Sunday 13 October 2013

Thinking allowed (geddit?)


There have been many tweets and blogs about lesson observations recently, most memorable @cazzypot's from yesterday which provoked an extraordinary number of tweets and @Joe_Kirby who has collated a range of negative experiences of the lesson observation process, in which I was rather chuffed that my 'Under the Microscope' blog was referred to.  Last year I really went through the mill (#clicheklaxon) with lesson observations, but EVENTUALLY came out with a 'Good' before the year came to an end (thank you Year 13 Language and Literature class, you were just awesome).

Frankly, I would prefer to put myselt through THIS:



Can you find me? Where's Gwennie??

than go through the whole lesson observation process. For those of you who want to know:  this is the 'Tough Guy Nettle Warrior' assault course. 10 miles of running, schlepping, clambering, crawling and scraping over and under a range of obstacles. I have done it twice and the only thing that did not hurt the day after was my face (no hyperbole here folks, move along now).


In this post, or series of posts I shall once again expose myself, much like the first time I donned a bikini in the local swimming pool at the grand old age of, well mid-30s, my pale Welsh flesh causing snow-blindness to the poor life guards as I teetered my way into the pool.

My lesson observation is on Thursday Period 2, and here, folks, is draft 1 of my lesson plan.  I have not sat with the Ofsted observation criteria next to me, I have planned what I think is an appropriate lesson for my pupils that IS focused on specific elements of the CA marking crieria of SPAG and sentence structures which I have identified as a weakness in the group as a whole. I think if we can nail this, as a class, their target grades are achievable.

The pupils have been given their target grades, which are based on the old 3 levels of progress chestnut. Underneath this I asked them to write the grade they would LIKE to get, allowing them to disagree with it and, thankfully, show some ambition.  Those targeted with a B wanted an A, the C targets wanted a B. There was one girl whose target was a D, so I told her to ignore it and write down that she wanted a C. This I hope, is going some way to instill a positive ethos in the class. Not bad for a set 3 who barely had any proper teaching in Year 9 to the sad and regrettable illness of a much loved colleague.

So, here is my draft lesson plan as I have written it. I am aiming for at least a 'Good' as the pressure of trying to attain the holy grail of 'Outstanding' would send me back into the dark pits of anxiety and self-sabotage due to nerves. 

This is my school's lesson planning proforma for observations. The observers will be looking for progress in both halves of the hour lesson, and yes @learningspy 'All, Most, Some' is included...which I can never work out how to word effectively.

The parts I am not sure about are in italics...







  - LESSON PLAN
THE EXTRA SMILE
 


 


 


Teacher
GNE
Date
17/10/13
Period
2
Class
10EN4
No. of students
16
No. of G&T
N/A
Ability range
TG A-D
No. with statements
N/A
No. of EAL
3
No. with IEP
TO DO!
No. of FSM
7
No. of PP
8

 

Learning intention - where are we going?   (Re-word?? – How to intro’ to pupils?)

To be able to identify grammatical features of descriptive writing that match my target grade SO THAT We can set achievable targets for our own writing

To be able to adapt a range of model sentence structures to my own writing SO THAT We can write a paragraph that shows features of my target grade

 

 

Success criteria – how will we know when we've got there?  - Struggle with this bit, will leave for now

·   ALL

 

·   MOST

 

·   SOME

 

Identified intervention students
 
JD and AK – out of lesson Friday in which we were planning writing. Model plan to be provided during lesson + direct teacher intervention to aid with planning
BP and PP and poss AK on report cards. Refer to during lesson
CM, NH and SM work quietly, but stop when stuck, not asking for help. Direct teacher intervention required to keep on task – try a ‘to do list’ with tick boxed for students this lesson? KDW suggest post-it notes for monitoring
NO TA in with this class
TO DATE – pupils taught in a more didactic ‘traditional’ fashion, am encouraging collaborative work via peer marking and ‘peer critique’
Hook (engagement)
 
Meta- starter to introduce LO’s in pupil friendly way: This lesson focuses on writing interesting descriptive sentences – what have you learned already that will help you in this lesson? 3 things
(Helps gauge skill level for this group at start of lesson)
Differentiation strategies/Use of other adults in the room
Setting the scene
 
Hand out exemplars of A, B, C grade CA work, first paragraph only. Writing to describe from previous pupils at our school.
 
Here I EITHER give them grade descriptors for ABC focusing on SPAG and accuracy OR pupils decide success criteria based on what they see. UNDECIDED   KDW advice: What grade and why? Post it notes - initial thoughts - mark scheme - re-judge.
Use PPBP to assess pupils understanding of difference between different grades.
 
After reviewing model paragraphs pupils assess
a)       I can do…..x2 things
b)       I need to do….x2 things to achieve TG – use for plenary
 
 
Remind students of a) target grades in books and b) grades they preferred to achieve so resources targeted at them.
 
