Literature Circles
I used Swimmy by Leo Lionni for my literature circle. I thought this was a good book because it was on a kindergarten level but contained themes that would inspire an in-depth discussion on friendship, courage, and being different. “A lot of children's books deal with sharing and getting along with others. A lot try to help children be themselves. The brilliance of Leo Lionni is that in book after book he brings these two ideas together, showing children that they can be themselves and care about others at the same time.” Taken from http://www.amazon.com/Swimmy-Knopf-Childrens-Paperbacks-Lionni/dp/0394826205 . Because my students are early second language learners, I chose to read the book to them because none of them are able to read on their own yet. I also designed a reflection sheet that only required them to check yes : ) and no : ( as I read it aloud to them. I found this idea online about writing discussion questions on a beach ball and letting them pass it around the circle. They really enjoyed this. The only problem was that they couldn’t read the questions themselves so I had to read the questions to them. It was really hard for this discussion not to be teacher directed since my group is at such a beginner level. I had to try really hard not to direct the conversation and simply help them with what they were trying to say. I also was careful not to pressure a student to talk who wasn’t comfortable. The students loved the book. I think that the book choice is very important for literature discussions. The students were excited to talk about the book because it was engaging. Several of the students related Swimmy to Finding Nemo which I thought was funny. I think that literature circles are great for second learners. Because their conversational language develops quicker than their written language, they can have more in depth discussions verbally than if they were writing down there thoughts. My students are not able to keep literature journals yet but the literature circle activity was a great way for them to express their thoughts about the story and make real life connections.
My Journey through Fieldwork
This class has by far been the best one! I feel like I learned so much just by being able to talk to my mentor. It really is true that real experience is the best experience. I was able to see many strategies we have learned put to practice and observe ways to make them better. I was also really glad that I was able to find a Kindergarten ESL group to observe because that is what I am most interested in teaching. I think that my Early Childhood degree and this endorsement have prepared me to be the best possible first year Kindergarten ESL teacher. Now all I need is my own classroom : ). I only lack one more semester to complete my C & I Masters and one more class to finish my ESL endorsement. I am very grateful for all the links and resources this class provided for licensure and praxis help. These will come in very handy in the spring. Good luck to all you who are graduating in December and I’ll “see” the rest of you in January!
I used Swimmy by Leo Lionni for my literature circle. I thought this was a good book because it was on a kindergarten level but contained themes that would inspire an in-depth discussion on friendship, courage, and being different. “A lot of children's books deal with sharing and getting along with others. A lot try to help children be themselves. The brilliance of Leo Lionni is that in book after book he brings these two ideas together, showing children that they can be themselves and care about others at the same time.” Taken from http://www.amazon.com/Swimmy-Knopf-Childrens-Paperbacks-Lionni/dp/0394826205 . Because my students are early second language learners, I chose to read the book to them because none of them are able to read on their own yet. I also designed a reflection sheet that only required them to check yes : ) and no : ( as I read it aloud to them. I found this idea online about writing discussion questions on a beach ball and letting them pass it around the circle. They really enjoyed this. The only problem was that they couldn’t read the questions themselves so I had to read the questions to them. It was really hard for this discussion not to be teacher directed since my group is at such a beginner level. I had to try really hard not to direct the conversation and simply help them with what they were trying to say. I also was careful not to pressure a student to talk who wasn’t comfortable. The students loved the book. I think that the book choice is very important for literature discussions. The students were excited to talk about the book because it was engaging. Several of the students related Swimmy to Finding Nemo which I thought was funny. I think that literature circles are great for second learners. Because their conversational language develops quicker than their written language, they can have more in depth discussions verbally than if they were writing down there thoughts. My students are not able to keep literature journals yet but the literature circle activity was a great way for them to express their thoughts about the story and make real life connections.
My Journey through Fieldwork
This class has by far been the best one! I feel like I learned so much just by being able to talk to my mentor. It really is true that real experience is the best experience. I was able to see many strategies we have learned put to practice and observe ways to make them better. I was also really glad that I was able to find a Kindergarten ESL group to observe because that is what I am most interested in teaching. I think that my Early Childhood degree and this endorsement have prepared me to be the best possible first year Kindergarten ESL teacher. Now all I need is my own classroom : ). I only lack one more semester to complete my C & I Masters and one more class to finish my ESL endorsement. I am very grateful for all the links and resources this class provided for licensure and praxis help. These will come in very handy in the spring. Good luck to all you who are graduating in December and I’ll “see” the rest of you in January!
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