Katie Motyka Reflection on Ryans version of our literacy lesson

Description of Events Ryan starts by saying that the observers are here to judge him, and not the students. It is who he should be nervous, and not them.

Ryan states the lesson is about Inference. He asks what it means to infer. Ryan goes clockwise around the group, eliciting a response from each student.

Ryan introduces the task: that they will be detectives, and hopefully use the compare/contrast clue words to help them determine the meaning of an unknown word. If a student already knows the meaning of the unknown word, they should hold (their) thoughts. Ryan tells students to open notebooks and draw a chart with 4 columns. He walks them through how to label each column. Ryan does an example (unknown word: agony) with the group. He asks student #3, What do you think the clue word is?

Commentary on Events Great move on his part. I could easily imagine feeling slightly less pressure if I was a student. I also had one of my kids tell me he felt like he failed the lesson after I was the one who bombed it. Ryans statement helps prevent kids from blaming themselves for a not so great outcome. Ryan makes some good teacher moves. He rephrases student #1s comment (that inferences provide specific details), saying that making inferences helps a reader figure out other details. Ryan agreed with student #3s definition, that inferences help the reader independently figure out the meaning of the word. Ryan also credited student #2 by name for using the phrase context clues. The last part is especially important. Ryan validates his students knowledge and makes an appropriate request so that the whole group can benefit.

Students are responsive and on task. This student provides an incorrect answer. Ryan prods this student to try again. The student still seems confused, but (surprisingly to me) a classmate, student #1, helps out and offers as well as as the clue. Perhaps, Ryan could have read the students, or had the students, read the clue words before they had to identify them? Students correctly respond relaxing. Ryan acknowledges this and revoices by saying, We know what relaxing means, so what do you infer that soothing means? Each student responds with synonyms of relaxing, including student #3 who had trouble with the first example, who responds with peaceful. He gives them a choice. Student #1 says he was ready for independent work. I sensed some

Ryan goes over the next sentence (unknown word: soothing). Ryan asks, What is soothing being compared to?

Ryan asks the group if they would like to try some on their own.

Students work independently for a few minutes Ryan asks them to finish sentence they were working on. Then he assigns them each a sentence that they will be required to offer an answer for. Then he gives them an extra minute to look at the assigned sentence. Ryan asks student #3 what the unknown word was (retaliate), and says Talk us through your thinking.

Ryan asks student #3 if instead of is a compare or a contrast word. He gives student a little bit of wait time before clarifying, Do you see it on the sheet under the compare or contrast list? Ryan asks student #3 what (retaliate) is in Not sure that the question was phrased contrast with. concretely enough for student #3. Student #2 helps student #3 because it was evident that he was still unsure of what to infer about the meaning of retaliate. Ryan moves on to Student #1 and the sentence Student #1 identifies the unknown word, the for the unknown word, conspicuous. signal word, but needed a tissue before answering what his inference was. Student #3 helps out this time. Ryan asks, How did you know there was a Student #3 offers, yet. contrast there, instead of a comparison? He allows wait time. Then he clarifies, What clue Maybe the students did not know how to answer word was there? the first question because student #1 already answered it? Maybe he could have asked, What did student #1 say the clue word was again? For the last students turn, student #2, Ryan Ryan validates her accomplishment and subtly notices aloud that she has completed both highlights her effort in a positive way. He then sentences #5 and #6. He then gives her a choice offers her a choice, which is good. Keeps of which sentence she wants to explain. students invested in their own learning. Student #2 correctly responds that the clue was similar and she could therefore infer that eerie meant creepy/strange. Ryan asks student #2, What 2 things are being Student #2 answers haunted house and the eerie compared (sent was for eerie)? house were being compared. Ryan proposes that in the last few minutes of It is apparent that Student #1 chooses to use the

hesitance with the other students (particularly #3), but I admit my head was down and could not see their faces. Student #3 only has one sentence done. Students #1 and #2 have more than one completed before time is up. Students still seem to be thinking, or at least using the extra minute wisely. They check their work , look at their notebooks until Ryan calls for their attention again. This shows that they care about the task and what they will say when it is their turn. I love Ryans choice of words. Shows that he cares about each students thinking and considers their individual thinking to be valuable to the group as a whole. Student #3 correctly identifies instead of as the clue word. Wait time is good, and it was not too long. After the clarification, Student #3 correctly finds that instead of is a contrast word.

their time together, that they should write a new sentence with a word and/or clue they learned in lesson.

Each student read their sentence. Ryan commented that he could see they were inspired by the example sentences in their writings. Student #3s sentence uses the unknown word retaliation in an unclear way. Ryan helps student clarify his thinking which was something along the lines of: I hit him back (retaliated), but then I told the teacher. His sentence read (I think), The boy hit me after I retaliated to the teacher. Ryan asks students, Do you feel like this is something you can use? They all answer yes!

conspicuous word in his sentence as he repeats the word aloud a few times. It is okay that Ryan did not immediately correct Student #1s first couple/few mispronunciations of conspicuous. Student #1 got to play with the word, taking risks with his learning. He repeated the correct pronunciation after Ryan informed him. It is true, many of the students wrote sentences that used the unknown words in similar sentences to the ones on the example sheet. How should I scaffold this portion of the lesson for my fourth graders? Next time Ryan should ask student #2 or #1 to try to put the definition of retaliation in their own words. Or something, to really make clear the definition of retaliation after the first part of the activity, as this is where Student #3 first expressed misunderstanding. Their reaction completely validates the practicality of the lesson. Ryans question also shows that he cares about how they received the lesson, specifically to see if it was relatable to their own lives.

Lesson ends at 10:47 am. Ryan collects their highlighted sentence sheet and one students lit notebook.