Online Reflection #3- Clear as mud.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but in the last week or two students have been readily excelling in selective hearing. I know, I know all 7^th graders excel at selective hearing, however these students have taken it to a new level; I’ve heard rumors of several kids qualifying for nationals! I just don’t understand, everything was running smoothly in class and the students were taking notes and listening and participating as well as you could hope for; then it happened. I think there must have been some sort of an alliance that was set up among all 7^th graders and an agreement was set forth that they all would tune out every other word any adult spoke to them. I must applaud their efforts, their alliance is strong and it looks like it has the legs to reach clear to Christmas break. Okay, okay all kidding aside now; what can I do to get through to these students?

This loss of focus on behalf of the students has thrown me for a loop, even my CT looks at me in wonderment at the lack of attention paid by the students. I have found my CT having to repeat simple class instructions time and time again, it’s like the students purposely take turns asking, what was that?, what did you say? My CT can’t speak more clearly and direct than he already does so what is he to do? How can I help him? I know this may seem like I am just complaining so I want to give an example of what is going on in the classroom.

The students have been studying a unit over Mexico for the last week and a half and have taken notes covering geography, history, economics, government and culture. My CT has led them slide by slide telling them exactly what to write down and giving them ample time to do so. As a review activity my CT had the students make a Mexican soccer ball, out of paper as a foldable activity, which they had to write three to four bullet points of information on, covering each of the topics listed above in this paragraph. The only thing the students had to do was literally copy their notes from their notebook and transfer them to the appropriate section on the soccer ball sheets. I can’t tell you how many questions of “where is this in my notes?” or “what do I write under government?” I had to answer in one class period. I thought I was being clear enough when I would respond by saying “turn to your notes on Mexico in your notebook, find where it says government and then write down what you have in your notes on your soccer ball sheet under where it says government.” Clear as mud. I must have had a temporary lapse where I was speaking a different language because that was the type of look I would get from students after I gave them instruction on what to write. Help me!!

How can I help my students? In what ways can I give instruction more clearly so that students won’t have the same questions over and over again? I was really at a loss by the end of that class period when not one student had finished their sheet, not one. I felt defeated, useless and incompetent. How could I have failed so miserably with such a simple task as having students copy notes? 

Over the next couple of days, as the students continued to work on their soccer balls, I reflected on my frustrations and talked to my CT about them. Come to find out he has the same frustrations, but what sets us apart is he has the experience to know how to handle times like these and make appropriate adjustments in class. While talking with my CT he reminded me that as a teacher you can do only so much as some responsibility has to be put on the student. We can’t take pencil in hand and write their notes for them or do their homework or take their tests, they have to put forth the effort. I definitely felt better and not so defeated after our conversation and looked forward to returning the next day to work with students again.