Amanda Durdan Journal

Module 1: Junior Age Students Double Journal

What I know about the junior age student They are in grades 4-6. They are transitioning from concrete to more abstract concepts. They greatly benefit from real world examples to help bridge this gap. There is a wide range of ability levels and maturity levels. They need a lot of support to develop a positive outlook on school and to help them to feel comfortable taking risks. They need a lot of hands-on activities, and creative lessons that are well structured.

What I have learned about the junior aged student Shifting from concrete to more abstract learning profiles. Teachers need to teach these particular skill sets. Need for safe environment because this will be a difficult change for many of them and they need a place to feel safe making mistakes. Need for choice and excitement in activities. Need to be interested in what they are doing. Zone of Proximal Development- Need to support them and to get them into the zone where they are able to complete a task independently with some struggle. This is where the learning will take place. Beginning to be more self-aware and to understand the role that they play in social groups. Need to take into account childs history/identity/world views when creating assignments. Starting to become more independent/ less need for nurture and want to try things on their own. Starting to want to have a say. Early stages of puberty Girls see these changes earlier than boys. Junior learners are becoming more aware of their clothing and fitting in with a group. Junior learners are becoming more concerned about body image (especially girls) and are comparing themselves with other. Starting to

Amanda Durdan Journal

get taller, slender, and more athletic. Information from further modules: Junior learners come in all different forms and teachers need to be aware and knowledgeable of different beliefs, values and cultures within the school community. One of the best ways to learn is through the student and their family. Junior classrooms need to be organized in groups for optimal learning experiences and should be easily converted to suit the needs of the activity. There should be a quiet area for students who need less stimulus or a quiet work space and manipulatives and books should be easily accessible and organized so that students do not need support in getting them out or putting them away. Junior learners benefit from activities that develop character. Junior learners need shared reading experiences so that they can learn proper techniques for reading and comprehension. Learning experiences should be grouped by the Big Ideas of the curriculum so that Junior learners are provided with multiple learning activities and cross curricular assignments. Technology is very important to Junior learners who are growing up in a technological age. Teaching proper use and researching will only serve to benefit them in the future, and can help to keep them engaged in a lesson. Units should be created through backwards design so that we can first

Amanda Durdan Journal

state what we want the Junior learners to know, and then decide how we will get them to that point. Junior learners benefit from culminating activities that are cross curricular, provide options, and allow them to demonstrate their learning in interactive ways. Junior learners need formative assessment throughout a unit in order to see where they can improve, to grow as learners and to understand the next steps. Junior learners benefit greatly from graphic organizers so that they can see the organization of an idea and watch it grow into an end product. It helps them to track their understanding and get their ideas onto paper before creating a final product.

Many of the teaching techniques and suggestions from this module are the same or very similar to those that I use when working with Intermediate/Senior students as they demonstrate sound teaching practices. The main difference in teaching Junior aged students seems to be the support that they need as they start developing higher order thinking skills and begin to learn more abstract concepts. This can be very difficult for some students, and with my experience in Special Education I can see that this is where many students would begin to see the real differences in their intellectual abilities and academic understandings compared to others in their class. This on top of the fact that the students are beginning to compare themselves to others, to judge themselves and to see physical changes in their bodies would make this a very hard time for many students. After completing Module 1 I believe that supporting students to shift to a more abstract understanding of concepts while helping them to adopt positive mindsets and maintain a strong self worth during these difficult times is the most important role of a teacher in a Junior aged classroom.