Artifacts and Characteristics of the Novice Teacher #4

For Characteristic 4 of the Novice Teacher, facilitator for all learners, I chose to use a lesson I created based on my students' DIBEL scores. We did a small reader and worked with word families. The students were broken up into four groups: two medium, one high, and one low. To start off the book, we only looked at the pictures. I covered up all of the words and asked students to tell me what was happening in each picture. When it came time to read the book, I made adjustments based on the group I was working with. In my low group, I read the page first. Then, students were asked to echo me. Next, I asked students to read the page back to me. We continued to do this throughout the book. Finally, students read the book to me individually. In my medium groups, we read the book together. Students were also asked to read a page back to me. Then, students were asked to read the page back to me. I then asked students to read the book to me individually. In my high group, one student read each page. Then, the students echo read the page. I also called on other students to read the page individually. Finally, I had the students read the book individually to me. The variations in the way I approached this lesson, worked very well for each group. I did not have any problems and almost every single student was able to read the book to me individually. There were a few students who needed some help in my low group, but they were not serious issues. This lesson also allowed me to get to know my students on a more individual level because I usually do not work with them on reading. I was able to identify their individual abilities and their needs.

Susan-Do you think there is something else I could have done in the groups that would have worked better? Is there anything you learned in your SPED classes that would be more effective?