Group Time Lesson
Many teachers schedule a group time lesson, first thing in the morning, to sing a welcome song and practice the calendar. However, this type of activity is not appropriate for every group or age level of children. There can be many different ways to bring children together for cooperative experiences.
Initial Posting: After viewing the videos regarding group/circle time, evaluate the group/circle time shown in the video Room 16 Circle Time Lessons. Discuss the objectives of the group time, the appropriateness of the activities for the children present, and the success in encouraging language skills.
Response Posting: Suggest ways the group time could have been restructured to address any concerns your peers may have had about the lesson in Room 16.
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POST 1:
Alan Specchio posted Apr 2, 2024 3:40 PM
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Hi all,
In Room 16 Circle Time, it looks like the teacher’s objective was to orient the children to being in school for the day (transitioning them from being at home to now they’re at school) and also to teach them about the days of the week. All the “cons” for group time mentioned in the readings seem to apply to the video. The “cons” mentioned included these:
The teacher becomes the center of attention and the children are not communicating; the children are not interested in what the teacher wants them to be interested in and have difficulty paying attention; children who aren’t succeeding in the group activity are viewed negatively.
As she was sitting in her chair “above” the students, it didn’t appear that she was part of the group. The teachers in the other videos seemed to both lead and participate as they held hands and did what the children were being asked to do. It seemed like she was the center of the attention. Even when the little girl who opened up with the first song wanted to take the stage, it seemed like the teacher tried to keep it.
It was clear that not all of the students were engaged. One of them seemed to be more interested in the camera; another seemed to be afraid to join the group (she was sitting near the wall, away from the rest of the children). It seemed like there was lots of noise and disruption between the 2 activities. It also seemed like the little one who was asked to lead the day of the week song didn’t really understand what he was supposed to do with the stick he was holding and it appeared that the teacher was afraid he might use it inappropriately, given how quickly she grabbed it from him after the song ended. The little girl who led the opening song seemed like she was ready for something more challenging. It appeared like the teacher’s involvement annoyed her and it really looked like she had that leadership role under control and didn’t need any guidance.
I could understand the words to both songs, so if one of the goals was to teach them those 2 songs, it would seem that was accomplished. They did learn words and probably some of the children connected the word for each day of the week with the chart that listed them (which may help with spelling?). I didn’t see any interaction between the children or “group behavior.” The activities could just as easily been done sitting at their desks, so I would say not effective group activities.
Thanks,
Alan
