China Day 5
Today we started the large group presentation with the music portion. This is a chance to reinforce the music lyrics and association between music and words. The teachers are very excited and willing to participate with the music.
Award presentations.
As a group, we acknowledge a couple of students from each homeroom. This helps emotionally bind the teachers. It recognizes the teachers. This is an important feature that is all too frequently forgotten.
Leaf on a tree.
Each member of our team has taken a leaf and used it to describe themselves. These were projected on onto the screen and explained. This is a powerful process that really helps us connect with each other.
Music was used again to have teachers to identify words and note them on a graphic organizer.
Homeroom
Once again, I started off the class with a bad joke (Why were the ink spots sad? – Their father was in the pen.) I explained how the pen is used as slang for jail. Interestingly, one of the students also told a bad joke.
We had the teachers replicate the Leaf activity that the American teachers modeled. The Chinese teachers created a leaf with things that described them.
We also introduced an Adjective Name poem. The teachers created a poem using their name and adjectives.
We introduced the Think/Pair/Share activity to them. We described the process and why we do that process. Then we had the teachers Think about how they could create a welcoming atmosphere in their classroom, Pair up using their 8 o’clock partner, and Share their ideas.
After lunch, we had a teacher lead the Story Cube process. The teachers wrote out their paragraphs. Then they shared with their 2 o’clock partners. At the end, we processed just how long it took them to partner up. They were very pleased that they were able to partner up so quickly.
We also completed the Place Mat activity. This is designed to get kids talking and sharing ideas in an organized manner. The idea is to have a placemat for 4 students. The central circle has the main idea/central question. The placemat is divided into 4 squares. Each of the students respond to the main idea/central question for 1-2 minutes. At that time, the placemat is rotated and the students respond (in writing) to another student’s thoughts/writing. The placemat is turned again, and the students read and respond to another students thoughts. This is completed until the writing comes back to the originator. Then, the group discusses the main idea and comes to a consensus about how they want to respond. One student is selected as a spokesperson and shares with the whole class.
We also discussed a couple of other teacher concerns today. We discussed how to provide adequate wait time (we have a teacher who is also immediately raising her hand when a question is asked). We talked about how to deal with those overactive students. We also discussed how to engage and motivate students.
Everyday ends with the teachers responding in a Reflective Notebook to a specific question. Then they complete an Exit card to a specific question. Both of these are determine by the team of American teachers and is consistent across all homerooms.
Overall, the teachers are asking terrific, challenging questions. Their concerns center around having “time” to switch to student centered instruction. Their biggest concern is about the testing that is used to sort the students.
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