Week 11: 4/14/15

Your CT Back in Action

Class Observed: Period 7 (1:10-2:40pm)
Time
1:47-1:48

1:49

1:54-2:00

Teacher
Communication/Action
- Finishes discussing the
AP mock exam and
transitions to a new
activity: Were going to
go back over a finish a
poem we started going
over before. Its on p.
388.
- This is considered a
dramatic poem. Its a
monologue, so there are
no other comments by the
author. On the surface,
everything seems okay,
but underneath, something
seems amiss.
- Mr. Holman shows a
YouTube video: Well be
watching an interpretation
(movie) of My Last
Duchess. He encourages
the students to follow
along as they watch.

Observed Student
Behavior
- The students flip to the
appropriate page in their
books.

- Mr. Holman leads the

class in a discussion of
certain aspects of the
poem: So, whats the
occasion of the poem?
- Who does?
- Whos he talking to?
- Right, so hes trying to
convince the
representative that he
should marry the
daughter.

- Students respond to Mr.

Holmans comments:
He wants to marry the
daughter.
- The Duke.
- The representative.

My
Comments/Questions

- This is a great place to

incorporate technology.
Mr. Holman doesnt
use technology
frequently, but when he
does, its always for a
purpose. Here, it helps
students see a poem
that would otherwise be
difficult to approach.
- Mr. Holman discusses
the poem with the
students rather than just
lecturing on it, but he
still makes sure
students know the
narrative situation
before moving on. This
is something I still need
to work onits so
easy to just tell students
what you want them to
know.

- Mr. Holman transitions

to group discussion:
Determine the role of
women in your groups.
Find the pieces of textual
evidence that answer that.
You dont need to write it
down; you can just circle
it. But I will ask you to
provide that. You can
focus on the role of
women or the attitude
toward women.

2:00-2:04

Mr. Holman transitions to

whole-class discussion
regarding the students
group discussions:
- Okay, here we go. Role
of women or attitude
toward women. Go my
group right there (points to
group).
- Mr. Holman keeps
pointing to groups
randomly, asking them to
share with the class.
- He provides error
feedback/correction as
necessary and asks the
students to clarify/extend
their comments: Where
do we see that? and Do

- The students respond

well, immediately getting
to work. Theyre having
animated group
discussions that might be
slightly off-topic but are
largely focused.

- Women are
subordinated to men.
They have to carry on the
husbands name for
him.

- The students respond

well; Mr. Holman never
has to raise his voice (a
gentle, respectfully
authoritative position
often works well).
- I find it interesting
how little Mr. Holman
monitors relative to
other teachers. He
definitely monitors, and
hell often listen to
students from his desk
(though they often
dont know hes
listening in). I think it
works well with these
students because it
shows them he trusts
them to work without
feeling the need to
monitor constantly, but
I dont think it would
work well with other
grade levels.
- Mr. Holman only
sometimes validates
student comments with
more than an Okay or
Yes and only
sometimes he
comments/extends on
the students
comments. I always
thought this would hurt
students motivation,
making them less
willing to participate,
but that doesnt seem to
be the case here.
- Mr. Holman is really
good at providing error
correction regarding the
text without giving the

we actually see that?

Thats the implication.
- So the question
becomes: is this the
authors view, or just the
narrators? We know its
definitely the narrators,
but the author may be
trying to show the
inequality of women.
- He transitions back to
small group discussion,
telling the groups to
discuss the
characterization of the
Duke (he points to a
specific place in the text
for them to focus on).

2:05-2:08

correct material. He
always makes them
figure it out, which
always effectively
promotes student
learning and
engagement.

- The students take a

couple of seconds to get
started but they do get
going.

- I like how hes

constantly pointing
them back to the text.
Here, he has them look
at allusion before
reviewing the definition
of allusion with them.
It effectively primes
them to remember the
technical definition and
purpose of allusion.

Transitions back to wholeclass:

- If were doing a
compare/contrast, which is
what well do in a minute,
we start with the first
poem and make a list of
the literary devices the
author is using.
- He points to the board,
showing
characterization, social
commentary, and
allusion. He then asks
students how the poet uses
allusion to characterize the
Duke.

- Mr. Holman responds, I

like it and smiles. He
further comments: Even
if we dont know much

- David responds to the

question: Neptune is
him/a god, and the
seahorse is below him/in
his domain like a
minion whos under his
control.

- Mr. Holman explains

the allusion and then
tells students they can
still understand the

about Neptune, we can

pick up on whats going
on.

2:09-2:11

2:12

2:18-2:26

Transitions again: Where

do we see irony? Discuss
in your groups for a
minute.
- (After about 30 seconds)
Okay, Carter, your
group.
After Carter: Okay, this
group.
- (Waits for their
response). Says okay but
then points to a specific
place in the text.
- Thats where the irony
is, but why is it ironic?
(Pause) Why does it
bother him? (Waits for
student responses) At that
moment [the Duchess
having the painting of
herself done] is the only
spot/moment of
happiness she has.
Transitions: Lets look at
this other poem for kicks.
Its written by the same
author. We have this list
that weve made for the
first poem (points to
board). Again, Im going
to play an
interpretation/performance
follow along. Again, its
a dramatic monologue. Its
about a monk.
- Has the students discuss
it in their groups first:

poem without a lot of

background knowledge.
Its a good way to show
the students that the
other details provide
context cluesa skill
that will greatly help on
the AP test.
- The students return to
working in their groups.

