student is welcome to go at their own pace. Status of the class checks are also beneficial for both the teacher and student as they allow progress checks and can encourage time management skills for students who want to set goals for themselves and their writing. These moments are also vital in building a sense of community in the classroom since students will be interested in where their peers are in their writing, motivating students to continue their own work. 

        Writing workshops are also crucial in building better writers through sharing with an audience, whether that's with peers or the teacher. Students tend to really value their peer's opinions, sometimes even more than the teacher's. No writer is going to improve their writing without receiving feedback, whether it's good or bad. Hearing different perspectives and ideas is imperative in building better writers as it opens the door for new ideas, possibilities, and improvements. Ultimately, writing workshops are critical in building better writers because they allow, "Students spend less time on worksheets, fill-ins, repetitive drill work, and other sub-skills of writing. They spend more time applying what they've learned authentically. They spend time writing and sharing-- two things they enjoy--instead of doing things they find boring and meaningless" (Peha, 1995-2010). When students are allowed to apply what they've learned in an authentic way rather than worrying about a test or worksheet, they are more likely to absorb the knowledge and use it more organically in future writing. Based on your knowledge of writer workshops, do you find them to be crucial in building better writers? 

Sources: Peha, S. (1995-2010). Welcome to Writer's Workshop. Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. https://ttms.box.net/shared/static/18htc7rcb2.pdf