Data Table

This is an assessment that I use often with my ESOL students to quickly assess how well they are understanding different math concepts and vocabulary.  When I walk around the room, I will sit near groups and listen to them talk about the assignment and see how they are using the vocabulary or the lack there of.  If I do not hear what I want, then I will probe a few questions to see how they answer them.  Especially for my ESOL students, their ability and understanding of the vocabulary is a great indicator of their understanding of the information and it allows me to determine the next course of action.  This is a quick and easy method that allows me to evaluate the whole class in a quick amount of time.

These last few weeks have been pretty hectic in my classes because the weather has been awful, so this last week when the weather was nice all the students wanted to do was go outside.  Although I have taken them outside for there class, the current assignments we are working on are not conducive to going outside.   Also, we are finishing up the chapter so their focus is dwindling quickly.  One of the articles I read, Teachers' and students' verbal behaviours during cooperative and small-group learning by Robyn M. Gillies (2006), suggests, "When teachers implement cooperative learning in order to change the way they teach in their classrooms, it affects the way they interact with their students they engage in more prosocial and less negative teaching behaviours (pg. 283).  After reading this, I have been really paying attention to my attitude when I am teaching and I have been taking a log after each day.  When I have a negative day I make sure to record why I was in the mood, what caused it, and what do I think I could do to prevent that from happening in the future.  In the same regard, I do exactly the same thing when I have positive days.  So far, I have noticed that the days I have a negative attitude it usually revolves around a couple of specific individuals or behaviors that I find inappropriate.  This article has been very helpful towards my TR because it directly discusses the research I am conducting and is partially responsible for the direction I am going. 

The other influential article that I have found is, “Using Cooperative Learning in a Sixth Grade Math Classroom” by Teena Anderson (2009) discusses the impact of cooperative learning on the engagement, participation, and attitudes of her students.  In her studied she looked at several different groups of students, for instance, high/low achiever, gender, aggressive/passive learners, etc., and describes specific characteristics of these types of students.   For example, “Passivity is another concern that teachers will need to consider while using cooperative learning.  High-achievers in particular may want to work alone or control the groups they are place in  (pg.11).  This article has made me start to think about how I have been grouping my students in their seating charts.  Prior to this article, I have been sitting students where I thought they would be most successful and splitting up the students that cannot handle sitting next to their friends.  However, I never thought to place students in groups based on different characteristics, such as, passive with aggressive, gender, ect.  Next week, I will be starting a new chapter and I am going to remake my sitting chart and I am going to think of a few different characteristics that my students have and I am going to pair them accordingly and see what effects that has on their behavior, engagement, and enjoyment of class.

From all my research and articles that I have read, a crucial aspect to classroom management that I am discovering what student engagement derives.  Although, I knew that prior to starting this research, what I have been learning is all the different aspects that go into a students engagement.  Before, I was just thinking engagement was solely dependent on the activity and although that has a strong role, I know realize that behavior, personality, attitude, instructional goals, activity, and management style play an influential part.