Reflection

What assessment information did you use to analyze that helped evaluate the needs of
the student?
I spoke with the school principal about where an achievement gap might be. She directed me
to a fifth grade inclusion classroom that had a mix of labeled and non-labeled students. When
I looked at the grades in the classroom, I found that many of the students, 23 out of 29
students had at least one low grade or more (C or lower) in the three main subjects areas that
I was focused on Language Arts, Math, and Reading. After looking at the grades, I felt the
students might benefit from a study skills lesson.
Discuss what strategies and activities used to prepare students for the future.
By teaching the students study skills, I kept asking them about middle school and if they saw
a use for the information in that setting as well. I encouraged them to be organized because
next year, they would have multiple classes in multiple classrooms and in that case,
organization would be crucial so that they could keep their work straight.
How did students change as a result of the activity?
The students seemed excited to use their skills. There were also some significant changes in
grades as well. The students were engaged during the lessons and eager to offer suggestions
or answer questions. For instance, when we discussed time management and what it was,
many students were quick to offer up their own schedules so the class as a whole could see
how a schedule worked. We had a group discussion of how studying needs to be implemented
into a time management system. And we also discussed how to plan for that study period,
what kind of things to have in their study area (i.e. pencils, paper, textbooks, adequate light,
quiet, etc.), and where their study area might be. The students were great about telling the
class and me where they liked to study or do their homework. I feel that the students will take
these lessons and put them to use, not only for the rest of this school year, but also in the
future. With each of the lessons, I provided an handout that we went over together. So if they
forget a part of the lesson, theres always a handout to refer back to if they still have it.
What interventions or tools did you use when working with students?
For these students, I used a series of four mini-lessons (each lasting approximately 15 to 20
minutes) that focuses on study skills. The first lesson was about study skills in general, with a
narrower focus on time management and where to find a study space and type of supplies
should be there. The second lesson was piggybacked off of the first lesson and included
information about planning for homework. This lesson included how to use a planner (and
also touched back again on time management skills) and organization tips. The third lesson
included study tips and how to prepare for tests. The fourth and final lesson included a list of
online homework help sites that I thought would be useful for the students who might need
help after school or on the weekends. The first three lessons were all classroom based lessons
that involved group discussion. The students volunteered information when asked and the
majority of the classroom participated in these discussions. The fourth lesson took place in a

computer lab so that the students could interact with the websites as I was discussing them. I
also pulled them up of a projector screen so that if a student, for reasons of technical
difficulty, was having issues with their computer or couldnt access a particular site. The
lessons all went really well.
What worked and what didnt work?
The students seemed excited to use some of the websites. There was one in particular that
they were excited about because (and I didnt know this when I planned to use this particular
site) they had been assigned a research project about a state. One of the websites I chose for
the lesson was a kids information site that had loads of information and one of the sections
was about the states. After I was finished with the lesson, the teacher allowed the students to
look around on that site, even though they were there to get other work done. They were also
engaged during all the lessons; many raised their hands to volunteer. I didnt really find
anything that didnt work.
What would you do differently next time?
One thing, had I been given more time, would have been to talk through a weeks worth of
assignments and had them plan them in their planner and then use their time management
sheets (each hour was written out from 6 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Sunday) so that the
students could see what that looked like all planned out. Also, due to the time constraints, I
would have liked to get the homework contracts back signed from parents. I think its
important to have parents on board when it comes to homework. If a parent knows that a
student has homework and they ask the student about it and show a genuine interest, then
theres a greater chance that homework will be done. And then learning that was done at
school, gets reinforced at home.
How has this activity impacted you?
This activity really made me proud of my students. They showed a genuine interest in their
learning and in bettering themselves. It was really sweet for me because the students always
looked forward to me coming to teach the lessons. I also made me proud that many of the
students were so open about their study habits. I thought that I would be really nervous about
teaching several lessons in front of a classroom full of fifth graders, but that wasnt the case. I
normally get nervous when in front of a crowd, but in front of the classroom, I feel at home. I
feel that the students were really engaged with me and eager to hear what I had to say. I really
like being with the students. I dont have any teaching experience but I find that thats not as
big of an issue as I thought perhaps it might be. Its true, that Im not experienced in many
classroom management techniques; however, when in front of a class for a short span on
time, I was able to manage the class. When they got unruly, as only elementary school-ers can
be, I was able to get the class back on track with whatever lesson I happened to be teaching
that day. I also now understand that its not as difficult as I thought it would be to have a
student be engaged in their own learning and grades. When I planned these lessons, I
imagined small changes (as in .05%, maybe) but I found that many of the students improved
way beyond all my expectations. And not just in one area, like Reading, but across the board

in Language Arts and Math as well. Its really amazing what a few short lessons can do to
boost a students confidence and their achievement. When I think about it, there was nothing
in it for the students, only the hope of better grades when they put the knowledge from the
lessons to use. And in the end, only 2 out of the 23 didnt improve their grades. Thats still a
success in my book. To me, those results mean that I can work individually with those two
students to find out whats holding them back, or to figure out a solution. The solution could
be simple, like I just had a bad week and didnt get any homework done. Or it could be that
their parents are getting divorced and fighting over the kids and the student just found out that
dad is kicking mom and kids out of the house. Whatever their story is, we can work on it
together.