Video Blog and Analysis

The video blog I did was on transitions in an elementary classroom. There were three videos, and the main objective of these videos was to show the viewer how to make transitions while checking for comprehension from the students. The way the teacher did this was to give clear directions, and ask the students what is next. For example, the teacher was going over the proper heading on the paper and instead of telling the students what she wanted she asked the students what they thought what needed to be on the paper header. One of the students said the date, and instead of answering with just a 'yes', she said, "Yes, but what is the date?" I thought this was great because she took it to the next level of comprehension. In another video she called on one student to answer the question, and since the student answered correctly, she then announced tat if you are sitting next to that student, he can be a leader and show the other student that they can really rely on him and other classmates, instead of always asking the teacher. The their video reinforced the concept of giving positive reinforcement. The teacher gave praise when a student was following directions. This is crucial to students' success, because at the age, most students want to feel well liked by their teacher. The reason why I chose this topic was because this summer I worked at an overnight summer camp for children with disabilities, and I quickly realized that when we made transitions we needed to give warnings to the campers and the directions given needed to be very clear and precise. after knowing this, I wanted to explore and observe how teachers make transitions in classrooms without stressing out their students.
Lesson Analysis 1: Identify three transitions that were made in the lesson.
Three transitions that were designed to make the lessons run smoother were when the student went back to their tables to work on their assignments. The students were able to work together and ask each other for help if it was needed. In the third video the teacher had the students line up to leave the classroom, and instead of just asking the students to do that, she counted allowing students time to finish their activity and get into line. The third transition I noticed while watching these videos was when the teacher dismissed the students to their tables in groups. She checked for understanding from one student and if the student answered correctly they can be the "table leader" during the activity and dismissed the students table by table. This way an interesting strategy because the teacher now has a chance to talk to a smaller group of students giving them more attention, but allowing freedom to the students. This gives the class a sense of community instead of just having the teacher make all the decisions.
Lesson Analysis 2: Describe the strategies used by the teacher to make transition smoothly.
Strategies the teacher used to make the transitions smoothly was asking questions to the whole group and individual students. The teacher also counted down from a specific number to give the students time and preparation of when the next activity is about to begin. If a student does not complete their work the teacher does not rush them, instead she had the student circle the problem they were working on. The teacher gave positive feedback to students, so every time the teacher waked around the room and looked at their work, it did not necessarily mean they were doing an inadequate job. The teacher often gave positive feedback, which is definitely needed at this age level.
Reflective Task 1: Describe specific actions the teacher could have taken to improve the quality of the transitions within the lesson.
Something the teacher could have improved on was possibly at the beginning of every lesson explain to all the students how the period or lesson is going to run, and what you(the teacher) expects from the students. Telling the students what will happen while they are at that period will make transitions easier. The teacher then has to check for understanding by answering any questions the students may have.
Personal Reflection: Describe how you identify the transitions within a lesson and what strategies you employ to make these transitions effectively.
I believe transitions are most effective when students fully understand what they need to do and what is expected from them. I also believe transitions should be fun and unique, and in order to have the students feel like they have power or choices, the teacher needs to ask them what they think is next. This also boosts students self esteem when they answer correctly and get positive reinforcement from their teacher. When I am making transitions in my classroom I will have timer or bell that goes off 10 minutes, 5 minutes, and 2 minutes before the transitions begins. I will also verbally tell the students. This way there will be a verbal cue and an audio cue. Most importantly, I will always be consistent and keep my classroom well structured. A way to do this is to have a schedule clearly posted in the classroom where all the students can see it.