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Four Square Paragraphs and Gradual Release of Responsibiltiy
Context: This lesson was
implemented in the fourth quarter of the program during my full time
student teaching at an elementary school in the Bellevue school
district. My classroom consisted of 25 multi age 2/3 students
with a broad range of needs and talents. This lesson took place
in the middle of our writing unit based off of the Four-Square Writing
method. Although the district uses this method, this was not our
sole source for writing instruction this year.
Target 1A - Subject Matter Knowledge
The TEP student will demonstrate deep
knowledge of subject matter and create learning experiences that make
subject matter meaningful and understandable to students. Deep
knowledge includes an understanding of: central concepts,
thinking/inquiry strategies, dispositions (curiosity about and
appreciation of) and strategies of communicating.
Several weeks of Four Square planning was instrumental in developing a
deep knowledge of subject matter. From the curriculum guide, I
adapted each lesson to the writing continuum and goals for each
student. Teaching this method of writing became a much bigger
task as I realized the scaffolding required for each skill.
Adapting and modifying for our special needs students gave me the
opportunity to delve deep into the theories and concepts of the Four
Square method.
Target 1D - Subject Matter Assessment
The TEP student will understand and
use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and support
learners' development of central concepts, thinking/inquiry strategies
and strategies of communicating in the disciplines.
Several formal and informal assessment strategies were applied when
teaching this unit. I developed all assessments to be easily
executed during my lessons. For this particular lesson, because
students used prior skills to generate ideas for topic sentences and
then later created detail and supporting sentences along with a closing
feeling sentence, assessing each students' participation along with
their knowledge of the subject matter was a difficult task. The
underlying theme developed early on, as I had a few students writing
with exquisite word choice and fluency along with using smart edit
skills to several students who needed a scribe and added assistance to
complete the work.
Reflection:
Gradual release of responsibility was my main focus after rereading and
studying my own work. Releasing the responsibility from myself as
the teacher, onto the shoulders of my students is probably the most
intricate and yet rewarding experience that I look forwarding to
taking. In my classroom I want every student to know the mantra
"It is ok to fail!" And to be comforted in knowing that if at
first they don't succeed, it is encouraged and right to try, try
again! As I strive to set up my students for success (rather than
failure), I still aim for the class to be aware that it is ok to not
find the right answer; it is ok to not know the answer; it is ok to be
wrong and it is ok to make mistakes. Without those mistakes and
wrong answers, we might not learn as much! While some of my
students flourished with the writing skills, I had more than a handful
of students (due to special needs or language barriers) that struggled
with many of the Four Square writing activities. Several times
each week I would sit down with my mentor teacher and discuss each day
in detail, looking at what worked well and aspects of the lesson I can
work on. Many times I was stuck with the frustration that I
wasn't reaching each student or allowing room for each student to
achieve a higher potential. Finally, as we neared the end of the
unit and the class felt accomplished and confident with their writing
skills, we began a new concept of developing topic sentences.
Even after providing strong scaffolding for students that still needed
help, the learning for my more capable students was limited.
After being well versed in the subject matter and being able to
appropriately assess each student; I still felt a void in my
lessons. Now reflecting on this, I realize that I didn't
understand or see the need for gradual release of responsibility.
How can I push my students to independence without hindering their
learning? Am I giving some students too much support without room
to make discoveries independently? How do I take 25 students,
with reading levels from late kindergarten to fifth grade and give them
risk-taking experiences and still assess and address all students and
their individual needs, all in a forty minute lesson? When is it
the right time for me to encourage each student to adopt
responsibility? I don't have the same expectations or goals for
each student. Reflecting on this gradual release of
responsibility has brought me to think more in depth about how a
student can be capable of a task, but still given the opportunity to be
responsible for extending the learning.
Failing is not acceptable in many cultures and communities.
Looking at how our society views failure helped me think about what
this means for my students in a larger picture. In sports there
are winners and losers. We have grades and assessments. It
seems as though there is a negative stigma given to a child who
receives a C average, yet studied every night with a tutor and is
reaching his or her potential. I know that even in my own
learning community of the masters program that I feel pressured to
receive a 4.0 on assignments because I am afraid of a lower grade or
having a label that would insinuate "failure". How will I be able
to encourage my students to become active members in society if I don't
encourage taking risks and gambles? If my students can be ok with
failing, they can apply that confidence throughout their lives.
Taking risks and making mistakes can bring my students more knowledge
and learning than playing life safe and not stepping out of their
comfort zones.
A life spent making
mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent
in doing nothing.
-George Bernard Shaw
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