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Teacher Work Sample
Angelique M. Colón Marín
4/30/2012
7th Grade - English
University of Puerto Rico at Humacao EDPE 4019 – Practice Teaching
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contextual Factors 3
- Knowledge of community, school, and classroom factors
- Knowledge of characteristics of students
- Knowledge of students’ varied approaches to learning
- Knowledge to students’ skills and prior learning
- Implications for instructional planning and assessment
Learning Goals 6
- List of Goals
- Alignment with Grade Level Expectations
- Appropriateness for students
Assessment Plan 8
- Assessment plan table
Design for Instruction 12
- Results of pre-assessment
- Unit overview
- Activities
- Technology
Instructional Decision-Making 17
Analysis of Student Learning 18
- Whole Class
- Subgroups
- Individuals
Reflection of Self-Evaluation 23
- Most Successful Learning Goal
- Least Successful Learning Goal
- Reflection on possibilities for professional development
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CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
Community, School, and Classroom Factors:
The Juan Ponce de Leon Bilingual School is a middle school (grades 7th
to 9th
) located in
the middle of a very hectic city, in the Dr Vidal Street in Humacao. The school is approximately
100 years old and has been subject to adjacent constructions of many kinds. Surrounding the
school are a gas station, a car dealership, multiple stores, different kinds of houses, two other
schools and a hospital. Because of the availability and variety of business, the area is quite
concurred. Normal business hours run from around eight in the morning to four in the afternoon
which are the usual regular hours for the Juan Ponce de Leon. As a result of what I’ve
mentioned before, students, teachers and school personnel have problems getting to school.
There have been multiple car accidents because of the narrowness of the streets and multiple
aggressive encounters because of these and other factors. The environment turns hostile very
quickly.
The community in general, people surrounding the school, although very close, is not
very active. The greatest participatory aspect is that of vendors. The students come from
Juncos, Las Piedras, Humacao, Maunabo, and even Yabucoa. They are selected through a
rigorous process which includes, admissions test, interviews, writing prompts, letter of
recommendation and transcriptions. The qualified students are those with the greatest results in
all areas. Some of them are also selected because they are related to school personnel. Because
of the general considerations, Special Education is not a priority. Students are supposed to be
able to hold themselves in the classroom and compete with other highly qualified students. In
terms of socio-economics, students come from all kinds of different backgrounds. Parents
choose the school because it is supposedly bilingual and it has a great reputation. As a result,
parents who can afford private schools, choose to try out their chances at the Juan Ponce de
Leon. In terms of race, Puerto Rico is a varied culture. Although some towns are known for a
more prominent race, Humacao is not one of them.
Since the school is quite old, we naturally assume that so are the classrooms. Although
some have minor restorations, the foundations are weakened. I had the fortune of teaching in
possibly one of the best classroom in the school. It has air conditioning, technology, tables and
chairs instead of individual desks, and it is quite colorful. However, it has quite the amount of
problems. There was no running electricity throughout the classroom. Only the electricity
connected to my cooperating teacher’s desk was working. During the semester this was fixed.
Before this, the computers were removed because they were not able to use them. During the
past couple of weeks, the air conditioning has been giving us trouble. It works marvelously
some days, and on others it doesn’t. Because of how old it is, there is really no way to fix it.
Days in which the air conditioner is not working, are the worst. Most of the groups, except for
the first, come in from their Physical Education class. The aspect of air conditioner calms them
and helps the transition into the actual lesson. Nonetheless, without the air, they feel completely
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uncomfortable and it is very difficult for them to pay attention. Apart from my cooperating
teacher’s classroom, the rest are even worse.
Some of the parents are involved in the restoration process of classrooms. One of them,
for example, is a refrigeration expert so he is continually sought after when there is a problem
with the air conditioner in the different classrooms. Another parent constructed a book shelf for
my cooperating teacher’s classroom. Throughout the semester I’ve noticed that their
involvement is closely linked to their relationship with the personnel at school. Various teachers,
including Sara Troche, are very approachable. In their persona, you can see an actual
commitment towards seeking a good learning experience for each student. Parents recognize this
and are easily engaged in this process of improvement. There is ultimately a want for a better
education between teachers and parents.
Characteristics of Students:
My group is known as one of the “worse” groups in the entire school. Every teacher
knows for a fact that they are very talkative. Before selecting them as my practice group, I had
briefly socialized with them. I chose them ultimately because I thought it would be convenient.
I took mostly into consideration my case study. One of the students has leukemia and has been
out of the school since he was diagnosed right before beginning the semester. I supposed that he
would need the most help and that he and his family would take advantage of an opportunity
such as individualized help. Afterwards, I realized that this student was not coming back for an
undisclosed period time and furthermore, that I had a student who was already in dire need of
individualized attention.
