Dora

PLC Meeting Location: UH PLC Meeting  Time: 9-11am

Hour 1 //ENGAGE// Please view the video below as an anticipatory set for today’s lesson, to get your attention focused on using Inquiry to study Teaching Practice in collaborative groups: [] (seems to take a while to load and displays very small, but is worth it! Approximately 15 min.)

//EXPLORE:// []

Hour 2 //EXPLAIN// //1.// What would it take to provide time in a school day for teachers to discuss together?. As a group we came together and discuss and think that it takes teacher willingness, administrator support, and organizational skills. 2.How do you feel about data research as a future teacher? We concluded that is important for teacher to be informed and aware of the latest educational trends. It would be wise for teachers to have a subscription to an educational journal of some sort to stay updated with the latest innovations in education. Educators should stay open-minded and willing to improve their teaching methods. 3.How do you analyze data? Although we have different methods to analyze data we concluded the importance of data is to improve teaching strategies and to find out what works and what doesn't. For example, a component of analyzing data would be to ask yourself the 5W questions.

//ELABORATE// First, take turns discussing the data you have collected so far on your Child Inquiry. These questions might guide your conversation:

Next, it is time to analyze the data you have collected, or in other words, figure out what is going on with this student! Either individually, or in partners, take some time right now to read and listen to Modules 4 and 5. Once everyone has gone through these, discuss. Finally, the Inquiry #2 assignment requires you to select a teaching practice of your cooperating teacher to study—something that seems to work or something that doesn’t seem to work or something that has just caught your eye. Could be: As a group, make a list of teaching strategies that you see used in your class. Take turns formulating a “wondering” about one strategy. How can your PLC group help you to initiate, analyze, and write-up this inquiry?
 * Who did I choose?
 * What did I see?
 * What does it mean?
 * Grouping
 * Presenting
 * Classroom management
 * Communicating
 * Technology use
 * Conscious Discipline:
 * Students are asked to take deep breaths at different times during the day while touching their shoulders, nose, stomach, etc.
 * Students are given opportunities to get out of their chairs and dance at various times during they day.
 * These strategies help children to be aware of their bodies, and to have a time where they are allowed to release energy.
 * Teachers provide a "safe place" in the classroom for students to go to if they are distressed or need time for self-reflection.
 * CHAMP- teachers focus on classroom organization as the key to managing discipline.
 * C- is for communication
 * H is for help
 * A is for activity
 * M is for material
 * P is for participation
 * If a student is having trouble focusing on the lesson, the teacher will ask the student to take a seat on the carpet at the front of the classroom. Because the child is seated directly in front of the active board and also in front of the teacher, this strategy helps students to focus.

Hour 3 //EVALUATE//. As a group, draft a brief statement (approx 1-2 paragraphs) of what you learned or new understandings you came to during this discussion. What did you agree with/about, and what did you not agree with/about? How do you KNOW you learned and grew?! Post this statement to your PLC page. We have shared various different strategies with each other and have gained a better understanding of these different discipline and teaching methods. We were unanimous in our conclusion that the Conscious Discipline management program is a successful strategy and is something we would all like to implement in our future classrooms. We all agreed that it is so vital to keep a dynamic mindset in our teaching careers. We, as teachers, should try to stay informed with the latest innovations in education by staying up to date with the latest data research and findings. This will allow us to improve our teaching methods.