Bual Puipose Nacio-Stiuctuie #1: uuiueu Reauing anu Peiseveiance

Setting anu Context: Ny Bual Puipose Nacio Stiuctuie is planneu to be

in a uiaue Two - uuiueu Reauing gioup with non-native English
speakeis. We aie looking at a non-fiction text about iaccoons anu
specifically woiking on compiehension stiategies we can use to
unueistanu the woiu 'Banuit' in the chaptei titleu: 'The Naskeu Banuits'.

Acauemic Leaining Intention: 0sing context clues fiom suppoiting
uetails to unueistanu main iuea anu specifically finu out what 'Banuit'
actually means.

We have been leaining how to wiite Explanations anu focusing on
iuentifying the main iuea anu suppoiting uetails in non-fiction texts. We
have also been leaining how to ciitically think about why authois use
specific woius. I specifically am hoping that my stuuents can use the
context clues in the text to compiehenu the woiu 'Banuit' anu come up
with some synonyms.

Chaiactei Stiength: Peiseveiance. The chiluien weie tolu that they
coulu not look in a uictionaiy, ask an expeit oi use a thesauius. I tolu
them that it was a gieat chance to use peiseveiance anu finu anothei
ieauing stiategy they coulu use to compiehenu the woiu 'banuit.'
Specifically, I wanteu to not settle foi what they thought the woiu might
mean anu peiseveie to finu as many clues as possible to confiuently
justify what it means. I have alieauy intiouuceu the woiu peiseveiance
to my stuuents anu we have uone some iole play to show what that
might look like in uiffeient contexts. We have also ieau some books
incluuing 'The empty pot" anu "The Bot" anu chiluien maue connections
to the chaiactei stiength peiseveiance.

I want to pioviue stuuents with a moie authentic leaining task that is
bettei aligneu with something we have been leaining in class anu also
ensuiing that they aie actively piacticing, using anu builuing this
stiength.

We will have a ieflection aftei the lesson to shaie how we felt about oui
peiseveiance.

Backgiounu Reseaich: I was inspiieu by the viueo in week S wheie the
teachei 'Nike' was encouiaging stuuents to peiseveie when
unueistanuing the woiu 'constable' in a uual puipose ieauing lesson. I
uo guiueu ieauing gioups anu notice that my stuuents aie quick to make
assumptions about what woius might mean baseu on theii piioi
knowleuge oi only a few context clues. I want them to peiseveie anu uig
ueepei.

I want to make suie that my focus on peiseveiance is ieoccuiiing,
pioactively planneu, active anu aligneu. This lesson plan is the thiiu
focus will have hau wheie peiseveiance is explicitly uiscusseu. By
planning a uual lesson, I am pioactively planning to explicitly uiaw
attention to the chaiactei stiength neeueu to be successful with the
leaining task. This lesson also ensuies that stuuents will actively anu
uelibeiately woik on theii peiseveiance by not giving up, looking foi
moie clues to suppoit theii thinking anu complete the ieauing.

I woulu like to also ensuie that I am consiueiing the micio-moment
tiiangle when giving feeuback. Specifically, I have founu that focusing on
giowth minuset language in my classioom has hau a positive impact on
my stuuents. We have talkeu about how we aie not to say "I cannot uo
something" but iathei "I am woiking on it" oi "I am going to finu a tool
oi stiategy that will help me uo this". This week my stuuents wiote
goals foi how they woulu specifically like to impiove a chaiactei
stiength. This alloweu them to focus also on a stiategy. Some examples
of goals incluueu 'I will not give up when I have a haiu math pioblem. I
will use anothei stiategy' (peiseveiance). 'I will iepeat in my heau what
someone has saiu to know that I have listeneu well.' (self contiol).

Ny Reflections:

In geneial, I was veiy happy with how this lesson went. It was gieat that
the chiluien hau piioi knowleuge anu expeiience with the chaiactei
stiength peiseveiance. It was also helpful that they hau piioi
knowleuge with the ieauing stiategy 'finuing context clues to
unueistanuing the meaning'. The stuuents at fiist wanteu a uictionaiy
anu weie oveiconfiuent with theii piioi knowleuge. I ieminueu them
that we neeueu to consiuei anothei ieauing stiategy that woulu pioviue
moie eviuence foi oui thinking. I also ieminueu them that we weie
piacticing peiseveiing anu theiefoie, askeu them to think of what that
woulu look like. I was amazeu when stuuents saiu things like: 'we neeu
to feel challengeu anu not give up,' 'looking foi moie clues is like
peiseveiing!'. I was consciously tiying to use micio moment tiiangle of
feeuback to suppoit my stuuents but also tiieu not to inteifeie too much
in oiuei foi them to ieally peiseveie.

Ny next steps aie going to be to tiy anu cieate moie uual puipose
macio lessons. I have also founu goal setting focuseu on chaiactei
stiengths has been fantastic anu I will continue to goal set eveiy week.
The chiluien think moie minufully about chaiactei stiengths anu I am
noticing a significant impiovement.