Throughout the entire semester, I have come to know my group as much more than the
“talkative” group. Yes, they are very talkative, but they are also eager to participate. They
complain about absolutely everything, but they still work. Some of them are very participative
in the lesson, however, when it comes to assignments, they are very irresponsible. Others are
constantly interrupting the lesson, not paying attention, and trying to call attention to them.
These are usually the most challenging. They lack motivation. Some are very quiet, but when
assessed, they are great students. There are also students who never understand (according to
them). In general, they are lazy in most aspects. They are conformists. They do not strive to
exceed but just to meet the required goals. They want to get good grades, but doing the
minimum.
Students in seventh grade are still crossing the line between elementary and middle
school. Whereas in elementary they are very dependent, in middle school begin to develop
individuality, independence and worse of all, they hit puberty. Taking these factors and my
experience so far, it’s been quite challenging especially when we’re taught to be constructive
facilitators and in elementary their teachers are in the majority, behaviorist.
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Students’ varied approaches to learning:
Taking into consideration what I’ve already mentioned in the past section, a
constructivist classroom is quite difficult to achieve. The students are used to drills and
repetition. During their elementary years, they’ve been taught grammar, parts of speech and the
necessary skills to dominate the basics of the second language; however, exposure to a
constructive approach is barely noticeable. Students are used to getting to class and writing
whatever is on the board. Whichever topic or subject is on board is what is going to be worked
on during the class. With me as their teacher, the experience has been different.
In terms of listening and speaking, they are used to the material in English, but the oral
part in Spanish. They are not used to reading much and the actual construction of knowledge is
almost nonexistent. In a day by day scenario, the necessary skills and knowledge are provided
by the teacher; the student’s role is to memorize and practice it. In other words, the standards are
met by the teacher and not the student.
Two of my students are part of the Special Education Program. They both have ADD
and one of them has specific learning disabilities. When put in a classroom with very active
students, the particular student with ADD and learning disabilities is never on the same page as
the rest of the students. The only reason why he was allowed into the school is because he is
related to one of the faculty members. The fact of the matter is that I cannot delay the classroom
because of his needs but I am also faced with the challenge of not leaving him behind because
there are standards to be met.
Students’ skills and prior learning:
As I’ve mentioned before, the students are used to drills, repetition and memorization. In
terms of critical thinking, I had to begin from zero. They are not usually exposed to it and when
asked to think critically and solve problems, they don’t reach the capacity needed to achieve
these. They are concrete thinkers. Their ability to think in an abstract manner and in a global
manner is nonexistent. They are very egocentric. To my advantage were their writing skills.
According to my cooperating teacher, they had learned writing skills during the first semester of
the academic year.
Implications for instructional planning and assessment:
When planning for my Thematic Unit, I took into consideration their lack of critical
thinking. I chose a subject for my TU that would hopefully help them reach a level of abstract
thinking that they could apply to other classes and their daily life. As they supposedly know the
basic writing skills, I also planned assignments that would require meeting the standards as
implemented by the Department of Education. A third characteristic that I took into
consideration was their laziness. I worked towards implementing a process that would help them
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through a transitional phase that would lead them towards facilitated classes. The role of the
teacher would be less active and students would be required to come to their own conclusions. I
also took into consideration technology in the classroom. Because I had one of the best
classrooms in the school, I was able to use technology to provide for a diverse educational
experience. I exposed them to different platforms: Power Point Presentations, Prezi
Presentations, Vimeo, and others. Another characteristic that I took into consideration was
multiple intelligences. I wanted the students to be exposed to this approach in a manner that
would actually help them visualize and construct a concept instead of learning and memorizing.
What I did not take into consideration were the numerous short period, holidays, meetings, and
other eventualities that would affect the process. Most of these unplanned or heard of as late as
the same day.
LEARNING GOALS
Learning Goal #1 (LG1): Students will be able to construct their own definition for short story.
Learning Goal #2 (LG2): Students will be able to identify elements of the short story.
Learning Goal #3 (LG3): Students will be able to identify vocabulary in context.
Learning Goal #4 (LG4): Students will be able to identify main idea.
Learning Goal #5 (LG5): Students will be able to answer and formulate guided and open
questions.
Learning Goal #6 (LG6): Students will be able to apply sequencing skills.
Learning Goal #7 (LG7): Students will be able to state cause and effect.
Learning Goal #8 (LG8): Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills.
Alignment with Grade Level Expectations (Department of Education in Puerto Rico)
Listening/Speaking:
The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact
with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of
personal, social, and academic contexts.
