Brian Lyda EDUC 329 TWS 6 Reflection, Self-Evaluation, and Professional Development Whole Class Reflection:

My showcase lesson was designed to align with South Carolina Science Curriculum Standard 2-5: The student will demonstrate an understanding of force and motion by applying the properties of magnetism (Physical Science). More specifically, the lesson aligned with the state indicator 2-5.4: Identify everyday uses of magnets. I decided to bring in several examples of magnets that are used in everyday life. I wanted students to be able to see and interact with physical materials instead of simply hearing me speak of these examples. Prior to the lesson, we briefly reviewed the effect a magnet has on different materials as well as important vocabulary such as attract and repel. Next, I gave the students a pre-assessment asking them to identify examples of uses for magnets. Students did very poorly on this pre-assessment. 82% of students scored a zero on the pre-assessment. I believe this is mostly due to the fact that students did not understand what I was asking of them. After the pre-assessment, I began to show the examples I had brought to the class. I asked students to record our examples in their science notebooks for future reference while I recorded them on the smart board. I wanted students to write the examples down as another way to see the information. They were hearing and seeing it, and now they were writing it as well. I tried to show examples that students could relate to. For example, I showed students magnetic toys, tools, a credit card, and refrigerator magnets. All of these items have likely been seen in some capacity by most students in the class. I did this because I truly believe culturally relevant lessons allow students a better opportunity and motivation to learn. I also allowed students to give examples of magnets in everyday use that they had seen or known about. One student mentioned a large magnet in a junkyard that moves the heaps of scrap metal. We briefly discussed this and wrote it in our lists. I allowed for student input because I wanted students to feel that their thoughts are important as well. For a final example, I used an odd example to hopefully catch everyones attention. This example was of a cow magnet. I allowed students to guess what they thought this may be, and I then showed them a picture and explained that it is a magnet that cows are allowed to swallow to collect the metal cows eat as to not damage their stomachs. I think this example really fascinated the kids. We then reviewed our lists and made sure there were no other examples to be added. At the end of the lesson, I gave the students a post-assessment identical to the pre-assessment. Students did markedly better (only 1 student scored a 0 on the post-assessment), which lends credibility to my assumption that the poor pre-assessment was due to confusion as to what was being asked. At the beginning of the lesson, the review on magnets went very well. The students were engaged in the conversation and were very knowledgeable of magnets, their effect on objects, and the vocabulary associated with magnetism. The pre-assessment, however, showed me that the students were not as clear on

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how magnets are truly used. I do not think I would change the pre-assessment itself. I may change how much I explain magnets in everyday use prior to the preassessment, but I do not want to give too much information. That would defeat the purpose of a pre-assessment. I did not expect anyone to know everything on the pre-assessment. If they did, then the lesson would be pointless to teach, so I believe that the pre-assessment served its purpose. It showed me what the students needed to be taught. I like the examples that I used because they were relatable. I do wish, however, that I would have prepared more examples in the actual school, so we could have possibly walked around and seen these examples first-hand. I do have three critiques of myself in this lesson. First, I wish I would have allowed students more opportunities to handle and explore the examples. I feel that demonstrating in front of the class was more effective than simply talking about them, but I think it could have been even more effective if I would have allowed students to use their hands or walk around the school to find examples. The second critique involves the length of the lesson. As the lesson went on, I began to realize that students were losing interest or were just not able to hold their attention to the lesson. I did not allow students opportunities to move around, and the lesson extended too long for the attention span of a 2nd grader. I believe these factors affected the ability of the students to retain the information. If I taught this lesson again, I would allow for more movement and interaction as well as shorten the lesson time. The last critique I will mention that affected student learning was the fact that I was making everyone write examples in their notebooks. I believe the time the students were taking to copy down the words from the smart board took away their attention from the lesson. Students in 2nd grade are not prepared to write and listen simultaneously. They are also not great spellers; therefore, they have to copy each letter from the words written on the board. If I taught this lesson again, I would provide a typed list of the examples to students after the lesson to place in their science notebooks for future reference. Then, hopefully, their full attention would be on the actual lesson. Individual Student Reflection: Student #9 was my most successful student for this lesson. This student is very intelligent in all subject areas. She is in the highest-level reading group in her class, and she loves to read in her spare time in the classroom. She comprehends many concepts that others in the class do not. This student scored a 4 on the preassessment and a 5 on the post-assessment. She is the only one that distinguished the difference between uses of magnets and magnetic materials on the preassessment. During the lesson, this student was actively engaged in the class discussion, and she gave examples to the class when asked to do so. She is often eager to give the right answer. At no time during the lesson did I notice this student off task. I think my decision to use classroom discussion was successful with this student because she likes to engage in conversation and seems to have a desire to share and attain knowledge. I believe this lesson was successful for this student

Brian Lyda EDUC 329 because she was actively engaged during the lesson, and demonstrated her learning fully on the post-assessment.

