Reflective Teaching Journal

Riley Lathrop

Date of Lesson: June 20th, 2019 Unit: Unit 2 “My Relationships”

Lesson Taught: Unit 2, Lesson 8
Overview of the class (content and pedagogy)
● I began class with asking students “how are you today?” individually and welcoming
a few students to the front of the class to ask others “how are you today?”
● We completed a shakedown of our limbs and full body
● I led clapping patterns, and then students also led clapping patterns in the front of
the class individually
● We practiced our group circle movement phrase
● We practiced our high middle low pattern game
● We introduced “in front” and “behind” through writing the phrases and
demonstrating in the center of the circle a couple students at a time
● Students drew all five prepositions
● Students completed a body part wordsearch to review the letters, spelling, and
reading of their body part vocabulary.
● We sang “hands, elbows, legs, and feet”
● We reflected on the question “I am happy in class when __________.”

Pre-Class Reflection
1. What will I offer to my students today?
I will offer patience and repetition to my class today.
2. What am I most looking forward to for class today?
I am most looking forward to seeing students draw each preposition today, especially the
ones that we have not drawn but only embodied.
a. What am I most concerned about? (Do I need a strategy for this concern?)
I am concerned about students as they have been unpredictable in behavior throughout the
classes. I am concerned about a few students in particular who have difficulty with physical
aggression in class.
3. What am I most curious about class today?
I am most curious about the drawings of all the prepositions, because we have only
embodied through and I have never drawn through. This is similar to “in front” and
“behind.” I am curious as to whether students will draw their bodies.
4. What is a positive affirmation I can give myself today to guide myself in teaching
with passion and success?
I am grateful to have this unique teaching opportunity.
5. Additional Thoughts

Post-Class Reflection

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 1. What went well? Why?
● Students I have noticed particularly today are goal oriented. While most students
and children are goal oriented, I have noticed that completion is very important to
this group. When given the wordsearch, students wanted to complete every word
even when break was happening many stayed until they completed the wordsearch.
Students have also showed me their orientation towards completing a goal in other
exercises such as creating a body pattern or repeating a rhythm.
● Today was the best time we have completed the high, middle, low pattern, and even
a student named Rapa who generally does not participate participated in this.
● The circle game went well today as well because students were able to perform this
almost on their own, and students were confident in vocalizing the words.
● Letting others besides myself start high middle low game was effective because
students were eager to begin the circle phrase, and I even saw students pointing to
their friends who wanted to start or had not got the chance to start yet.

b. When were the students most engaged? Why?

● Students were completely engaged in coloring the prepositions, I believe because
students had five different prepositions to complete and they had access to color for
the drawings and I encouraged them to make them as detailed as possible. Most
students thrive on challenging and detailed coloring, however one student named
Angga does not like coloring and often throws his paper or makes one scribble and
says he is done.
● Today, when students were completed I gave them a wordsearch to complete. I did
this because students were always occupied. Today, there was no lull time when
students had the opportunity to cause chaos. I also realized from this my students
have the ability to be working on different assignments at the same time, and they
understand they must complete one before beginning the other.
C. What was my best teaching moment? Why?
● Angga and Ptuase were entering the circle out of turn during the introduction to “in
front” and “behind,” however I adapted to this by creating a simon says type of game
for them and instructing them to go in front and behind me at different times and
different speeds. Angga and Ptuase were engaged and happy during this, and they
also were working towards achieving their learning outcome.
● Today I switched to individualized “how are you?” for the morning similar to
yesterday, and this helped students pay attention to me because they were unaware
of when their name would be called, and also they made eye contact with me to
begin the morning.
2. What were challenges that arose?
a. What did I do in the moment to adapt (or not) to the challenge?
b. What is a strategy that could help adapt to this challenge in the future
● When break was over, some students (Rapa, Ptuase, Kiki) did not return to class for
around fifteen minutes. This was a challenge because I did not want to leave the rest
of the students to go find them, so I had to move on with class and wait for them to
return. At this school, there is no clear rule of needing to be present in class so I
decided to move on with the lesson and they eventually did come back. I mentally
let this go and this was best for me as a teacher because it was not completely in my

