Friday, April 27, 2012

wanlass_minilesson


I selected a student who has consistent emotional outbursts in class and during free time.  This student often becomes extremely upset/crying etc over small things, and does not communicate his feelings well.  I would like to provide him with better communication techniques for his feelings, as well as familiarize him with the availability of books as examples of emotional coping strategies.    

When I told Jason* we would be doing a special lesson together in the hallway, he was extremely excited and enthusiastic to participate.  Earlier in the day, Jason* was crying because another student was trying to get him to turn in his paper when he was not yet finished with it.  Once we were situated, I began by asking Jason about how is day was going so far, and brought up my witness of his breakdown earlier.  Quickly, he began to speak in an aggravated tone and was using less words than he was whines.  I talked to him about how I get frustrated or upset when I feel rushed on my work.  I said that I have come to find that usually, when I want something to go my way, the best thing to do is use kind and calm words rather than angry words. 

After reading my introduction and reading the story, Jason was very willing to practice, "I feel" sentences with me.  I think that this practice was a good idea because it modeled the structure of the story we had read and was an activity that Jason felt successful at.  He felt proud when I praised him for making such great sentences, and seemed to really be enjoying some attention.  

Although Jason* was not a as willing to complete the worksheet, and his answers were a little difficult to read, it was helpful to have a more objective representation of his ability to convey emotions.  I think that this lesson was a good starting place for Jason.  It was not overwhelming and provided enough guidance for him to complete the tasks with ease.  I would follow-up this lesson by asking Jason to write out a scenario where he had to tell how he was feeling to improve the outcome of his experience.  This task would be less structured and provide me with more insight into Jason's abilities to articulate his feelings.  

I would also be interested to see how Jason would do in this sort of a lesson if I had included one or two other students to do role playing or provide an additional perspective.  The secret sign that we made up has been a helpful tool once so far.  Jason is a special student who may need a little extra compassion.  Having a secret sign with the teacher makes him feel special and cared about, and also re-establishes the expectations for his behavior.  

Grade:
Mini-Lesson
First Grade

Rationale:

I selected a student who has consistent emotional outbursts in class and during free time.  This student often becomes extremely upset/crying etc over small things, and does not communicate his feelings well.  I would like to provide him with better communication techniques for his feelings, as well as familiarize him with the availability of books as examples of emotional coping strategies.    

Students are struggling with emotional literacy. 


Objective for this lesson:

Students will be able to make personal statements about their feelings after reading The Way I Feel by Janan Cain.


Materials & supplies needed:
  • The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
  • "WHEN ____ HAPPENS, I FEEL______...BECAUSE..." Worksheets
  • Pencils


Procedures and approximate time allocated for each event 

Introduction to the lesson  (What will you say to help children understand the purpose of the lesson?  How will you help them make connections to prior lessons or experiences?  How will you motivate them to become engaged in the lesson?)
(I am predicting that this student will have at least one minor break-down today, prior to this lesson)

“When I see that you are upset, I want to be able to help you.  But I have a hard time helping you when I can’t understand why you are upset.  Sometimes being able to understand each others’ feelings better, can help us to avoid having a problem or upset feelings at all.  Most of the time when I have a problem with someone, it is because I didn’t understand what the other person was thinking very well.”

“Today we are going to work on ways that we can work towards helping other people understand our feelings, and being more understanding of other peoples’ feelings.  The story that I am going to read talks a lot about how the character is feeling.  Understanding the story become easier when you are able to pay special attention to how the characters are feeling.”      

(3 minutes) 




OUTLINE of key events during the lesson (Include specific details about how you will begin and end activities; what questions you will use; how you will help children understand behavior expectations during the lesson; when/how you will distribute supplies and materials)


1.We will begin with a warm-up where I will ask Jason* how he is feeling today, and I will talk about my day and how I am feeling also.  I will model appropriate communication of feelings. 

2. I will read the book.  Pausing for questions, and featuring the character’s emotions on my own face. 

3. We will discuss how the character talked a lot about how they feel, and always attached an explanation to it.  The student will practice making "I" statements about how we feel and link it to a reason
4.  Jason* will complete the sentence structures on the "WHEN ____ HAPPENS, I FEEL______...BECAUSE..." worksheet.


(15_ minutes)




Closing summary for the lesson (How will you bring closure to the lesson and involve children in reflecting on their experiences?  How will you involve them making connections to prior lessons or prepare for future experiences?  What kind of feedback do you want from them at this time?)

 We will have a discussion about the importance of handling emotions appropriately.  Hopefully there will be a specific circumstance in the day that we can connect this lesson to.  For example, Jason* gets upset when Aryana* bosses him around.  We could come up with different strategies for communicating how it makes him feel to her.  And also being more aware of her good intentions and positive feelings towards Jason* when she is “bossing him around.”    

We will come up with a secret “I am feeling____ because____” cue for Jason to be reminded to use his words by when he is feeing upset.  (ex: grabbing elbow)

(_3 minutes)

Assessment: (How will you know the students are progressing toward your identified objective?  What will you observe for and/or take notes on to help you plan follow-up instruction?)

I will read Jason’s* sentence structures and observe his behavioral interactions with his tablemates.  We will introduce further stories that are reflective of character emotions in his personal reading tub. 
Jason will have fewer emotional break downs. 






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