 
Use PPBP OR ‘Little Miss Naughty’ toy as prop to increase participation in questioning and develop extended answers to Qs.
Activate (main learning activities)
 
Reminder to show progress in both half hours of lesson.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  1. Hand out ‘sentence keys’ (laminates containing a range of different sentence structures.)  Involve students in working out how these can be used, adapted and applied to own writing. 
  2. Model using the 2 adjectives sentence key – focusing on a person from a film still – what do they need to keep? What do they need to alter to adapt model for THAT person? Class to make suggestions, teacher responds to suggestions. Pupils choose diff sentence key then try adapting on own.  (Use mini-whiteboards?) Hinge Q – who thinks they’ve done it successfully? Address any misconceptions here.
  3. Main task – write a descriptive paragraph focusing on one area of your film still. Write at least 7 sentences (too many? Too little?) each sentence has a different structure using a different ‘sentence key’ – Use timer from ‘classtools.net’? 12 mins? (Enough time?)
  4. Review success of task  Peer mark– Have they met initial task criteria? 7 sentences each of a different structure.  Yes/No? Why?
 
Alternative resource for C target grade pupils – ‘slow writing cards’ with a range of different instructions as to how to begin different sentences.
 
Literacy mats – to use for peer marking re. accuracy of SPAG
 
 
Teacher intervenes with NH and CM to keep on task. Also monitor BP and AK for progress. Better way of keeping them on task?
Post it notes for encouragement - communication with pupils - un-obtrusive  KDW advice
 
 
Poss’ provide  ‘word banks’ using wordle – adjectives and verbs.
  'Resource bank/station' needed'


Strategies if 'dip' in lesson 1. Write best sentence on post it, make a paper plane, send it to someone else to share 2.  Word bombs - include this in your sentence.
 
Consolidate
 
 
  1. High-light BEST sentences and WORST/Least successful.
  2. WWW about best sentence EBI for worst sentence.  (ref to grade descriptors again?) Re-draft least successful sentences based on advice given.
  3. Review start of lesson/Exit ticket:
I can still do x2
I can now do x2
I need to do x2

KDW advice - traffic lights at end
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Teacher focus on NH, CM and SM – ‘to do list’ for these pupils?
Learn to learn opportunities
 
Peer marking
Responding to peer feedback
AfL re. using SPAG element of mark scheme
Model writing from pupils their own age and from own school
 
 
 
Home Learning
Worksheet focusing on sentence structures to consolidate basic grammar accuracy needed to achieve target grade.  Due Thurs next week.
 
 
 
Literacy/Numeracy
Cross Curricular opportunities
Lesson focuses on a) developing a range of sentence structures in own writing b) work is peer marked for accuracy and hitting target grade criteria. 
 
Numeracy – not really applicable to this lesson???
 
 
 
Health & Safety
Assessment
 
HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
 

 
Now, dear Twitter and blogging colleagues - over to you. I would very much like your feedback in the comments section on this blog (rather than tweets). I would rather not have a mauling as I have no nails left to chew off, so kind, fair, specific would be marvellous!

BIG thank you to @KDWScience for a phone chat with some really great advice about how to tweak this plan.
 
Da iawn diolch. :-)


Update 15th October 2013

Firstly, thanks to all the useful advice I've had via the blog comments, direct messages and emails that have helped me clarify my thinking and produce something that in don't believe is 'pants'. 

After a particularly trying day at work, in which it was one of our yr 11 boy's funerals today. For reasons I can't and don't want to go into, there was a catastrophe chain of events that made the afternoon lessons akin to wading through trickle. 

Emergency Costa Latte and chocolate orange Battenburg thing consumed, I was homeward bound to complete the lesson observation plan.  This has involved a great deal of faffing, tweaking, re-thinking and head-scratching.

So, here is what I'm going to call my 'final draft' of my lesson plan for Thursday's observation. If I'd admitted to how much time I'd spent on this, you'd probably choke on your hob nob, but I reckon you could have a good guess.


LESSON PLAN
THE EXTRA SMILE
 
 
 


 


Teacher
GNE
Date
17/10/13
Period
2
Class
10EN4
No. of students
16
No. of G&T
N/A
Ability range
TG A-D
No. with statements
N/A
No. of EAL
3
No. with IEP
11
No. of FSM
7
No. of PP
8

 

Learning intention - where are we going?  

 

To be able to apply a range of sentence structures to my own writing SO THAT We can write an opening  paragraph that shows features of my target grade success criteria

 

Success criteria – how will we know when we've got there?

·   ALL C – Will be able to write sentences of varied length and type, avoiding repetitive starts and over use of ‘and’ ‘so’ and ‘because’.