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 control when students were so far away from the school I could not find them.
● Rapa presents a challenge with writing because he typically does not understand
what to write, when to write it, or why he is doing anything. For example, today he
was sitting down with a wordsearch looking focused however he turned it in and
random letters were circled, and they were not words in either English or
Indonesian. Also, when students were to write all five different prepositions which
were listed on the board and then draw them, he wrote under for all the slots and
then drew random things such as a house and flower in different slots. Rapa needs
much help however since I do not know exactly his learning struggles, I am unaware
of the best way to help him.
When were students least engaged? Why?
Today students were not completely engaged in the clapping patterns. Some
days, students are less responsive to the clapping patterns. This may be because
we have done them so many times that students may be tired of the clapping
patterns. I could switch the patterns up to be more challenging and count to high
numbers so students need to pay more attention to repeating them. Students
who sit in the back also often do not do the pattern, possibly because they think I
can not see them. I am sure to walk over to them, and then they usually join in.
3. How did students respond to each piece of the lesson? (verbally and nonverbally)
● Reflections: I am happy in class when _____
April: study together
Chasya: study
Novi: I was taught by a good teacher/ you
Candra: study together
Sukma: When I study
Putu: studying
Liana: studying and learning
Ananta: jelly
Rapa: I feel the class
No name: study
No name: studying and playing
Kusuma: I like learning and playing
Ida: smell
Pande: learn about English and playing
Mei: I was taught by a good teacher/ you
Kiki: I like learn how to write
Nungrah Eni: study English
Adit: I study
Nindya: study
Duik: study
Ayu: because I have learnt English and drawing
Widi: study
I am interested that students have said studying is their favorite or when they are happy.
Studying can mean a variety of things. I wonder if students see this class as enjoyable or if
they feel they need to say this to please me. I wonder if students see this class as studying
that involves games and play, and that is what they are associating to being happy.

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 4. What is the relationship between the content and pedagogy of the original lesson
plan and what actually occurred? Why?
How was modifying the original lesson plan content and/or pedagogy effective (or
ineffective) and why?
● I have realized that while lesson planning is important, teaching comes from the
split second decisions to make changes, and the additions that are inserted when I
see students need a change. Lesson plans are outlines, and each transition and
action and word are based in improvisation which is the art of teaching.
5. How did students progress towards their student learning outcome? What evidence
do I have?
● Students vocalized five prepositions (over, under, through, in front, behind)
● Students embodied over, under, through, in front, behind
● Students drew over, under, through, in front, behind
6. Were there any moments that were a big surprise? (teaching methods or student
response)
● I have been surprised and impressed over the course of all classes with the ability
the students have to share materials such as colored pencils. There has never been
more than two boxes of colored pencils at one time, yet students are not greedy or
obsessive about the colored pencils which I have seen working with other second
graders in the states. Students are all able to find the resources they need on their
own and give to others when needed.
7. How did I provide feedback to students?
How did I differentiate for students? (special need, level/ability, etc.)
How effective or ineffective was the feedback?
● Today I focused on being sure students were spelling each preposition correctly on
their papers, because often students will rush and miss a letter in writing it. I was
sure to add the letter or have students erase and write the word again if needed.
8. How did I create or reinforce a safe learning environment for students?
● Today I engaged students in joyful singing, and I gave students activities to complete
when they were finished with the main activity or goal for the day. I did this because
students were engaged and were able to focus on something besides harming one
another. This created safety in the classroom by engaging each individual with
individual focus.
9. What was my own inner attitude and energy towards coming into class today?
(nervous, excited, tired, stressed, etc) And, How did/could it affect students and
teaching ?
● Today I was looking forward to class, however did have some exhaustion in my
energy towards class. This may have affected students because I was quicker to
“shh” students or raise my voice, or show annoyance in my face. This could affect
students because when I show annoyance on my face, students may feel bad, or they
may take advantage of stress from the teacher and act out even more.
10. How did I apply what I learned in my previous class to today?
a. How did it impact my teaching?
b. How did it impact student learning/engagement?
● Today I brought drawing into the preposition learning because I know students

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 often can apply a concept after drawing it. For example, I noticed after drawing high,
middle, and low, students were able to embody it better.
11. How will I use the information I learned in class today to guide tomorrow’s class?
● I will adapt the five prepositions into possible movement phrases or other
movement activities that involve relationships to others.
12. Additional Thoughts
I am fascinated that during breaks and during class I speak to students in English and they
speak to me in Indonesian and we converse without knowing the exact words of one
another. We both speak, and because communication is much more than just words I can
understand the tone and basic ideas of the conversation we are having.