kalpana's feedback on my lesson

1. The activity was introduced quite clearly and explained well to students.

2. Each student was asked specifically to contribute (my feedback from the last class was incorporated) and though the nature of contributions was mostly free style, it did serve to get them speaking out during the lesson.

3. The quality of discussion that ensued was good and some very relevant questions were asked especially by student 1 who was supportive throughout. (though I felt atudent 2 and 3 were trying very hard to emulate the image of a been there and done that type!!)

4. Fleshing out of student responses was done to some extent in the limited time that was available though some will have to follow in the context of the novel itself.

5. It would have been useful to take students through one chapter of the novel in class, highlighting to them how the aspects of a novel that were discussed manifest themselves. Reading independently may not always be fruitful, as you probably know by experience.

6. Alternately you could have taken them through one or two paras in the 1st chapter so as to explain how mood, atmosphere and style etc. is evident.

7. Words like dialect and ideolect, if not used in earlier classes, may need some explanation and examples.

8. A tip - discourage students from using simplistic sounding words like 'good' and 'nice' which are not precise and really do not tell you anything about the quality of the plot or character or situation.

9. A follow up class later to see how students' understanding of these terms has improved/ enhanced may help.

10. The class ended well with all the main points being reiterated again.

Thank you and it was good to have observed your class.

The class that Kalpana observed.

It was 11 C . AICE. AS Level Litt. I had written out the lesson plan. I wanted to incorporate a few of the things we had learned in our latest PPSE session like bridging and hugging and also use a GO and one of the tech tools Shuchi had introduced to us, namely concept mapping (CM).
I'm teaching Chinua Achebe's Anthills of the Savannah.
But I wanted to start with an intro to the novel. My lesson plan went through dfferent revisions and never came to a kind of fixity, but it was clear in my mind in its basics. Unfortunately I couldn't use the tech hub that day but I still used concept mapping on the board.
I'm putting in the finished lesson notes now.
Dr. A.V. Koshy
Lesson Notes
Class held on 26th October 2006.
Block F
Venue: The terrace
Time: 1.45-2.45
Subject: The novel
Content: Elements of the novel.
Activity: Had a discussion on what the elements of the novel are. Stressed how most of the elements are common to the drama and the short story. The discussion took about 20 minutes.
I used the Classification web as a GO from Suchitra Narayan’s buffet.
The answers I expected from the students were: The Plot & the story, Characterization and characters, Themes, Language, Style, vocabulary, wordplay, symbols, motifs, emblems, images, figures of speech, Background and foreground, hero, heroine, (protagonists),villain, (antagonists), flat and round characters, stock characters, prototypes, archetypes, stereotypes, static, evolving, complex, simple or one-dimensional, milieu, setting, mood, tone, voice, atmosphere, sub-texts, sub-plots, point of view, perspective etc.
It emerged yet again that students are generally confused about the difference between plot and story. Character and characterization.
I wanted to divide them into two groups – one group to find definitions and examples and read them out.
Another to make a cmap of the connections between the main elements using verbs for the links.
They were then supposed to read out what each group came up with to the other group
But since the tech hub was not available I changed my lesson. I made them all do the definitions through the discussion together.
I made them write down the elements of the novel on the classification web, with novel as the word in the centre, then four main branches and then sub-branches of three elements each.
Then I did concept mapping with them on the board. Linking the concepts by using verbs.
For example – “Atmosphere builds the novel”.
Interesting digressions were into the need
To know about the author and his life
To read criticsm.
The students came up with everything on my list except wordplay.
I summed up and asked them to come to the next class with the first chapter of the novel read.
Learning objective: Learning the elements of a novel.
Assessment opportunity: Whether understanding has happened to some measure, enough to start out with.
Aim: A kind of revision, an intro. and a bridge between prior learning and present need.
Final comment: My lesson plans have to become even more simple. Awaiting feedback.

fleetwood mac - sara - man, i love this song

Written by Stevie Nicks.

Wait a minute baby...
Stay with me awhile
Said you'd give me light
But you never told me 'bout the fire

Drowning in the sea of love
Where everyone would love to drown
And now it's gone
It doesn't matter anymore
When you build your house
Call me home

And he was just like a great dark wing
Within the wings of a storm
I think I had met my match -- he was singing
And undoing
The laces
Undoing the laces

Drowning in the sea of love
Where everyone would love to drown
And now it's gone
It doesn't matter anymore
When you build your house
Then call me... home

Hold on
The night is coming
And the starling flew for days
I'd stay home at night all the time
I'd go anywhere, anywhere
Ask me and I'm there, because I care

Sara, you're the poet in my heart
Never change, never stop
And now it's gone
It doesn't matter what for
When you build your house
I'll come by

Chorus

All I ever wanted
Was to know that you were dreaming
(there's a heartbeat
And it never really died)