This year the grade three classes at our school were selected to participate in a SWS (Student Work Study) program. Our school board sends a consultant to observe, describe and analyze the thinking of some chosen students in hopes to identify ways in which to bump up their level of work. When I say observe some students, it also includes observing the teaching done in the classroom and the way the teacher works with the students. The idea of this program is based on the premise that learning for both the teacher and the student never ceases. A premise I agree whole heartily on.
The consultant has decided to analyze, observe and research the students revisiting their own work as a focus in my classroom. We have chosen language, more specifically - writing to be the area for improvement. I agree that this area is in great need of attention. To be able to revisit work you need to have previous student work to look at. The consultant was thrilled with the writing portfolio I have been keeping since September. This portfolio has forced me to file away a piece of writing each month so that I can monitor the progress each student has made. It now serves another purpose, each student now has their own writing to "bump" up. They are not competing with other students, they are competing with themselves, looking to just improve their own work. This provides a guaranteed non-competitive atmosphere of success for all of the students in my class. They are confident they can improve on their own work and has shown this in their revisions.
We have provided this form of feedback on each student's work and they look forward to reading the stars and the arrows when I am finished reading what they have revised. Maybe this will be helpful in your classroom, it has been a positive addition to mine. I can see how this would be used for every subject, but for right now our focus is language.
The consultant has decided to analyze, observe and research the students revisiting their own work as a focus in my classroom. We have chosen language, more specifically - writing to be the area for improvement. I agree that this area is in great need of attention. To be able to revisit work you need to have previous student work to look at. The consultant was thrilled with the writing portfolio I have been keeping since September. This portfolio has forced me to file away a piece of writing each month so that I can monitor the progress each student has made. It now serves another purpose, each student now has their own writing to "bump" up. They are not competing with other students, they are competing with themselves, looking to just improve their own work. This provides a guaranteed non-competitive atmosphere of success for all of the students in my class. They are confident they can improve on their own work and has shown this in their revisions.
We have provided this form of feedback on each student's work and they look forward to reading the stars and the arrows when I am finished reading what they have revised. Maybe this will be helpful in your classroom, it has been a positive addition to mine. I can see how this would be used for every subject, but for right now our focus is language.
Here is the "Tweet Student of the Week" Board from last week.
Great Job Ethan! Your pictures were AWESOME!
Congratulations to MOM on an awesome poem about ETHAN!
Last week was also Valentine's Day.
The students loved their Valentine's from me this year. It was so much fun handing them out.
Who says "kids" get to have all the fun?????
This was also the first year I made cake pops with the students. It was like having an easy bake oven in the classroom. Of course we took all the necessary precautions, and I was the only one that was able to put the batter into the machine. The students helped make the batter, and were able to watch cake balls form in just 4 minutes. We then let them cool and each student dipped their cake ball in melted chocolate. The cake ball was then packaged and sent home to eat.
The mailboxes were a great hit this year, and even though I down sized them to save on paper, they were able to hold all of the Valentine's Day treats that were passed out.
Hope everyone is having a great week so far. March Break is just around the corner!
Thank you
*Christine*
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