 5 Senses Poem - Lesson Plan |
 5 Senses Poem - Graphic Organizer |
 5 Senses Poem - Deep Blue |
 5 Senses Poem - Dezmond Mason |
 5 Senses Poem - Spring |
Title: 5 Senses Poem
Context:
This artifact includes a lesson plan where I taught students how to write a descriptive poem using the five senses. Each student picked something they felt they could describe and used a graphic organizer to make sure they had a word for each sense. This artifact also includes the graphic organizer, as well as several examples of a range of student work. This lesson was taught with other lessons about adjectives and description, and I felt the students needed work with organizing their ideas.
UWTEP Goals and Targets:
- TEP Target 1B - Instructional Strategies
- This artifact demonstrates my ability to choose effective instructional strategies, beginning with allowing the students to write about their own topic, which engages each student. Part of the lesson includes using the overhead projector as a second medium to model my own graphic organizer and poem for visual learners. The poem was also read aloud to help the verbal learners. I chose the graphic organizer as an extra material to help students organize their thoughts before they wrote the poems. Finally, this lesson had the students draw the thing they described to help the artistic students connect to the writing.
- This artifact demonstrates my ability to choose effective instructional strategies, beginning with allowing the students to write about their own topic, which engages each student. Part of the lesson includes using the overhead projector as a second medium to model my own graphic organizer and poem for visual learners. The poem was also read aloud to help the verbal learners. I chose the graphic organizer as an extra material to help students organize their thoughts before they wrote the poems. Finally, this lesson had the students draw the thing they described to help the artistic students connect to the writing.
- TEP Target 2B - Adapting for Differences
- This lesson was adapted to help students of different learning styles and abilities succeed and meet my objectives. I asked struggling students to focus on concrete ideas for each sense, while I encouraged gifted students to think more abstractly about their writing. I allowed certain students to brainstorm with a partner because those students have verbal learning styles. In addition, because this assignment allowed each student to choose a topic, the English Language Learners could choose one using words with which they were familiar. Finally, I presented the students with a graphic organizer to help the visual learners, as well as those on Individual Education Programs (IEPs) that have difficulty organizing their thoughts.
- This lesson was adapted to help students of different learning styles and abilities succeed and meet my objectives. I asked struggling students to focus on concrete ideas for each sense, while I encouraged gifted students to think more abstractly about their writing. I allowed certain students to brainstorm with a partner because those students have verbal learning styles. In addition, because this assignment allowed each student to choose a topic, the English Language Learners could choose one using words with which they were familiar. Finally, I presented the students with a graphic organizer to help the visual learners, as well as those on Individual Education Programs (IEPs) that have difficulty organizing their thoughts.
Reflection:
This lesson was particularly successful because of its modifications. Every student in the class needed more instruction in writing, but each student needed to approach the assignment differently. I had recently taught a language lesson on adjectives and found my students needed to think more descriptively. I also wanted to expose them to poetry, and so I combined the two ideas into a writing lesson focusing on adjectives. Because I was beginning to understand each child individually, I found I was able to modify this lesson quite easily to meet the needs of diverse learners. However, I made sure each student met my initial objectives of understanding and being able to use adjectives in their writing. I believe a teacher should adapt lessons to be accessible to different learning styles. This idea comes from my philosophy that all children can learn, but to teach them I must understand the whole child and his or her learning style.
Jerome Bruner (1977) discusses intellectual honesty, which he describes as the idea that all students can learn any topic if the topic is presented at a level appropriate to the student. While I agree with Bruner, I also believe that the topic must be presented in a style accessible to each individual student. One method of understanding how to reach each student is to discover that student's learning style. In Howard Gardner's (1993) theory of multiple intelligences, he describes how students learn in many different ways. They can use interpersonal, spatial, linguistic, and other intelligences to help achieve their learning goals. More simplified versions of these ideas are learning styles, such as visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners. I also believe there are students who are verbal learners, having to talk through their ideas rather than write them. When I constructed this lesson, I consciously incorporated opportunities for students with each learning style to engage the poem. I also adapted for differences in ability and language, making my assessment based on their inclusion of appropriate adjectives. Some students wanted to attempt the more abstract thinking but they found it difficult, while others were happy to focus on the literal. Some students excelled in the abstract thinking. However, all students were learning about using adjectives in their writing.
I believe that every student can learn if taught in an appropriate and engaging manner. To discover how to appropriately teach a student, I must strive to understand that complete student, including his or her individual learning style. People do not approach topics and challenges in the same way, and because of this I believe I must help each student discover and develop his or her own learning style. One of the challenges of this is that learning styles vary not only by individual, but also by culture. Part of being an effective teacher is being familiar with cultural differences and helping students use these as strengths rather than try to teach them a new way. In addition, students with special education needs have very different learning styles. During my student teaching, I helped a special education student use his kinesthetic learning style by allowing him to walk around as he thought, as well as move to different spots in the room to work. On top of this, I worked with the special education teacher to help him recognize when he needs to take breaks to refocus himself. Instead of forcing him into a seated, quiet working style, I allowed him to use his strengths to complete his assignments. By helping a student with this metacognitive reflection, I feel I am enabling that student to become a stronger and more independent learner. This is one of my goals as a teacher. I must teach to every student, and I must show every student how to learn. Once a student is comfortable with his or her learning style, that student will be able to more successfully tackle challenges in their daily lives, as well as be more successful in future learning endeavors. All of this awareness begins with striving to understand the whole student.