Transcript: Grade 8 Interaction Protocols - Part 1

Grade Eight English Language Arts Designated English Language Development: Interaction Protocols—Part One

Introductory Slides (00:00–00:17)

Narrator: Welcome to the California Department of Education Integrated and Designated English Language Development Transitional Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Video Series. This video is reproduced by permission of the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Teacher Introduces the Lesson (00:18–03:19)

Teacher: So good afternoon students.

Students: [choral response] Good afternoon!

Teacher: I'm so excited about today's lesson. We are going to really be jumping into our issue. And in the last class session, we talked about the four Ls. About how you can really work with a classmate really productively. And today we're going to do a quick review of the four Ls but also, we're going to have a discussion about the kind of partner we all appreciate working with.

Teacher: So, I'm going to be introducing you today to some of the ways we're going to be talking in class, that we're going to be contributing to class discussions, and interacting with our partners in groups that may be a little bit different than the rest of your classes. So, because we're going to be exploring the topic of how to be a really positive partner, let's quickly review the four Ls. We learned before that in the United States, whether at school, at work, at clubs, or at meetings, people expect you to really look at your partner's eyes. Let's all say, “look at your partner's eyes.”

Students: [choral response] Look at your partner's eyes.

Teacher: And they don't want you to be bossy or creepy and stare at them. But just to look nicely at your partner's eyes and keep looking at his or her eyes as they're talking to you. And what that means is, I'm listening to you and I'm paying attention to you. So, as you're speaking with your partner today—and you'll have a few opportunities—be sure to look at your partner's eyes as he or she's talking to you. But it also helps if you lean toward your partner, just a little bit. Many of you are right across from your partner. So, to lean towards your partner just a little and that means I'm really focusing on you, just like focusing a camera. So right now, could you turn and just lean towards your A/B partner. And look at your A/B partner.

[Students move and face their partner.]

Teacher: Thank you, beautifully. And I appreciate how you all turned to your partner right away. And just to refresh my memory, who are my As? Seated closer to the A, right by the door, are A partners. A partners, may I see your hand?

[Students A raise their hand.]

Teacher: Thank you. And B partners, seated closer to the window on the right side.

[Students B raise their hand.]

Teacher: Thank you. So, in addition to looking and leaning toward your partner, not away, we're going to have to lower our voices. And many of you, like Dr. Kinsella, have a very loud, clear voice and I appreciate that. But when we're talking to our partner, we need to have a just right voice, not too loud but not too low. Because 20 other students will be talking. So, as we're warming up today with lessons I'm going to have you practice responses with me so you can use your scholarly voice to speak slowly and clearly. And finally, we're all going to be really listening attentively. And let's all say this together, “lower your voice.”

Students: [choral response] Lower your voice.

Teacher: And listen attentively.

Students: [choral response] Listen attentively.

Teacher: And I'm going to be giving you some little mini jobs, some tasks to show us that you're listening to your partner and listening to your classmates to really show respect and have everybody encouraged about being in the discussion.

Teacher Models for Students (03:20–09:54)

Teacher: Right now, you'll notice you've got your folder and you've got your participation page for today's lesson. If you don't have it out already, please get out the page within your booklet. Take your page out and you can close your folder. And what I would like you to do is to take your guide card and put it right underneath the frame, just as I have. The very first frame. In today's lesson, we're not going to be learning vocabulary, that will be tomorrow. Today we're going to be having a discussion in our building community lesson. We're going to really talk about how we can work together as a positive learning community. And we're going to begin by talking about what makes a great partner. So, already many of you have shown me how well you work with your partner and today we're going to get to really talk about that.

Teacher: So first, put your guide card here. And I'm going to read the frame once and then I'll echo read with you. And I've actually typed up the frame so it's a little bit bigger because I have large handwriting so I have more room to write on the screen. So, since our question is, with what kind of partner do you work effectively, really well? Our frame is, “I work effectively with a partner who is blank and blank.” And first of all, let's echo read that frame. I work effectively…

Students: [choral response] I work effectively.

