Presents visuals to enhance student engagement in learning. Please see pictures below
Provide instructional opportunities that enhance appropriate student interactions with materials, teachers, and one another. Please see pictures below
Selects a variety of strategies beyond lecturing and independent work including:
Peer Tutoring
Peer tutoring with other kindergarteners.
Peer tutoring with second grade friends.
Demonstrations
Please click the link below for more examples of demonstrations in the classroom. http://mykindergartenfriends.blogspot.com/2012/03/community-helpers.html
Experiments
Please click the link below for examples of experiments in the science lab and the classroom.
http://mykindergartenfriends.blogspot.com/search/label/science%20lab
Projects
Please click on the link below for different examples of classroom projects.
http://mykindergartenfriends.blogspot.com/search/label/projects
Please click on the link for examples of technology projects.
http://mykindergartenfriends.blogspot.com/search/label/technology
Centers
Please click on the link below for examples of different center activities.
Technology and Multimedia
Please click on the link for examples of technology projects, the use of multimedia in the classroom, and examples of student technology and multimedia work.
http://mykindergartenfriends.blogspot.com/search/label/technology
Selects strategies based upon individual students' needs, strengths and weaknesses.
I use a variety of formal and informal assessments to differentiate all material for students including the TOPAS, Word Study weekly assessments, running records, and teacher observation. Students who are on the same level will work together for some activities in a homogenous group, while for other projects students work together in a heterogenous group of all different type of levels. I have also arranged for some of my students who are reading at a higher level to participate in a higher level thinking group that focuses on reading comprehension. I have also collaborated with the reading resource teacher to work with both my students who are struggling to stay on grade level and also for students who are above grade level and need extra challenges. I also send home reinforcement homework for students who need extra help in homework and I also send home challenge homework for students who need extra challenging homework.
Use varied and carefully constructed questions that provide a balance of mix of all types.
Knowledge and Comprehension
In all lessons I work hard to include thin and thick questions to informally assess my students knowledge and comprehension.
Application and Analysis
This is apparent daily during our smartboard calendar as students apply the knowledge they have learned in different rigorous math activities through daily calendar.
Whole Class Signaling
In our class we use thumbs up and thumbs down. We also use the simple a simple clapping rhyme to quickly focus on the lesson or the teacher.
Group and Individual Answers
I always include opportunities for individual and group answers. During calendar, Making Meaning, and Being a Writer students will share answers with their partners and also with the teacher. In other lessons, students will have to collaborate together to come up with the answers together.
Written and Shared Responses
With our Making Meaning Series, each week children respond in their writer's workshop notebook a connection that have to the book that is read. After writing our responses, students get a chance to share their writing with the class and also share their writing with their partners. At the end of the year, we also begin to peer edit our partners writing. In addition, I send home writing projects for students to complete and their projects are displayed in the hallway.
