Fellows+Meeting+1


 * Chinquapin Urban Teaching Fellows/Fullow Meeting**
 * August 24, 2010**

1. Debriefing the past week and a half: concerns? questions? triumphs? 2. Liz’s “book/article” talk

10-minute break to get chores started…

3. Classroom Management a. Classroom management vs. classroom discipline -- when do you know students are learning? -- what can you do to encourage this? -- what do we do to shut this down? -- when is a classroom “out of control”? -- when is a classroom too controlled? -- must a teacher always have “authority”? -- when can a teacher give up “authority” and not be the “smartest person in the room”? b. When do students misbehave, and what causes them to do so? -- what does this have to do with what is going on inside the classroom? -- what does this have to do with things outside the classroom? -- how can the teacher address these problems? c. Which rules matter? d. What are the best ways to engage students for an entire class? -- have interesting, challenging work to do (see [|Bloom’s Taxonomy]) -- appropriate (energetic) pacing -- knowing a teacher cares that his or her students are learning -- understanding what matters and why e. Tips: -- humor, not sarcasm -- don’t give too many instructions at once (and write them down) -- be clear and direct about expectations -- listen -- be aware of how you can use your voice and your body -- make eye contact -- avoid disrupting class with reprimands

4. Managing Class Discussion a. Asking good questions (leading questions, call and response vs. probing questions – Bloom’s again – Socratic method/Harkness discussions) b. Waiting for Answers -- Waiting is waiting, calling on students, encouraging, reframing c. Who is talking to whom? (managing the discussion) -- Questions in a series, real questions lead to other questions -- Is everyone involved? -- What is the role of the teacher? (making connections, hold that thought, getting off track, providing feedback and summary, suggesting next steps, pushing) d. Using technology -- discussion forums, chat, blogs, wikis, backchanneling

5. Personal Learning Networks -- discussion online?

Resources: [|Dunbar, Best Practices in Classroom Management] [|Teaching Guide: Leading Class Discussions] [|YouthLearn: Asking Questions] [|Ten Techniques for Energizing Your Classroom Discussions]