OK, Teach...It's Time To Focus

This blog serves as a research tool, a place to post possible lesson ideas, and as an overall friend when I need one. That may sound a little sad, but as I begin my infamous third shift tonight, I need someone to collaborate with.....

That being said, I must focus tonight on looking at what standards my students need help with from the results of the unit pre-test.

The results are as follows:
 
RI.6.1

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

ELACC6RL2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

ELACC6RL3: Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves towards a resolution.

ELACC6RL4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

ELACC6L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

ELACC6L5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings

Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words.

c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).

 Overall, all three of my classes had similiar strengths and weaknesses.

Class averages:

Advanced Class- 69.58 %
Highest grade- 77% -- made by three students
Lowest grade- 52%
Median- 73%
mode- 73%

Lower Level Class- 47%
Highest grade- 70%
Lowest Grade- 25%
Median- 45%
Mode- 57%

Middle Level Class- 61.96%
Highest Grade- 82%
Lowest Grade- 43%
Median- 64%
Mode- 64%

The students were tested on all previous standards covered as well as all upcoming standards that will be covered throughout the rest of the semester.

I will use this test again as the post test, so that I can gauge their progress.

All three classes did well on the pronoun questions, and most of the textual evidence questions, which I am happy about.

Now, we need to focus on the other standards listed above. All three classes struggled on these standards.

We will cover them through the use of the book, Out of the Dust, poetry, and word/vocabulary games. Analogies could be a ton of fun.

 I did use a pre-test during my student teaching and it really helped me to focus. I am so glad that I did this because now I know where to go with my instruction. Actually, it quite a stress reducer.


Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have.
Ed Bradley
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