Teachers Make a Difference: Exploring the K-5 Classroom

Course Number:

ED 101

Transcript Title:

Teachers Make a Difference: Exploring the K-5 Classroom

Created:

Aug 09, 2022

Updated:

Jul 11, 2023

Total Credits:

1

Lecture Hours:

0

Lecture / Lab Hours:

20

Lab Hours:

0

Satisfies Cultural Literacy requirement:

No

Satisfies General Education requirement:

No

Grading Options

A-F, P/NP, Audit

Default Grading Options

A-F

Repeats available for credit:

0

Suggested Outcome Assessment Strategies

• Weekly journals, self-reflections, and classroom observations
• Group discussions
• Student-generated discussions and questions on Moodle Forum
• Responses to podcasts, videos, and readings
• Role playing (teacher/student)

Course Activities and Design

The determination of teaching strategies used in the delivery of outcomes is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: lecture, small group/forum discussion, flipped classroom, dyads, oral presentation, role play, simulation scenarios, group projects, service learning projects, hands-on lab, peer review/workshops, cooperative learning (jigsaw, fishbowl), inquiry based instruction, differentiated instruction (learning centers), graphic organizers, etc.

Course Content

Outcome #1: Communicate teacher’s basic duties.

• Develop through observations, class discussions, and student forums what a K-5 teacher’s basic duties include.
  • Planning
  • Lesson plans
  • Prioritizing
  • Development
  • Time management
  • Meetings
• Explore how different grades and teaching styles reach the same goal of education.
• Develop knowledge of the different job related roles a teacher may perform.
  • Teacher
  • Nurse
  • Judge
  • Coach
  • Source of comfort
  • Therapist
  • Cheerleader
• Instruct students on basic skills such as confidentiality, professionalism, dress, language, etc.
• Discuss the role of teaching ELL in today’s teachers
• Connect observations to ELL teaching
• Student Engagement
  • How does a teacher keep a class engaged?  How does a teacher reach for a question that cannot be answered with “yes” or “no”
• Briefly discuss one or two Common Core themes/ideas.  Have the students connect one thing in the classroom with a Common Core Standard. 

Outcome #2: Compose thoughtful observations and self-reflections of time in K-5 classrooms, videos, podcasts, and articles.

• Discuss basic journal and self-reflection guidelines.
  • Formatting
  • Grammar expectations, etc.
  • Outlining
  • Comparing/contrasting to one’s own educational experience
• Develop an understanding of issues within each classroom, through self-reflection and journal writing. 
• Communicate, through writing, the struggles and joys that occur in the classroom.

Outcome #3: Articulate the reasons why people enter the teaching profession and describe the reasons why the student is interested in the teaching profession.

• Communicate, through interviews and observations, the reasons why people enter the teaching profession.
  • Teach basic interview guidelines
  • Discuss how to create a thoughtful interview question
• Describe, through self-reflection, why the student wants to become a teacher.
• Explore ideas such as:
  • Fulfilling/rewarding job
  • Exciting
  • Different every day/every year
  • Always come home with a “good story”
  • Human connection
  • Making a positive impact
  • Watching kids grow
  • Relationships
  • Community relationships with students and families
  • Stability

Outcome #4: Summarize a classroom behavioral plan and be able to communicate how the teacher implemented the plan

• Discuss the following:
  • How the teacher talked to students
  • How the teacher listened
  • How the teacher moved about the classroom
  • How the teacher physically interacted with kids
• Discuss what a basic individual student, classroom, and school-wide Behavior Plan may look like in a K-5 school. 
• Familiarize students with how teachers may implement a classroom behavior plan. Some behaviors might include:
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
  • Drug addiction (from birth)
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
  • Behaviors due to abuse (mental, sexual, emotional, and/or physical)
  • Issues surrounding poverty (lack of opportunity and background knowledge.  Can affect students through high school.)
• Discuss problem-solving, as it pertains to certain situations and behavior rules, during classroom discussions & online forums.
• Connect Behavior Plans for observations and journal writing.  How do the students see them being implemented and/or not implemented in a K-5 classroom?
• Discuss the connection between classroom and school behavior plans. 

Suggested Texts and Materials

Suggested resoources:

• Anita Archer websites:
  • https://www.iu17.org/professional-learning/best-practices/best-practices-videos/anita-archer-strategies-engagement-videos/
  • https://explicitinstruction.org/anita-l-archer-phd/
• Rita Pierson TED talk: ttps://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion#t-452147

Department Notes

ED 101 Observation Expectations:

Students will spend 3 weeks in one classroom and 3 weeks in a different classroom (thus, observing different teachers and grade levels).  Each hour observation will be spent 50% observing and 50% volunteering or helping the teacher.  During these hour-long sessions, it is important that the student is observing and helping, not running errands for the teacher (cutting, prepping, copies). The observation schedule will be set with your cooperating teachers and will be spent observing 3 different time periods throughout the day (math, reading, writing, art).