When watching Dan Pink's TED talk on motivation, I can't help but be inspired. I see the applications that can be put to use in the classroom and get excited, that is until I realize just how it might pertain to me. As a small group instructor/paraprofessional, I have to realize that I don't have access to use all of this in a whole group setting and am now perplexed as to how to use this in my actual setting in the classroom. When I am in the classroom, doing what I do, I work with students in a ratio of about 5:1 or less. My small groups primarily focus on reading and reading strategies and I only have about 20 minutes to do so. When thinking of autonomy, mastery, and purpose and my setting and how it applies, my first thought is it doesn't. I don't feel as if I can appropriately in 20 minutes provide this type of learning situation.
How do I provide autonomy for a small group study that is student centered, but teacher lead? The small groups are meant for me to see what they need extra work with when it comes to reading, language, and sometimes math and allow me to work on specific skills that this small group may need extra work on. In the past it has been me taking their worksheets they've done (math), pulling those on the same skill level, and then reteaching the skill to them. For reading, I work with two groups who have different needs and skill sets, but are all about the same. I have 20 minutes to guide them through a new mini lesson on the skill they need. How do I help them with this? I try my hardest to work on mastery, this is what my main focus is, but hadn't ever really been able to do purpose. I believe that there is some good thought through Pink's talk, but I am unsure of how to apply this to my small group.
When thinking back to lessons I've done in the past, one thing I could possibly do to start having autonomy is to provide a couple of tasks in that time and allow them to do them in any order they want. I can make the projects/assignments given during that time to be open ended, creative, student centered, and flexible, allowing them to use the left brain thinking more. The purpose behind it can be more applicable to them as well, allowing them to be able to apply it or bring from their own experiences they've had or will have. At the second grade level, they are more than able to be creative, collaborative, and independent for the most part, so this is something that I need to be able allow to happen during the times that I have them. There still needs to be teacher lead instruction in some instances, but not always. This talk has gotten me thinking of better ways of teaching and bringing about more meaning to the learning experience for the students that I work with.
How do I provide autonomy for a small group study that is student centered, but teacher lead? The small groups are meant for me to see what they need extra work with when it comes to reading, language, and sometimes math and allow me to work on specific skills that this small group may need extra work on. In the past it has been me taking their worksheets they've done (math), pulling those on the same skill level, and then reteaching the skill to them. For reading, I work with two groups who have different needs and skill sets, but are all about the same. I have 20 minutes to guide them through a new mini lesson on the skill they need. How do I help them with this? I try my hardest to work on mastery, this is what my main focus is, but hadn't ever really been able to do purpose. I believe that there is some good thought through Pink's talk, but I am unsure of how to apply this to my small group.
When thinking back to lessons I've done in the past, one thing I could possibly do to start having autonomy is to provide a couple of tasks in that time and allow them to do them in any order they want. I can make the projects/assignments given during that time to be open ended, creative, student centered, and flexible, allowing them to use the left brain thinking more. The purpose behind it can be more applicable to them as well, allowing them to be able to apply it or bring from their own experiences they've had or will have. At the second grade level, they are more than able to be creative, collaborative, and independent for the most part, so this is something that I need to be able allow to happen during the times that I have them. There still needs to be teacher lead instruction in some instances, but not always. This talk has gotten me thinking of better ways of teaching and bringing about more meaning to the learning experience for the students that I work with.
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