L/S. 7.1 Listens and responds during a read aloud from a variety of fiction and nonfiction to
comprehend, generalize, relate to character and setting, and make connections to text. (LG2,
LG5, LG8)
L/S. 7.2 Listens, responds to, and analyzes complex instructions and statements; applies and
clarifies instructions and directions; answers and formulates closed and open-ended questions.
(LG5, LG8)
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L/S. 7.5 Explains the main idea or topic; identifies important details from learned concepts or
read alouds in a variety of expository texts; applies sequence of events to summarize. (LG4,
LG6)
Reading:
The student uses reading strategies, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills to
construct meaning and develop an understanding as well as an appreciation of a variety of
genres of both fiction and nonfiction.
R.7. Analyzes the text, establishes purpose, recognizes author’s purpose, and distinguishes text
features to enhance comprehension. (LG4, LG8)
R.7.2 Applies context clues, reference sources, and other vocabulary expansion strategies to
assess word meaning using prior knowledge to relate to new meaning; uses prefixes, suffixes,
and root words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar, multiple-meaning, and compound words.
(LG3)
R.7.3 Distinguishes main character from supporting characters, compares and contrasts character
traits, describes and explains setting in fiction. (LG2, LG8)
R.7.4 Sorts and organizes relevant events, states cause and effect, makes connections, predictions
and inferences; draws conclusions; states the problem and solution in fiction and nonfiction.
(LG4, LG5, LG6, LG7, LG8)
R.7.5 Identifies and states fact and opinion, paraphrases and states main idea or topic, and
determines important details in a narrative and expository texts. (LG4, LG8)
Appropriateness for students:
My thematic unit was mostly geared towards reading. As a result, most of the goals were
related to the reading standards. Some explicitly stated in the standards and others not. The
important aspect in terms of appropriateness is that I set the bar. It was necessary for the
students to be exposed to these learning goals because they will be a constant for the rest of their
educational career. Not only are they being exposed for the first time to the structure of stories,
but they are also being asked to apply critical thinking skills in the process. The reading factor
and the combination of standards and goals is meant to make the process an effective and lasting
one. It was also meant to serve as a stepping stone towards higher levels of knowledge which
will be required in the following grades.
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ASSESSMENT PLAN
Learning Goals Assessments Format of Assessment Adaptation
LG1 – Students will
be able to construct
their own definition
for short story.
Pre-Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Post-Assessment
Students were to
classify characteristics
provided into Poem
and Short Story.
After identifying the
characteristics/elements
of a Short Story,
students were to
construct their own
definition of short
story.
With the constructed
definition, students
were to write their own
stories.
Some characteristics
could belong to both.
They were to add all
of the ones that
applied to short story.
Help them with words
they might not
understand.
The characteristics
will be displayed on
the board. Help them
with hints such as:
“A short story is…”
and “The elements of
a short story are…”.
N/A
LG2 – Students will
be able to identify
elements of the short
story.
Pre-Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Multiple Choice Pre-
Test
Students were to
identify the elements of
the short story of “The
Open Window” by
Saki for homework.
N/A
Re-teach elements of
the story and provide
clearer examples if
needed.
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Post-Assesment Take Home Test –
Students were to
answer a series of
questions about the
elements of the story
applied to “The Open
Window”.
N/A
LG3 – Students will
be able to identify
vocabulary in
context.
Pre-Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Post-Assessment
Multiple Choice Pre-
Test
Students were to look
up the definition of
vocabulary words from
the article “Snake
Scientist” and fill in the
blanks provided by the
teacher.
Take Home Test –
Students will fill in the
blanks provided by the
teacher. Vocabulary
used is from the story.
N/A
Discuss the formative
assessment and apply
the vocabulary words
to the context of the
article.
N/A
LG4 – Students will
be able to identify
main idea.
Pre-Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Multiple Choice Pre-
Test
Students were to
answer questions
concerning main idea
in homework.
N/A
Prepare presentation
about “appearances
can be deceiving”
applied to real life.
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Post-Assessment Take-Home Test –
Main Idea applied to
characters.
Instead of asking the
students the main
idea, I asked them
how can
“appearances can be
deceiving” be applied
to the main characters
(Mr. Framton and
Vera)
LG5 – Students will
be able to answer and
formulate guided and
open questions.
Pre-Asessment
Formative
Assessment
Post Assessment
N/A
Students were to
formulate and answer
during a presentation
on “appearances can be
deceiving” and during
the guided reading of
“The Open Window”
by Saki.
Students answered a
number of open and
guide questions in the
different parts of the
Take Home Test.
N/A
N/A
Students were to
answer these types of
questions in different
contexts.
