Takeaways for me: Storytelling, Use class time effectively, and never ask Ss to do what you can’t. I did a ton of storytelling this week and it has proven effective. I’ve even been able to get the students to tell their own stories and relate back to the text we are reading. I am usually so focused on getting through the lesson that I don’t allow for tangents like storytelling. But I realize I may be too much of the other extreme in my classes. I’m trying so hard to keep the students “learning” and my teacher talk time down that I am not giving the Ss mental breaks to digest their learning. In terms of realistic ‘asks’ I need to do a better job of this although sometimes my students have better talents than I do. Sometimes I like to throw in a unique task and see what they do with it. If they struggle, I always have a plan B.