Student #11 was my least successful student for this lesson. This student is often found to be off-task during classwork, especially independent work time. She often has to be redirected during lessons, and she will constantly ask for help on any type of work she is given. She will not even read the directions or questions before she asks for help. This student scored a 0 on both the pre-assessment and the post-assessment. The pre-assessment was left completely blank and the postassessment had a few answers written down that were barely legible and hard to comprehend. During the class discussion, this student was not engaged and offered no answers or examples to the class. During the post-assessment, the student went to the bathroom. When she returned to her seat, she asked what to do on the postassessment while all other students were already finished with the postassessment. This lesson was not affective for this student. Class discussion is not the best instructional strategy for this student to be successful. I believe she requires individual help to begin with that will help lead her to independent work. I believe this student could have been successful, but she lacks the ability to focus and the motivation to work independently. She is far too dependent on the teacher and others for answers. I would possibly provide individual help to the student, but I do not want to enable her dependence on others. Student #12 was my average performer for this lesson. This student usually stays on task well, but she can sometimes go off task by talking about things that are irrelevant. For this lesson, the student scored a 0 on the pre-assessment and a 3 on the post-assessment. The student did list magnetic items on the pre-assessment, so I at least know that she was in the right frame of mind. During the lesson, the student seemed to be engaged. I did not notice her talking about other things, and she offered comments during the class discussion. She understood what I was asking on the post-assessment; however, it seems she could not remember more than three examples and filled the remaining two blanks with magnetic objects. I believe this lesson was successful for this student. She was engaged in discussion, and she demonstrated an understanding of the difference between magnet uses and magnetic objects on the post-assessment. I do believe that the lesson could have been more successful for the student. I believe that a more interactive lesson that allowed the student to move and experience the examples would have been beneficial because this student stays on task very well when there have been similar experiences. Reflection on Additional Lessons: Lesson 1- My first lesson that I taught involved the mathematical concept of place value. More specifically, it addressed the Common Core State Standard 2.NBT.4: Compare two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record

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the results of comparisons. I designed this lesson to help students gain a conceptual understanding of place value rather than a procedural understanding of comparing numbers using symbols. I began by presenting the students with a problem. I had a jar of lima beans, and I told the students that I wanted to play the old guess how many are in the jar game. I then told the students that we could not play because I did not know how many beans that I had in the jar. I presented the problem in this manner because I thought that many students may know what lima beans are and that many students have seen some type of guessing game similar to this one. I also assumed that this would be fun to the students to play a game. I paired the students up and asked each group to make a guess as to the number of beans. We then discussed how we made our guesses. I asked this question to get at the students number sense. We then discussed ways to count the beans. Each group was given some beans and divided the beans into groups of ten and placed the groups into Dixie cups. We then discussed combining the groups of tens into groups of hundreds. I presented the groups in this manner so students would begin to relate the different place values to one another (eg. 10 ones = 1 ten, 10 tens = 1 hundred). After this, we wrote the number on the board and begin to compare the students guesses to the actual number. We used the smart board and wrote the numbers with the correct symbol (>, =, <) between them. During this time, students were on the carpet at the front of the room. Students were allowed to come up and write on the smart board. At the end of the lesson, we briefly reviewed our main concepts of place value and how to compare numbers. We then took a short, 5-question assessment that asked students to compare three-digit numbers using the correct symbol. I believe the lesson began well, but I would possibly be better served by using bigger materials than dried lima beans. They were a little hard to handle and when dropped, they went everywhere. I would also use different containers for the groups of ten. The Dixie cups combined with the dried lima beans made quite a loud noise, and the students began to shake the cups to make this noise. It was very distracting. I think using partners was effective, however, I would like to provide more room for each pair to work. We were all on the carpet, and students materials were mixing together. This caused students to begin to argue and got those students off-task. I believe the students did begin to achieve a conceptual understanding of place value. I do believe I could have presented the comparison portion of the lesson in a more effective manner. I simply had students come up and write the symbols on the board that made the number sentences true. This method did not ensure that all students were engaged in this portion of the lesson. The only student responsible for the correct answer was the one that volunteered to write it on the board. Next time I would like to have all students answering each question. I could ask each group to answer the question first, and then ask a