LG6 – Students will
be able to apply
sequencing skills.
Pre-Assessment
Multiple Choice Pre-
Test
Sequencing drills and
exercises.
N/A
Re-teach sequencing.
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Formative
Assessment
Post-Assessment
Students were to create
a timeline on a
cardboard depicting 5
important events of the
story.
Take Home Test
Guide the selection of
events. The students
would bring the
events to me and I
would correct them
before they could
begin working on
their timeline.
Traditional Sequence
of Events
LG7 – Students will
be able to state cause
and effect.
Pre-Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Post-Assessment
Multiple Choice Pre-
Test
Cause and Effect drills
and exercises.
Take Home Test.
Cause and Effect
applied to “The Open
Window” by Saki.
N/A
Re-teach.
N/A
LG8 – Students will
be able to apply
critical thinking
skills.
Pre-Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Multiple Choice Pre-
Test
Critical thinking
applied to the story
“The Open Window”
by Saki. Students were
to answer and apply
critical thinking skills
to make connections.
N/A
Provide it through the
exposure of
“appearances can be
deceiving” .
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Post-Assessment
Take Home Test –
Main Idea Questions
The question was
guided but to apply
the critical thinking
skills students are to
support their answers.
DESIGN FOR INSTRUCTION
Results of pre-assessment:
Student LG2 LG3 LG4 LG6 LG8
%pre %pre %pre %pre %pre
1 71 0 0 100 100
2 57 66 0 100 0
3 57 0 100 100 0
4 57 33 0 100 0
5 57 100 0 100 0
6 28 0 0 100 0
7 42 0 0 100 0
8 57 66 0 100 100
9 42 100 0 100 100
10 57 100 0 100 0
11 57 33 100 100 0
12 71 100 100 100 100
13 42 100 0 100 0
14 57 33 0 0 0
15 28 0 0 100 0
16 57 33 0 0 0
17 71 66 100 100 0
18 57 33 0 100 0
19 57 100 0 100 0
20 71 33 100 0 0
21 57 66 100 100 0
22 71 66 0 100 0
23 57 66 0 100 0
24 57 33 0 0 0
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Unit overview:
Topic Goal Activity Technology
Short Story LG1, LG2
Students will classify
characteristics into
short story or poem.
They will construct a
definition for short
story with the
characteristics/elements
provided. They will
write their own short
story taking into
consideration the
definition they
constructed.
The board and
sentence strips are
used for the class.
Students will write
their stories in a paper
provided by the
teacher.
Elements of Short
Story LG2
Students will discuss
with the teacher the
elements of the story.
With new knowledge,
students will edit their
previous story to
accommodate the
actual definitions.
Handouts with
elements of the story
and their definitions
are provided by the
teacher. Students will
edit in a paper that it
attached to their
previous story.
Snake Scientist
Vocabulary LG3
Students will look up
the definition for
various vocabulary
words from the article
“Snake Scientist”.
Students will fill in the
blanks taking into
consideration the
definitions.
Students used
handouts and
dictionaries provided
by the teacher.
Snake Scientist LG5
Students will do guided
reading with the
teacher. The teacher
will ask guided and
open questions.
Students will answer
and formulate their
own questions.
Textbook was used.
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Appearances can be
deceiving LG5, LG8
Students will be active
participators in a
presentation that
exemplifies the idea
that “appearances can
be deceiving”.
Students will answer
guided and open
questions and will
formulate their own.
Laptop, Projector and
a Prezi Presentation
are used. In the
presentation students
are exposed to
images, they are
asked to judge and
then be surprised by
the results.
The Open Window LG5, LG8
Students will do guided
reading of the story
“The Open Window”
with the teacher. The
teacher will ask guided
and open questions.
The student will be
able to formulate
his/her own.
Photocopies of the
story.
Elements of the Short
Story LG2, LG8
Students will define
elements of the short
story. They will
identify the elements of
the story “The Open
Window”.
Photocopies of the
story and the
assignment.
Sequencing LG6, LG8
Students will complete
a series of sequencing
exercises. They will
use critical thinking to
make connections,
predictions and
inferences.
Exercises were
displayed on the
board through the
projector.
Timeline Rubric LG6
Students will select at
least 5 events to present
in a timeline. The
teacher will discuss the
rubric for the Timeline
with the students.
Photocopies of the
rubric were provided
by the teacher.
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Cause & Effect LG7, LG8 Students will state
cause and effect in a
series of exercises.
They will apply critical
thinking skills to solve
problems.
Photocopies provided
by the teacher.
The Open Window
Timeline Presentation LG6
Students will present
their timelines.
Each student brought
his/her own poster.
