I definitely felt like I had been on a “science vacation” when I returned to my 4th grade class on Monday. Just as I had somewhat forgotten what we were discussing about rocks 2 weeks earlier, I am sure the students did also. Of course as the teacher I reviewed my notes and brought myself up to speed.
The students were excited to see the culmination of the crayon rock project we were working on during the previous lesson. Sarah did a great job preparing the samples and I think the students appreciated the tactile props.
We started discussing minerals and the differences between them and rocks. This can be confusing for the students. They knew that there were differences but it was not necessarily easy for them to verbalize it. After some examination and some prompting from their teachers the students engaged in a lively discussion about the attributes of minerals and what makes them different from rocks.
Classroom management can be tricky when you have 25 students spread across the room. It is important that we are circulating during our lesson to make sure that all of the students are staying focused on their observations and recordings. We also listen to the discussions the students are having and encourage them to use their scientific vocabulary. Some students need to be reminded of the safety rules and to stay on task. It’s important for the teachers to always be aware of what is going on in the classroom so that we can enhance learning and provide the optimal environment for the students.
Yes Arlette, this mini-science vacation really threw off the swing of things and made me realize as well that it is easy to forget information that you presented or were presented two weeks earlier. Luckily for our lesson, we were just transitioning into caterpillars from other life-cycles so it did not have as much of an impact on our lesson as I am sure it did on yours. The crayon rock project your class is doing looks and sounds very interesting. I also think that it is great that you and Sara circle the room to make sure that the students are staying on track and listen to the discussion to gain an understanding of what the students are thinking and learning. As you mentioned, it is very important to be aware of what is going on in your classroom otherwise it would be very challenging to keep the students safe and to create the most efficient/effective learning experience for your students.
ReplyDeleteI am very curious how the rock unit is presented and how the fourth graders interact/engage in science. I wish we were able to make a guest appearance to observe one of your lessons. Good luck with your next lesson!