- Carter starts sharing.

Some of the other
students are still talking.

- Since the students

dont understand the
point of irony, Mr.
Holman points them
back to the text. He also
uses good questioning
techniques that lead the
students to
understanding without
giving them the
answers.

- The students watch the

video, following along in
their books (there arent
any subtitles this time).

- Mr. Holman provides

just enough context for
the students to engage
with the poem without
feeling overwhelmed.

- The students, as is
typical, begin discussing

- Mr. Holman often has

the students discuss in

2:27-2:30

Okay, so in your groups

for the next few minutes,
discuss what you just
witnessed. Go back into
the text youll notice on
p. 720 that there are
footnotes that will help
you get into the text.
- He gives them about 1
minute, then interrupts:
Now is the time where
you need to take out a
sheet of paper, 1 per
group.
- Now, going back for a
minute. We learn about
the Duke through direct or
indirect characterization?
(Pause for student
response) Right, because
he doesnt directly tell us.
So, in 5-7 lines or so,
compare the
characterization of the
Duke to the monk we just
saw, and provide some
kind of textual evidence as
you do so.
- He sits at his desk,
flipping through lesson
materials/books as the
students work.
- Okay, so, I think we can
all agree that the monk is
angry, right?
- So, if thats true, what is
he angry about? Its
what you say, but its
about 1 person.

- Mr. Holman notices this

talking, so he directs his

in their groups.

- A collective dramatic
groan fills the room. The
students know exactly
what hes going to have
them do.

groups before sharing

as a class. He told me
its important for the
students to have a
chance to work through
any areas of confusion
in smaller settings. It
makes sense, and it has
always helped when
Im teaching the
students.

- They collectively
answer indirect.

- The students
immediately get to work.
Their discussions are
animated, but they seem
to be on task this time.
Some groups are
discussing more than
writing; some are writing
while discussing.

- This activity functions

effectively to have
students simultaneously
practice the
compare/contrast skills
Holman is teaching
while giving them the
opportunity to write.

- Collective affirmative
response.
- A student responds,
touching on the social
commentary implicit in
the poem.
- Another student gives
another response, but
some of the other
students are still talking
in their group.
- The students who were
talking realized that they

- This was an effective

method for redirecting

2:31

2:33

response at them: Did

you guys hear? When
they respond yes: Then
what did he say?

could only summarize

part of what the other
students had said.

- He continues with the

lesson: So, how are the
duke and monk similar or
different?

- Student: The Duke is

more
explanatory/articulate/
reserved because hes in
the presence of another
person.

- Mr. Holman comments

on/expands on the
students comment before
continuing: Now this is
where we get to the heart
of the compare/contrast.
Usually, youll get
something broad (love,
loss, etc.).
- So now, in your groups,
identify and discuss the
social commentary thats
going on.
- Mr. Holman clarifies:
Central purpose.

- Transitions: Okay, here

we go. Ladies (points to
group), whats the social
commentary?
- Responds, then says,
So, how are the central
purposes similar or
different? Write that

the students (the ones

who were talking
quieted down after he
was done), but Im not
sure I would be
comfortable with this
approach. It seems a
little too
confrontational for my
personality (but it
didnt come across in
this environment as
confrontational).

- One student asks,

Social commentary?

- Once the students have

the needed clarification,
they get to work.

- Student responds: [It

critiques the singular]
focus on beliefs, leaving
out the other
perspective.

- Even though he had

used central purpose
and social
commentary
interchangeably
previously (and most
students had picked up
on this), Mr. Holman
courteously provided
the necessary
clarification.

2:36

2:37

down.
- After students work in
groups: Scott, how are
they similar or different?
- He extends the comment
and then transitions to
some of the other areas of
the compare/contrast chart
on the board: We can see
how both poems use
allusion. We could argue
the same about irony, but
if you didnt feel strongly
[about it on the AP test],
kick it out.
Continues on the train of
thought regarding the AP
test: If we had to write
about [these two poems],
Id tell you to do it this
way. In the test, youll do
it your own way:
1. Introduction,
building implicit
connections between
the poems.
2. Body par. 1: focus
on one poem
3. Body par 2: focus on
the second poem
4. Conclusion, making
the similarities and
differences explicit.
However, what most
people end up doing is:
par. 1 = compare, par. 2 =
contrast. From what Ive
seen, this doesnt work
very effectively, but
ultimately, its up to you
on the test. I wont be
there.
(Bell rings)

Scott: Both are

criticizing societies at
different times.

- Even though its not a

fun connection, Mr.
Holman does connect
the writing and
compare/contrast
activities to the
students lives.
- He also ultimately
hands over
responsibility to the
students, telling them
that the choice is theirs
regarding the AP
writing sections. Mr.
Holman always tries to
give as much
responsibility to the
students as possible in
an attempt to prepare
them for life in the
real world.