Make up post for 4/16

During this week, Ms. Morrow was beginning to work on more life skills, rather than the standardized tests she had been forced to focus on for a long period of time. When I was observing her during this process, I realized that I never thought about these life skills as something that a teacher would have to dedicate time to.

Personally, I always found it to be something you learn as you go through the cycles of life but for these students, they may never be given the opportunity to learn how to fill out various different application forms. 

What I found most interesting about this activity was how Ms. Morrow’s plan in a small span of time. Initially, she was having her group of four students, whom are all on the same or similar reading levels, doing the forms. As she was going over the forms with them she decided to have all of her students fill out these “fake” applications.

One of the biggest objectives of this activity was to see if the students could follow the different directions on different forms and formats asking for the same information.  In an attempt to make them be more independent about it, Ms. Morrow decided to walk away from them and allow them to do it on their own. This decision lasted about 30 seconds, which really shows a lot about her as a teacher and as someone who cares for her students.

In an attempt to make them be independent, she ended up wanting t help them more so that they did not make mistakes.  This was a moment where I got to see how much Ms. Morrow really cares for her students. She kept saying to her students “You’re too used to everyone doing everything for you” and “I’m not going to do it for you.” After every one of these statements she would walk away and eventually come back. One student in particular was taking a long time on his worksheet and she kept directing these statements to him. But once he did finish his work, she cheered and clapped for him, visually showing her excitement for his accomplishment.

I later found out that Ms. Morrow was giving these life skills priority in the classroom because she felt she had already dedicated a sufficient amount of time focusing on what the district wanted to occur in her classroom. She let me know that she felt these standardized testing were not going to help her students in any way, especially considering the various life skills she teaches them. Along with how to fill out applications, she’s given lessons on hygiene, shopping skills, etc.