Week 9Teaching Young Learners

Spring 2014

The School Visit: Let’s Talk Classroom Management!

• What did you think? Did you pick up any tips from the teachers? – How did the teachers deal with:• Misbehavior?• Praise?• Getting the kids’ attention?• Other signs/signals?

– How was the classroom set up?• What did you like?• What didn’t you like?

BEHAVIORS: REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

First. . .

• Think intrinsic, not extrinsic!

• To prevent is better than to cure!

INDIVIDUAL PRAISE: CLASSROOM ECONOMIES

Rewarding Good Behavior

• How can you give privileges rather than prizes?

Warm Fuzzies

Other Ideas for Economies

• Teaching Channel Video

GROUP PRAISE

Team Points

• Keep track

• Give privileges to winning groups– Special “trophy” on desks– Line up first– Use pillows in seats

PUNISHMENT / BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION

When a student breaks a rule, always ask:

• “Which rule did you break?”

• “Why is it important to follow this rule?”

• Bad Behavior Prevention: Randomly “catch” students obeying rules; praise them in front of the class and explain which rule they were following

Discussion for Misbehaving Kids

IN CONCLUSION . . .

Think, Pair, Share:

• What will be your approach to reward and punishment in your future classroom?

• Did you pick up some tips that you’d like to remember for the future?

What are the main reasons why students misbehave in a classroom?

• not being able to do the work, • fear of failure, • boredom, • lack of clarity about what to do, • too long spent on an activity without a break, • lack of self-esteem and • poor relationships."

Newell and Jeffery (2002) "Behavior Management in the Classroom"

ASSESSMENT FOR KIDS: IDEAS TO REMEMBER

Think-Pair-Share

• What is assessment?

• Why do we assess learners?

Think-Pair-Share

• What forms of assessment are most common for young learners in your country?

– When you were in elementary school, what were your assessments like?

– If you’ve taught young learners (under 12), what forms of assessment have you used?

Traditional Assessment Methods (“Paper and Pencil Tests”)

• Benefits (for Yls)?

• Weaknesses (for YLs)?

ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

Assessment:

• NOT just used for grades.

• Also used to get feedback so you can – Provide extra assistance– Re-teach, or– alter your instruction

Jigsaw

1) With your color group, discuss your assigned technique and write on the graphic organizer

2) Make a new group with different colors (1 pink, 1 purple, 1-2 yellows)

3) Teach each other about your technique.

4) Take notes.

OBSERVATION

Observation

• 2 approaches:

• Child per Day (Anecdotal Notes):– Choose one child per day and observe him/her closely in

regards to behavior, language use, motivation, etc. Take notes on a graphic organizer.

• During a Task: – Walk around during the task and take notes on all

students’ language use. Use a graphic organizer.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

Self-Assessment--Do NOT use for a grade

• Best if it’s very explicit and linked to lessons you’ve taught in the past

• Best with writing, but also good for speaking or behavior

• Use simple rubrics for kids– 1,2,3 or Smiley Face

• Do at the end of lessons to check in with “Can do” objectives

PORTFOLIO

Portfolio

• Collection of work over time (drawings, writing, oral recordings, speaking transcripts)

• If you use self-assessment rubrics, students will know which pieces are best (particularly with writing)

• Students can reflect on how they’ve improved over time

Portfolio: Writing

• Watch this video

• Periodically, have students . . . – Choose 2 of their best pieces of writing. – Tag the 2 pieces and explain why they think

they’re best.– Do a self-reflection rubric for each story.

(Teachers evaluate with a rubric, too.)– Put them in the portfolio.

Portfolio

• Strengths– Encourages self-reflection– Shows students how they’ve progressed over time– Performance Assessment—authentic– Can share with parents and friends

• Weaknesses– They take up a lot of space

PROJECT WORK

Project Work

• Advantages– Combines all four skills– Improves motivation

• Disadvantages– Grading is difficult– Hard to know who did what

OTHER PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENTS

My own contribution• Reading with partners• Retelling stories• Dialogue journal• Role playing• Giving descriptions or instructions using visual or written

prompts• Oral reporting to the whole class• Telling a story by using a sequence of three or more

pictures• Playing a game

The Bottom Line . . .

• Choose a form of assessment that matches your classroom activities

• Be creative!

• Anything can be an assessment if you create the right rubrics

Think, Pair, Share:

• Which assessment techniques will you be most likely to use if you teach children in the future?