All things Action Research!

Starting point: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cnaBCWZvcHsoP0tgDN-WVOz2AEYJW1Q4_03IOoEYhxI/edit?usp=sharing 

1st data entry: 4/8/16

I’ve been using some different tones and gathering the students responses to them. It’s hard for me to break out of using more than an instructional tone. I noticed that the volume is also important to the tone. If I say things louder or clearer I think that could help add to the effect my tone is having on my students. During my last lesson for the warm up the students played a round of getting to know you Jenga. They absolutely loved it but it was tough transitioning to using the shell tokens and then to assigning their roles. The students have been struggling with doing their roles and I think it will help if I smoothen the transition to a clear/firm instructional tone right away after their warm ups. I also think making it clearer of what's expected of them for each role will help them. If they have all their tasks in front of them I think that will help them focusing on doing their role.

More Data:

I've been noticing that my body language is very important because even when I use a tone that I have practiced and feel is successful my body language makes a difference. It's also really tough to do much with my body with where I sit with my group. We have a weird table where I'm positioned in a cut out part of it and the students surround me, facing me. Kristy has mentioned moving spots and putting the louder student at the head of the table creating a role for him to lead. 

I've come to a conclusion that it just doesn't work for me to lower the tone of my voice, I struggle with talking a deeper tone. Instead I am really just trying to put energy into focusing on how I say things and having a very clear and loud tone because I'm naturally a quiet person. I get really nervous but want to sound confident and thing speaking louder will help.

One of the students called me "teacher". It was the quieter student, and it was at the end of our lesson. I immediately became concerned about why he would call me this but after thinking about it for days and then having the last lesson plan, in which the other students all said "bye Mandy" at the end of our lesson, I realized that it wasn't necessarily something I did. Because the other students do know my name. So I think it might be something I need to do to better connect with the quieter student. Or perhaps he just doesn't like connecting with adults or authoritative figures, because I've always had that problem and can understand it. None the less it's hard to draw a conclusion, but I think my goal is really just being as empathetic (by using that tone) as possible with the quiet student and trying to connect with him and keep continuing to encourage him to participate and talk in our group.