Making Content
Meaningful
“The teacher understands the central concepts,
tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline
that he or she teaches and can create learning
experiences that make these aspects of subject
tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline
that he or she teaches and can create learning
experiences that make these aspects of subject
matter meaningful for students.”
I try to make our class writing assignments meaningful to the studetns by assigning topics that are important and exciting for them to write about. EX: The first story is an assignment where we did a lot of brainstorming and we thought of each of our five senses and what they experienced when we were in a certain special place. The second and third stories are of an assignment using voice where the students had to speak as if they were their pet. They thought this was so funny to really express what their pet was thinking and would say.
This year I was introduced to a new way to teach division. Our fifth grade teachers are getting their math endorcements and when they explained this "new" way I was hooked. It makes so much more sense and it is how we would do division in the "real world". Our students have connected much better to this way and they can easily explain why they are doing each step. This has been a wonderful learning experience for me and I've found that my students are doing so much better just because there is a purpose they understand to each step!
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Each student covered and decorated their own journal to use throughout the year. The students communicate their thoughts and feelings or privatly share anything they choose.
reflection
I have come to realize in the last few years of teaching that it doesn’t matter how fun a lesson is, if the students don’t have personal connections to it they won’t learn from it and they won't remember it. I have made a more conscious effort to make sure my lessons are authentic and meaningful to my fourth graders. By putting the focus on them, their interests, their passions, their experiences, they come to realize that what we are learning is significant to them personally and will put a greater effort into learning.