The Open Window
Take Home Test
LG2, LG3, LG4,
LG5, LG6, LG7, LG8
Students will listen to
instructions for a take
home test. Teacher
will clarify doubts.
Photocopies of the
home test were
provided by the
teacher.
Activities:
Activity 1 -
Taking into consideration the principles of Constructivism and my entire educational
career at the UPR-H, I decided to promote the construction of knowledge in the classroom. With
this in mind, I created learning goal #1: Students will construct their own definition for Short
Story.
Because of their limited background exposure to the construction of knowledge, I
tweaked the activity so that their process was guided by me. The entire classroom was to work
together to divide characteristics and elements pertaining to poetry and to short story. Because
my first unit with them was that of poetry, they were able to divide them correctly in their
majority. When incorrect, there was usually a student who was able to explain to other students
why there was a mistake. After dividing the characteristics and elements on the board, students
were to write their own definition in a piece of paper. This provided for writing skills and for the
construction which was thanks to their own effort. The ability to construct the definition serves
as a reward for being able to divide the characteristics and elements.
Activity 2:
Learning standard R.7.2 states that students will use context clues to determine the
meaning of unfamiliar words. Since I began working with 7-2, I had noticed that they lacked
vocabulary. Not only did they lack it, but they were very comfortable asking the teacher the
meaning of an unfamiliar word instead of looking it up in the dictionary. Because of this, I
decided to create learning goal #3: Students will be able to identify vocabulary in context. In
the pre-test, there were three multiple choice exercises that dealt with vocabulary. Out of a
possibility of 78 correct answers, 35 of these were answered incorrectly. This amounts to 44%
of the answers incorrect.
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Because of my previous history with the group, I decided to provide them with 10
vocabulary words. For these vocabulary words, they would have to look up the definition, look
up the Spanish translation and use the words in a fill in the blank exercise. The vocabulary
words were part of an article that I used as a pre-reading exercise. The vocabulary words were
provided before reading the article. However, during the reading of the article, students were to
assess the vocabulary that they had already researched, but applied to the article. The words that
they looked up not necessarily matched the context of the “Snake Scientist” article. With this the
students developed responsibility towards finding words that they did not know and they
assessed their meaning comparing them to details and context clues form the article. The
students would also get to apply the knowledge acquired in their post-assessment where they
would receive a similar exercise.
Activity 3 -
One of the learning standards says that students will be able to “sort and organize
relevant events”. I took this into consideration as well as my cooperating teacher’s advice. One
of the things that she mentioned when I was to start my reading unit was that students often had
problems with sequencing. I decided to incorporate this very important skill into my unit. In my
pre-test, 5 students out of 26 answered the “sequence of events” question incorrectly. This is
roughly 19% of the class. Although this might not be such a significant number, I decided to
take into consideration my cooperating teacher’s advice and the standards. Because of this I
created learning goal #6: Students will be able to apply sequencing skills.
To be able to implement the skill, I first began with simple exercises of sequencing so
that they could understand the basic concept. After the basics, I passed on to applying
sequencing skills into real life situations. After this, I proceeded to provide the students with a
special project that would help them develop their sequencing skills applied to the story read in
class which was “The Open Window” by Saki. In this special project, students were to create a
timeline using events from the story and depicting them through drawing or images. After
preparing the timeline, students were to present them to their classmates during class. Not only
did they have to select important events, but in the process, students were permitted to exploit
what we call Multiple Intelligences. Whereas students are exposed to sequencing through text, I
gave the students the opportunity to visualize it for the learning effect to be more lasting.
Technology:
Technology was actively used during the thematic unit. It was used in a manner where it
did not overwhelm or underwhelm. It is very important to be as dynamic as possible in the
classroom. Too much technology would provide for routine, as well as if it were too little.
Students were appreciative of technological lessons such as the “Appearances can be deceiving”
presentation. Pictures, music and important facts were presented in it. It also maintained the
authenticity factor which provided for a very effective and fun class. Students were very into it
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and were left wanting more. Technology was also used to present practice exercise for the
different skills.
INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION-MAKING
When it came to the elements of the story, I brought in a handout with the definition for
each element. After discussing the elements, students were to write their own story taking into
consideration what we had just discussed. They wrote the story and earned the points. Even
though the elements were present, they were present in a subconscious way in which students
couldn’t really identify them. They were too concrete about it. I didn’t realize this until I
assigned for them to bring the elements of the story applied to “The Open Window” by Saki as
homework. As I explained the homework they seemed to understand perfectly and all doubts
were clarified during class. The day they were to hand in their homework, the students were
frustrated. They came to me during my orientation period to ask me to clarify doubts and to help
them answer. I felt inhibited and frustrated because I had already explained it to them and they
didn’t have any problems with it. I felt like they wanted me to answer their homework instead of
them working on it. When it was time for class and they were to hand in their homework, they
kept on complaining about how they didn’t understand the homework and they really didn’t want
to hand it in without feeling sure about their answers. I decided that I would re-teach the
elements of the short story.
