Year-to-Date: 666.4; May 2023: 17.3; Last Week: 49.0
Benchmarks, or points of reflection on the way to reaching goals, are essential to learning. Consider my running journey this year; I’m one third through the time that I allotted to reach my goals, which were to run 2,000 kilometer this year or 167 kilometers per month or 39 kilometers per week. Overall, I’m a few kilometers short of the total distance for this year; however, I’ve kept up my monthly, weekly, and daily routines to feel confident about achieving my goal. Additionally, I’ll spend this summer break in Japan, which has easy access to running and hiking trails.
Recently, G5 teachers have focused on G5 students’ learning benchmarks focused on speaking, listening, and presenting skills. Consider the most recent G5 assembly where students presented part of an or a completely original poem. [NOTE: Please follow the link to find a copies from one assembly rehearsal.] Students focused on …
- Adapting their poem for the purpose of presenting it at an assembly
- Speaking clearly at an understandable pace
- Using visual displays to enhance their presentations
- Reflecting on how body language (e.g. facial expressions, gestures, movement, posture, and eye contact) influences meaning
Considering these benchmarks, I provided feedback to assist students to move forward from a place of rehearsal to a time for performance. I focused on raising students’ awareness by …
- Encouraging memorization
- Speaking as slowly as possible without sounding dramatic
- Turning their shoulders to the display to encourage their audience to read
- Projecting an air of confidence
On behalf of my colleague, our students, and your child(ren), we hope that you enjoyed the performance and how much they have grown throughout this process.
May the Force Be With You!