Chapter 5 - Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group

Chapter 5 was a large conglomeration of thoughts and ideas that at first seem to have no common thread, but as you continue reading the threads come together. The authors introduces concepts involving participation, achievement levels, group work, as well as individual progress. In the short time I have been in the classroom as part of practicum I have seen the students described as the eye-roller, wallflower, hand-waver and dreamer. The section regarding group work was important as was the close of the chapter outlining standards for individuals. By following the guidelines for spelling out the assignment, examples of work at different levels, rubric to assess the work, revision. All of these principles combined will lead to a successful classroom that will provide the best opportunity for student success.

One of the important factors mentioned in this chapter was group work and ensuring that all groups are equally represented and engaged. This becomes especially more difficult when considering the multitude of subject areas that students will be placed in during their school years. Trying to ensure that all groups are equally challenged during our individual subject areas is especially daunting when we are just now developing lesson plans. The opportunity to plan out lessons and additionally face the challenge of ensuring that we are reaching all of the students is a daunting task. One that I think many seasoned teachers still struggle with as they get further and further away from learning and spend more time with students teaching the same material year after year.