Final Reflection I

What?

For my favorite strategy, I must pick two. I have chosen setting objectives and cooperative learning. These are the cornerstones of my subject! Students are taught in the first six weeks that they must learn to work together with others even if they do not get along with them. This is real-life! Therefore, many of the projects I have given lately have had cooperative learning as some part. With setting objectives, I have now begun to give an objective to every assignment (which I only did for projects before) which include instructions.

So what?

Cooperative learning has been tough to incorporate. I thought the kids would love working with one another, however it has been the opposite. Some of the students revolted! I had to completely take away all socializing in one of my class periods for them to even attempt working with someone they did not feel they had something in common.

Setting objectives has changed the way the students view the class. They go into the assignments with a purpose. I not only have set objectives but have now made the directions for the assignment part of the objective as well. Through this I have also raised the standard of the assignment. Students who say they are finished early now have a standard. (For example: If the objective says that the assignment has to be done well, I will ask the student if they feel they have met that standard. Generally the students are harder on themselves than I am and always find something on which they can improve.)

Now what?

Next year, I will be incorporating some sort of team building game or challenge at the beginning of each six weeks when I change the seating chart. This way when I have a student say they cannot work with someone, I have proof they already have. Also, I will give the students the option of sitting by themselves at a desk only after they have attempted to work with the people in the group for three weeks. I feel this would be enough time for them to get the point.

The plan for the future is to give students one initial objective that they try to attain every six weeks. Part of that objective will be to create a portfolio that they could present to a teacher at the next level to prove their ability. I also hope to incorporate objectives with every assignment so that students are able to approach the assignment knowing what to do, how well to do the assignment and why the assignment matters.