I started the class as usual with a motivational technique which would grab their attention
and help them focus on the task at hand. We played hot potato and the student left with the hot
potato was to provide the definition for an element provided by the teacher. After this I decided
to go straight into it. I went element per element, in the order provided in the handout and
discussed it in three different manners. The first was to explain the definition. I clarified any
other doubts that were still lingering. The next part was to use the element applied to a story that
we were creating in the classroom. For example: Maralis was hungry. This was the exposition
of the story. Maralis went to the store to get some candy. This was an example of the rising
action. It was a technique of whole language in which the students provided me with the story
but at the same time I guided the discussion in a manner in which they would be able to identify
each element accordingly. The third and final way in which I discussed the elements was the
elements applied to the story “The Open Window”. I tried not to give the answers away. I
provided and guided the discussion with questions that would lead them to properly recognize
and identify the elements. By the end of the class, their demeanor was positive. Some students
still had problems but I felt that the authenticity of the exercise provided for a meaningful and
lasting acquisition and learning.
The second time I had to re-teach was when the students were assigned to create a
timeline. Although they were able to complete the sequencing events, the students had problem
identifying events per se. In this case, the situation was quite tricky. Some students were eager
to clarify doubts, while others were sure of their abilities to complete the task. I decided to
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address the classroom as a whole instead of the individuals. I realize that some students are not
so eager to clarify doubts. They are afraid of what the other students might say. I also realized
that although some students might be very sure of their knowledge, there is always room for
error.
I dedicated a class towards writing the events that they would use for their timeline. I had
already used a technique with a student that had worked so I decided to share it with the entire
class. To be able to formulate the events for the timeline, all students had to do was to
summarize the story. They had to somehow visualize themselves telling the story to another
person. The guide questions were: What happened first? What happened then? What happened
after that? In this manner, students were able to formulate more than jut 5 events and it proved
quite successful at least in the class. When constructing the timeline, students still had issues but
concerning other aspects.
ANALYSIS OF STUDENT LEARNING
Whole Class
Student LG2 LG3 LG4 LG6 LG8
%pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post
1 71 83 0 75 0 50 100 100 100 50
2 57 88 66 62 0 66 100 60 0 66
3 57 90 0 100 100 83 100 100 0 83
4 57 90 33 100 0 100 100 100 0 100
5 57 47 100 100 0 33 100 60 0 33
6 28 38 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 0
7 42 95 0 100 0 100 100 100 0 100
8 57 19 66 100 0 0 100 100 100 0
9 42 52 100 100 0 66 100 40 100 0
10 57 71 100 100 0 83 100 100 0 83
11 57 14 33 100 100 0 100 40 0 0
12 71 42 100 100 100 50 100 100 100 50
13 42 76 100 62 0 100 100 50 0 100
14 57 0 33 62 0 0 0 50 0 0
15 28 38 0 100 0 33 100 50 0 33
16 57 85 33 100 0 100 0 100 0 100
17 71 66 66 28 100 33 100 50 0 33
18 57 66 33 100 0 50 100 100 0 50
19 57 28 100 20 0 0 100 100 0 0
20 71 47 33 75 100 33 0 50 0 33
21 57 80 66 100 100 50 100 100 0 50
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22 71 52 66 100 0 50 100 100 0 50
23 57 28 66 62 0 0 100 16 0 0
24 57 100 33 100 0 100 0 100 0 100
Analysis:
Learning Goal #2 – Students will be able to identify elements of the short story.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Improved Did not improve
LG2
Students
For LG2, it was almost split in half. Fourteen students improved compared to their pre-
test and ten did not improve. This means that only 58% of the students improved and 41% did
not improve. In the pre-test, students were asked to read a short story and select from a multiple
choice the correct main idea; in the post-test, students were asked to provide supporting details
for the main idea that had already been discussed in the classroom.
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Learning Goal #3 – Students will be able to identify vocabulary in context.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Improved Stayed the same Did not improve
LG3
Students
For LG3, fifteen students improved, four had the same scores as for the pre-test and five
students did not improve. These fifteen students translate to 62%; 16% of the students had the
same scores as the pre-test and 20% of the students did not improve. A total of 78% of the
students met the criteria.
