Domain Three Reflection: Instruction
Instruction is where all of my careful planning and preparation comes alive. It is my responsibility to be prepared on a daily basis to teach my students what they need to know. Aside from careful planning and preparation, another component of instruction is organization. I take pride in the organization of my lessons and genuinely enjoy delivering them to my classes. I follow specific daily procedures to ensure smooth execution of lessons throughout the school year.
Each day, I arrive early to set up for the day. The first thing I do every morning is write the Do Now and the aim of the lesson on the board, so my students are aware of the expectations as soon as they walk into the classroom. I also take time in the morning to arrange student desks according to what the daily lesson entails. When students arrive, they take their seats and immediately begin and complete a Do Now that ties directly to the objective of the daily lesson. When opening up discussion about the Do Now, I use probing techniques to help guide student responses. After the Do Now, I conduct brief direct instruction that explains what the students will be learning that day. Depending on the day, students will have to write, take notes or fill in skeletal notes for the lesson. I also utilize visual aids and various forms of technology on a daily basis to reach the 21st century learners in my classroom. I use Keynote Presentations, PowerPoints, and Prezi’s as well as educational videos, film clips, and even music to further interest students in the material being presented. In addition, we always hold excellent class discussions and I try to keep direct instruction to a minimum so that students can learn to comprehend information on their own. From there, students are broken into groups, put into pairs, or asked to individually put the lesson into practice. At the end of class, students show understanding through a brief review of the lesson, or a closing discussion about the material learned.
I continually assess student understanding throughout each of my lessons. One way I assess understanding at the very beginning of the lesson is through discussion of the Do Now. I ask guiding questions and invite group conversation to engage conversation. In discussing the Do Now I am able to direct students to the objective and ensure that all students are aware of where the lesson is headed. I am also able to informally asses student understanding by facilitating throughout the room as they work individually, with a partner, or in a group setting. I listen in on student conversations and overlook student responses throughout each lesson. Before students leave, I assess understanding once more through closure activities such as exit slips, or brief discussions. In addition to informal assessment, I also assign formative assessments such as quizzes, homework and classwork assignments, unit tests, and writing samples. All of these methods whether it be formal or informal help me to not only assess student understanding, but also enable me to reflect upon my instruction and help develop ideas for future lessons.
I am constantly reflecting on my teaching practice. Even throughout the day I continually consider how I can improve from one period to the next. Not only do I think about how I can improve on a daily basis, but I also consider how I can develop units after I have completed them for the benefit of my students.
Each day, I arrive early to set up for the day. The first thing I do every morning is write the Do Now and the aim of the lesson on the board, so my students are aware of the expectations as soon as they walk into the classroom. I also take time in the morning to arrange student desks according to what the daily lesson entails. When students arrive, they take their seats and immediately begin and complete a Do Now that ties directly to the objective of the daily lesson. When opening up discussion about the Do Now, I use probing techniques to help guide student responses. After the Do Now, I conduct brief direct instruction that explains what the students will be learning that day. Depending on the day, students will have to write, take notes or fill in skeletal notes for the lesson. I also utilize visual aids and various forms of technology on a daily basis to reach the 21st century learners in my classroom. I use Keynote Presentations, PowerPoints, and Prezi’s as well as educational videos, film clips, and even music to further interest students in the material being presented. In addition, we always hold excellent class discussions and I try to keep direct instruction to a minimum so that students can learn to comprehend information on their own. From there, students are broken into groups, put into pairs, or asked to individually put the lesson into practice. At the end of class, students show understanding through a brief review of the lesson, or a closing discussion about the material learned.
I continually assess student understanding throughout each of my lessons. One way I assess understanding at the very beginning of the lesson is through discussion of the Do Now. I ask guiding questions and invite group conversation to engage conversation. In discussing the Do Now I am able to direct students to the objective and ensure that all students are aware of where the lesson is headed. I am also able to informally asses student understanding by facilitating throughout the room as they work individually, with a partner, or in a group setting. I listen in on student conversations and overlook student responses throughout each lesson. Before students leave, I assess understanding once more through closure activities such as exit slips, or brief discussions. In addition to informal assessment, I also assign formative assessments such as quizzes, homework and classwork assignments, unit tests, and writing samples. All of these methods whether it be formal or informal help me to not only assess student understanding, but also enable me to reflect upon my instruction and help develop ideas for future lessons.
I am constantly reflecting on my teaching practice. Even throughout the day I continually consider how I can improve from one period to the next. Not only do I think about how I can improve on a daily basis, but I also consider how I can develop units after I have completed them for the benefit of my students.
Domain Three Artifacts
A Prezi lesson for reviewing the epigraph (an excerpt from Plato's Allegory of the Cave) at the beginning of Daniel Keyes' novel Flowers for Algernon. I have also attached the graphic organizers I used with the lesson, as well as artistic renditions of the Allegory of the Cave.
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Artistic renditions of Plato's Allegory of the Cave.