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Lauren Checker

ED 338
LESSON SELF-ASSESSMENT
The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the
effect of his or her choices and action on pupils, parents, professionals
in the learning community and others, and who actively seeks out
opportunities to grow professionally.
An important component of effective teaching is the ability to accurately selfassess after each lesson. In ED 338 you will be self-assessing using the
framework of the five Alverno Education Abilities and the Wisconsin Standards for
Teacher Development and Licensure. After teaching each lesson, review the
questions in each category before writing a summary response for the category.
Planning and Preparation (AEA Coordination, Conceptualization/WI Teacher Standards 1, 7,
8/Disposition: Respect)

How did advance preparation (or lack of it) contribute to the success of the
lesson?
How comfortable were you with the work you put in ahead of time, including the
extent of your own knowledge base and understanding the prior knowledge that
the students possessed?
How well did you have materials ready and accessible for your use and for the
childrens use?
How did your classroom profile knowledge contribute to your lesson design?
Before giving the lesson, I spent a good amount of time thinking of what I
would teach, how I would teach it, and what modifications I would make.
Once I had my lesson objective in mind, it was clearer as to which direction I
wanted to take my lesson in. I have been in my field many times prior to
the lesson, so I felt more confident because I had relationships with the
children. These students love to move around. As a 4k Headstart program, I
knew I had to be creative and incorporate movement. Because I chose a
chose a movement standard from WMELS as one of my objectives, this was
easier. I felt that because of the thinking about the dynamics of the
classroom and observations of varying levels in the class I could give an
effective lesson. After conferring with my CT about what the students were
learning about I felt confident in creating a lesson based around information
they already are familiar with, and stretch their thinking even more. As far
as materials, I brought in a Big Book and an animal movement dice. The
children really liked being able to toss the animal dice and see which animal

Lauren Checker

they could move like. I knew that about eight children in the classroom were
ESL learners, so during each rotation I had to modify my lesson on ability
level. For example, for the higher level students we focused on things like
how the animals would move and why. For the children who do not know
English as well, we focused more on the different noises each animal makes.

Classroom Environment (AEA Communication, Integrative Interaction/WI Teacher Standards 5,


6/Dispositions: Respect, Responsibility, Collaboration)

How could you tell the students respected you and were happy to work with you
and each other?
How did you show your enthusiasm and try to build rapport with the students?
The students were engaged during the lesson. I was a little worried they
would be hesitant to move like the various animals. I believe because I had
so much energy the students were eager to join me in the fun. Because of
my planning and differentiation for the students, they were able to
effectively meet my objectives. We did a lot of moving around on the carpet
and made the silly animal noises. The students energy was great and it was
a fun lesson for me to teach. For each group of students I tried to be just as
excited as I was for the last group. I used positive reinforcement and tried to
make the activity sound interesting. I gave direct comments to children who
were moving like the different animals, they seemed happy that I noticed
their abilities.

Instruction (AEA Conceptualization, Coordination, Diagnosis, Communication, Integrative


Interaction/ WI Teacher Standards 2,3,4,8/ Dispositions: Respect, Communication)

How well did you help the students get ready to learn?
How clear were you in setting expectations for learning?
How accurate were the assumptions you had before the lesson?
How well did the materials you used meet the needs of the children?
How well did you apply specific instructional strategies to meet the needs of
diverse learners?
How well did your questions encourage higher level thinking by the students?
Was the lesson carried out as planned? What changes were made and why?

