Lesson
Summary:
Students
began working on the bell--‐ringer problem quietly and waited until the teacher
prompted them to ask questions. Upon
observation, some students merely copied the problem and turned their paper
over and waited quietly. (The math
problem was a review from the previous day’s lesson.) Students asked questions
of the teacher and she spent about 20 minutes answering questions until
students appeared to understand (questions stopped). Papers were collected by Ms. Bloom.
Homework was
then brought out by students and the teacher asked if anyone had any questions
over any of the homework problems. Hands
were raised immediately and a multitude of questions ensued. Ms. Bloom stated, “Most of you should know
how to do these problems since they are very similar to the practice problems
we worked together in class yesterday.
If you had given some effort and taken notes like I asked, you could
have referred to them on this assignment.”
Some students commented that it was easy when they worked them together
in class, and they thought they understood, but then after they got home they
just forgot how to begin. A few stated, “This
is too hard. We need something
easier. I don’t get it.” After 20 minutes of working through homework
problems, Ms. Bloom announced that she would go ahead and collect their work
and would determine how to proceed with the material from that lesson tomorrow
or the next day.
Ms. Bloom
acknowledged the amount of time left in class and stated that it was very
important to pay close attention to the notes she was about to give since this
was an important topic on the state test at the end of the year. She said that they would begin the lesson
today and would finish up tomorrow, and would not have homework for the
evening. She stated, “I know that if you
take really good notes, you all will do well.
This is difficult material, but you can do it if you work hard. Some of you might have to work harder than others,
but that’s okay.”
Examples
were worked out by the teacher on the document camera and copied by most
students. Some students asked questions
of the teacher related to the material being taught. A few students sat quietly and doodled, but
did not cause a disruption.
The bell
rang in the middle of a sample problem.
Some students closed their books and stopped working when the bell
sounded; a few others waited until the teacher dismissed them.
9:15 Bell
rang; all Ss working on problem written on the board.
3 Ss appear
to have just copied problem and waiting quietly
T: “OK, the
problem on the board is a review from yesterday’s lesson. What questions do you still have about how to
solve this type of problem?”
9:20 – S: “I
still don’t know which number to use on the bottom.”
T: “Who can
explain for Devin how to know which number is to be used in the bottom part of
the equation?”
1 hand
raised and T had S explain
T: “What
other questions are there?”
Multiple
hands raised
T: “Devin
wasn’t here yesterday so I can understand his confusion, but the rest of you
couldn’t have been paying attention if there are still this many questions.”
9:38 – T
stopped answering questions and collected students’ papers
T: Get out
your homework from last night. What
questions do you have about this assignment?”
Hands up
across the room with students calling out questions they had.
T:”Most of
you should know how to do these problems since they are similar to the ones we
did together in class yesterday. If you
had given some effort and taken notes like I asked, you could have referred to them
on this assignment.”
S: “They
were easy when we did them together”
S: “Yeah,
but then I forgot how to start on my own.”
S: “I don’t
get it at all. These are too hard.”
S: “We need
something easier.”
9:45 T began
answering questions about homework
10:03 T:
“OK, just pass your papers to the front and I’ll think about how to deal with
this between tomorrow or the next day.
10:10 T:
“OK, we only have 20 minutes left so I need you to pay close attention. We need to talk about some kinds of problems
that will be on the state test.
S: “Not
again.”
T: We’re
going to start today and you won’t have any homework tonight. But you need to pay close attention and take
good notes.”
T: “This is
difficult material, but if you take really good notes you all will do well if
you work hard. Some might have to work
harder than others, but that’s OK.”
T showed
examples using document camera and Ss copied. 3 Ss asked questions but T said
to wait and they would understand.
4 Ss rested
their heads on their desks
10:30 Bell
rang in middle of sample problem. Most Ss got up and began walking out of class
but a few waited until T formally dismissed them.
