Communication: I feel like the communication in the class has
been great. Frances is quick to update us on any information we need to know. We always met as a class before
we met with our Tibbetts students. Frances always gave us plenty of opportunity to discuss any concerns we had.
We also debriefed after our poetry sessions to find out how our meeting with our students went. I feel like communication in
this class was great.
Research: I did have to do my share of research for this class.
I research any information I needed for my poetry lessons. I often used the internet for my research.
Technology: The use of technology in this class was important.
I used it to do research for my poetry lessons. I also used it for communication with Frances and any other classmates via
email.
Collaboration: I worked collaborately with my poetry students.
Sometimes we would work as a whole group or I would work one on one with each student. We would write poems together
or brainstorm ideas for our own poetry.
Five Dimensions of Learning:
Confidence and independence: Poetry is one subject that I still am
not confident in. I struggled with teaching poetry when I really didn't know much about it myself. I did the best
I could researching the different types of poems. I wanted to give my students a variety of poems while trying to focus
on their interests.
Knowledge content: Poetry will alway be about rhyming to me.
I have that forever ingrained in me right now. I feel like in the short amount of time we had with our Tibbetts students
I didn't even skim the surface of poetry. I didn't have enough background knowledge in poetry for feel confident in
teaching it.
Skills and strategies: By using the internet I was able to use some
strategies for my poetry lessons. I often think that another strategy was just to get them to write. Write about
what was on their mind and how they were feeling. I really tried to connect with them. I'm not sure if I was completely
successful in teaching poetry, but they all did write some kind of poetry.
Use of prior and emerging experience: I didn't have any prior experience
in poetry. I was learning right along with my students. I did at times feel like I was thrown into a lake and
it was either sink or swim. I did my best to swim, doggy-paddle is more like it.
Reflectiveness: Looking back I wish I had more of a direction
to lead my students to. I felt like my lessons didn't mesh together, there was no meaning. We didn't get to meet
with our students very long which was frustrating at times, but I made due with what time I did have. I made the best
of the situation. However next time I would try to have more of a theme.
Final Evaluation
I have mixed emotions about this semester. While I really enjoyed working with the Tibbetts
students I didn't enjoy the subject of poetry. I do however feel that it was a learning experience for all of us.
I will take this experience and apply it to my future lessons of poetry. However, this time I would start with the basics
of poetry. I think I expected the students to know more about poetry, but in reality they knew just as much as I did.
Suggestions I would have for Frances would be to give some guidelines as to what we should
be doing. At times I felt like the focus should be about one poem they would use on poetry night. At other times
I felt that I needed to introduce different kinds of poetry, but there is not enough time for that. I just felt like
we were just out there doing whatever. I do feel like reading 100 books and a novel on top of teaching and doing our
webpage was a bit too much. Maybe reading 60 books for an A would be good.
In terms of grades I feel at this time I deserve at least an A. I know that at times
I wasn't always caught up on my webpage, but I worked hard to get it completed.
