Learning letter

So, my assignments. I loved doing the book talk. I felt like it was super informative and fun to talk about. Mini lesson I felt less confident about. I am glad that I did it because it made me realize what I need to work on. I feel terrible about my unit plan. I don't think I dedicated enough time to it and it is really mediocre. 

I thought our discussions were really helpful. I really liked the one on discussion based learning. It made me realize what I need to work on for that. I think opening my mind to others is something I need to work on. Everyone needs to work on that I think. I also thought readicide was helpful and the other book too. 

I think it helped be more aware of what I am doing while I teach. I want to be good at my job and I think being aware of all the stuff I am doing while I teach is important. Also how I can affect students learning and making it fun for them. 

Thanks so much Sean for the awesome quarter!!

mini lesson

TPA Lesson Plan #__1_____

1. Teacher Candidate	Amanda Hennings	Date Taught	11/24/14
Cooperating Teacher	Sean Agriss	School/District	Eastern
2. Subject	English Language Arts	Field Supervisor
3. Lesson Title/Focus	Night/Life is Beautiful Comparison	5. Length of Lesson	20 minutes
4. Grade Level	9th

6. Academic & Content Standards (GLEs/EARLs/Common Core)	CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
7. Learning Objective(s)	Given “Night” and the video “Life is Beautiful”, students will compare the two characters and the attitudes they have in their given situation as well as understand how Elie’s attitude changed through the course of the text by participating in discussion and group work. I can compare and know the difference between attitudes of characters in two different stories. I can see how a characters attitude has changed throughout the story.
8. Academic Language	Some language that will be used are words like compare, develop, and plot. Students should already know what these words mean but we will be using them throughout the lesson. If students do not remember, I will explain the words again and have them write them in their notes.

9. Assessment

In order to assess my students, I will have them do an exit slip. In order to leave the classroom, they will need to write a short paragraph asking what they took from this book, if they liked the book and how they can relate it to the world and their lives. This will be a formative assessment.

10. Connections

In the book “Discussion as a way of Teaching”, Stephen Brookfield says, “…conversation is one of the most important ways for human beings to make meaning, to construct a world view, and to provide a meeting place of various modes of imagining (Brookfield 5). Students are more likely to learn more from each other than me. I think discussion based learning is the best way for students to learn. This lesson connects to the lesson that we did the day before on social justice. The themes of this book like freedom of religion and social justice are directly related.  In order to build on prior knowledge, we will be talking about events that happen in the book that we have discussed on other days such as the young boys hanging. Prior to this lesson, we have had a lesson about being respectful during discussion and how to take notes. World War II had a major impact on our world and probably many people have a connection to it, whether students’ grandparents were involved in some way or some students may be Jewish. Hopefully, all students will have a connection with this story. It may be through family and friend connections or religious connections.

11. Instructional Strategies/Learning Tasks to Support Learning
Learning Tasks and Strategies Introduction In order to communicate the learning objective, I will write it on the board. I will ask them to write the objective in their own words. In order to introduce the lesson, I will ask them how many of them have seen “Life is Beautiful”. I will then ask them to tell the class what it is about. Then I will show a clip from the movie. Learning Tasks Students are learning to compare complex characters from different stories and how “Night” relates to their lives. Students will watch the video, talk in small groups about several questions I will give them, and then they will answer questions for an exit task. Introduce “I Can” statements (2 minutes) Introduce “Life is Beautiful” and watch clip (5 minutes) Group discussion  (10 minutes) -How is the man’s attitude in “Life is Beautiful” different than Elie’s in “Night”? -How did Elie’s faith in God change from the beginning to the end? -Did life seem easier when he let go of his hope and faith in God? Or was it harder for him? Exit task (3 minutes). What did you get from this book? Did your perception about the Holocaust change after you were done reading “Night”? Did you learn anything new? What did you find interesting or especially disturbing? Closure Given “Night” and the video “Life is Beautiful”, students will compare the two characters and the attitudes they have in their given situation as well as understand how Elie’s attitude changed through the course of the text by participating in discussion and group work. I can compare and know the difference between attitudes of characters in two different stories. I can see how a characters attitude has changed throughout the story. Sequenced Instruction
Teacher’s Role Teacher will be facilitating discussion. Teacher will be monitoring group work. Teacher will be assessing student knowledge through the exit task and discussion.	Students’ Role Students will be respectfully participating in discussion. Students will be watching a clip from “Life is Beautiful and comparing the character to Elie in “Night” using a Venn Diagram. Students will process knowledge to compare “Night” to their daily lives.
Student Voice to Gather I will give the students “I Can” statements to rewrite into their own words. Students will always know they can ask me for extra help. I am a resource to them. They can also use their book as a resource as well as the internet when they need extra help.

12. Differentiated Instruction

Plan In order to be helpful to all learning styles, Students will be participating in discussion, watching a video clip and writing notes and exit slips. For students with special needs, I will place them with one of the students that is more advanced in order to help them understand.

13. Resources and Materials

Plan Brookfield, S., & Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion as a way of teaching: Tools and techniques for democratic classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Life is beautiful [Motion picture]. (2000). Miramax Home Entertainment. [Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y9aKqawdUQ]. I will need a whiteboard and markers and students will need their notebooks and writing utensils.

14. Management and Safety Issues

Plan Students will need to be respectful during discussion. At the beginning of the year, we will have a specific lesson on how to be respectful during discussion and how they can have meaningful discussion with each other. They will also need to stay on topic during group work which will also be taught during the lesson on discussion. If students are disrespectful to others during the discussion, I will warn them. If they continue, they will be sent to the principal’s office.

15. Parent & Community Connections

Plan Lesson notes will be made available on the class blog. Students and parents will have access. Some students may be directly connected with the Holocaust and World War II. Many may have a family member that was involved in this terrible war. Some may relate because they are Jewish. All students should be informed because this happened in our history and will broaden their view of certain cultural events.