1. In the "morning meeting" readings you were exposed to several teachers who do morning meeting in their classrooms. Please find one of them, list his or her name, and explain what they do or believe about morning meeting.
Mr. Saunders began morning meetings since the beginning of the school year. He followed the general guidelines of Greeting, Sharing, Group Activity, and Morning Message. I suspect he began the sharing part of morning meetings with everyone sharing their response to a general topic or question. After several months, Mr. Saunders sharers were asked to speak clearly on a focused topic, and have the classmates respond with on-topic questions or comments. At first, the questions were not eliciting more than a yes, or no response, so Mr. Saunders decided to help the sharers become more vibrant when presenting their topic.
First, he would check in with the sharers ahead of time. During this time, he would ask open-ended questions so the sharer could sharpen their presentation and add a little intrigue to their topic. With others, he would help the sharer tone down their presentation and stay focused and succinct.
Next, he would check-in with the sharers on the morning of their time to share and excitedly ask if they were ready. He would also give positive encouragement, such as: “You can do it” or “I can’t wait to hear you share!”
By briefing the student sharers ahead of time, Mr. Saunders helped these students elicit more detail, vividness, and even suspense in their presentations. This, in turn made the questions more interesting to all in the class.
Mr. Saunders feels very strongly about morning meetings and has taken the time to help the students increase their level of enjoyment and learning when sharing with their classmates.
2. In both part I of Differentiation in Practice and chapter 1 inFulfilling the Promise, you find a short list of curricular elements that teachers can adjust and a short list of student traits or characteristics teachers can respond to. One of the books lists 4 of these, while the other lists only 3. What do you think changed in Tomlinson's thinking to add a 4th curricular element and a 4th trait to her original list?
All student traits should constantly be assessed by the teacher (readiness, interest, andlearning profile) but Tomlinson also realized the most influential trait is affect. The way the student feels about themselves, their work and their classroom are aspects which are vital to the student being receptive to learning. The student’s emotions (or feelings) are deeply connected to the student’s cognition. When they feel comfortable capable, and safe they will find their potential for learning is increased.
Likewise, Tomilnson’s list of classroom elements: content, process, and product were not complete without including learning environment. The operation and tone of the classroom affects everything. A positive mood in the classroom, where seriousness about work balanced with celebration of successes increases the potential for responsive thinking. All the other elements could be found in a classroom, but if the mood is negative, this will affect the student’s emotions and subsequently close the gateway to helping each student become more fully engaged and be a successful learner.
3. In the introduction to The First Six Weeks of School you read about the importance of establishing a friendly, predictable, and orderly classroom as a "prerequisite for children's academic achievement." Is "friendly" as important as "predictable" and "orderly"? Why or why not? (Please refer to ideas you find in the introduction to The First Six Weeks of School.
The three components shared in the book: friendly, predictable, and orderly are all pieces of academic achievement. When you are missing one (such as friendly), then this puzzle is not complete. This idea is shared widely among educators where they have seen first-hand how friendliness is a valuable aim towards a productive learning school year.
Students must know each other’s names and need to feel they belong. They will define their commonality and differences. When students participate in group-building activities, they create a trust and bonding where friendships can thrive. Also, when students feel they are part of a bigger community, they are more likely to help other friends to progress towards a common goal. Each student in the class should be thought of as a friend. During the first six weeks, students are given examples of how friends treat each other in this classroom. Teachers may need to convey that friendly greetings and invitations to eat lunch with others are noted and appreciated. Alternatively, the students may also need a reminder that sneering responses are not tolerated or appreciated.
Predictability and Orderly are both important components in a classroom as well, but they are not more important than Friendly. When you can teach students in a positive learning environment where the mood is friendly, then each student’s academics will increase. The best case scenario will be to apply all aspects to a classroom for the benefit of the teacher and especially the students. Success in this area will provide a promise of a fantastic school year.
