Sample of work:  This is an example of a shared reading lesson plan.  It can be used and adapted to any grade level.

Goal(s):  The students will keep a weekly poetry journal. They will learn to appreciate and recognize the types of poetry available.

Teaching/Learning Process

I.                   Introduction

Sell the story

·         Monday and Wednesday mornings, when the kids come in, there will be a new short poem on the board.  The kids will write it out in their poetry journal.

·         I don’t know if I’ll necessarily address any questions.  If there are any words they don’t know, or if it’s a style of poetry they aren’t accustomed to, then I will address that.

Vocabulary Extension

·         If there is a particular rhythm, the kids can clap it out.  They can also dramatize the poems.

·         If there is a vocab word they may not know, I will put it on the vocabulary wall, and also discuss it with them using open dialogue.

II.                Teaching/Learning Activities – Read the Book

Concepts of Print and Language Skills

·         I will introduce writing out the poems as part of the Monday morning routine

·         The concepts of print will be how poems are set up differently.  Handwriting will also be important.

·         As far as language skills, that will also be relating to the set up of the poem.  Different poetry can be read differently.

Culminating Activity

·         For the culminating activity, the students will choose 10 of their favorite poems we have done.  They will recopy them onto paper, decorate the page, and make personal poetry books.

·         Materials needed:  Paper, pens, markers/crayons, binding, possible lamination.

·          The students will, on the last 2 weeks of class, choose their favorites and write and decorate one poem each day for their book during the morning poetry time.  They will assemble the book on the last day of class, using as much time as needed to put any last touches.

III.             Closure – Wrap Up

The students now have a poetry book to take home!

Accommodations:  Some students may need to sit closer to the overhead than others.

Assessment/Evaluation:  Mostly informal.  I will keep on the students progress on their poetry journals throughout the year and grade them on their poetry books at the end of the semester.

Reflection

Becky Ferris is an example of the kind of teacher that I had always wanted as my own, and also the kind of teacher that I would like to be.  She showed by example what it meant to be invested in every student.  She showed very clear examples of different methods of teaching children to read.  She also gave many different types of lesson plans in order to help us find the method that would work best for us.  It was so interesting seeing how phonics and whole language are not the only focus points in reading anymore.  It takes a balance of those along with read alouds, guided reading, shared reading, independent reading, and writing in order for the children to learn best. Besides the microcomputers course, I truly believe this class was the most valuable class that I have taken so far.