Jeremy Blake Post 4

I have found that questioning has been the best method for this class and myself. Cooperative learning has not worked well, but often the class can get into heated and useful discussion if I ask the right questions. The bellringers have become more of a beginning discussion board than an activation of prior knowledge, but students are becoming interested in the rest of the lesson because of it. When I asked them when a global plague would be a good thing, the entire class got into a heated discussion about overcrowding, hospitals, and even how people could make money off of a sickness. Though some students seemed a little too into it, every student was excited and prepared to discuss the Black Plague and the Middle Ages. I'm not sure that my supervising teacher loved that idea, but it seemed to work. Engaging students sometimes requires a little controversy. Unfortunatly (or perhaps fortunatly), this occured just days before the Swine flu scare, otherwise it could have been a totally different environment.

Jeremy Blake Post 3

I have found cooperative learning to be the most difficult thing classroom management wise. Whether it is for a simple reading activity or a class project, almost every exercise that requires students to group together results in loud talking about everything but social studies. I try to be helpful for any one with questions, but they never seem to have questions because they are not working on their assigned reading or project. I knew that cooperative learning required a different classroom management style, but I fear that the students are not used to this and I spend most of the class quieting them and telling them to return to work instead of actually helping them learn. The students have lookouts in their group who make a noise or say something whenever I am in earshot to alert others to stop talking and look at their books. Last week was a very long week, as I spent as much time redirecting students as I did teaching them.

Jeremy Blake Post 2

Getting my students to do homework is like pulling teeth. I would prefer to have students read for homework and do activities in class, but there are not enough books for each student so they cannot take them out of the room. When I assign homework, it is usually a short writing assignment. Even though there are consequences to no doing their homework, at least 30 % of the class does not do it. I find myself in the role of the office manager, asking for completed assignments and making lists over and over again of those who have not turned them in.
This has been by far the must frustrating part of teaching. Students never seem to get their assignments turned in on time and generally are far from remourseful about it. Between students being absent and just not doing work, I find myself waiting sometimes a week before all students have returned their work. Marzano's chapter 5 mentions that there have to be certain expectations for homework, and I do not think I am assigning much, but despite getting into trouble for not having their work done, they do not seem interested in finishing it.