Data Reflection 2: Teacher Feedback

Miayana and Sherrie: “Build a Super Sentence” 11/29/12

Data Source: Voice recording

The mouse ate. The baby cried. (Lots of repetition of “the baby cried” as they copy it down).

Miayana: “So can we use an adjective?”  (no intelligible response from Sherrie)

Miayana: “The baby cried so much”

(some whispering)

Sherrie: “Go!”

Miayana: “Can we change the verb? Change the verb! Let’s change the verb! The baby cried so much…”

Sherrie: “Her hair could explode”

Miayana: “No…”

(bell)

Both: “awwww…”

Teacher: “Let’s hear one super sentence…Sherrie!”

Sherrie: “My mother cooked eggs on Monday”

Teacher: repeats back and says “excellent”

Reflection:

Firstly, they did not add an adjective—the question, then, is do they know what an adjective is? The words “so much” do describe how the baby cried…but not in one word. Second (and most importantly), teacher feedback was totally inaccurate! I can’t believe my response was “excellent” when they had not changed the verb or added an adjective (they are supposed to add an adjective, then change the verb and then add a prepositional phrase). No wonder they aren’t successful in what they are doing—I’m not giving them good feedback! That’s the next step. They have new instructions for some of the stations (synonyms/antonyms, past present future sort and contraction matching) in which they now have to also write sentences as an extension for students. The next step is figuring out a sustainable way for me to give them regular feedback on their work. I can’t do it through conferencing because I am pulling guided reading groups while they are at stations. I can take them home and write in them but I know that’s not sustainable for me as a teacher (I am bad at working at home during the week and I can’t add it to my Sunday line up of work). Also, I would have to teach into looking at feedback and how to change work based on what the teacher has written. I’d love ideas for quick feedback! I’m thinking we might try a few of the stations whole class again in order to talk about what the expectations are while working at each station (as a refresher).