Phase 1 Action and Assessment Plan
Interventions
My main AR question is, "How can I encourage students to find their voice in the English Language Arts classroom?" Therefore, my goal for phase 1 is to increase participation in students who seem the most reluctant to participate. I have identified three students as a focus group. I chose these three students because, from my observations of previous small and large groups, these students consistently completed their work, showed a deep understanding of the content but showed a lack of confidence in sharing their ideas with their peers. A second goal is to increase the participation in the rest of the class. I am hoping that by focusing on individual students who participate the least and increasing their participation, the rest of the class will find their voices as well.
Steps:
For my phase 1, I will implement the following ways of encouraging participation:
Steps:
For my phase 1, I will implement the following ways of encouraging participation:
- Setting expectations for participation and encouraging the whole class
- Encouraging individual students to participate through student conferences
- Facilitating student-to-student encouragement
Setting Expectations and encouraging the whole class
According to Colombo, Cullen and Lisle, it is important to set guidelines and expectations from the very start of a course (Colombo et. al., 2004). When I began teaching the class in March, I didn't have an opportunity to share my expectations of participation, and so I would like to share them with the class to try to reset expectations. I also plan to share these expectations and encouragement with the whole class so that the students I've chosen for my focus group do not feel like I am singling them out unfairly. Below is my plan for sharing my expectations and encouraging the whole class to participate.
Step 1: Explain our current participation
First, I will share the data from my needs assessment on participation with the class, that for our Four Corners activity which took one hour, 13 out of the 22 students in the class shared at least once with the whole class, which is about 60%. I want to also share what I found from the student interviews, that the reason why some students do not participate in class is because they don't feel comfortable sharing their opinion. After I share these findings, I will explain to the class that the purpose of today is explore the idea of participation in the classroom and to create guidelines to promote participation in our class.
Step 2: Discuss the issue of participation
After sharing the data from my needs assessment, the class will discuss the issue of participation by reading the news article, "Stutterer speaks up in class; His professor says keep quiet" by Richard Perez-Pena (Perez-Pena, 2011). Below is a link to the article: I chose this article because it explores the issue of how students and teachers should treat each other in the classroom. I want to use its contents to inspire dialogue on the subject. Based on the interviews I had with students in my needs assessment, students need to know that their voice is valued in the classroom by the teacher. Therefore, rather than sharing what I would like to see for the classroom, I want students to discuss the article in small groups and share their own ideas on oral participation for our classroom. Below are the questions I will ask students to discuss:
Step 3: Create Class-Generated Guidelines for Participation
After students have discussed these questions in groups of three to four students, we will use these students' responses to create a list of behaviors we want to see when listening to others, behaviors we do not wish to see, and expectations for how often students should speak. Once we have this list of guidelines for participation, I will make a large poster to hang prominently in the classroom to remind students of our class expectations.
Step 1: Explain our current participation
First, I will share the data from my needs assessment on participation with the class, that for our Four Corners activity which took one hour, 13 out of the 22 students in the class shared at least once with the whole class, which is about 60%. I want to also share what I found from the student interviews, that the reason why some students do not participate in class is because they don't feel comfortable sharing their opinion. After I share these findings, I will explain to the class that the purpose of today is explore the idea of participation in the classroom and to create guidelines to promote participation in our class.
Step 2: Discuss the issue of participation
After sharing the data from my needs assessment, the class will discuss the issue of participation by reading the news article, "Stutterer speaks up in class; His professor says keep quiet" by Richard Perez-Pena (Perez-Pena, 2011). Below is a link to the article: I chose this article because it explores the issue of how students and teachers should treat each other in the classroom. I want to use its contents to inspire dialogue on the subject. Based on the interviews I had with students in my needs assessment, students need to know that their voice is valued in the classroom by the teacher. Therefore, rather than sharing what I would like to see for the classroom, I want students to discuss the article in small groups and share their own ideas on oral participation for our classroom. Below are the questions I will ask students to discuss:
- “But advocates for people who stutter say that the same people who accept a delay in a bus ride to load a disabled passenger are often less patient with those who struggle to speak clearly.” Why do you think our culture places such a strong emphasis on speaking clearly?
- Most of you are about the same age as Philip. What would you do and how would you feel if the teacher asked you to refrain from speaking in the class?
- In what situations have you seen others silenced (ignored, cut off, belittled, or afraid to speak) in the classroom?
- What particular comments or body language made them feel this way?
Step 3: Create Class-Generated Guidelines for Participation
After students have discussed these questions in groups of three to four students, we will use these students' responses to create a list of behaviors we want to see when listening to others, behaviors we do not wish to see, and expectations for how often students should speak. Once we have this list of guidelines for participation, I will make a large poster to hang prominently in the classroom to remind students of our class expectations.
Encouraging individual students through student conferences
The purpose of this step is to create a plan for participation that works for the students who usually do not participate and to encourage these students by reinforcing that their voices are important for class learning. I'm expecting that my whole class discussion on participation will set the expectation for participating, but I fear my expectations may overwhelm the focus group students. For this reason, after the whole-class discussion on participation, I plan on meeting with three students in the afternoon class (my focus group) to encourage their participation.
