Interns After-Teaching Reflection

Whole group experience

ESU Anna White
A. Two things or more that went well
A. Everyone participated, students were engaged. Almost everyone tried their best. They
seemed to enjoy it, and they all turned it in.
B. One thing that went differently
A. The reading level of the text was too hard for several striving readers. Many students
responses were short, incoherent, or off topic.
C. Attitude of the children during my lesson 4
A. The children were all engaged and had a good attitude, except for one that has a
behavior intervention program. The work they showed me as I graded it showed 1/3-1/2
didnt know what they were doing, but all but a couple students attempted all parts of the
lesson completely.
D. Degree of difficulty in deliver my lesson 4
A. It wasnt hard to teach this lesson. At that time I didnt realize they werent getting it as I
wanted, but they all were on task (More than 90% of them 95% of the time) and all
turned in their work.
E. Briefly describe evidence that the students achieved the objectives
A. As noted above, I saw that nearly all students tried their hardest, and more than half did
it right. Context clues and comprehension is a real struggle for these kids, so
considering it was the first lesson given on Columbus and the first lesson given on
Context clues and comprehension delivered by me, I would say they achieved the
objectives very well.
F. What would I change based on how they achieved the objectives?
A. I would have made it look more interesting aesthetically. I used yellow paper and I think
that helped. The reading level of the material was appropriate for 5th, but not all our kids
are reading at a 5th grade level, so I would have had small groups or paired lower
students with higher students, when they higher students were finished. I would not
have lowered the reading level of the content BECAUSE their state assessment is at 5th
grade level, whether they can read it or not, and they have to learn how to work with what
they have at the level theyre required to be at. Mrs. Varner taught me that :)
G. Follow up lesson?
A. I would teach more types of context clues in a narrative text instead of expository. I
would also have little snippets of extra work that is more engaging for them in SS,
Reading, and LA to give them extra practice with what they already have to do in those
areas.
H. What did I learn about myself?
A. I learned that just because I want them to do better doesnt mean their heart is in it. It
must be interesting, and engaging. There are several very advanced students, but

several who are below as well. I should have accommodated for them, but I didnt
realize that detail yet. The main thing I have learned is what objective really means: it
means that if youre honing in on one specific thing (context clues) that you may have to
water down the text (i.e. pick a 3rd or 4th grade piece) OR scaffold them. I prefer
scaffolding, because I think every student in my class is capable of learning content
clues at a fifth grade level, but peer help and my help is better than making it too easy.