Lauren Checker

I followed some of my CTs procedures to get the students ready to learn. I


asked them to scoot, scoot towards me. I also complimented students who
were sitting nicely and ready to learn. I introduced the students to what we
would be doing and explained to them that they had to be good listeners. As the
groups went on I believe my expectations got clearer. I wanted the students to
read along with me in the book by making the various animal noises. They did a
very nice job at this. I then asked them to make a circle so we could begin
discussing our farm animals and the different ways they move on the farm/
different sounds they make. Some of my expectations for the game were not
very clear. For example, when discussing the farm animals some students
began to move before the game began. I shouldve created different
expectations for waiting to move around. I felt my assumptions were fairly
accurate. For the more advanced group, I felt that they would be jittery because
they are familiar with farm animals. I was accurate, but they used this energy to
portray how the animals move, which was great! Because I has hands on
materials I felt the children were more eager. The rolling of the dice creating an
excitement during the lesson wondering which animal they would move like
next. My instructional strategies were beneficial to the children during the
lesson. I used a variety of questioning for each group. For the more advanced
groups I questioned them asking what their favorite animal was and why. We
also talked about why the animals moved differently. For the lower levels I
questioned what noises each animal makes. The questioning seemed to keep
the children engaged. I also used positive reinforcement to let the children know
they were exceeding my expectations. The questioning I used allowed the
students to think on different levels both in and out of their zone of proximal
development. Some adjustments were made to the lesson. I had planned to
have the children draw their favorite animal movement. Instead, I decided it
would be better to have an open discussion about the animals. I think the
students really enjoyed sharing their favorite farm animals with me and their
peers. I made this change because the students were enjoying their time on
the carpet and seemed engaged. It also made things more organized. It is great
for the ESL learners to be social so I thought have a conversation was more
beneficial to their learning. As the lesson was going I came up with more
questions for the students in relation to the animals.

Assessment (AEA Diagnosis/Integrative Interaction/WI Teacher Standards 1,2,3,7,8,9/Disposition:


Collaboration)

Lauren Checker

What questions did you ask that facilitated the development of content
understanding and critical thinking?
What indicated that the lesson was developmentally appropriate for children in
the group?
Which children achieved which objectives? How do you know?
What might be included to strengthen the childrens learning?
-Where do farm animals live?
-We all know that a cow says moo-moo, how do we think it moves?
Cows are big animals with 4 hooves, do you think they stomp when they
walk?
(Model.)
-We all know a dog says wuff-wuff, how do you think they move? Dogs have
shorter legs then cows, do you think they can move quickly?
-We all know ducks say quack-quack, how do you think they move? Ducks
have 2 legs with webbed feet and wings. Do you think they would waddle
and flap their arms? ( Model)
-We all know frogs say croak-croak, how do you think they move? They have
2 bent back legs; do you think they hop around?
-We all know pigs say oink-oink, how do you think they move? Pigs are
chubby animals; do you think they roll in the mud?
-We all know sheeps say baa-baa how do you think they move? Sheeps are
fluffy and have four legs, how do you think they would walk?
-Whats your favorite farm animal and why?
This lesson was developmentally appropriate because it allowed the children
to move. Four year olds like to move and interact with their peers. We were
learning kinesthetically and socially! This type of leaning is crucial for
children this age because this is how they develop. Almost all of the children
achieved B.EL. 1a Moves with strength, control, balance, coordination,
locomotion, and endurance. From observing them I knew this was true. They
also were engaged in the story and were paying attention to the story. The
choral reading helped me observe that the students were engaging in the
book. To further strengthen the childrens learning I would do a follow up

Lauren Checker

lesson. We could explore different animals other than farm animals also. For
example, perhaps comparing the difference between land and sea animals.

Professional Responsibilities (AEA Diagnosis, Integrative Interaction/ WI Teacher Standards 9,10/


Disposition: Responsibility, Reflection, Collaboration)

How would you describe your relationship with your cooperating teacher, other
adults in the building and parents or caregivers?
What have you learned about collaborating with others and considering their
perspectives?
How well have you projected yourself as a professional, in dress, demeanor, and
actions?
Which Alverno Education Abilities will you focus on in the future to further your
growth in the Wisconsin Standards for Teacher Development and Licensure, and
why?
I have a great relationship with my cooperating teacher. I feel very comfortable
with her and feel that I can discuss both school and non-school related topics.
She is very caring and compassionate. I see how much work she puts into her job,
and it is reflected in the students. I believe our strong bond helps me teach the
students and create a positive atmosphere. The paraprofessional in the classroom
is also very kind and supportive of my goals. Thus far this semester I have
learned that it is beneficial to get more than one perspective. When you talk to
more expert others, you are able to take their advice because they know what
will work best. I enjoy going to my field placement and working with this group of
children. I feel that I have presented myself in a respectable way to the other
teachers and the children. I introduced myself to the principle and have tried to
talk to other teachers in the building as well. One Alverno Education Ability I will
focus on is Diagnosis. This will help guide me to use my observations of the
students to refine information for their future learning. This will then allow me to
create effective assessments and future judgements for learning objectives. This
would help further my growth in the Wisconsin Teacher Standards by allowing me
to effectively plan. When I am a teacher I will need to know what direction I am
going in. With Diagnosis I will be able to evaluate student learning and take my
students in a positive direction.

Lauren Checker

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