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Tayongtong, Princess M. MAED Literature 25 May 2018

MY CLASSROOM STRATEGY PLAN

Literature cannot be taught in isolation. It encompasses an understanding of several

other fields such as geography, history, cultural studies, religion, and philosophy, to name a few.
This ability to bridge one concept after another makes the teaching and learning of literature
demanding, yet satisfying. In the midst of educational innovations that aim for students who
think critically, generate solutions, communicate well, and show leadership skills, literature plays
a big role. Hence, this paper presents the management strategy plan I am going to follow in my
literature classes.

Philosophy of Management in a Literature Class and Behavior Expectations from

Students
As both literature and language teacher, it is my aim to teach language in context.
Literature provides authentic material for grammar lessons, serves as an offshoot for writing and
oral practice, expands vocabulary, and improves reading comprehension. Hadaway et al. (2002)
cited by Babaee & Yahya (2014), suggest that students become familiar with the application of
language in various conditions when they read a literary work. It also enables the natural and
meaningful application of language through illustrations and use of descriptive language in
literature. Hence, students will be able to internalize the language at a high level (Elliot, 1990;
cited by Babaee & Yahya, 2014). I believe that exposing the students to the language of
literature would enable them to discover the language patterns on their own and such form of
learning is more likely to enduring. Besides, in this way, students will less likely have an
aversion to studying language because literature fosters motivation as it develops imagination
and arouses emotions. Like our language instinct, a story drive—an inborn hunger for story
hearing and story making—emerges untutored universally in healthy children (Balla, 2013).
Because people are inherently interested in stories, it has been easier for our ancestors to teach
morals the younger ones. The same might be true to the teaching of language at present.
Moreover, literature enables critical thinking, builds valuable skills, and expands
students' worldviews (Drucker, 2015). The changing world has somehow dragged down
students’ proficiency and standards in learning. Their reading habits have been decreasing, thus
affecting their ability to think critically. According to Foertsch (1998), students who read less or
read trivial texts give shallow arguments and explanation in class discussions. This challenge
calls for a more extensive instructional approach that prioritizes reading and literature.
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Leinhardt, et al., (1981) believe that the way teachers structure the learning environment makes
a great significance in how students spend their time learning. This is where the literature
teacher comes in. I believe it is my duty to engage students not only in reading but also in
asking, analyzing, comparing, and criticizing what they read through varied activities. Indeed,
the more students grow academically, the more reading they need and the more they need to
be critical with what they read.
Finally, literature promotes cultural values and self-appreciation. No doubt, the culture of
a group of people leaves its traces on myths, fables and stories that they read and pass on.
While studying literature enables learners to appreciate life and love themselves, it more
importantly makes them understand and respect other cultures. Literature converges cultures
through its universality thereby proving that something would bind all people together however
different they were. Literature would enable me to instill this perception within my students.
Indeed, as teachers, countrymen, catalysts of change and leaders, we shall not doubt the
enduring possibilities literature might bring in our classes.
Given these philosophies governing my classroom management in a literature class, I
expect my students to develop critical thinking and confidence in self-expression. They must be
able to develop values and respect in the differences of culture. I will achieve these through
facilitating discussion that allows variety of expressions as well as doing activities that will
enable students to question the context of the lesson.

Pre-School Checkoff and Classroom Slogan Motto and Classroom Arrangement

Before the school year starts, I have to prepare my classroom with the appropriate
materials that will help me facilitate learning throughout the school year. The first thing is the
physical properties of the room. There must be a mini-library with enough books appropriate for
the students’ grade level and interests. Moreover, the wall must contain the vision, mission and
motto of the school along with the bulletin board that is attractive and informative enough for
everyone. The arrangement of the tables and chairs is also vital in the facilitating of learning.
The chairs must be properly lined up in front of the teacher’s table. It could be formed into U or
by cluster depending on the activity. Aside from DepEd general motto “Honesty is the best
policy,” my self-made classroom motto is focused on “Respect.” I would like to promote this
through activities that instill awareness of cultural differences and make sure that students
understand that these differences do not mean one culture is better than the other. I will
encourage them to respect everyone regardless of their gender, religion, nature of work, family
status, culture, etc.
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Class Rules and Consequences of Rule Infractions

Several rules have been listed on the school’s student manual such as vandalism,
bullying, attendance, and behaviour. All of these have equivalent sanctions if disobeyed. These
rules shall also be followed within my class. More than these, however, I might ask the students
to add rules which they think is needed but not in the manual. I will include them in the decisions
and the overall management of the class considering that their ideas are appropriate. If the rules
are violated, the same procedure shall be done according to the student manual.