Learning Goal #4 – Students will be able to identify main idea.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Improved Stayed the same Did not improve
LG4
Students
For learning goal number four, 54% of the students improved compared to their pre-test;
20% stayed the same. These students that stayed the same had positive scores in their pre-test.
In total, 74% of the students met the criteria. Approximately 25% of the students did not
improve in this area.
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Learning Goal #6 – Students will be able to apply sequencing skills.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Improved Stayed the same Did not improve
LG6
Students
Only 16% of the students improved their sequencing skills; 45% of the students stayed
the same, and 37% of the students did not improve. Students that stayed the same were, as in
previous goals, correct in their sequencing question on the pre-test and also correct in their post
test. A total of 61% of the students met the criteria.
Learning Goal #8 – Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Improved Stayed the same Did not improve
LG8
Students
For learning goal #8, 62% of the students improved; 20% stayed the same and 16% did
not improve. A total of 82% of the students met the criteria.
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Subgroups: Girls (11) vs. Boys (13) – Learning Goal #3
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Improved Stayed the same Did not improve
Boys
Girls
There are thirteen boys and eleven girls. For learning goal #3, 53% of the boys were able
to improve; however, 72% of the girls also improved in this area. A total of 23% of the boys had
the same score in their post test as their pre-test; while 9% of the girls stayed the same as well.
Finally, 23% of the boys and 18% of the girls were not able to improve. In conclusion, a total of
76% of the boys and 81% of the girls met the criteria. This means that girls were the most
improved between both genders.
Individuals
I will refer to the students that I have selected as Student A and Student E. For the pre-
test, Student A (student number 7 in whole class) did not meet the minimum criteria. Student A
scored 33% in the test. Student E (student number 12 in whole class), however, met the
minimum criteria and exceeded scoring 86%. In the post examination, Student A exceeded
expectations and pre-test scores by achieving 86% in the test. Student E underwhelmed and
achieved only 65% in the post examination. Understanding learning of these particular students
is necessary because of pre and post examination scores.
The teacher’s main goal is to be able to facilitate a learning process in which a student is
able to meet the standards. When students have achieved standards, we try to take them a step
further and help them to continue exceeding in academics. What obviously happened with my
two students is that although one was able to pass on to the next level, the other was not as
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successful. As a teacher, it is necessary to tabulate and furthermore analyze results to be able to
improve and recognize missteps in the teaching-learning process. The recognition of these will
permit the teacher to better him/herself and as a result provide a better educational experience for
the student.
Student A improved in all learning goals except for learning goal #6 in which Student A
stayed the same, scoring 100% in both pre and post examinations. Student E scored 100% in the
pre-test for LG3, LG4, LG6, and LG8; however, Student E scored less in the post-test for LG4
and LG8. The student also scored 71% for LG2 in the pre-test and in the post test scored 42%.
Taking into consideration attitudes and discipline in the classroom, Student A was always more
aware of the teaching; Student A was always paying attention and asking questions to clarify
doubts. Student A also met me before and after class to clarify further doubts. Student E, was
always very confident of his/her capacity. Student E was never paying attention and was
supposedly always clear with instructions. Student E never handed in work on time and
furthermore was always late and frequently absent.
The key to the results is dedication. Student E has the potential to be an exceptional
student; however, Student E is not responsible or dedicated to the learning process. Student A
has a lot of potential as well but always wants to reaffirm existing thoughts concerning the
lessons. Ultimately, if attitudes and behaviors persist in both students, Student A will exceed
standards while Student E will barely meet them.
Student LG2 LG3 LG4 LG6 LG8
%pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post
7 42 95 0 100 0 100 100 100 0 100
12 71 42 100 100 100 50 100 100 100 50
REFLECTION AND SELF-EVALUATION
Most Successful Learning Goal
Learning Goal #8 – Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills.
As my most successful learning goal, I chose LG8 in which 82% of the students met the
criteria. Although 20% of the students had already met the criteria for the pre-test, being able to
continue to apply these skills in other kinds of assessment is a great improvement. A total of
62% of the students actually improved taking into consideration their pre-test. This means that
there were students that could not think critically and were able to meet this basic criterion with
their post examination.
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Since I began the semester, it was made very clear to me that critical thinking was one of
the most difficult skills for the students to achieve especially when they’re coming from
elementary school in which they are constantly exposed to automatic responses, and drills and
repetitions. I also realized that when students were able to apply critical thinking skills in the
classroom, I felt a complete rush that made me feel like my facilitating skills were actively
working on a better future.
