S.

Jillings, 1

Overview of Teacher Work Sample

This pre-assessment and the five lessons that follow were designed for sixth-grade ELA
students at Saco Middle School. The major focus of the ELA curriculum this year are prompted
in the form of questions: How do good readers understand what they are reading? and How do I
effectively share/write my personal story to engage my readers? This second question relates to
the narrative writing workshops students are engaged in every other week. Through these
lessons, students will explore personal narratives and what constitutes this type of writing.
Students will understand how to use dialog, sensory details, figurative language, point of view,
and memory moments to name a few. These lessons consist of engaging writing prompts to help
students develop topics, but students will also always be given voice and choice with their
writing they will decide what is important to write about each day. Students will work in small-
groups or pods, independently when writing, and will collaborate with the whole class during the
initial parts of each lesson. Each day students will see a new writing technique or brainstorming
strategy modeled and demonstrated for them, will be given time to practice on their own or as a
pod, and then are expected to implement these new strategies or techniques in their writing.
These lessons take place during these students first week of writing workshop in sixth grade. So,
the idea behind these lessons is to simply introduce the concepts and focus on conferencing,
discussion, sharing, and writing goals so students can digest and reflect on their learning often.
The entirety of these mini-lessons will take place over a period of six days.
The table below organized the unit and shows assessments, learning goals,
targets/objectives, and activities aligned.

Learning Goal 1
Students will be able to build
stamina with writing and
produce longer pieces by
exploring and practicing
implementing topic
strategies.
Learning Goals
Learning Goal 2
Students will implement
narrative writing techniques
such as, craft, language,
figurative language, sensory
details, and memory
moments.
Learning Goal 3
Students will effectively use
both internal and external
dialog and other craft to
support narrator point of
view in their stories.

Lessons Objectives Activities Assessment Date

Pre- Students will Class discussion (Pre) Oct. 10

assessment demonstrate, and vocabulary Listen to pod 2017
Narrative through writing, development. discussions and Ss
Craft what they think a Students write in responses.
personal narrative is their writers Read students
Goals: and what this type notebooks for most of narratives and
1 of writing entails. the class time. observe use of
2 narrative writing
3 craft and language.
 S. Jillings, 2

Lesson 1 Students will Class discussion (Formative) Oct. 10

Annotating annotate a narrative about targets and Listen to Ss 2017
and determine what vocabulary. discussions and
Goals works well in the Mini-lesson/process responses.
1 piece of writing. demonstration for Observe and read
2 Students will annotating narratives. Ss work and writing
reflect on their Student practice goals during and
learning and the annotating in pods. after.
annotations to write Conferencing. Conference with
two writing goals Students create Ss about writing
for themselves. writing goals. goals and narrative
Students begin feedback.
writing narrative. Self-assess using
colored cards
during independent
work time.
Lesson 2 Students will use Class discussion (Formative) Oct. 11
Strategies for specific strategies, about targets and Listen to Ss 2017
Generating such as creating a vocabulary. discussions and
Topics map, to generate Mini-lesson/using responses.
narrative topics. maps and visuals. Observe students
Goals Students will apply Study maps and work during and
1 narrative techniques memory moments. after.
2 in their writing to Discuss and share. Check if Ss are
develop Brainstorm/students using conferences
experiences, events, create own maps. and writing goals to
and characters. Students use visual improve their
Students will to begin new writing.
demonstrate the use narrative piece. Self-assess using
of their writing Create anchor chart. colored cards
goals. during independent
work time.
Lesson 3 Students will apply Class discussion (Formative) Oct. 16
Memory a new strategy for about targets and Listen to Ss 2017
Moments writing a narrative. vocabulary. discussions and
Students will Mini-lesson/using responses.
Goals reflect of their own memory moments/ Observe and read
1 lives and use demonstrate and Ss work and writing
2 memory moments to create chart. goals during and
support narrative Students create after.
stories. chart, share ideas, Check in with
Students will and begin writing a students during
provide sensory new narrative piece. conferencing.
details to share Conferencing while Self-assess using
events and students write. colored cards.
experiences.
 S. Jillings, 3

Lesson 4 Students will add Class discussion (Formative) Oct. 17

Point of sensory details to about targets and Listen to Ss 2017
View show what their vocabulary. discussions and
characters are Read-aloud a point responses.
Goals feeling, seeing, of view piece of Observe and read
1 smelling, touching, writing. Ss work and writing
2 hearing, and Discuss the piece of goals during and
3 thinking. writing. after.
Students will show iPad google docs/ Non-verbal
that they can stay students collaborate thumbs up/down.
within the narrators and practice with Check in with
point of view when point of view. What students during
writing. works well? conferencing.
Role-play with box. Self-assess using
Discuss and share. colored cards
Students write during independent
implementing point work time.
of view.
Lesson 5 Students will use Class discussion (Formative) Oct. 18
Memory narrative techniques, about targets and Listen to Ss 2017
Moments such as memory vocabulary. discussions and
moments, to write Check in with responses.
Goals about someone students about Observe and read
1 important to them. feelings toward Ss work and writing
2 Students will use a writing/share with goals during and
3 new strategy for pods. after.
brainstorming to Review memory Non-verbal
write a new moments and anchor thumbs up/down.
narrative. chart. Check in with
Mini-lesson/model students during
using chart and conferencing.
memory moments. Self-assess using
Students brainstorm colored cards
and collaborate, fill during independent
out their charts, and work time.
start writing a new Exit slip given
narrative piece. next day to see
Conferencing while what they learned
students write. throughout the
week.
 S. Jillings, 4

Implementing CFA information

In the class I chose to focus on for my teacher work sample, I have four out of twelve
students who had very low proficiency in the areas of language, craft, and structure of literary
texts. This information tells me that these students may have difficulty producing these narrative
techniques in their own writing. A handful of other students, although above proficiency, also
struggled in this area on the NWEA testing. With this is mind, I have implemented ample
opportunities for student self-reflection, conferencing, and re-teaching during academic support
periods. Most of my students are visual learners I learned this from the student surveys I created
for them. I have made sure to implement many visuals for each mini-lesson such as, modeling
and process demonstration in each lesson, collaborative anchor chart and strategy chart creations,
and creating visuals for strategy development in their writing. This can benefit not only those
visual learners, but provides comprehensible input for my one English-language learner in
another class. Only a handful of students said they enjoyed ELA classes. I have made sure that
students have voice and choice with their writing every day to engage those who do not love
writing. Reflecting on the CFA information has really helped me learn what each students
strengths, weaknesses, and needs are for ELA classes and developing lessons and activities.