Ok I want to send my packet out today. Post office closes at 4pm. Here is the question: On a separate sheet, please describe a specific class or class activity you planned and actually conducted which illustrates your philosophy of teaching and is the best example of your teaching skill. What evidence showed you that this class or activity was successful in terms of student motivation and achievement? (this is what I used last year and I have taught this lesson this year only using multiplication instead, but I'm being lazy and want to just send this out, do you think it is ok?) I feel it is imperative to add variety in both style and technique while teaching students. With that in mind, I can think of several lessons that I have taught which were both useful and effective. However, one of the most effective lessons I conducted was called Worm Addition. This lesson involved both pencil and paper work and manipulatives. The idea for this lesson was rather simple, but all students were fully engaged in the process. Students used numbers written on the ends of the craft sticks along with gummy worms to learn rudimentary addition with fixed sums. Upon entering the classroom, students saw a beach bucket filled with sand. In the sand were several craft sticks with numbers on the end buried in the sand. Since I said nothing about the mysterious bucket at the front of the room, students' curiosity was piqued immediately. I feel that this is an important element in the learning process as learners are typically easier to engage when there is a sincere interest. After circle time I settled all of the students in their seats. The pencil and paper portion of this activity, a piece of paper with pictures of four worms with a blank addition equation in each, was distributed to each student. Then the manipulative, 10 gummy worms, was distributed to each student. I instructed the students to count gummy worms as a warm-up to the addition exercise. At this time, I asked for a volunteer. Since all students were excited and curious, I had a class full of raised hands. The first volunteer came to the front, pulled one of the craft sticks from the sand, and revealed a number on the end. The student read the number to the class and I instructed the class to write the number in the first blank in the first worm on their page. I then asked them to count out the correct number of gummy worms that matched this first number. The second volunteer repeated these steps of the first, and students repeated my instructions as well. At this time, students were asked to "add" the numbers in the first worm by counting the total number of gummy worms. All students were fully engaged in the lesson and eagerly volunteered for the remainder of the lesson. In the students' eyes this lesson was a huge success because they were able to eat the gummy worms at the end. In my opinion, this lesson was a success because students were fully engaged and they learned the first steps in the addition process with great interest. By combining written work with manipulatives that students consider fun and enjoyable, even the most reluctant learners in my class were willing and able to learn this valuable skill. The effects of this lesson remained evident in the weeks to come as I referred back to the steps we used to effectively assist them in more traditional forms of addition problems.
That's a cool activity, Jaime. Do you mean this sentence as it stands? I'm thinking it ought to be "Then the manipulatives--10 gummi worms--were distributed to each student." Try "I asked them to count out that number of gummi worms. We repeated these steps with a second volunteer and number. I then asked them to 'add' together the numbers in the first worm drawing by counting the gummi worms." Ouch: dangling participle. What's the subject of the by-clause? "When written work is combined with manipulatives that are fun, even the most reluctant learners in my class are willing and able to practice this valuable skill." Since the exercise specifies assessment, you might want to give more concrete evidence about how you know this activity helped the students with addition.
I can even be a geek in my sleep... just don't get me started punning, because I won't be able to stop.
Thank you again for helping with this TG. I had to come on here to find my written answer and again used your advice!
Jaime Marie, that sounds so cool! I loved your description, you had me hanging on to see what was coming next as you described what the students saw when they walked in the door. It's a very inventive lesson plan.
