Final Project

Introduction
For this project, we were required to write a lesson plan following the methodology of

explicit instruction as described by Archer and Hughes in Explicit Instruction: Effective

and Efficient Teaching. This lesson was implemented and video-recorded with students

in our placements. The following is a reflection and review on my experiences through

this process.

Lesson Design
The focus of my lesson was opinion writing with fifth graders. As per the structure of an

explicitly taught lesson, the lesson was split into several sections. To begin, students

were introduced to the lesson’s objective and relevance and prerequisite skills were

briefly reviewed. Then, I modeled the skill expected from the students which, in this

case, was writing a body paragraph for an opinion essay. Using think-alouds and other

modeling techniques, students were shown how to approach this skill before being

asked to assist in the process. This is the “I do” and “We do” section of an explicit lesson.

While not recorded, the students proceeded to write body paragraphs independently

with necessary guidance from me. Before the end of the lesson, students were given a

brief review of what was covered and a preview for the next lesson.

Elements of Explicit Instruction

I do
While there are several elements in the modeling section of my lesson that align with

the elements of Archer and Hughes’ design, there are also some that I did not use. I

began by stating the purpose and relevance of the lesson. In retrospect, it would have

been beneficial to have this stated more explicitly as an objective and have it written
somewhere for students to reference. My directions could have been more focused and

clearer and perhaps presented visually in addition to orally. I used think-alouds to aid

in my modeling. This included several moments of ‘self-questioning’ to guide students

(7:22). My think-alouds described what I was doing and were concise and straight-

forward. While I did provide examples of the work we were focused on, I believe my

students could have benefitted from some non-examples as well. I did mention that an

explanation needed to be more than simply stating “this supports my claim” but I

should have introduced that as a non-example.

We do
In similarity to the “I do” section, I both hit on and missed some of the expected facets

of an explicit lesson. For example, I feel that I successfully led students through the

target process. This can be seen specifically when I prompt the students to ask

themselves questions as I reread a quote (12:10). My monitoring of student progress

was not very clear and was mostly me informally making note in my head of which

students seemed to be on track and how. My feedback also was lacking, I noticed,

because several times I observed myself saying “good” or “right” in response to

students but did not explain any further why their statements were “good” or “right”.

I’m also note satisfied with the frequency and manner of eliciting responses. One of

the ways Archer and Hughes suggest to do this is to ask questions that the students

have the answer to in front of them or to have students finish your sentences to invoke

engagement. At 11:10, I ask a question that I know the students have the answer to on

a reference sheet but I wish I’d done this more frequently.

Supporting Practices
In addition to modeling and guided practice, there are several other delivery skills laid

out in Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching, some of which I used and
 some I did not. For example, I believe that the questions I asked through the lesson

were relevant and guiding. As stated before, I did not build as many responses as I

should have or provide the most immediate or precise feedback but I do think I kept

my instruction on task and focused and catered to the skills and needs of the students.

I also provided visuals to aid understanding (1:55) and designed the lesson to be

adequately concrete. Something I’d like to work on is my pacing, as my lessons are not

as brisk as is ideal.

General Reflection
While overall, I’m satisfied with the lesson I implemented, I also know that I have many

things I can improve on. At several points during the lesson, I found myself getting

frustrated with the students not understanding and being off topic. In retrospect, much

of that behavior could have been avoided if I had included more ways to engage the

students and direct their focus to our work. I also have a habit of rewording a student’s

response when I teach to make it better fit my idea of what is “right”. This is

troublesome because I might not always hear everything my students are saying or miss

important ideas. One of the biggest things I’m taking away from my review of this video

is that I should enter a lesson with backup plans. It would be better to have extra

strategies and not use them than to flounder and think of something on the spot if

students aren’t grasping a concept. In conclusion, this project has further emphasized

my knowledge of the importance of reflection on my practice to better myself and

subsequently better my students.