Michael McCabe

Professor Reilly
EDUC 359
16 September 2014

Basic Classroom Plan from Cynthia Leonards Letter

What age level/subject area is the student?

Cyndy is studying in France during her sophomore year of high school, which would
mean she is about 15 years old. In terms of a subject area, she is taking many
subjects during her time here, but I am teaching her French literature.

Does gender make a difference?

In France, gender does not really make a difference in or out of the classroom.
Cyndy, as a female, is taught all the same material as her male counterparts and
women in general are expected to master the same material as the men.

What cultural knowledge for you would be relevant?

Because I am Cyndys literature teacher, it would be nice to know what her
education was like in the United States. For example, which works has she read and
what literary terms with which she is familiar. I would also like to know if her
American education covered anything about French history, literature, or culture.
Having this information would help me as a teacher discern what I needed to
explain to Cyndy in more detail and what information she already knows.

Does the content knowledge need to change?

I do not believe that I need to necessarily change the content, but merely adapt it.
Cyndy definitely understands some of the tenants of French literature, especially the
major works of Dumas and Hugo. However, she still needs work on mastering the
French language and maybe some of the lesser-known works of French literature.

What are some ideas you have for differentiation?

Cyndy notes in her letter how she appreciates and learns from the images in her
textbook, as well as our cultural trips to museums. These clues indicate that she is a
visual learner, so I will definitely be implementing more images in my class
materials. Additionally, since Cyndy is still a beginning language-wise, I am thinking
about providing her with additional summaries of the works were reading that
simplifies the language, while still providing necessary information. Finally, I might
modify some of my assessments when that time comes.


What learning materials would be most effective?

I think one of the most effective learning materials would be the visual aids as
mentioned above. Additionally, I think that the fellow students would serve as a
great learning tool. As Cyndy mentions in her letter, she has already improved in
her speaking and listening skills just by interacting with her peers. Just as theyve
helped her in a social setting, they might be able to help her in an academic setting
too. I think I would also try to incorporate other types of media, like video, audio
clips, and performances to help Cyndy learn the material.

Would you need to use different classroom management techniques?

I do not think it would be necessary to incorporate different classroom management
techniques because the classroom is already well behaved and having Cyndy is the
class is not causing any major disruptions. I think, if anything, I would try to create
more group-work so that Cyndy can continue to interact with French-speaking
peers in an academic setting.

What are your learning expectations for the student?

My expectations for Cyndy are quite similar to my expectations for any other
student that I have. I want to see her grow as an individual while mastering much of
the content of French literature. I have slightly lower expectations for her mastery
of the French language, but that is simply because she does not have the same
background as my other students. Still, I hope that she grows in this regard and will
be measuring her progress as I would any other student.

Include a summary of a 25-minute lesson plan for only the student:

I would create a lesson to help Cyndy understand some of the different French
terms that could describe the mood of a short story. Because mood focuses on the
emotions of the reader, this would be a very visual-heavy lesson. Essentially, I
would pair the French terms of different emotions (joyful, somber, frightened, etc.)
with a face depicting that emotion. Once Cyndy became acquainted with the terms, I
would introduce her to some short texts in relatively simple French. After reading
each one, I would ask her to identify the mood in French and explain why. Finally, I
would ask her to describe a situation where the various moods could be applied.
This lesson plan would not only help Cyndy in learning more about French
literature, but it would improve her speaking and listening skills through the use of
visual aids.