Field Observation #1 - Domain #3

TC NAME:  Sheila Lowe

RICA Domain 3:  Fluency

RICA Competency 1:  Fluency:  Instruction and Assessment

Grade Level:  4th grade

An Additional Descriptors: This project took the class a week to complete.  From my tutoring teacher, Mrs. Wickman.

INSTRUCTION:

I observed my tutoring teacher, Mrs. Wickman, engaging and motivating her students to be involved in their own reading.  This was done in a type of “readers’ workshop” method.  She read enthusiastically with them in small groups the story of Akiak from their California Reading books, which was about a lead snow dog and the Iditarod race.    The students followed along in their textbooks and took turns reading the story together.  Once the reading was complete the teacher guided them in discussion about the story. 

The students were then given a graphic organizer to fill in about the story.  It asked the students for the following information:  theme, title of the story, genre and definition, strategy focus, comprehension skill.  There was also space for the students to write in vocabulary words and next to the words space to write the definition and another space to draw a picture of the word.

After the students completed the graphic organizer they were then given an Akiak picture frame to complete as a book report.  There were four questions the students were to answer. The questions included the following:

1.  What qualities make Akiak such a good lead dog?

2.  What are some questions you still have about the story?

3.  How do different characters in the story view the Iditarod race?

4.  According to the Iditarod rules, once a dog drops out of the race it cannot re-enter it.  Share your views on the importance and fairness of this rule.

When students completed answering the questions on the picture frame they were then instructed to color the worksheet.  The teacher looked over the answers and when they were completed the students were then allowed to hang their completed report on the display wall.

INSTRUCTIONAL SETTING:

This classroom setting has lots of windows so there is not much space for displaying student work or additional supports. She does have one wall where she has students display their work based on the literacy lessons that have been completed.  The completed Akiak picture frames and graphic organizers are displayed on this wall. There is another wall above the computers where she has displayed the literacy lesson that they are working on. This includes the theme, title of the story they are working on, the genre that is being talked about and a definition of what that genre means.  This supports the students learning and helps them get organized when reading the story for the week.