Weekly Blog #6

A highlight from this week was conducting a lab that uncovered the differences a mixture and a solution. This lab contained a fairly complex procedure for this age group and it was interesting to see how the lab was executed. Students for the most part did quite well and have come a long ways in how they conduct themselves in a lab environment. It has created some relief for me seeing that students can be trusted with chemicals and various equipment but that only came because rules were set. For most class rules they are enforced to some degree but lab rules have no exceptions. Students respond to this well and I think this is so because they are doing something really fun and don't want to lose that privilege.

Something that made me think a little differently is that there is no reason to "teach to the test" if the teacher is committed to teaching to the standards. My cooperating teacher has never made mention to her students that we are conducting a lesson that tailors to what the MSP might be testing on. Instead she revolves her lessons on hitting the OSPI or NSTA standards and knows that her students will be prepared. This approach leaves the students and the teacher less stressed and propagates learning that has meaning, not just for the sake of passing a test.

A strategy I want to try and implement is using peer pressure to get a whole class to commit to an assignment or behave. Towards the end of a class the last task was to read 4 pages independently from the textbook. Students started to gripe about it but my teacher said that if everyone read silently than no one had to answer questions off of a worksheet. That was all it took as everyone kept quiet even after they had finished reading before others. Although this is not a practice I will use all the time, I find it effective when they are having issues with authority and it becomes easier to place the power within themselves.

A perplexing situation that occurred this past week was dealing with getting students back on track after dealing with two weeks of testing. I found this to be difficult as testing comes in May which I consider for myself the most difficult month to concentrate. The best way my cooperating teacher combated this was to start back in with a lab that was fun and had a clear objective. Even then some students get on cruise control which is making me a little nervous for my observed lesson which isn't going to occur until early June. Leading up to my lesson I think I need to come up with a few of my own management strategies, surprise my cooperating teacher, and go out on the best note I can.