// Nonverbal Cues and Field Trip Views \\

This week, the kindergarteners went on their first field trip ever! I’m glad that I was able to experience this new adventure with the students because it was actually my first time going on a field trip as a chaperone/teacher. So it was a first for all of us. During the field trip, there was a tour guide that we had to listen to. As my role as a chaperone/teacher, I had to keep the kids under control as the tour guide was talking. In order to not disturb her while she was talking I had to use a lot of nonverbal cues. Since there wasn’t a lot of structure, the students especially needed a lot of guidance.

In the beginning of the field trip we went to the field where they kept their compost. The students had never heard of that before, but even with this unfamiliarity to the topic, the students got antsy. I think that their excitement was getting the best of them during the beginning. In order to keep them under control, I would walk closer to a group of students that were talking. This proximity change was an effort to show students that I am there and they should be quiet. Another nonverbal cue that I had to use a lot was putting my index finger on my mouth. This symbolized to the students that they needed to stop talking and be quiet. Both my CT and I used this cue the most. Normally, she would capitalize on using the management system of clips she has, however, since we weren’t at the school she wasn’t able to use it. This nonverbal cue is a quick and quite way to tell a student to stop talking without adding to the noise. The third nonverbal cue that I used a lot on the field trip was a simple tap. The simple shoulder tap got the students attention if they weren’t looking in my direction. I think that out of the three I used this was the most influential one. Looking at a student or walking near a student only does so much, but the tap snaps a student back to reality real quick because it reactivates their attention. It also gives a more personalized approach towards behavior management. After tapping their shoulder, I would give a quick head shake symbolizing no.

Although I did use a lot of nonverbal cues, that wasn’t the only thing I used to manage. I also told students what they should be doing, when it was an appropriate time. I think that having these times to give appropriate expectations was a important addition in this case because this was their first field trip. Therefore, they might not know what should or should not be done. Additionally, because I have an ELL student giving nonverbal cues may not be enough due to a difference in cultures. However, implementing nonverbal cues in the classroom can be a huge benefit when wanting to quickly and quietly get a message across. Especially during times when you aren’t trying to disturb the students, these types of cues are essential. As we discussed in my management class this semester, using nonverbal cues can have positives but there are two sides to every argument. There are times when nonverbal shouldn’t be used or it just might not be enough.

// Organizing Hands-on Materials \\

Every year the kindergarten grades have to do an “LDC” type of science activity. Each class has to come up with their own experiment to undertake, and the students are ultimately the ones that are actively doing the experiment. This year my CT told me that they would be doing a gummy bear experiment that studies which liquid the gummy bear absorbs the most. My CT instructed me to take a small group of four students to the back table with me to do the experiment. She specifically told me that I needed to give the students the autonomy and independence to do the experiment themselves, the only thing she wanted me to do was pour the liquids in a separate cup for them to pour themselves. While I have a small group pulled back, she works with the rest of the class in their science journals. Each day I can only pull back 4 students because we have to do multiple tests to ensure that the data is coherent and properly tested.

As the students come to sit in the back with me I ask them their opinion on what liquid they think the gummy bear will absorb the most. In order to get ready for the students to do the experiment, I have to pour sprite, lemonade, water, and apple juice in individual cups. My CT got lemonade that was powdered, so I have to make sure to stir the powder into the water before giving it to the students. After pouring each of these liquids in the cups, I asked the students which color gummy bear they would like to use (only did that on the first round  because that is one of the variables). Since the students choose red, I handed each of the students a red gummy bear. I told them that they could place the gummy bear in the empty cup in front of them. Then I instructed the students that when I give them their cup of liquid, not to pour it in right away. After each student had their liquid, we went one at a time to watch each student pour in their liquid. Every student in the small group was captivated by the entire process. They even watched the gummy bears after the liquids were just poured saying they think one already looks bigger.

Having manipulatives that the students are actually actively using to learn is, in my opinion, the best way to learn. I think that when students are doing they are learning because they are putting to practice what they know. They are able to visually see and do something thus making their learning much more concrete. When using manipulatives in the classroom, it is important to properly organize them before the lesson because otherwise you might loose precious learning time or you might mis-explain instruction because you are to busy organizing your materials and multitasking. Although I think that being spontaneous is an important characteristic as a teacher, there are certain things that should be pre-planned in order to optimize student learning. If there isn’t an opportunity to really organize and see what manipulatives will be beneficial for student learning then it might not be wise to use them.

// Reflecting to Connections in Lessons \\

1. What major insights did you gain from completing the two connected lessons (along with the formative/summative assessments)?
   From completing the lesson, I gain insight on how to use data continuously through a lesson to adjust a new lesson. I saw in my data that many of the students did make gains in their learning. Since I had never really done two lesson one after the other, it was an interesting experience. I felt much more confident in what I was teaching because I knew what the students were taught and what knowledge they had about the content. I’ve attached a paper of notes of observations that I noticed from the multiple assessments I gave. Most of the students showed some sort of learning through the two lessons and formative/summative assessments.
2. How do you think the connected lesson cycle–pre-assessing, planning, lessons, revising them as you go, etc.–helped differentiate and meet the needs of your students?
   I think that doing the steps of this connected lesson allowed me to really address concerns that students had with the content. It showed me what students I needed to push further because they already mastered the concepts being taught. Additionally, it allows a visual of misconceptions students have. If a student has a misconception, and it isn’t explicit taught then it may exist further down the road of their leaning. Not only does this process display misconceptions, but it also allows a teacher to see if instead of moving on,, they are able to reteach the content in a different manor. The purpose of this entire process is designed to truly form and mold your classroom according to the learners.
3. How can you realistically apply concepts learned from the connected lesson cycle to everyday teaching in your own classroom? What do you think will be the limitations and how will you overcome them?
   Realistically, you may not be able to do this kind of connection every single day for ever single lesson if you are a self-contained class. However, if you use your resources wisely, there are many assessments that give instant results. For example, kahoot, neared, and other technology tools allow this type of instant feedback. If technology is not an option, a simple exit ticket is an easy and quick way to view student learning. I believe that within every lesson you should be able to walk away with some sort of knowledge of your students learning; without that, how are you knowing what or how to teach them. If you don’t know what they know or don’t know how are you able to fully support them? The limitations to this process is that it could increase the work load on a teacher if not properly organized. If a teacher is viewing assessments every day and making adjustments everyday it could become overwhelming. It might be more beneficial if there is a pre-assessment that you are able to see where students are before the lesson unit, then adjust your unit accordingly. Throughout the unit you can use formative assessments so you know you’re going in the right direction. If you were to ONLY give a summative assessment after teaching, you would probably be confused why students may have done bad. This is why doing the lesson cycle should be a realistic goal for teachers.

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