Host = Kristy Duggan
Guest = Lisa Jarvis
Host - The Teachers College at Emporia State University presents how we teach this. Welcome to how we teach this podcast, where we talk with experts and educators about topics that can help you as an educator, a parent and a person. Today's guest, Lisa Jarvis, is joining us to talk about teaching English language arts with a student centered approach and effective strategies to get students to write fluently. This is one of the Kansas Master Teachers Class of 2019. Thank you for being here.
Lisa - Thank you very much for having me. I really appreciate it. As you mention, my name is Lisa Jarvis, and this is my 14th year teaching over all my 10th year in my current district and my current role, which is teaching English language arts mainly to freshmen, but English one. And then also I have a class for students who are interested in becoming teachers called teaching as a career.
Host - Nice. And I assume you've heard of the future teacher academy that Emporia State sponsors.
Lisa - Yes, Ma'am we actually we've had time to come speak to the students and so I've been in contact with him as well.
Host - We definitely need to remind students that this is a profession that's very rewarding and encourage the next generation to go into it. So that is exciting to hear. I'd like to just kind of start with in your classroom, what is a typical day look like?
Lisa - We have 70 minute class periods. We are on a trimester schedule, so it's a little bit different. Some schools are on a semester, so we basically have three blocks of 12 weeks. And so students who take my class have to take two of the three classes in a year because we do have that 70 minute time period It really allows for me to kind of dive deep, allows me to have different transitions within my classroom. And so there's always some sort of bell work when the students come in and I really try to keep them busy from bell to bell, which is really important as a classroom teacher just to keep them engaged, but also for classroom management. And so there's like a bell work activity and then depending on the day, we usually do some sort of grammar or vocabulary activity that usually is sequential. So things kind of flow based upon either previous units, or previous lessons and kind of build on. And then the bulk of the class is really focused on whatever the unit might be going on at the time, and then with a variety of activities scaffolded within it to help the students learn. And so there's different fiction or nonfiction memoirs. Poetry just kind of depends on what the theme is for that unit.
Host - So you've been a mentor to other teachers. As you look at your classroom and your classroom management, your teaching strategies, you probably don't always mentor other English language arts teachers. What is kind of the first main advice you give to those new to the profession?
Lisa - Well, my first piece of advice is always to take a breath. I think sometimes as a new teacher, you're bombarded with a lot of policies and things that they have to know in addition to being a classroom teacher. And so I think that it's important for them to remember that they're here for the students. And so the quickest they can start making connections with those students really does help in a lot of different facets in the classroom.
Host - You talked about doing a lot of student centered strategies and learning activities. So I was hoping you talked a little bit more about what that means or what does it look like in English language arts class?
Lisa - Well, I try to get the students input in some of their activities, or maybe it's a text that we're reading. In my last several years, I've done a lot better with differentiation. And so really knowing those students levels in the classroom, providing like scaffolded articles that are going to help them be successful, but then also providing that gradual release process where it has that leeway to use. So that way students really can perform on the you before they're asked to do something independently getting their input as well on something as simple as hey I was thinking of having the quiz on Friday. Do you think that that's going to give you enough time to be prepared or where are your thoughts? And so I feel like I do a pretty good job of getting their input and then taking that consideration as I'm doing my planning. I use student choice boards, usually with any final project, always have options, which helps provide engagement as well. And then in like discussion activities. Lately I tried to do a lot more of working on the oral component as well. So getting them to not only read about something, write about something, but then talk about it in an academic standpoint, which I feel like has really kind of pulled everything together.
Host - So would you explain a little bit more by what you mean with the me, we to you, is that correct?
Lisa- Yeah, that is part of the guided release process when teachers are planning a lesson specifically. So for me in a 70 minute class period, I could do it in one day, but it could be something that could be extended upon multiple days. But after you do the activity and knowledge and after you kind of do that teacher instruction piece during the student active participation, which should take up the bulk of your lesson plan. Within that, you really need to have an example of, okay, If I'm going to analyze this text, I need to model for them as a teacher first. And so that's the me parts. The WE part then might be breaking down the text together as a larger group and getting feedback from them, but you're still modeling part of it while you're going through it, you're just having the students join in. Then the two part could be small groups or could be partners that might be working together on part of the text. And then the last part is the you, which is the students that are taking if you're doing a longer text, maybe taking the last section and analyzing it on the phone and you're monitoring and walking around and checking to make sure kids are on track.
