Wisconsin Teacher Standard #5:
"The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement and learning and self-motivation."
Rationale:
This lesson was taught in a 2nd grade classroom in my reading placement at Lincoln Elementary in Wauwatosa, Wiscosin. I was not required to teach a third lesson, but my cooperating teacher gave me permission to teach students a lesson about friendship. The class was encountering problems with conflict resolution, so my CT thought they could use a reminder about getting along and not fighting. The students had their first class meeting the other day to learn how to be a community and resolve conflicts without fighting or hurting each other's feelings. Class meetings provide an opportunity for students to have their voice heard, but learn how to respect each other.
The lesson focuses on the book Don’t Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi. The theme in the book is friendship. It is about a rat who decides he does not need friends anymore after his friend moves away. The moral of the story is about companionship and treating your friends the right way. Students then created a “Choice Chain” with solutions on resolving a conflict with a friend. Some examples were: “Get an adult”, “walk away”, or “say nothing at all”. Students wrote solutions to resolving a conflict on strips of paper. We took the strips of paper and created a “Choice Chain” of suggestions for resolving a conflict in the appropriate way, not only at school, but in the community as well. The lead teacher hung it on the wall for students to see. Additional strips of paper were left in the classroom for students to add suggestions throughout the year.
This lesson demonstrates Wisconin Teacher Standard 5 because it reflects my ability to implement a lesson that connected with a current classroom issue, while creating a lesson about taking responsibility and not hurting others' feelings. Originally, I only gave each student three strips of paper to write three suggestions, but they wanted to keep adding ideas, so I ended-up making the lesson longer -with permission from CT - and cut more strips of paper. When I spoke to my CT a few months after my placement was completed she mentioned that the students still add to the chain. She had to limit it to certain times during the day, otherwise it was becoming a distraction. This lesson demonstrates my ability to create a positive environment that encourages social interaction among classmates.
Diagnosis
Student learning was related to students’ personal experiences in the classroom. Students were having difficulty resolving their conflicts while on the playground, in the lunchroom, and even in the classroom. There had been a lot of fighting and teasing amongst students. The class was beginning to hold class meetings to learn how to communicate and create a classroom community. This lesson demonstrates making connections to their own experiences and learning how to make the right decision.
The lesson focuses on the book Don’t Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi. The theme in the book is friendship. It is about a rat who decides he does not need friends anymore after his friend moves away. The moral of the story is about companionship and treating your friends the right way. Students then created a “Choice Chain” with solutions on resolving a conflict with a friend. Some examples were: “Get an adult”, “walk away”, or “say nothing at all”. Students wrote solutions to resolving a conflict on strips of paper. We took the strips of paper and created a “Choice Chain” of suggestions for resolving a conflict in the appropriate way, not only at school, but in the community as well. The lead teacher hung it on the wall for students to see. Additional strips of paper were left in the classroom for students to add suggestions throughout the year.
This lesson demonstrates Wisconin Teacher Standard 5 because it reflects my ability to implement a lesson that connected with a current classroom issue, while creating a lesson about taking responsibility and not hurting others' feelings. Originally, I only gave each student three strips of paper to write three suggestions, but they wanted to keep adding ideas, so I ended-up making the lesson longer -with permission from CT - and cut more strips of paper. When I spoke to my CT a few months after my placement was completed she mentioned that the students still add to the chain. She had to limit it to certain times during the day, otherwise it was becoming a distraction. This lesson demonstrates my ability to create a positive environment that encourages social interaction among classmates.
Diagnosis
Student learning was related to students’ personal experiences in the classroom. Students were having difficulty resolving their conflicts while on the playground, in the lunchroom, and even in the classroom. There had been a lot of fighting and teasing amongst students. The class was beginning to hold class meetings to learn how to communicate and create a classroom community. This lesson demonstrates making connections to their own experiences and learning how to make the right decision.
Evidence:
This lesson does not have CT or Instructor feedback because it was done as a fun end-of-the-semester lesson with my 2nd graders.
Conflict Resolution Lesson | |
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