One of the reasons why I believe that the students were able to achieve critical thinking
skills was because I was constantly exposing them to different learning experiences in which
they would have to think critically. Even before I had selected LG8, I provided the students with
opportunities to apply these skills and separate themselves from the norm. Students would get to
the classroom and automatically ask me: Do we have to copy what’s written on the board? Most
of my practice the answer has been no. I wanted the students to be exposed to a Constructivist
classroom. Because of these continuous opportunities, students gradually improved and were
able to apply these in different assessments.
Another reason why I believe they were able to meet the criterion is because I was the
one asking questions. My students want everything to be handed to them. I was taking any of it.
I provided an environment in which students would have to search, research and possibly
comment with their peers to be able to answer their own questions. This eventually provided for
an independent environment in which critical thinking would come naturally.
Even though I had exposed them to critical thinking exercises, I wanted them to be able
to demonstrate in writing and reading these skills. I chose “The Open Window” by Saki with the
particular main idea of appearances can be deceiving because it provided for so much critical
thinking. This along with carefully prepared plans which exposed them to different aspects of
human nature was a perfect set-up for the development of critical thinking. In their pre-test,
students were to answer a question which solicited critical thinking skills. In their post-
examination, students were to answer a question in which they were to provide details from the
story and arrive at their own conclusions to be able to answer it. Furthermore, the answer was
not explicitly stated in the story. Students had to take into consideration characterization, setting,
and human nature per se to be able to answer the question successfully.
An example of an activity that I used to expose them to critical thinking was a
presentation on “Appearances can be deceiving”. Students would see a picture and as part of a
classroom discussion, they would also assume and judge based on appearances. After they
arrived to their own conclusions, I revealed a brief summary of who or what the subject or object
really was. Students in most cases were baffled with the answers. This also provided for a
wonderful opportunity to expose them to Social Transformation. The exercise proved
successful. Students were excited about the class and wanted more. Opportunities like these set
the pavement for the application of critical thinking skills and provided for a successful and
achieved learning goal.
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Least Successful Learning Goal
With learning goal #2, only 58% of the students improved; 41% of the students weren’t
able to identify elements of the short story. It is almost split in half and that is a concern. One of
the reasons why I believe I was not as successful with this LG is because at the time, I was sick.
I could barely speak, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t breathe well and as a result, my delivery was
poor. Because of my illness, my patient level was at its lowest. I had difficulty planning and
difficulty facilitating the lessons.
Another reason why I believe I wasn’t as successful is because I might have over-
estimated the students’ potential. When it came to the elements of the short story, I handed them
a paper with the definitions of each element. In the class, we discussed them one by one and I
provided them with examples. This was also a class that I had to repeat because I realized that
many students had doubts. Even knowing that my students had doubts, I didn’t think about
trying another method. The second time around I discussed them one by one and used an
authentic situation in which they could apply, identify and create the elements of a story.
However, I realize now that I should have done research and put an extra effort towards
providing them with an experience in which they would be able to meet expectations.
Reflection on possibilities for professional development
Throughout my practice and the past seminars, I have been talking about Constructivism
being a fairytale; however, with this thematic unit I just proved to myself that this is quite on the
contrary. Yes, in terms of behavior I have to be a bit more firm and consistent, but with the
learning experience, constructivism is possible.
Seventh grade proved to be a completely new experience for me. I had always been
exposed to higher levels and therefore had been very comfortable. The problem with seventh
grade is that as a teacher you have to help them cross the fine line between elementary and
secondary level. Whereas in elementary students are used to drills and repetition, in secondary
level students have to be independent thinkers who are able to construct their own knowledge
and definition of the world.
What I would very much like to improve in terms of my profession are my classroom
management skills. I believe that with a better set of instruments and with a clearer mind
towards classroom management, my lessons could have been more effective. Another goal that I
would eventually like to achieve is being able to identify which techniques are more effective
towards guiding the student to a more constructivist classroom. We’ve been told that it can take
up to decades for things to pick up, well if I’m an active worker towards that change, then we’re
a step closer towards achieving a better education for our students.
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Specific steps that would help me achieve these professional goals are continuous
research and dedication to my craft. As teachers we should always strive to be at the vanguard.
When a situation arises, we should be able to formulate more than one possible solution because
after all, we are facilitators. We have been polished and renewed into better citizens and
professionals who are capable of fomenting change. I think it’s also very important to remember
that we are forever students. Reflecting and analyzing situations will provide us with data that
could potentially positively affect the teaching-learning environment. Another very important
step towards achieving my goals is to constantly study my students. No student is equal to
another. Being able to differentiate and identify weaknesses and strengths will facilitate the
process and ultimately help me become a better professional. Lastly, I think it’s very important
to be able to analyze myself as a professional. I have to be able to not just identify my
weaknesses and strengths but use them to my advantage and manipulate the weaknesses so that
they can be used as something positive.