·                  Identified the success criteria for their target grade re. sentences

·                  Experimented with vocabulary, even if not always successfully so

 

·   MOST  B – As with C plus using more challenging criteria to construct sentences such as higher level connectives and more challenging language features e.g. metaphor

 

·   SOME  A As with B with a greater challenge provided for sentence construction e.g. higher level connectives, and more challenging language features such as personification and using present participle verbs at the start of a sentence.

 

Identified intervention students
 
JD and AK – out of lesson Friday in which we were planning writing. Model plan to be provided during lesson + direct teacher intervention to aid with planning
BP and PP and poss AK on report cards. Refer to during lesson
CM, NH and SM work quietly, but stop when stuck, not asking for help. Direct teacher intervention required to keep on task – try a ‘to do list’ with tick boxed for students this lesson?
NO TA in with this class
TO DATE – pupils taught in a more didactic ‘traditional’ fashion, am encouraging collaborative work via peer marking and ‘peer critique’ Class did have lots of cover and supply teachers in Year 9.
Hook (engagement)
 
‘Help! My sentences are BORING!’
3 sentences that are grammatically correct but dull, each could apply to the film still they have chosen.
Pupils choose relevant sentence
Re-write using given instruction on card
Share outcomes – verbally or on post-its
Differentiation strategies/Use of other adults in the room
 
Card difficulty given according to target grade
‘Word cloud’ as a vocabulary bank with useful definitions on reverse.
 
Soundtrack ‘Theme from The Exorcist’ on entry/while working
Setting the scene
 
Hand out exemplars of A, B, C grade CA work, first paragraph only. Writing to describe from previous pupils at our school.
 
Pupils decide which they think is A, B and C giving specific reasons. Show pupil friendly version of sentence and SPAG criteria, do they need to review initial thoughts? Can they justify grade better?
 
After reviewing model paragraphs pupils assess
a)       I able to…..x2 things
b)       I need to do….x2 things to achieve TG – use for plenary
OR use traffic lights – depending on time. Traffic lights more efficient.
 
 
Remind students of a) target grades in books and b) grades they preferred to achieve so resources targeted at them.
 
 
Use PPBP OR ‘Little Miss Naughty’ toy as prop to increase participation in questioning and develop extended answers to Qs.
 
 
Post-it notes as an unobtrusive way to keep pupils on task.
Activate (main learning activities)
 
Reminder to show progress in both half hours of lesson.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  1. Hand out main task and targeted success criteria for target grades. 
E.g. 7  sentence paragraph – Cs ‘rules’ are:
n       You can only use ‘and’ twice
n        Use a simile  OR alliteration at least once
n        Use a 3  word sentence (anywhere) in your paragraph
n        Use at least 3 words from the ‘Word cloud’
Bs and A target grades each have more challenging 'rules' to follow
Points attached to each bullet point to motivate.
 
 
  1. Use timer from classtools.net – 12 minutes
Pupils read through own work, choose best sentence, encourage to share with constructive peer comments.
 
Soundtrack for extra stimuli – Rainstorm and generic eerie sounds.
Provide ‘slow writing cards’ with a range of different instructions as to how to begin and write different sentences.
 
‘Help’ stations on spare desks to include: Literacy mats, punctuation, connective pyramids
 
Writing ‘rules’ are specifically targeted at each pupil’s target grade.
 
 
Teacher intervenes with NH and CM to keep on task. Also monitor BP and AK for progress. – Use post-it notes to give instruction, encouragement unobtrusively.
 
 
 
 
Consolidate
 
 
  1. Review success of task  Peer mark – pairs have been assigned – Have they met initial task criteria?  E.g. 7 sentences each of a different structure.  Yes/No?
Note down WWW and EBIs  referring to initial rules
Add up how many points they achieved - where did they lose points? Why?
 
4. Pupils double tick peer’s best sentence, underline least successful – note in margins why?
  1. Review start of lesson/Exit ticket:
I can now do:
I would like to learn how to:
I need to do:
 
   
Provide homework
 
 
 
Focus on same pupils, using post it notes, to keep on task.
 
 
 
Alternative plenary using traffic lights – more efficient. Depends on how well lesson runs.
Learn to learn opportunities
 
Peer marking
Responding to peer feedback
AfL re. using SPAG element of mark scheme
Model writing from pupils their own age and from own school
 
 
 
Home Learning
Provide 6 more ‘boring’ sentences for the pupils to re-draft for homework.  Due next lesson (Friday).
 
 
 
Literacy/Numeracy
Cross Curricular opportunities
Lesson focuses on a) developing a range of sentence structures in own writing b) work is peer marked for accuracy and hitting target grade criteria.  I
 
Numeracy – part of instructions for tasks/success criteria involves specific numbers, basic numeracy skill used in the writing and peer marking.
Points used for motivation – simple addition needed to add up score.
 