Teacher: With a partner.

Students: [choral response] With a partner.

Teacher: Who is blank and blank.

Students: [choral response] Who is blank and blank.

Teacher: Beautiful. And after “who is”, we need an adjective and we need another adjective.

[Teacher writes ‘adjective’ on the paper.]

Teacher: And I remind you an adjective is a describing word. We use adjectives to describe people, to talk about what people, places, and things are like. So today we have a very interesting topic. What is the kind of partner you appreciate working with in your English language development class, on a science project, in a history lesson, discussing text in language arts, perhaps writing together? What kind of partner makes a great partner?

Teacher: So, as I think about this, I've had the pleasure of working with many effective partners. And as a teacher, I've had students who work very effectively too. So, when I think about personally, for myself, when I work with a partner in a class that I work effectively with a partner who is... And I'm thinking the first thing that comes to mind for me are some everyday words like “good” or “nice”. But I want to push myself and really stretch myself to have some more precise words, some more interesting words. So, I'm thinking instead of just saying “a good partner”, that I appreciate a partner who is creative. Someone who has really interesting, new ideas. And who really makes me think. Um, pens up, pencils up if you appreciate someone who has fresh ideas, who's really creative?

[Student raise their pencils.]

Teacher: Thank you, and I will tell you I am not the strongest teacher when it comes to technology, when it comes to using the Smartboard or iPads, so I appreciate a teacher who's focused. But also, I want to give you another word. I was thinking about it, to be honest, I appreciate a partner who's focused, who pays attention, but also someone who's tech savvy. And that might be a little difficult for you to say let's say, “tech savvy.”

Students: [choral response] Tech savvy.

Teacher: And that is a real smart phrase. And what that means is someone who is really good with technology. Pens up if you appreciate working with a partner who's really good with technology.

[Students raise their pencils.]

Teacher: So for me, I like someone with fresh ideas, who's creative, who's focused, who doesn't play around, who gets the job done. But also, who's tech savvy, who can help me with technology if I'm having a problem. For me, those are some adjectives describing a good partner. But I also really appreciate a nice partner. Sometimes people can be tech savvy or creative but not very nice. And I'm thinking, what does that mean to me? I'm thinking someone who's patient. If I'm having trouble, that they don't just say "oh", that they really help me and they're patient.

[Teacher writes on the paper.]

Teacher: So, I would say “patient” and “helpful”. So, these are some adjectives that come to mind for me. What if we get some practice using our public voices by practicing these words? Creative.

Students: [choral response] Creative.

Teacher: Focused.

Students: [choral response] Focused.

Teacher: Patient.

Students: [choral response] Patient.

Teacher: Tech savvy.

Students: [choral response] Tech savvy.

Teacher: Helpful. Now I've done enough talking and thinking here. I'm going to ask you to take a moment and think. What are some adjectives, some great describing words, that can describe the kind of partner you'd appreciate in science? Or you'd appreciate in English language development, or history, or PE, or mathematics? Let's all take a moment just to think quietly.

[Teacher pauses while students are thinking.]

Teacher: Pencils up when you thought of something.

[Students raise their pencils.]

Teacher: Now I'm going to give you an opportunity to share a few ideas with your partner. And if you wish, you can begin by sharing a couple of my ideas. And if we look at the actual lesson, let's put our guide card right underneath here. You'll notice that there are some other adjectives there and I'd like to read those and clarify what they mean. So, it says, "I work with effectively with a partner who is attentive." Please repeat.

Students: [choral response] Attentive.

Teacher: And attentive means they pay what?

Students: [choral response] Attention.

Teacher: Attention. They're focused. They pay attention. And the other is considerate.

Students: [choral response] Considerate.

Teacher: And that means really nice and helpful. They're very nice and helpful. And earlier today, when I got to campus, there was a very considerate student who held the door open for me. And I said, "Thank you, that was so considerate of you. I appreciate it," because I was carrying my heavy briefcase.