Week 2: 2/12/15

Your CT in Action
Class Observed: Period 7 (1:10-2:40pm)
Time
1:10

1:11-1:15

1:16

1:18-1:20

Teacher
Communication/Action
Good afternoon; I hope
all of you are doing well.

Observed Student
Behavior
Students respond: Good
afternoon.

- Discusses the papers hes

handing back: Overall, all
things considered, you did
well. I think the novel got
lost sometimes, and in an
essay this short, you really
need to keep the novel at
the forefront. Secondly,
some of you forgot textual
evidence. However, all
were unique in voice and
approach.
- Youll see two grades.
The first is the average
leading up to the paper.
The second is your grade
on the paper. Then youll
see a circled grade, which
is the average of those two
grades. This is your final
grade.
- Transitions to discussing - Scattered laughter
the mock AP exam:
throughout the
Regarding the mock test, classroom.
there were 3 questions I
saw about literary devices,
so Im so sorry. And there
was 1 question on Roman
numerals. AP continues
to mock me.
Reviews some terms (e.g.,
literary devices) with
students to prepare for
todays in-class work:

My
Comments/Questions
Class responds to him
immediatelyhe
hardly has to try to get
their attention.
- Mr. Holman provides
a nice mixture of
positive and negative
feedback. He focuses
on what needs work
without sounding harsh
or critical.

- I like how he includes

both process and
product in the final
grade. Ive always
debated how to include
the both fairly, and I
like this way.
- Mr. Holman doesnt
usually teach a lot of
terminology because
there are usually so few
questions that require
students to know it.
Hes willing to admit
that perhaps he was
slightly misguided.

1:21

1:24

1:25

- I suggest you write

these down, because
sometime soon well have
a quiz over them.
- He summarizes some
terms and asks students to
define others.

- Students immediately
grab their writing utensils
and journals (if they
werent already out).
- Students respond to
questions as a class,
defining the terms when
prompted.

- Apostrophe is where the

speaker of the poem is
speaking to someone or
something that isnt really
there. He tells students
theyll definitely need this
one for todays poem
(When You Are Old).
Briefly returns to the mock
exam: Now, going back
to the mock exam and [the
issue of] rewrites: Some of
you left blank essays. You
cant really rewrite that.
Whatre you going to do?
Turn in another blank
page? Thats an
improvement. I cant even
help you because theres
nothing we can have a
conference over. Some of
you will be going on to
college where you might
have to write in-class
essays, and Ive given you
the tools you need to do
well, but you need to use
the tools.
Mr. Holman briefly
reviews the titles of the
poems students have
already discussed.
Mr. Holman tells them
what to work on:
- Take out a piece of
paper and write down
what you see (imagery)

- Students look at board

as he points and take
notes.

- The students respond

well to him without a
lot of guidance.
- Students already
know a lot of these
terms, so it works well
to review as a class
instead of lecture.

A moment of
seriousness not often
seen in Mr. Holman.
His comments are
mixed with some
sarcasm, but, in spite of
the words, it doesnt
come across as
mockinghe definitely
has a good relationship
with the students. Hes
making them realize the
seriousness of the
situation by connecting
it to their future lives,
and he does it without
bashing them.

Students get into preassigned groups to

discuss When You Are
Old.
- These directions
reinforce that he always
wants students to
annotate as they read
and connect the poems

1:24-1:40

1:39-1:50

when you read it. Do the

same with figurative
language. Then have a
discussion in your groups
on how the images and
figurative language further
this (points to board)
meaning: Expresses his
unrequited love for a
woman who has rejected
his love several times. He
invites her to cast her
mind forward to a time
when she is old and
gray.
- As students work in
groups, Mr. Holman does
a variety of things:
sometimes he stands at his
podium and listens,
sometimes he circulates
and monitors, and
sometimes he sits at his
desk and works (he told
me he likes to let the
students work without
them feeling like hes
hovering all the time).
- When one groups
somewhat off-topic
conversation becomes
louder and somewhat
distracting, Mr. Holman
comes to the podium and
stands looking at the group
(2-3 ft. away) and
smirking until they notice
his presence (takes less
than a minute).
- He gives groups a 2minute warning to finish.
Mr. Holman walks
through the poem with the
students:
- So, if I told you a small
biography about Yeats.

to the terms theyre

learningan ongoing
process/procedure.
- Mr. Holman gives
them a meaning to
work toward (guidance)
as they practice
identifying imagery and
figurative language.
Very good scaffolding.

- Students discuss the

poem in their groups.
Some of the groups are
actively working, while
others are having offtopic conversations.

- It takes so little to
redirect these
students. Its
amazing to watch.

- Scattered laughter and

groans of pain after this

He spent most of his life in

love with a woman, an
actress, Gonne, but it was
an unrequited love, and
she rejected his offer of
marriage several times, but
they remained friends for
the rest of his life.
- Reads the poem aloud.
- Okay, talk to me about
imagery, figurative
language, and/or contrast.
- As students comment,
Mr. Holman extends the
discussion (explaining or
addressing areas of
confusion as needed) or
verbally rewards good
thinking: Okay, good,
What else? Yes, very
good, etc.

1:50

1:53

comment.

- At this point, the

students guide most of
the discussion.

I like that the

discussion is so
student-centered. They
get to practice
identifying poetic
conventions and highlevel thinking in a lowstakes environment.
Mr. Holman does this a
lot, which shows just
how much he values
student learning.
- Mr. Holman reads an
- Some students disagree, - Students are allowed
excerpt from a critic that
believing the poem
to agree or disagree
sheds a bitter judgment by focuses more on the topic with critics and/or
Yeats on the poem (and
of love.
Holman as long as they
not just the topic of love).
can support their
interpretation with
evidence.
- Comments
- Scattered laughter.
- I love that Mr.
on/summarizes critic:
Holman infuses a lot of
While her career is
his lessons with humor.
declining, his is soaring.
It makes it fun and
Oooh, burn.
interesting.
Concludes the discussion
He effectively connects
on this poem: Is this
the lesson to the
something you could find
students lives. Even
on the AP test? Yes. While
though its not
it may not be enough for
necessarily a fun
an essay, theres certainly
connection, its relevant
enough for a multiple
to where they are in
choice question.
their academic lives.