Student-centered classroom:
customizing for student needs
By Denise Roth
Middle School Language Arts and Creative Writing Teacher
Grades 6-8
Highland Middle School, Riverside, Iowa
How do we meet social-emotional, learning and literacy needs now? What do you use?
DAY 1: 5 paragraph essay -- “Three things I should know about you”
This type of writing helps students with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) deficits, ACEs (affective childhood events) and poverty situations have a VOICE!
Doing this on the first or second day of school helps establish a positive learning environment and build a classroom family.
CERs (Claim Evidence Reasoning)
CERs are used across curriculum, but especially in science and social studies. In 8th LIteracy, we use it initially to assess theme (RL82) and central idea (.RI8.2) By using a CER format, we can assess students’ writing (W84). For our CERs, we give students a choice of material to read for their CER. This it just one example.
Article of the Week
This lends itself well to CER work, argumentative/persuasive, delineating an argument, etc. writing. This lends itself well to CER work, argumentative/persuasive, delineating an argument, etc. writing. It is posted on Google Classroom. Timely, constructive feedback is essential, as well as workshopping and revision opportunities.
Use of narrative writing
Narrative writing allows students to write about one aspect in their life that changed them. Through this writing, they explore character development, dialogue, theme, and plot.
Upon reflection, we get to see a glimpse of their life. This writing shows students that we value them and want to connect to them. Narrative writing helps students with ACEs, SEL, have a voice.
Pear Deck
Pear Deck is an interactive presentation tool used to actively engage students in individual and social learning. Teachers create presentations using their Google Drive account.
This tool allows all students to interact with the text -- event the quiet ones. When student responses are displayed on the screen, their names do not show.
Visit http://bit.ly/2IdQNR0
Station Work
From Matthew Mason’s “The Benefits of Station Teaching.”
The first potential hurdle to overcome is a lack of student engagement. This can be due to disinterest in the topic, lack of confidence or lack of understanding of the material being presented. It is vital that teachers plan activities with a layered, scaffolded approach so that all students feel comfortable and driven to engage in what is happening.
Google Docs
Feedback needs to be timely, positive and helpful.
●Non-fiction articles on a variety of topics
●Student choice
●Equality- Students can read the same articles at various Lexile Levels
●Discussions and Collaboration, Socratic circles, Scaffolding towards proficiency
Actively Learn (short stories)
Actively Learn resources
Short Story Lit Circles
Short stories are used for the initial lit circles.
We have fun in “Poetober,” when spend our time reading some pretty spooky stuff. This really engages students - and motivates them to read.
These task cards have the following categories: Connect, Visualize, Infer, Transform, Character, Setting, Plot and Language. In each category are four choices. We use these for the lit circle presentations, discussions, and presentations.
Other examples of student-centered learning:
Hopefully, this makes a little more sense now!
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!!
Denise Roth: droth2007@gmail.com
Please check out my website for resources: https://deniseroth.org/