Today Professor Gleason taught a workshop on using quotations. Though this type of mechanics lesson can sometimes come across as dry, I think she did a great job setting up the purpose of the lesson saying, "Some of you are still developing strategies for using, introducing, and analyzing quotes." I thought this was an approachable and engaging way to set up the lesson. It established a need for the skill without making students feel that they are lacking skills. I also really like that she highlighted the necessity of learning this skill and that it could be transferred by saying students will want to use quotes in all their college writing. I think it is important for me to make sure the skills I teach are applicable not only in the writing project they are working on, but also can be used in other assignments in my class but also throughout their college careers.
Quoting Workshop Flyer
One key teaching strategy that Professor Gleason used during her workshop is writing on the board. I think that my tendency is to not write on the board if I give a handout. I think that reframing the content in different ways, such as writing on the board is an important way to make sure the students are comprehending the content. I definitely think that in the future I will try and write on the board instead of just sticking with what is on the handout.
Another way that Professor Gleason helped make the handout information have more dimension was by having students write examples of different lead-in phrases on their papers. I think this was a really helpful strategy for students to be more engaged with the content and break up the chunks of teacher-centered instruction. This helped make the new information that the teacher was delivering more bite-sized and gave the student and teacher check points for comprehension.
Another way that Professor Gleason made using the handout more dynamic was by having students write their examples on the board. In other classes I have also heard her say she "doesn't own the board." I think this is a great way to make students engaged and make teacher-centered instruction more interactive. It also allows for students to explain the concepts to each other rather than just relying on the teacher's way of explaining things to the class. Once again, it allows for the information included on the flyer to be rephrased and reframed so students could better understand it.
Professor Gleason also gave me some advice on where to start when planning a lesson. She told me to think about what I do when I am approaching a topic myself, like my next lesson, which will be on writing effective conclusions. I can start by analyzing my own process and thinking about my top tips that I use myself. This gives the lesson a solid grounding in being an authentic and meaningful lesson for students. Then I can analyze models to do further learning. Finally, I can layer on other ways that instructors teach this content. I don't think I have been starting with my own personal approaches to lessons enough and I think taking a moment to activate my prior knowledge is an important step in lesson planning, just as it is in student learning.
Quoting Workshop Flyer
One key teaching strategy that Professor Gleason used during her workshop is writing on the board. I think that my tendency is to not write on the board if I give a handout. I think that reframing the content in different ways, such as writing on the board is an important way to make sure the students are comprehending the content. I definitely think that in the future I will try and write on the board instead of just sticking with what is on the handout.
Another way that Professor Gleason helped make the handout information have more dimension was by having students write examples of different lead-in phrases on their papers. I think this was a really helpful strategy for students to be more engaged with the content and break up the chunks of teacher-centered instruction. This helped make the new information that the teacher was delivering more bite-sized and gave the student and teacher check points for comprehension.
Another way that Professor Gleason made using the handout more dynamic was by having students write their examples on the board. In other classes I have also heard her say she "doesn't own the board." I think this is a great way to make students engaged and make teacher-centered instruction more interactive. It also allows for students to explain the concepts to each other rather than just relying on the teacher's way of explaining things to the class. Once again, it allows for the information included on the flyer to be rephrased and reframed so students could better understand it.
Effective Strategies for Planning & Organizing Lessons to Use in the Future
I had an illuminating conference with Professor Gleason where we talked about strategies for organizing and planning lessons. One tip she shared with me that she had recently learned was to have a binder with all the paper handouts from a course on your desk. I liked this tip. I think it's the perfect way to bring things up with students who might have missed classes during office hours. I also think it makes sense for me to have paper copies of all my handouts that I can mark up throughout the course. I think having a comprehensive guide of resource materials is helpful in many ways as a teacher.
Professor Gleason also gave me some advice on where to start when planning a lesson. She told me to think about what I do when I am approaching a topic myself, like my next lesson, which will be on writing effective conclusions. I can start by analyzing my own process and thinking about my top tips that I use myself. This gives the lesson a solid grounding in being an authentic and meaningful lesson for students. Then I can analyze models to do further learning. Finally, I can layer on other ways that instructors teach this content. I don't think I have been starting with my own personal approaches to lessons enough and I think taking a moment to activate my prior knowledge is an important step in lesson planning, just as it is in student learning.
Another thing you can do is to observe other teachers teach. You will get some good ideas from your fellow teachers when you watch them teach.
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