DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Standard B, Indicator 2c: Demonstrates an adequate knowledge of and approach to the academic content of lessons.

 

English:

 

  1. Does the candidate demonstrate an adequate knowledge of the literary work, its genre, literary period, and author when conducting a lesson on a particular work? More often than not, students (and adults) tend to view children's literature as something that only children can enjoy. Children's literature does, in fact, have plenty to offer to adults. It’s only as adults that we make the mistake of thinking that children’s literature, along with fairy tales, is essentially escapist. When we pick these books up decades later, we’re surprised to learn what we doubtless always sensed as kids, even if we lacked the vocabulary to articulate it: that these stories are about eternal human strengths and weaknesses, about how to exist in the world. When I presented my lesson on children's literature, I explained the many different aspects that define this type of literature from other literary works. I explained and showed my students "sense data" and how artists use different colors, fonts, illustrations, text sizes, borders, etc. throughout the text. I also explained that some authors are illustrators of their own books; however, if an artist submits their book to an illustrator, it is completely out of their hands and up for a different interpretation. Thereafter we read aloud Mordicai Gerstein's The Man Who Walked Between The Towers and were able to discuss sense data, the historical context (pre- and post-9/11). Through discussion, I conveyed my knowledge to my students based upon previous research I conducted as an undergraduate student studying children's literature, as well as my personal recollection of 9/11/2001.                                 
  2. Does the candidate use or refer to historically contemporary primary sources to shed light on the historical or social context for a particular work in the course of the lesson? To end our team's unit of "Overcoming Challenges", my class read Christy Brown's "The Letter 'A'", an autobiography about Brown's challenges with a severe form of cerebral palsy. When Brown wrote this piece, he discusses the challenges when going out to eat in a restaurant, interacting with family and friends, and the difficulty with transportation. Brown published this piece in 1994, a time when accessibility was much more difficult and when there were fewer resources than we have today. Students also discussed the treatment of people with challenges has changed and that we (as a nation) have become more aware of what's needed.                                                                                                                                                                                                              
  3. Does the candidate ensure that students understand the differences between a literary work and an expository or persuasive work? Towards the beginning of February, we spent time studying author's purpose. Students knew that there are typically three forms of author's purpose, also known as "PIE." "P" means to persuade. "I" means to inform. "E" means to entertain. Once students were introduced to "PIE", they were separated into four groups for an activity. I created posters around the room that had at least five sentences, and it was the group's responsibility to figure out the author's purpose. Once they figured it out, they had to write it on a sticky note and put it on the poster. Students were aware that just because one group might have put a different answer, it didn't mean that it was correct. Once all the groups had a chance to walk around the room, we discussed each poster and its purpose as a class.                                                                                                                        
  4. Does the candidate ensure that students have determined the meaning of what an author has written before encouraging them to interpret or evaluate it? Before asking students to reflect on or interpret a text, I make sure that students understand the meaning of it. For each short story we read, we complete a story plot diagram activity to make sure that everyone understood the events that took place in the story, the characters, the setting, and the conflict.          Story Plot.pdf                                                                                               
  5. Does the candidate require students to provide adequate evidence from a text to support their interpretations or judgments? Students lose points on essays and open-response paragraphs for failing to justify their statements about texts without sufficient details to support their argument.  For example, students were required to include quotes in their essays about their independent reading book, and lost points if they failed to do this. Using details and quotes from the text also applies to preparation for MCAS testing, as open-response questions require students to provide details and quotes to support their answers. Refer to the requirements for paragraph four in the project below.          Independent Reading Project.pdf                                                                                                                                                      
  6. Does the candidate help students understand the uses of the imagination and the limitations of using personal experience to understand a literary work? Every time we read a short story, an article, or the a chapter within the text, I allow and encourage my students to share their overall thoughts and opinions about the work we are reading by making connections between their personal feelings to what the author is trying to say to the reader. For example, when reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret, my students were given the opportunity to makes these connections. There was a section where the author, Brian Selznick, discusses the death of Hugo's father and how Hugo blamed himself for the death. Students had the opportunity to discuss how particular situations in their lives have turned for the worse and why they blamed themselves for something that was simply inevitable. Allowing my students the ability to put themselves in the character’s shoes provides them with valuable insight about the work, and lets them learn aspects about themselves they may not have thought about before.                                                                                                                         