Steps for Individual Conferences
Steps for Individual Conferences
- Explain again that I value their voices, that I have seen from their writing that they have a lot to contribute. I will share an individual piece of their work that shows how insightful they are, and point to specific parts within the piece that demonstrates their insightfulness. I will use the responses they wrote for their Socratic Seminars.
- Ask the student how often they participate in class discussions, and what they think about their current participation. According to the research from Fisher, Frey and Rothenburg, the conversations in student conferences should not be dominated by the teacher (Fisher, Frey & Rothenburg, 2010). Instead, students should feel like they are having a conversation rather than receiving a speech.
- Once students share what they think of their current participation and why they aren't sharing, create a few solutions to those problems, and explain that I would like them to really stretch themselves in the next small group activity. I'd like them to share their opinions on the topic we have been studying.
- Follow up on what I see from their participation in the small group discussion. If I see one of these students participating a lot, I will praise that behavior and ask them what was causing their increased participation.
Sharing other students' encouragements with the class
After the small group discussion, I plan to give the following feedback form to students so that they can monitor their own participation and so that their voices can become encouragement for their peers who did participate. After they complete this feedback form, I hope to share a few students' words of encouragement with the class. I'm hoping that by having other students share the value they found from others participating, hopefully this will increase participation in discussions.
I'm also planning on using this as one of my data analysis tools. I want to look at how much students participate and whether or not they become more comfortable over time. The third question will also let me see students' perceptions of their own contribution to the discussion. I'm hoping that this will show me whether they felt encouraged by participating or not.
How often did you share your opinion with the whole class?
During the discussion, write down one comment a student shared that enhanced the discussion. Why do you think this made the discussion richer?
I'm also planning on using this as one of my data analysis tools. I want to look at how much students participate and whether or not they become more comfortable over time. The third question will also let me see students' perceptions of their own contribution to the discussion. I'm hoping that this will show me whether they felt encouraged by participating or not.
How often did you share your opinion with the whole class?
- None
- Once
- Twice
- More than Twice
- I felt very uncomfortable sharing my opinion.
- I felt a little uncomfortable sharing my opinion.
- I felt a little comfortable sharing my opinion.
- I felt very comfortable sharing my opinion.
During the discussion, write down one comment a student shared that enhanced the discussion. Why do you think this made the discussion richer?
Assessment Plan
Subquestions Assessed
1. Participation
2. Classroom Environment
3. Comfort Levels
4. Academic Achievement
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Student Feedback Forms
X
X
X
--
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Initial Student Conferences
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X
X
--
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Teacher Journal
X
X
X
X
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Whole Class Discussion Student Feedback Forms
One of my questions is looking at the classroom environment. I'm hoping that the second question, "How comfortable did you feel to share your opinions with your peers?" will allow me to measure that. I'm hoping to see an increase in responses that say they are mildly and highly comfortable sharing their opinions as time passes. I think this will tell me whether the students think we have a trusting classroom environment or not.
Individual Student conferences
Pre·
What strategies might help you to participate more in small group discussions?
What is a reasonable goal for participation in a small group discussion? Whole group discussion?
Post Project·
How comfortable did you feel during the discussion we had today to share your thoughts?
What strategies might help you to participate more in small group discussions?
What is a reasonable goal for participation in a small group discussion? Whole group discussion?
Post Project·
How comfortable did you feel during the discussion we had today to share your thoughts?
- Why do you think that is?
- What can we do differently to help you participate?
Teacher Journal
I want to have two different types of teacher journals. The first one is my usual reflections on the class. I have a notebook currently where I take all of my notes and brainstorm for future lessons. I also use this as the place I reflect. It's really convenient for me, since I have it with me always.
The second teacher journal I want to have is a binder with tabs for each focus student. Before I implement my phase 1, I want to write down my initial impressions of each student and their patterns of participation. Three times a week, I want to write in this binder, sharing my observations of these students and their participation in partner, small group, and most importantly, whole group discussion.
I'm hoping to see an increase in whole-group participation in these reflections, and I'm hoping to see the confidence levels of these students increase as well through their body language during whole class discussions and in the strength of their voices.
- Document what happened overall that day briefly, a few bullet points
- Feelings
- Questions that are occurring
The second teacher journal I want to have is a binder with tabs for each focus student. Before I implement my phase 1, I want to write down my initial impressions of each student and their patterns of participation. Three times a week, I want to write in this binder, sharing my observations of these students and their participation in partner, small group, and most importantly, whole group discussion.
I'm hoping to see an increase in whole-group participation in these reflections, and I'm hoping to see the confidence levels of these students increase as well through their body language during whole class discussions and in the strength of their voices.
Timeline
April 21: Whole class encouragement
April 28: Student conferences 1,2
April 29: Small group discussion and feedback form
May 5: Student conference 3
May 6: Small group discussion and feedback form
May 16th: Final small group discussion and feedback form
April 28: Student conferences 1,2
April 29: Small group discussion and feedback form
May 5: Student conference 3
May 6: Small group discussion and feedback form
May 16th: Final small group discussion and feedback form