Standard 3
Learning Environment
The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.
Performance
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3(d) The teacher manages the learning environment to actively and equitably engage learners by organizing, allocating, and coordinating the resources of time, space, and learners’ attention
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Part of creating a safe learning environment is forming a sense of trust, cohesion, and connection. One way I built that connection was sharing my culture and its traditions. I taught them about the Maori culture, the haka and a war chant. The students were excited to practice it. It helped to promote school spirit, positive interactions and attitudes in the classroom.
Performance
3(c) The teacher collaborates with learners and colleagues to develop shared values and expectations for respectful interactions, rigorous academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility for quality work
3(d) The teacher manages the learning environment to actively and equitably engage learners by organizing, allocating, and coordinating the resources of time, space, and learners’ attention
I selected this lesson plan because it provides information of the groups and roles I created for the Argumentative Workshop Unit (explained further in Standard 8). In this particular lesson plan I introduced groups to the roles and their duties. I allowed each group to assign their own roles. Along with each role were specified overall duties that were carried on throughout the unit as well as specific daily duties.
In the Argumentative Workshop Unit my students collaborated as a class, in small groups, and also worked individually. The group roles ensured that each group member was responsible for a specific task each day and ensure groups worked together. As you can see in the lesson plan, I provided information for the overall duties that each assigned role would be responsible for. As I went through each of these roles, I had a visual on the class board to remind students of their overall duties. For example, the recorder was responsible for writing all the group work and the speaker spoke on behalf of the group. I wrote each available role on the board and then had each group decide who would like to be assigned each role. When students decided, they wrote it down on their team worksheet. I then transferred that information into my own personal book, so I could continue to make sure each member continued his or her assigned responsibilities.
The assigned roles helped to save a considerable amount of time as well. Instead of having group members debate who would do what, each task was specifically written out for the day. In addition, they also allowed me to call team roles. I would call out, "Speaker 2 (which meant team 2's speaker) read aloud the instructions for the next assignment please." This strategy saved time because speakers were aware they needed to be prepared because their daily duty included reading aloud. It provided an organized and structured way to get through reading assignments as a class quickly (as most speakers volunteered for the role because speaking was their strength). The roles also ensured that there were no arguments and that groups would work together with each member doing his or her own part to contribute to the assignment as a whole.