Teacher Work Sample Section 7: Reflection and Self Evaluation A.

Interpretation of Student Learning In hindsight, I think some of my students success was a result of having a clear rubric to follow as they choreographed. The rubric was able to serve as a checklist for them, and it guided their progress. My expectations were written in a way that was easy to understand and a format that was easy to follow. I referred to the rubric several times when giving feedback on their work during the choreography process. I think another thing that contributed to their success was the variety of ways in which I addressed the energy qualities. I tried to cover many different learning styles and visit the qualities in ways that would reinforce them rather than feel repetitive. I showed the energy qualities in videos of professional dances in hopes that the students would recognize that they are being used today in the dance world. I used music to represent the different energy qualities so that the dancers could relate to the energy qualities in an auditory way. I used photographs to prompt and inspire movement ideas while they were choreographing. I also used props to help the dancers understand the energy qualities tactilely. One of the reasons for a lack of success was the giggling that ensued while my students were performing. This really only happened in one group, but their grade was affected negatively by it. I let my chatty and distractible girls work together in hopes that they would inspire each other. This was successful while they were choreographing and they came up with beautiful movement. However, when they went to perform they had a hard time taking it seriously. I should have enforced my expectations for their performance more consistently from the beginning of the semester. That way they would be used to the seriousness of testing and would have had a different demeanor. B.Insights on Effective Instruction and Assessment I strongly believe that one of the most successful learning activities was improvisation and flocking with energy qualities. This was the first time I saw students really make connections between the energy qualities and their natural way of moving. I think that up to this point students had still been seeing the energy qualities in the context of my choreography. They had a hard time understanding the depth of possibilities these qualities hold. I saw their associations change as they improvised that day. They started to associate the energy qualities with their own movement rather than just mine. I saw them start to recognize which qualities felt more comfortable in their bodies and make quick decisions based on their own needs. This new interpretation of the energy qualities allowed them to create artistically because they felt some sense of ownership of these new ways of moving. Another learning activity that was really successful was their collapsing exploration earlier on in the semester. This was the first time I saw my students really take risks and fully embody the energy quality. This embodiment was displayed in their assessment and I saw them fully invest themselves in their movements.

I think that the least successful learning activity was the class discussion on swing and sway. I was asking questions to try to help them make deeper connections and I was writing on the board, but my students were not connecting to it at all. They had completely lost interest and they were not understanding at the level I hoped they would. I think that part of the reason this was not successful was because it was early on a Monday morning and they were tired. However, after analyzing the situation, I think another cause for its lack of success was my lack of enthusiasm. I had been nervous about my ability to explain things accurately and I wonder if my students felt this in my demeanor. C. Implications for Future Teaching During this unit I focused a lot of my energy on giving students personal feedback. I wanted them all to feel that I knew them individually and was committed to their success. Before class I would look at my roll and identify who I had not given feedback to during the previous class. That day I would really try to give them sincere feedback. I continued this while my students were preparing for their post assessment; I made sure I visited every group to see how they were doing and to let them know I was aware of their efforts. I did this in order to give my students confidence in their creating abilities. I wanted them to feel excited to perform their work, and I wanted them to know I fully supported them. In the future I can be better at setting up improvisations. I want my students to feel comfortable with their abilities to create on the spot. For most of this unit they struggled with this. When my students giggled and lost focus I could tell it was a reflection of their inhibitions and insecurities. In the future I need to set up an atmosphere for improvisation at the very beginning of the semester. If I succeed in this students will not only know when it is time to be serious, but they will also feel safe. They will feel safe because they will know that all their classmates are focusing on their own dancing and not judging theirs. I want to set up a healthier learning climate when it comes to improvisation so that they value it and are willing to take risks. D. Implications for Personal Professional Improvement An area in need of improvement that was brought to my attention was age appropriateness in my teaching. I have also been teaching at an elementary school as part of my student teaching, which means that I am back and forth between the two schools every week. I have noticed that it can be difficult for me to adjust my teaching demeanor quickly for my students. While I was teaching this unit I noticed that I sometimes switched into an elementarymode. It usually manifests itself during a class discussion. When I am checking for understanding I will usually ask questions to see what they remember and if they can make certain connections. I now realize that at sometimes these questions can come off as insultingly obvious. The students lose interest because they feel that the questions I am asking are too simple. This makes them feel like I am treating them as if they are younger than they are. I think this is the reason why I lost them during our discussion on swing and sway. I need to be better at making sure that the discussion is age appropriate. I think that consistent attendance at national and regional conferences will really help me improve in this area. It will help me to network with other teachers and understand how they make their instruction age appropriate. I will be able to

see the way that others instruct and verbally test understanding. If I am consistent in attendance I think I will be able to learn and apply many different strategies that will keep me from getting stuck in one certain teaching demeanor. I have noticed that I need to increase and improve my positive feedback. I tend to give more attention to those students who are louder and seeking attention. This causes the students who are quietly trying their best to disappear into the background. I think that I am a bit intimidated by the students who have attitudes or demand attention, so in attempts to keep them under control I end up giving them undeserved attention. This is unfair to my quiet students who are doing the right things; they are truly the ones who deserve the attention. I need to make more of an effort to reinforce the good things they are doing, and ignore the negative things that other students may be doing. In reinforcing the positive behavior I am seeing I hope to set a higher standard for what I expect in class. Formally setting goals for which I must take responsibility is a professional activity that will help me in this area. Documenting my progress on my goals and meeting with principal about them every semester will help me make sure I am improving in this area. If I set goals to positively reinforce a certain number of students a day, and I record my efforts, it will start to become more natural for me in my teaching. I could also have my principal or other teachers observe me every once and awhile to give me feedback on how I am doing in this area. Eventually, with this development, I will be able to adopt things into my teaching a natural ability to see the good efforts of my students.