Instructional Planning
The pursuit for 21st century skills calls for teaching strategies that enables students to
enhance and develop communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making.
While the traditional teaching strategies might still be effective, innovations are imperative in
recognition to the changing needs of students. According to Subban (2004), the homogeneity of
yesteryear has been replaced with widespread diversity and teachers are expected to adjust
their methods to keep abreast of these trends. The one-size-fit-all teaching strategy might no
longer meet the needs and only cause wider proficiency gap to heterogenous classes
composed of students with different cultures and races, social and religious background,
proficiency level, and others. Hence, educational “equity” gains new meaning and is more
prompt than ever (Valiande, et.al, 2011).
“Differentiated Instruction” has been an emerging concept that establishes its positive
remark in the field of education. First proposed as a teaching practice by Tomlinson (1999), it
enables teachers to shift their thinking from completing the curriculum, and compels them to
move closer to catering to individual student needs (Tomlinson, 1999, 2000 cited by Subban,
2004). It takes full advantage of every student’s ability to learn; hence making them take greater
responsibility and ownership for their learning (Hall, 2009). It is based on several theories on
child development on the premise that students learn best when their differences in their
readiness level, interest and learning style are accommodated. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Learning Theory, for one, claims that an individual’s cognition is affected by his/her social
interaction. Hence, how the teacher establishes rapport and makes adjustments to each student
contribute to the amount of learning that a child gets. Moreover, according to Vygotsky’s Zone of
Proximal Development, there is a period in a child’s cognition in which he/she needs scaffolding
or adult intervention. In addition, varied theories on Learning Styles (Kolb, 1984; Mumford &
Honey, 1997; Barbe, 1979; Fleming, 1987; Gregorc & Butler, 1988; Grasha & Riechmann,
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1974) and Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983) emphasize the diverse ways students learn
best. If these are emphasized, the students’ educational achievements have more chances to
be higher for it maximizes their opportunities for personal learning and growth (McLaughlin &
Talbert, 1993 cited by Valiande, et.al, 2011).
Tomlinson (2001) has categorized several adaptations that teachers make in order to
meet learners’ need. In fact, every teacher has probably “differentiated” his/her instruction in
one way or another (Levy, 2008). Differentiated Instruction strives to be flexible in the content,
process and product based on students’ variety. In terms of content, differentiation is seen
through shortening a text, providing visuals, or offering a parallel/ simpler text. In the current
DepEd modules for High School, videos and songs are used as motivation for each lesson.
Moreover, film versions and excerpts of novels are encouraged to acknowledge that not all
students could understand and appreciate longer texts. Finally, differentiated tasks, pictures and
graphic organizers are provided thereby allowing the teacher to accommodate all forms of
learning.
More than the content, however, differentiation can be found most in the process of
teaching. Since the content is usually bound by the curriculum guide and performance
standards, teachers can only exercise much differentiation in their classroom instruction. One
way of doing this is through varied grouping techniques. Levy (2008) suggests forming one
group according to student needs, another for their Learning Styles and interests, and one
heterogenous grouping. Similarly, Baecher (2011) thinks that, in the case of ELL instruction,
decision of how to differentiate are based on language proficiency level. Hence, there will be a
more advanced task for the group with higher proficiency while a remediation could be given to
the group with lower proficiency. Such strategy raises the importance of formative tests in
between lessons; it proves that tests are not the end-goal of instruction but only the start of it. In
public schools, on the other hand, peer coaching could be done as reinforcement technique.
The high proficiency group will reteach the lesson to the low proficiency group; hence, it will be
beneficial to both parties. Tiered lesson is another way of differentiating lesson plan (Levy,
2008; Hall, 2009). It starts with a heterogenous group from which small groups will be
established according to interest. In discussing Greece, for example, as an introduction to
Greek Mythology, each group could be assigned to research information which is related to their
interest. The “performer group” will look for famous dances, songs and dramas in Greece; the
“photography group” will look for the beautiful places in the country, and so on. Tiered
Assignments is used to give assignments based on the same objective but of different
complexity.
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Third, differentiation is also done by changing the product or the way students show how
much they learned. Baecher (2011), for instance, suggests assigning a paragraph instead of an
essay or providing an option to create illustrations rather than write a summary of a story. In
DepEd modules, different outputs are expected every lesson (e.g. creative illustrations,
dramatization, oral presentation, brochure, timeline of events) as a form of evaluation of
learning. However, teachers cannot fully differentiate in this way because the school’s
proficiency record is still based on standardized tests results. While differentiation theory calls
on equity by responding to students’ needs, simultaneously education is formed responding to
society’s call for the rise of standards, through strictly countable tests and their results,
becoming a means for the reproduction and the creation of social and academic inequalities
(Apple, 2006 cited by (Valiande, et.al, 2011).
Though it presents a promising future to the field of education, some might think of
several challenges that could be encountered during implementation. For one, it could be
claimed that differentiated instruction is too daunting and time-consuming for teachers.
According to Hall (2009), however, DI is not about creating individualized lesson plan for each
student; rather, it aims to facilitate all the students’ differences in one lesson. In fact, it can