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student to place the answer on the board. This would at least ensure that all students are attempting the questions. The lesson was too long for 2nd grade attention spans. The students did a great job, but I would possibly divide the lesson into two lessons next time. We could do the hands-on portion in the morning and return to the application portion in the afternoon or the next day. Lesson 2- The next lesson that I taught involved the science subject of magnetism. More specifically, it addressed the South Carolina Science Indicator 2-5.3: Compare the effect of magnets on various materials. Before I began this lesson, I set up four stations around the room. I placed magnetic objects and nonmagnetic objects at each station. The stations had sheets with the name of each object that could be found at that specific station. I also prepared a fairly weak magnet for each student in the class. As we began the lesson, we discussed the different effect magnets can have on subjects. We also discussed the steps in a scientific investigation. This is where we introduced some science vocabulary such as attract, repel, observation, data, and hypothesis. I demonstrated how we were going to conduct our experiments with the magnets by testing a magnet and a paper clip as well as a magnet and a piece of paper. This was done to demonstrate what I wanted students to do and to demonstrate how a magnetic and nonmagnetic object will react to the magnet. I then explained to the students that we would be conducting these experiments in our reading groups. I did this for simplicity and for familiarity. Before the students were handed the magnets, we carefully reviewed the safety procedures. This was to ensure that students would not damage important materials such as the computers in the classroom. I placed a group at each station and provided each student with a magnet. I specified what I wanted students to do before we would rotate ( I would ask for all eyes on me). Students began their experiments and recorded data in their science notebooks. I moved from group to group during this time to listen to discussion as well as keep students on task. When all rotations were complete, we came together and had a class discussion. As a class, we discussed any surprises, and we discussed why the objects reacted the way they did. To conclude the lesson, we made a claim as a class. The class decided that objects that are magnetic most likely contain some form of iron. We then wrapped up the lesson by using our newfound knowledge to predict and test additional items around the classroom. This was used as an informal assessment to ensure that students were taking away the main point that objects containing iron are magnetic. The lesson began well. The students were quick to participate in the discussion of magnets and the scientific process. There were some things I would change about the actual groups and the experiments. First of all, I would choose new groups prior to the lesson that would contain students of varying cognitive abilities as well as students that were not best friends. I say

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this because some of these groups contained students that got off-task because they wanted to gossip about the events of the past week at school instead of focus on the experiments. Next, I would allow students a small amount of time to simply play with the magnets prior to conducting the experiment. I say this because students were so eager to use the magnets that they not only tested the objects listed but any other object in arms reach. They were, however, very good about keeping the magnets away from the computers. Beyond those critiques, I feel the lesson went fairly well. Following this lesson, possibly another day, it could prove beneficial to give the students an assessment by presenting them with objects and their characteristics and then asking whether the students believe these objects to be magnetic or not. Lesson 4- The fourth lesson that I taught reviewed the mathematical concept covered in my first lesson. That concept was place value and comparing three-digit numbers based on knowledge of place value. This lesson involved two Common Core State Standards, 2.NBT.1: Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; eg., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones, and 2.NBT.4: Compare two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons. To begin the lesson, we briefly reviewed place value concepts previously covered through a class discussion. We discussed which place value was worth more than the others in three-digit numbers. The students seemed to have this understanding, so I introduced the game. I paired the students with the person sitting next to them. We then played the Trash Can Game. This game involved rolling a die four separate times. Each time I rolled the die, the students had to place the number rolled in the ones, tens, hundreds place or in the trash can. The point of the game was to make the biggest number possible. The students did not know what number would come next, so they had to use their place value knowledge to place larger numbers in the hundreds place and hope for smaller numbers to come next. This game really got at the students understanding of place value, and it allowed them to have fun. During this time, I walked around the classroom observing the students discussion among partners as where to place the number. I also allowed different students to roll the next number as I walked around. Once all four numbers had been rolled, we decided as a class what the biggest number possible actually was. I then asked the students to compare the biggest possible number with the number they created using symbols (>, =, <). The students really seemed to enjoy this game. I then asked students to use the numbers and create the smallest number possible. This was done to ensure the students really had a conceptual understanding of place value. We then came to the carpet to play the next game. I divided the students into two teams

Brian Lyda EDUC 329 and explained the next game. The game was called 101 and out. I would roll the die six times for each team. The team then had the choice to choose the ones value of the number or the tens value of the number (eg. Roll a 3, the team could take 3 or 30 points). The object of the game was to use the six rolls to get as close to 100 as possible without going over. This game was used once again to teach students that a 3 has a different value depending on the place value it is in. Students enjoyed the game as well as the friendly competition. During both games, I assessed the students by observing and listening to student-student conversations. The next day, my cooperating teacher gave the students an assessment on place value and comparisons.