Host - Thank you. That was the guided release process, right?
Lisa - Yes.
Host - And you mentioned several other components and parts of the student centered approach to teaching, including the differentiation and. Helping the students be more successful and work towards independence. Any other critical strategies related to that that you implement on a regular basis?
Lisa - I think just in like classroom management in general, having the multiple transitions. I recently attended a seminar that talked about really students attention span at the max. It depends on the age, but at the high school level it might be 17 minutes. And so it's really important that you have, let's say if I'm asking them to analyze the texts that I set my timer and that I'm being conscientious about the time that's in the class, and then maybe it takes 20 minutes, but then I pull them back together or they have a short discussion about what they read or what they analyze. Or maybe I want to make sure to point out a few components and then redirect them and send them back again for another 17 minutes. And so that way you're not just having them work for a bulk of 40 minutes because their attention span can not literally last that long. So that's just one thing that I use timers a lot, having the high expectations with the kids, as I mentioned before having choice school boards, even as simple as like vocabulary activities where they're getting to choose based upon criteria that you set as the teacher, a way for them to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding and being able to be flexible as a teacher as well is really important.
Host - Awesome I think you've also talked about maybe other times on the themed units that you do, and I was hoping you would tell us a little bit more about some of the major projects that you do with your students. Do you have any that kind of bring in other curriculum or that give them some authentic learning environments?
Lisa - Yeah, absolutely. The first kind of bigger unit that I do in my class revolves around conformity and when is it appropriate to conform and then when is it appropriate to use your voice to vocalize your opinion if you disagree with the expectations that are being set forth in front of you? And so within this unit, we read some fiction and some nonfiction texts. One of the fictional texts that I have them read is Harrison Bergeron, which is like a dystopian science fiction piece. And so then for the final project, put them into groups and have them kind of brainstorm other societal problems in the world. And what would a dystopian society look like? From there, they kind of create a fictional story. They don't actually write the entire story. They write usually it's like the climax, or it's like an epilog to where they're going to tell me the story through a podcast. Actually, I teach them how to use the software, but I found a free version online that they can upload on their Chromebooks. I provide a sound website so they can drop in music and sound into their podcast. The students usually tell me that's probably one of their favorite projects that they get to do towards the end. And I also have a unit kind of revolve around project based learning where they get to choose the central question whether that question might be how do I make an impact on my community? How do I use my voice to create change, or why is it important to use my voice? And so the students get to investigate their own need in the community and they have to define what is that community? Does that mean school community? Does it mean town community? What does that look like? And so then I actually take them through a multistep process of brainstorming, researching, using the State Library database to help them provide their project with some credible articles. And then they also have to make a community connection with someone in the Council Grove area, and then they go through and eventually they create like a survey, they collect some data, they have to create a public work. If they were to fulfill this project, how would we advertise it to the public? It is definitely very student driven. I set up the pacing and the guidelines and expectations per day, but they really get to choose something that interests them and it keeps them engaged and moving forward. And so then the students also present their projects to the class and they have to let us know whether it was more of a feasibility study. Could this project actually take place, do any more work where we add on it and then some students are able to fulfill their whole project? We've had students raise money for their local care and share for the General Transportation Agency that the town provides services for the elderly. So they raised funds for that and donated. Then there was an article in the newspaper about them. I had a group who created COVID packages for the local nursing home during COVID, and they pulled in help from another club in the school and an elementary class helped draw pictures to put into the COVID care packages. So they really have kind of owns their learning and it's really fun to see the impact that they make or that they're able to provide to the community based upon something that they selected in English class.