  7. Has the candidate referred to appropriate learning standards and skills in the English Language Arts Curriculum Framework in developing a lesson on a literary work? Whenever I begin to plan a unit or a lesson, I use the Common Core and Massachusetts State Frameworks as guidance. I typically use the Understanding by Design (UBD) process, which asks the lesson planner to first consult with the standards to become more specific.                                                    Unit Plan.pdf                                                                                
  8. Has the candidate addressed recommended authors or works in Appendix A (authors and works reflecting our literary and civic heritage) as well as in Appendix B (chiefly contemporary authors) in preparing lessons on literary works? Yes, I do, however, I must explain my view on this topic. Although teachers are required to follow the Massachusetts State Frameworks, there is nothing that dictates (at least not yet) what is supposed to be read in today’s classrooms. Teachers have the opportunity to create comprehensive unit plans with texts of their choice that surround all the frameworks that need to be addressed. There are the traditional canonical texts that the Department of Education recommends at each level, but this, of course, is only a recommendation. I strongly believe that teaching reputable texts that are not often brought into the classroom, such as Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart can only benefit students in their future classes and as educated members of society. In The Chinua Achebe Encyclopedia edited by M. Keith Booker, the foreword “Chinua Achebe and the Institution of African Literature” by Simon Gikandi discusses how essential the encyclopedia is as it represents “another step in the inexorable rise of Chinua Achebe to canonical status in world literature” (1). He continues to discuss how this positive development has brought the much-needed recognition to literature coming from Africa as-a-whole, as well as individual cultures. Gikandi not only speaks from his experience with reading Achebe as an adult, but reading him as a young student, too. He states, “. . . if texts are indeed crucial to the modes of knowledge we come to develop about subjects and objects and the images we associate with certain localities and institutions, then I can say without equivocation that I have known Achebe since I was thirteen years old” (1). This is a perfect example of an individual who was exposed to Things Fall Apart at such a young age, and has not forgotten its true meaning. As a future English teacher, I will certainly teach literary texts from the canon (as mentioned in the appendices), but I also want to increase students' awareness of other texts that are not always mentioned in an appendix of "well-known" texts.                                                                                                              
  9. Does the candidate use the English language effectively in speaking and/or writing during the lesson?  I have been evaluated as someone who uses the English language effectively in speaking and writing.  In the event I feel that I am unclear or misunderstood, I have a student (or the class as a whole) repeat back to me the task, assignment, due date, etc. to ensure that we are on the same page. Please review lesson evaluations under the "Documentation" section.                                                                                            
  10. Does he or she demonstrate knowledge of the elements in the writing process when conducting a composition lesson? When beginning a writing assignment, I first explain to students that making a plan is an essential part of the process. I use a system called "The Process Writing Routine" by Keys to Literacy. The four steps in the routine ask students to think, plan, write, and revise. This semester, however, we have focused on writing open responses using the ANSWER key routine, an extremely similar process to the writing routine.          ANSWER Packet.docx                                                                                     
  11. Does the candidate clarify the differences between the elements of expository writing and the elements of literary writing when conducting a composition lesson? Students receive explicit directions when they are asked to compose literary writing, as opposed to expository writing. For example, the following rubric clearly states what the students' work must include in order to be considered a poem as opposed to a paragraph.          Expository Rubric.jpg                                                                                                   
  12. Does the candidate make useful responses to student drafts that help students improve their next draft? In the past, I have responded to every draft that the students produced as they worked towards a "final" draft. I quickly learned the immense time and energy it takes to respond to over 110 pieces of writing that were only considered first drafts. I strongly believe that feedback is an important part of the process, but there is only so much one classroom teacher can handle. For future writing assignments, I am going to request that students select one paragraph that they feel needs more feedback than any other paragraph. By implementing this system, I can become slightly more specific with meaningful comments and suggestions, and keep my sanity, too! 
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.