actually lessen the burden of engaging the students in the discussion for motivation could
immediately be established with the grouping strategies and content because it is hand-made
for them. Second, some might say that the amount of learning is being “watered” or “dumbed”
down when differentiation is done (Subban, 2006). At some point, this could be true. In the
desire to promote learner-centered instruction, some educational standards might have been
compromised. However, it might be too early to claim whether it would or would not yield more
prudent graduates.
Moreover, I would like to use Activity-Based Learning which is anchored on several
progressive, child-centered and non-traditional theories and approaches in teaching. For one,
Jean Piaget’s theory on constructivism has largely influenced the principles governing ABL.
Its major premise is that knowledge is constructed by the student using the society and his own
experiences as the reference points for construction of knowledge. Such learning leads to
purposive solutions for meaningful problems (Aggarwal, 2007; Pandey, 2007 in Hariharan
2011). Piaget argues that people produce knowledge and form meaning based upon their
experiences. Two of the key components which create the construction of an individual's new
knowledge are accommodation and assimilation. Assimilating causes an individual to
incorporate new experiences into the old experiences. This causes the individual to develop
new outlooks, rethink what were once misunderstandings, and evaluate what is important,
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ultimately altering their perceptions. Accommodation, on the other hand, is reframing the world
and new experiences into the mental capacity already present. Individuals conceive a particular
fashion in which the world operates. When things do not operate within that context, they must
accommodate and reframing the expectations with the outcomes.
In the same manner David Kolb’s experiential learning is also one of the bases for
ABL. Kolb (1984) asserts, “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the
transformation of experience”. In experiential learning, the transformation of experience includes
the link between the doing and the thinking. Kolb states that learning involves the acquisition of
abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. Experiential Learning
Theory (ELT) provides a holistic model of the learning process and a multilinear model of adult
development, both of which are consistent with what we know about how people learn, grow,
and develop. The ELT model portrays two dialectically related modes of grasping experience --
Concrete Experience (CE) and Abstract Conceptualization (AC) -- and two dialectically
related modes of transforming experience -- Reflective Observation (RO) and Active
Experimentation (AE). According to the four-stage learning cycle, immediate or concrete
experiences are the basis for observations and reflections. These reflections are assimilated
and distilled into abstract concepts from which new implications for action can be drawn. These
implications can be actively tested and serve as guides in creating new experiences.
ABL also follows the principles of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. According
to this theory, "we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical
analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to
make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves. Where
individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences - the so-called profile of intelligences -
and in the ways in which such intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different
tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains." Gardner (1991) argues that "a
contrasting set of assumptions is more likely to be educationally effective. Students learn in
ways that are identifiably distinctive. The broad spectrum of students - and perhaps the society
as a whole - would be better served if disciplines could be presented in a numbers of ways and
learning could be assessed through a variety of means." The learning styles are as follows:
 Visual-Spatial - think in terms of physical space, as do architects and sailors.
Very aware of their environments. They like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, read
maps, daydream.
 Bodily-kinesthetic - use the body effectively, like a dancer or a surgeon. They
like movement, making things, touching. They communicate well through body
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language and be taught through physical activity, hands-on learning, acting out,
role playing.
 Musical - show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They love music, but they are
also sensitive to sounds in their environments. They may study better with music
in the background. They can be taught by turning lessons into lyrics, speaking
rhythmically, tapping out time.
 Interpersonal - understanding, interacting with others. These students learn
through interaction. They have many friends, empathy for others, street smarts.
They can be taught through group activities, seminars, dialogues.
 Intrapersonal - understanding one's own interests, goals. These learners tend to
shy away from others. They're in tune with their inner feelings; they have wisdom,
intuition and motivation, as well as a strong will, confidence and opinions. They
can be taught through independent study and introspection.
 Linguistic - using words effectively. These learners have highly developed
auditory skills and often think in words. They like reading, playing word games,
making up poetry or stories. They can be taught by encouraging them to say and
see words, read books together.
 Logical -Mathematical - reasoning, calculating. Think conceptually, abstractly
and are able to see and explore patterns and relationships. They like to
experiment, solve puzzles, ask cosmic questions. They can be taught through
logic games, investigations, mysteries.
With these theories among others, the teacher’s role is very important. Instead of giving
a lecture the teachers functions as facilitator whose role is to aid the student when it comes to
their own understanding. This takes away focus from the teacher and lecture and puts it upon
the student and their learning. The resources and lesson plans that must be initiated for this
learning theory take a very different approach in contrast with traditional learning; hence the
emergence of Activity-Based Learning (instruction).
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REFERENCES
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