Host - That is so cool. I love authentic, real world situations. Allow the students to get that buy in and really make an impact. That's cool. I know you've also talked about argumentative writing student choice novels. You do a lot with vocabulary and grammar. What are some of those lessons or strategies look like
Lisa - For the argumentative writing it's really one of the first major writing pieces that they experience at the high school level. That is a major focus in the B section or the. The second section of the class as a school. We follow the acronym RANGES, which stands for Restate, Answer, Give Evidence, Explain and then Summarize. That is a strategy that we actually have taught school wide to them. Then I'm able to incorporate those letters in that acronym in my outline. When they go to write their argumentative essay, they get to choose the topic again. I help them filter and use information on the State Library database, how to find credible articles on the Internet. And so then we work on how do I expand my writing away, use that effectively kind of throughout the year. They're introduced to some vocabulary and they're introduced to rhetoric and syntax and semantics. So they understand that diction, word choice makes an impact as they're writing. I feel like it kind of all ties together at the end with the different pieces that we go through and also use like a color coded outline, which really helps them. See the differences between the religious components when it is put together in a paper, if they're lacking in a certain area. It also helps me direct and say, Hey, your explanations, the blue colored sentences. Now let's look at what we can do to expand this. What are more of your thoughts? What's another example that you can add in here to support the evidence that you found to justify your reasoning that kind of ties in all of those components together in regards to the vocabulary, been learning a lot to my literacy leader Cordray That's really breaking down the words with morphology and helping students make connections with the roots and the prefixes and the affixes. And looking at related words, I actually have students once I go through and model how to do this, they actually do research on a vocab word and they break those components down and then they present that to the class. And then usually I have about four students do that weekly. And then those are kind of our focus vocab words for the week that we go through and work on integrating into our writing that we're doing that week or other activities that we might do for about work or exit tickets or things like that.
Host - Did I understand correctly with the literacy leader cadre you're actually having the students teaching their peers the concepts of the grammar and the vocabulary.
Lisa - That is something that I've chosen to do. So the literacy leader today is a group of teachers that is attending a seminar through GREENBURGH, which is an education service center. I'm on a team of teachers from our district to go up there, really as we are there. We are learning about the science of reading and the importance and the research behind what are the best ways to help students learn. Then we learn different strategies because there are different literacy components and one of those is vocabulary, but also morphology and syntax, thinking about some of those different components. That's kind of how I decided I wanted to integrate at least the vocabulary piece into my classroom is having the students learn and then teach the class the different routes I've been amazed over time just how much better they are at identifying and figuring out those. And so the ultimate goal is when they're reading on their own, if they come across a popular word that has a similar route or Hey, I know that this word is an adjective because of the suffix that it is, is just going to help them overall with their reading comprehension.
Host - My background is more in the social studies and the science and technology realm. But as I'm listening to you, all of the subject areas, they teach vocabulary.
Lisa - Yes.
Host - It's kind of a universal thing that all classroom teachers need their students to be better at is understanding vocabulary of new terms. So I could see this strategy working in other content areas as well. I would love to hear a little more information about how that might be applicable in other ways.
Lisa - Well, I think that depending on the subject area, if you are working with a particular group, let's say. Graff, you know, and you're asking kids that. GRAFF means right now let's brainstorm. What are some other words that we see or hear in our everyday lives and pulling in what they already know and then maybe introducing a couple of new words or something that maybe they haven't thought of, and then being able to apply that to whatever content area that they're getting ready to read about. We have one of our individuals is a chemistry teacher who is on our team. It's always good to have a conversation with other experts in other content areas because then we can kind of bounce ideas off of each other too, in regards to what would be effective for this group of kids in this area. You're absolutely right. As we attend these sessions. Yes, it's about reading. But ultimately, if we can increase the kids vocabulary, we can help increase their comprehension, which will help them in a multitude of areas. And not just English language arts.
Host - Very true. Very true. You've also talked a little bit about the student choice novels. I wondered if you could give me a little bit more information on what you're thinking of when you've you mentioned that
Lisa - Instead of doing a whole class novel. I chose to kind of approach it more of like book clubs in a way. Beginning of the year, I work with my librarian in selecting a variety of books, actually, that are relatable to a unit that I cover. Doesn't necessarily have to be the same first unit, but it has to have some sort of content that they can make a connection to by the end of the try. We do like a book tasting and I have the students fill out a survey. Then I group them based upon their interests. The best that I can buy, incorporate some reading time into their read might be one day, might be two days, but then always on Fridays they get to come together and discuss and talk about their group or their books sometimes depending on what I've asked them to do. They might have questions prepared ahead of time, or maybe I ask them to reflect on significant, more opinionated questions. What stood out to you and why? Or, Hey, we've been talking about rhetoric. We find a paragraph in your text that shows the style that the author's using in this piece. It really kind of just depends on the week. But I also have students plan out their own schedules. So at the beginning I say here, get eight weeks to read your book. You guys have to decide how much are you reading each week and where? What is your goal? So try to provide them with some incentive and accountability and to create those social norms, I guess, that you establish when you work with other people.
