3a:Communicating with Students

Teachers communicate with students for several independent, but related, purposes. First, they convey that teaching and learning are purposeful activities; they make that purpose clear to students. They also provide clear directions for classroom activities so that students know what to do; when additional help is appropriate, teachers model these activities. When teachers present concepts and information, they make those presentations with accuracy, clarity, and imagination, using precise, academic language; where amplification is important to the lesson, skilled teachers embellish their explanations with analogies or metaphors, linking them to students’ interests and prior knowledge. Teachers occasionally withhold information from students (for example, in an inquiry science lesson) to encourage them to think on their own, but what information they do convey is accurate and reflects deep understanding of the content. And teachers’ use of language is vivid, rich, and error free, affording the opportunity for students to hear language used well and to extend their own vocabularies. Teachers present complex concepts in ways that provide scaffolding and access to students. 

Danielson, C. 2013

Artifact 3a-1

Get to know you Poster: I effectively communicate with my students as seen with this get to know you poster. For my early field practicum I used this poster to help my students get to know me so they would feel comfortable talking with me. This helped there be open communication between me and my students. During this time I was also able to communicate what my expectations and rules were for them as their teacher. In this way I helped there be open communication between me and my students so they understood my expectations and I got to know my students better. 

Artifact 3a-2

Author's Purpose Lesson: In this lesson I communicated clearly with my students through my slideshow and asking effective questions. I used students' prior knowledge to explain three different purposes the author might have. I provided clear directions for the activity of reading a text and deciding what the author's purpose was. When a student was unsure of which category the author was going for I modeled what questions the student could ask themselves. In this way I encouraged students to think on their own and offered scaffolding when needed. 

Artifact 3a-3

Observation from Literacy Practicum: In this observation I got a three in communication. I communicated clearly and concisely with my students and my instructions were clear for the activities so the students understood what to do. I also listened to what questions the students had so I could guide them in their learning.  I also used rich vocabulary which allowed students to expand their vocabulary and learn more about the concepts we were focusing on.