Lesson #2 Self- Assessment

Name: Jessica Boyle

Lesson topic: Array and Area Model
Date: 10/12
School/grade level/ number of students: Whittier Elementary, 4th grade, 27 students
Name of Cooperating Teacher: Lora Mitchell
Planning and preparation:
In my plan I had many different opportunities for active engagement. I planned specific
questions for the students to answer and solve on their whiteboards, verbal questions, and an
activity in which the students were to work with a partner to complete area and array models
using different materials. When planning, incorporated two methods to help meet the needs of
diverse learners. The first method I incorporated was modeling. Throughout my lesson, I
planned for specific points in which I would be modeling how to make the array and area
models. Following the modeling, I had questions that the students could practice using an array
and area model. The second aspect of my lesson that was intended to meet the needs of the
diverse learners was the partner activity I planned. The students were to work with a partner that
I assigned to create at least two models per person. Using a class list I received that indicated the
ability level of the students, I paired up students who are struggling with the students who were
considered higher-level. In doing this, my hopes were that the students would be able to lean
on and support each other. I also made accommodations to meet the needs of the students by
planning on letting them decide on what models they wanted to use. Unfortunately, I had to
adjust my plan while teaching to meet the needs of the students.
About 15 minutes into my lesson plan, I began noticing that I was starting to
loose/confuse some of the students. When I realized this, I began to slow down and try to reexplain things. I also decided that I was going to scrap the idea of having the student use dot
paper, and instead focus on having them construct their models using graph paper. As I tried to
do this, I then began to realize that I was starting to confuse them even more. To solve this
problem, I gave the students a new equation to make an area model for. I then instructed them to
make the model on their graph paper. When students began to raise their hand to indicate that
they were finished, I then called on a student to come up and show what they did and explain
their thinking. My intentions for this was to see if the students could explain this model in a
different way that would help their classmates to understand. This strategy seemed to work, and
as I was walking around, I saw that the students were able to make the models on their papers.
Even though I saw that the students were constructing the models accurately, I was feeling shaky
on the students understanding. This feeling, and the fact that we were running out of time, I
decided not to do the partner activity. Instead, I decided to go over the directions of their
homework to ensure that they understood what they were being asked.
Classroom environment:
I tried to encourage student participation many different ways. One way I did this was by
telling the students that I was going to wait until I saw more hands to call on someone, which
helped send the message that the students had time to think before I was going to select a student
to answer. Another way I encouraged participation was by telling the students that I also wanted
to hear from some of the people I hadnt heard from yet. By saying this, I was able to indirectly

call out the students who were not volunteering to respond to my questions. In my plan, I did
incorporate opportunities for the students to work and respond to one another, however I ended
up getting rid of this activity to better meet the needs of my students. Since I got rid of this
activity, there were not many ways for the students to engage with each other. As already stated,
my lesson did not go exactly how I originally planned, which resulted in my lesson being all
whole group. During this time, I did struggle a bit, but I did my best to think on my feet while
still actively involving the students. While I was struggling, I incorporated the thumbs up,
thumbs down method to assess where the students thinking was at. By doing this, I was
continually involving and communicating with the students, in which I would respond by either
moving on with the lesson, or slowing it down. Overall this seemed to really help out.
Instruction:
The instructional strategies I planned on using in this lesson were modeling and student
participation. My plan for this lesson was to model how to create array and area models
followed by allowing the students to practice independently and with a partner. I would say that
the modeling portion of my lesson could have gone better. As already stated, I struggled with the
modeling portion of this lesson. I think that the reason for this was that I assumed too much
which resulted in an original fast paced over-view. One assumption I made was the students had
worked with graph and dot paper prior to my lesson. Unfortunately, it appeared that I was wrong
about this. When I began to notice this, I stopped, scrapped the idea of using dot paper and
focused on using the graph paper. Making this change really seemed to help out. I also used
student participation as one of my main instructional strategies, although I used it differently than
I originally planned. During my lesson I incorporated participation from the students by asking
questions, asking for feedback (thumbs up, thumbs down), and by calling students up to the
board. The major changes I made during my lesson really helped to get the students back on
track to understand the lesson objectives for the day.
If I were to repeat this lesson, I would definitely make some changes. The two main
changes I would make are only showing the students how to make area models using free-hand
and graph paper, instead of saying rows and columns, I would instead use the cues of horizontal
and vertical. As already mentioned, I would scrap the idea of using dot paper. I would make this
change because it seemed like this activity helped to push them to the point of being in
information overload. Another reason why I would get rid of this portion of my lesson is
because I feel like it took away from the main focus. Instead of focusing on understanding what
an area model is and how to construct one, the students were instead focusing on how to use dot
paper. I would make the change in academic language because I found it to be very difficult to
explain how to identify number of rows versus columns since when talking about the number of
rows, you are counting within in a column. To avoid this confusion, I would instead use vertical
and horizontal. Overall, this lesson really made me think on my feet and really demonstrated
how I can adapt to the needs of my students.
Assessment:
The assessments I planned on using during this lesson included the thumbs up, thumbs
down feedback, assessing student responses on the whiteboards, and observation. I would say
that all three of these methods really helped during this lesson. The assessments I was using
really helped to be the driving force behind my actions and teaching. I took what I was learning
from assessing to determine where I wanted to take my lesson next. In the very beginning of my

lesson when I was going over arrays, the observations I was having indicated that the students
already had background knowledge. Looking at how fast and how accurate the students were
responding on their whiteboards indicted to me that I could I could speed things up and continue
on. I took out some of the beginning questions I had because I felt they were not
developmentally appropriate. When I began talking about area models, I began to see and realize
that there was an issue and that I needed to slow down and find out what was causing the
confusion. I learned this from the observations I was making. I saw confusion on students faces
and I was starting to get less and less volunteers to answer my questions. This is when I really
began to utilize the thumbs up, thumbs down method. I would say that I used this at least four
times to help assess if I should keep going, or if I needed to stop and diagnose further. It was not
till the very end when I began having students come up to the board to model and explain their
thinking in a way that I was unable to think of/see. This was evident when I began walking
around to look at the work the students were doing on their graph paper. I would say that this
portion of my lesson lead me to believe that the students understood and reached the learning
objective for the day.
Professional responsibilities: How will you apply it to future lessons?
Looking at my CTs feedback, the piece of advice that jumps out to me the most is the tip
of walking around the room more. Even though I was doing a great deal of assessment
throughout this lesson, I believe I would be able to more accurately assess as well as offer better
feedback to the students if I were to walk around and observe. By looking more closely at what
the students were doing, I might have been able to get a faster and greater understanding of what
was causing the confusion during the lesson. I will be sure to make a mental note in the future to
move around the room more when Im giving students time to work.
Reflection:
Through teaching this lesson I learned A LOT about assessment. I would say that
assessment helped save my lesson and myself from failing my students. Assessment was the
major driving force guiding my lesson. I was taking what I was learning in my observations and
thumbs up thumbs down assessment. I was able to see that if I did not make a change, the
students would end up confused and lost when it would have come time to the partner activity I
had planned. As I discussed with Nancy, this was a rough, but good lesson. The students did not
understand the concepts I was trying to teach them right off the bat, but once I began making the
change that was needed, I believe I was able to get them to a reasonable spot by the end of my
lesson. In the future, I will be sure to incorporate assessment throughout the lessons I plan. I
never want my students to leave my classroom totally lost or confused because I was unable to
identify and correct problem areas while teaching. Using the cues my students performance are
giving me, I will become a better educator. I will know and be able to adjust my own behavior
and strategies to better accommodate the instructional needs of my students.