 
 
Health & Safety
Assessment
 
HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW
 

 
I was still faffing with this as I posted. NO. MORE. FAFFING. DONE. FIN. It is now in the lap of the Gods.

Thank you once again for taking the time to look. Please feel free to add yet more kind, fair and specific comments.
 



 


 

9 comments:

  1. Gwen, just a few suggestions:

    * What about starting with a comparison between a good and bad paragraph with a focus on sentence.

    *Students could then apply knowledge learnt from keys to improve paragraph at the start of the lessson.

    Hope that helps, but blimey that is a very cumbersome plan you have to fill in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Gwen

    I'd agree with Xris that is a very detailed plan to fill in (my sympathies to you!) I struggle a bit with the inclusion of 'target grade' in a learning objective but that's just me talking from the sidelines, and I totally understand the pressures that are on you guys right now.

    My instinct would be to start the lesson by reading them two examples of descriptive writing from published authors - one very stark and the other very flowery. Then to get busy with identifying what it is that works within those to make them effective, perhaps highlighting key phrases that 'work' or perhaps a half/half class battle with one extract each - whose author is best?

    Then you could get them to choose one or other author and write an extract 'in the style of' their chosen author. I really like the idea of a critique of previous students and I think that would be very useful to them. But I would include a kind of 'gold standard' example first to show them how it is done at very best.

    I'm not sure if that is any use but that would be my first reaction to having to teach descriptive writing. I hope I haven't just confused the issue :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for your comments Chris and Sue. This was my first draft as I had so many ideas fizzing about my head. The previous lesson I showed them Dicken's opening of A Christmas Carol and asked them to mimick his sentence describing Scrooge as a 'covetous old sinner'. So we have sort of done that. I know what you mean about 'target grade' and it's not something I refer to every lesson - it will drive them and I mad!

    ReplyDelete
  4. A really helpful comment from @TeacherTweaks via email:
    Hi Gwen, I think your hook needs a bit more to it. Could you get them into 8 pairs, with each having a different focus for improving a boring sentence you put on the board, the 4 foci could be starting with an adverb; starting with present participle (think that's what you call ing verbs?!); adding a punctuation mark to extend the sentence; changing the verbs in the sentence. These are just ideas. If there are two pairs doing each focus then you can have a discussion about which one is better and this can then lead to students haring what they know already about developing sentences. Just a thought but you know if you class will go for this. Good luck! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I know what you mean about all/most/some - annoying nonsense. We were 'encouraged' to do this - I used to make it make sense to myself by making the statements match level or grade descriptors - so in this case All = C, Most = B, and Some = A. You could make that explicit too. I had a better response from students by them knowing that the success criteria (or whatever you want to call them) were grade/level related - then they'd aim for a high one, rather than just saying - 'well I did what it said for all, I don't care about the rest'. BTW - I think I remember reading somewhere that Ofsted don't think much of that way of making SC explicit either. Alternatively I have used SOLO levels to help make differentiated SC (oh my life, I can feel a little bit of my soul dying!) although that is probably unnecessarily convoluted for this.... Re: TeacherTweaks ideas - you could get the foci from Slow Writing - I've always found this incredibly useful for helping improve students' writing. Quite a nice trick to do it live - if you trust the class + the tech! I agree with everyone else about your lesson plan pro forma - a beast! Good luck.

    NB - Despite the stupid Google name, it's Penny, wouldn't let me sign as that :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Looks fab, and very useful. I've been messing about with trying to get numeracy into my lessons. Have been attaching 'points' to certain language techniques - eg 10 points for a good simile, 3 points for a noun phrase. Most points = a lolly. It might be a bit simplistic for Year 10 but you could maybe stick it in somehow. Also, have you heard of ISPACE for sentence openings? I use it all the time for varying sentence openings.

    Is that the lesson proforma you HAVE to use?! It's so long!

    Love, Laura x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gwen - here are a few thoughts:
    - could you do something a little more "risky" for your hook? Perhaps use a piece of music - what words would we use to describe this? what setting would it look like?
    - or perhaps give them some random words and punctuation (I have laminates) and get to create the most exciting sentence they can just using those words. Perhaps using some of the words from your Dickens etc extracts but out of context?
    - before you do your sentence keys - or with them - could you do a whole class activity or group work task, where you take a sentence - "She was surrounded by darkness" and then change it together to start with adverb, the adjective, the verb, to include a colon etc. So they have the idea of all the different ways to write one idea?
    - also for assessment at the end - how are you going to judge the best / worst sentence? perhaps you could look at the feelings/mood created as well?

    That's all for now
    L xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well done you, love the 'help my sentences are boring!' hook
    Good luck with the obs.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gwen, sorry I've just seen your blog. Your lesson plan looks fab. You'll be amazing. Xx

    ReplyDelete