It seems that the students really enjoyed both games, however, there were a few minor issues. Next time, I would probably choose partners beforehand to avoid some students in pairs; however, students also need to learn to work with all people in the class. Some of my students were not happy with their partner, but for the most part, all students worked well together. It would be helpful for assessment purposes to carry some sort of checklist when I am observing the students to mark which I believe still need further assistance. The transition from game 1 to game 2 was not smooth and easy. It may be more beneficial to do the games on separate days as to not overload the students or rush the games. Once again, I feel time management during the lesson was an issue. I had to cut the first game short to begin the second game, and the second game still felt rushed. This is just another reason why the games should probably be played on different days. Lesson 5- My fifth and final lesson was an interactive read aloud with the book The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. While reading the book, the students were working on the ability to use words and illustrations to identify the Ws within the story (who, what, when, where, and why). Before reading, I engaged the students by presenting the cover and asking the students thoughts on the story. This led to a discussion of relatives and family reunions among the students. We also discussed what takes place at these reunions. This was done as an anchor activity, so students could better relate to the text. I then began reading the book, stopping at strategically placed sticky notes. The first time I stopped, I modeled the comprehension strategy for the students. I identified the Ws and supported my thoughts using the text and illustrations. Once I stopped from then on, I would ask the students to identify the Ws in the story. I would also ask students to support their thoughts using the text or the illustrations. We would also discuss any changes in the Ws throughout the story. At the end of the story, I presented some critical literacy questions to the students such as Why do you think the relatives described their beds as too big and too quiet at the end of the story? These questions were also offered to promote discussion among the class. I wanted to assess the students understanding of the Ws within the text as well as

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their writing abilities. I had planned to do this through a written response by each student. This response was going to be about whatever the story made the student feel or think about (eg. favorite part, their own relatives, etc.). This assessment did not happen due to lack of time. We did, however, discuss some of these ideas during the class discussion. I honestly felt rushed through the entire read aloud. I feel that I could not give the time needed for discussion if I wanted to finish the book. I believe this may be due to too much time devoted to introducing the book; however, it was also due to the fact that I had to give the students a spelling test prior to the lesson that took longer than expected. The students were very attentive and enjoyed the reading. My cooperating teacher incorporates shared reading and read aloud into his daily schedule, and the students respond very well to this. The students answered the questions well, and they were able to identify the Ws within the text. Next time, I would not spend as much time introducing the text, so I could be sure to have time for the written response. I could also do the written response the following morning, but I would not want students to forget what we read. I would also read the story with more dynamics in my voice. This, I believe, will come naturally as I do more reading in front of students. Overall, I believe this lesson was effective because students were engaged in and enjoyed the text while still being able to identify the important aspects of a story.

Professional Development: One of the biggest areas for professional development that I noticed while teaching my five lessons is in the area of time management. It seemed that I either felt rushed during a lesson or ran out of time at the end of a lesson. Much of this I attribute to my inexperience in planning lessons; however, I must improve on my ability to adapt during the actual lesson. My cooperating teacher pointed out that I would sometimes prolong lessons by allowing too much time for students to speak. I do not want students to feel they cannot speak, but I understand that sometimes it is imperative that the class simply moves on to the next thing. I believe this is very important to improve upon because when I feel rushed, I do not believe that I am being most affective as a teacher. It caused me to somewhat lose focus and in the end, it will affect how and what the students learn. I will improve upon this by having discussions with former and current educators as well as with my professors. I will ask what types of strategies that these educators use to combat lack of time and improve time management. Another area for professional development that I noticed is in assessment techniques. I feel that I do not design assessments that are diverse enough to allow all students to show what they have learned. It is hard to

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get away from the worksheet method that I was exposed to during my school years; however, I know that it is important to try and do so. I know that worksheets can still be affective, but I have to ensure that my assessments allow students to show what they know. I will work on this skill by further exploring assessment techniques during my Educational Assessment class this semester. I will also consult other educators as to techniques and available resources that I could use. I believe working on these two aspects of my teaching will greatly improve my effectiveness as an educator.