Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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EDUC 675
TOPIC
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EDUC 675
Preparation
What did you do before class to
make sure your lesson
would be effective and
run smoothly?
EDUC 675
Instructional Strategies
How did the strategies you chose
affect the learning and
involvement of students?
Diversity / Differentiation
How did you differentiate
instruction to meet the needs of
diverse learners?
EDUC 675
consideration.
Through the use of guided reading, I was able to differentiate that guided
reading instruction for each group, which are grouped based on their reading
level and their most recent DRA. Since we are integrating The 13 Colonies,
I was able to incorporate that in each guided reading group, with various
books/informational pieces on various levels. The instruction that each
group received in guided reading was tailored to meet the needs of that
particular group. Because I have one entire group who is reading well
above grade level, I was able to differentiate for them by allowing them to
conduct Literature Circles. The students in that group were each given job
and were to complete their assigned reading for the day, complete the job
that they were given, then report back to their guided reading group. In
order for this to be effective, the students needed to display many life skills,
including responsibility, trustworthiness, and giving their personal best.
Throughout this unit the students were given the opportunity to work
independently, with a partner, or in small groups. I believe that allowing
students a choice in how they complete their activities allows them to learn
and grow from one another and allowing them to choose from various
activities helps to keep their interest because they have selected what they
want to do. Using small groups for instruction, including the cooperative
learning group (CLG), enhances the opportunities for students to assume
greater control over their own learning, sometimes referred to as
empowerment (Kellough & Jarolimek, 2008). By grouping our students we
are able to differentiate and accommodate for their individual learning styles
and preferences.
Through conducting writing conferences, various students, including those
in ESOL and who have been placed on RTI were able to meet with me in a
writing conference. Together we read their piece and I helped guide their
writing by completing their graphic organizers with them, and by walking
them through the friendly letter rubric when writing their letters to an
indentured servant or slave. My level of assistance varied from one child to
next, based on their individual needs and support with writing.
ESOL students, and students who are on RTI, were able to use Kidspiration
to write their letters. This is a software program that allows them to simply
plug in the components of their letter into a template online. It can then be
printed out. The students have used this program in our Technology Lab
and were instructed by our certified Technology Specialist.
Closure
How did you close your lesson
and summarize / solidify
important concept(s) for your
students?
EDUC 675
Teacher / Student
Interaction
How was your rapport among
students? Were you able to
interact? Why or why not?
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our day!
I also like to work on the carpet, and often when my students are working in
groups they do so on the carpet, so many times Ill sit down with them and
involve myself in their discussion. This is a great way for them to see that I
am involved in their daily activities.
Since many of our mini-lessons and closing activities are interactive I was
able to interact with my students. Many times they were given the reigns to
facilitate the closing activity based on what they had learned from the
lesson.
Student Achievement
How can you prove that students
met the objective of your lesson?
When we plan lessons it is important that we also plan how we are going to
prove that our students are meeting the objectives of our lessons. To begin
each lesson I state the essential question(s). By doing this the students know
what they are expected to learn. Throughout the work time, whether it is
independent, with partners, or in small groups, I am observing what the
students are doing. Are they on task? Are they actively engaged in the
activity? For some lessons I called students back to conduct conferences,
when they were writing their letters for example. This allows me to see if
they are following the essential question and objective for the lesson. I also
relied on teacher observation for many of the tasks, especially the 13
Colonies Scavenger Hunt. As students were locating the fact cards I was
walking around to ensure that they are on task and on track. I also called
random students back to check that their answers were correct.
To conclude each lesson we reviewed the essential question and the
objective of the task or activity. Regardless of which lesson I had student
volunteers to come share with the group what they completed during the
assigned work time. They also shared if they worked independently, with a
partner, or in a small group. In order for them to get a cheer they were
required to answer the essential question.
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EDUC 675
Classroom Management
What strategies did you use to
make sure students
stayed on task and
achieved the objective?
Professionalism
Dress? Disposition?
Interactions?
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My Areas of Strength
I believe that I incorporate strong classroom
management within my learning environment. The
behavior system that we implement stresses positive
behavior, and the students create the classroom rules
and procedures themselves on the first day of
school. They are held accountable of these policies
and procedures on a daily basis.
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References
Kellough, R.D. & Jarilomek, J. (2008). Teaching and learning K-8: A guide to methods
and resources (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN:
9780131589629.
Parker, D.V. (2012). Christian teachers in public schools: 13 essentials for the classroom.
Kansas City, KS: Beacon Hill Press. ISBN: 9780834127968.
Slavin, R.E. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. (10th ed.) New
York, NY: Pearson. ISBN: 978-0-137-03435-2.
Van Brummelen, H. (2009). Walking with God in the classroom: Christian approaches
to learning and teaching. (3rd ed.) Colorado Springs, CO: Purposeful Design
(ACSI). ISBN: 978-1-58331-098-4.
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