This week the students were reading a story about Roberto Clemente. He died while trying to get supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. This past summer I went to Costa Rica, which is right below Nicaragua, so I created a PowerPoint that introduced the story and also included some of the pictures I took in Costa Rica. It really got the kids interested in the story, and I think it helped them get an idea of the setting. One student commented on how we went from baseball to Costa Rica. It was an opportunity to discuss personal connection with a story and reader response. I talked about how I could relate to the story because of my trip this past summer. Then, students were just about bursting to talk about their own stories. I love how enthusiastic they are to share with the class; however, they can get out of hand quickly if I don't stay on top of things.
The "chatter" that occurs during discussion is one issue I have been struggling with. The students excitement to share makes them impatient while others are talking. They can also just be flat out rude...whispering to their neighbors and talking out of turn. One strategy my mentor teacher and I have implemented is to take a minute off of their recess time for each minute I have to wait while they get quiet. This seems to be highly effective. All I have to do is glance at the clock, and a student will cry out "She's looking at the clock guys!" After which, the students quiet down almost immediately.
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