First Week
First week February ( 21-24) 2016.
In the first week at Al Sumow school, it was a special week because the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) was visiting to inspect the school. It was a horrible week. However, I was a part of the staffs there so I should take some of the responsibility of the students.
I am working with grade1 mixed (boys and girls). It's a kind of difficult to work with young learners at ages 5-6 years old, but it's as challenge me for the better.
I rememebr the saying:
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn"
So I focus on it, I've tried to involve the students in helping them to remember what we have done together for a long time. I've started to teach different groups and different subjects as well (English, Science and Math) according to the weekly lesson plan.
During this week I've taught the following:
Math:
1MDM1: Measure the length of given objects using non-standard units.
In the first class ( Grade 1 G), I have had one group (Emerging), I told them about the outcome then, I modeled the activity for them. Before asking them to do the activity, I asked them several questions to know if they understood or not. They did the activity and understood it. I'd changed the activity that was in the weekly plan but my MST loved what I did.
Second group, (Development). I'd taught them how they used string to measure length of different objects in the class. I asked them to choose any objects and meaure it. after they used the string to meausre, I asked them to use any objects to measure other objects that I had chosen for them.
1NWN5 identify familiar and patterned arrangements for 1-10
Third group, (Emerging). I've taught them about pattern, they had learned it fast. They liked the lesson and they have got interested in this lesson. I explained the pattern by post some different color shapes on the table then I asked them to create different pattern. They did understand and did what I asked them.
Science
Sciences lessons were very nice because we didn't focus on the book, just we did experiences with the children and they really like it and understood the lesson.
1LW8 Identify and Explain(M), Identify and compare (D), Identify and Illustrate(E) each sense and how we use our senses in our daily lives.
I took two groups in each class, asked them what have they to do and observed them. The experience was very useful and interested, they have learned about Five senses easily and they have fun. one of the experiences was as magic tricks we mixed some substances to make a sticky substance, they were surprised about that. The other experiences were each group cover their eyes and one student in each group used material that we used one of our senses to use them, for example, perfume, the students passed the perfume around their nose when we finished we asked the students which senses did you use and for what?
Second science lesson.
In this week, we did the science lesson that we didn't plan to do. Grade 5 had presented about Ocean in the corridor and we took students to watch their presentation and learn about ocean and the animals that live in it. it was a useful presentations and after that we asked the students some "Bloom taxonomy" we wrote two questions on a big paper for each group and they answer by drawing because they are still young and can't write all what they want. But they had nice ideas and understood the lessons that I was very surprised of them.
English (The Theme is Iqraa)
English, The teacher read the story about Handa and then she asked questions about the story. The students could answer the questions that mean they understood the story and they had fun of it. The teacher asked them to write some sentences about the story and drawing what did they see in the story, most the students did the good work on it. I had worked with some groups.
I reviewed the students about high frequency words, some students have difficulty to read but other were very fast and could read the words easily.
In the first week, we have used English link to science in: 1LW6: describe the growth of animals W5: Compare different types of animals 1LW2: Describe what living things need for survival.
Link to Math 1MDM1: Measure the length of given objects using non-standred units.
Classroom managements:
In this week, I've noticed the teacher uses the different way to manage the students, she has a counted from 5 by loudly sound to lower sound then all the students would put their hands on their head. Also, when the teacher said mange your hands, manage your eyes they would manage themselves.
Formative assessment:
The teacher has used observation and write down what the students have done.
She asked students a variety questions during the lessons.
She asked them to discuss and turn and talk before answering some questions.
She used name list to choose the students for answering.
She used whiteboard to explained and the students used it as well.by using formative assessment I can know about strengths and weaknesses of the students according to PLB "With formative assessment, we work with students, we don’t do something to students. We seek to use the data from formative assessments to help the student master the curriculum and help the student identify his/her strengths and weaknesses".
Reference
PLB= http://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/benefits-of-formative-assessment-in-the-classroom/