Host - Awesome the soft skills. You've been teaching for a while. I really have to ask, what has inspired you to become a teacher and what keeps you in the classroom coming back every day?
Lisa - I actually didn't even start out in teaching. I in a way I did. I went to community college first and I remember my dad telling me, he said, I think that you're going to be an English teacher and a coach. And I was like, okay, maybe, but I kind of went a different direction and I went into recreation and sport management got a degree and that's. Went out to try and find a job, went to grad school, and while I was in grad school, I kind of geared toward the education role. I started substitute teaching coaching. Then I was like, You know what? I really do love teaching and this is really what I want to do and kind of came full circle. So I got a chance to tell my dad that, you know, a couple of years ago that, hey, dad, you were right. And I mean, I had a lot of great teachers along the way and a lot of them that might impact me as a student and wanting to have that drive to continue learning. And I think really it wasn't necessarily one teacher, but it was my love for learning and love, to help other kids see the value in education and how it can be applicable to their lives. That really kind of keeps me motivated in moving forward.
Host - That's great. I would love to have been a fly on the wall listening to that conversation when you had to tell your dad. And remember that you were right.
Lisa - Just, you know a few credit hours later. No big deal
Host - Hey at least the higher education helps you get paid better as a teacher, right?
Lisa - Yes, that's right.
Host - Do you have any other advice for other teachers? Any other observations, things that you've noticed that would be helpful and in this post-pandemic world that we're in with teaching in the classroom?
Lisa - Well, I would say that. It really does come down to the relationships and the trust that you build with your students in the classroom. It just helps on a lot of different levels. And yes, there's always going to be new initiatives and there's always going to be requirements that the state says that you need to include. But you also have your teaching crew, your teaching policy that will help you support you in those areas. But when it comes to your classroom, ultimately you're getting to choose how you want to make an impact with those students. And so finding that common bit of information that you can, talking about their game the night before or the place that they were in there really does mean a lot to the students and you'll see them respond in a lot more positive light, I think, on activities or assignments that normally maybe they wouldn't want to do.
Host - Those connections and relationships?
Lisa - Yes.
Host - We will put a link on our Web site for the listening audience to the presentation that you've done about the project based learning at the Keating conference. And you also had mention about the six word memoir, and we didn't get to talking specifically, and you're going to put a link there for that project as well.
Lisa- So the six word memoir project was something that I had come up with when I was teaching a seventh grade creative writing class. And so what I was really trying to get them to do was try to think and be creative and think from the perspective of a character. We read a short story and they got to choose which character they wanted to write from. I went online and had found the six word memoirs organization and my students had done such a great job with their projects that I submitted some of their writing and final projects to the organization. And so I was able they loved it as well. And so they interviewed me to give a little bit more information about it and then publish some of the works. The students went through the writing process where they had to come up with character traits and then kind of narrowed down those character traits. And then they had to tell their story using those six words. Only the six words didn't necessarily have to make grammatical sense, I guess you could say, but they needed to tell the message of the character. And then the final part was I had them find a visual image that would also represent that character in that moment and kind of put it in a Google slide PDFs. Like eight and a half by 11. That is something that can be used with any short story necessarily or maybe a longer. You could use it with a character in a novel. You could do it with if you are a social science teacher and you're learning about a certain person in history. You could have the traits apply from that component. And so there's a lot of different ways that you can go through and do this project. So if you're interested, you should go to that website because it does have a lot of cool information from the teacher's perspective, too. What are some other ways that I could maybe integrate this in the classroom?
Host - Great. We will have a link on our Website to that. We also have your social media information for those that like to connect with you there. Thank you so much for your time.
Lisa - Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.
Host - Have a good night. We hope you've enjoyed this episode and we'll subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. This podcast has been brought to you by the Teachers College at Emporia State University, featuring talks with experts and educators, addressing topics that can help you as an educator, a parent and a person. We release new episodes every other Wednesday. You can get more information provided by our guests on our website, www.emporia.edu/hwtt. We would appreciate it if you could help us spread the word about the podcast. You can follow us and share on Twitter with @HW. You can find us on Facebook. Just search for how we teach this. If you would like to be a guest on our show or are willing to give us some feedback, please send us an email at h w t t at Emporia dot edu. I'm Kristy Duggan the executive producer. You've been listening to how we teach this. Thank you.