This template is a complex, detailed lesson plan that follows every step in the process to create an effective lesson for all students. It begins with demographics, which is an excellent first step with every new school year, but one often ignored for the sake of time. It was helpful as a new teacher to know the make-up of my classroom, my school, and my community and to determine how that should affect my teaching. Next, the template asks for objectives and learning goals. This gave me the opportunity to study my state content standards and make sure my lesson plan aligned with the requirements for my grade level and subject. Steps three through six involve the creation of a pretest and a five day lesson plan that I implemented in my classroom. The pretest was especially useful because my mentor teacher has not typically used them in her classroom. We were able to work on it together and then adjust the lesson accordingly. Step six allowed me to analyze student learning based on the post-test data and determine how it showed growth from the pretest or potentially highlighted areas that I need to revisit. The final step is the most important: reflection. Reflection allows me to decide if the lesson needs modifications or if any part of my teaching style needs to be adjusted.
Standard One
Pre-Assessment - Copy and paste the pre-assessment you plan to use to assess the students’ knowledge of the topic prior to implementing the unit lessons. Include the scoring criteria used to determine whether the student Exceeds, Meets, Approaches, or Falls Far Below the learning goal and measurable objectives.
|
Scoring Criteria:
There are 10 questions and a possible total of 10 points.
Score Student
9-10 points Exceeds the learning objective
Highly proficient
8 points Meets the learning objective
Proficient
7 points Approaches the learning objective
Partially proficient
0-6 points Falls far below the learning objective
Minimally proficient
Pre-Assessment Data: Whole Class - Once you have assessed your students’ knowledge on the topic, collect and analyze the pre-assessment data to determine if you will need to modify the standards, learning goal, or measurable objectives that will be addressed during instruction.
| |
Number of Students
| |
Highly Proficient (90%-100%)
|
31 students (14 honors students)
32% of total students (21% of general ed. students)
|
Proficient
(80%-89%)
|
18 students (2 honors students)
19% of total students (21% of general ed. students)
|
Partially Proficient
(70%-79%)
|
16 students
17% of total students (21% of general ed. students)
|
Minimally Proficient
(69% and below)
|
30 students (1 honors student)
32% of total students (37% of general ed. students)
|
Pre-Assessment Analysis: Whole Class
| |
Based on the data above, what changes, if any, will you make to your selection of national or state academic content standards, the learning goal, or measurable objectives?
I will not make any changes to the state standards, learning goals, or objectives. The pre-test was a measure of the foundational vocabulary for the unit. Students did better than I expected, with a higher percentage of total students scoring highly proficient than I would have predicted (it is slightly misleading because of the presence of honors students.) I can tell from the data that there is a foundation of knowledge about plot, so it is still something to teach, but will also make a springboard for further learning. It is clear these concepts will be a review instead of new, first-time content knowledge.
| |
Based on the data above, describe in 1-3 paragraphs the effect this data could have on the planning, delivery, and assessment of your unit.
Based on the data above, I will not have to alter my planning for the unit. The power point presentations for the note-taking are already written, the short story reading comprehension questions are prepared, the rubrics for the writing assignments are created. The lessons in this unit build on each other and knowing that students have a foundational knowledge of plot allows us to move on to deeper content sooner.
During delivery of the lesson on Raymond’s Run, I have decided to try another method of differentiation that I have not used. I will group students by mastery level from the scores on the pre-test. This assessment checked for students’ knowledge of basic plot elements. For those who are highly proficient, they will be able to work through a story map from the short story much quicker and move on to higher level comprehension and analytical questions. Those who have not quite mastered the skill will work together and those who are struggling will receive an assignment with more support and scaffolding to complete. This will require that I rewrite the questions from the Raymond’s Run worksheets to fit the different skill levels. The key to this method is building on what the students already know successfully. Turner (2014) references a teacher who realized she was too focused on “what students didn't know, couldn't do, or didn't understand,” but then decided to use assessment to discover “what students could do [and] bring those strengths to the surface” (p.7). It is just as crucial to use the data to build on what they know and feel confident with as it is to work on what they struggle with. While creating the activities for each group, I will begin with what they already know so they feel successful and prepared to move on to harder concepts.
The last component of the unit is assessment. Based on the data from the pre-test, the assessments in place will be useful. While the pre-test was a simple fill-in-the-blank vocabulary assessment, the formative and summative assessments for the unit delve much deeper. Knowing that a majority of students have a foundational grasp on the parts of a plot, we can use assessments that move beyond to additional vocabulary as well as rubrics that ask students to apply their knowledge of the concepts to their own writing. The goal is for students to be able to demonstrate the ideas we taught through creative writing.
Turner, S.L. (2014). Creating an assessment-centered classroom: Five essential assessment strategies to support middle grades student learning and achievement. Middle School Journal, 45 (5), 3-16.
| |
Post-Assessment – Copy and paste the post-assessment you plan to use to assess the students’ knowledge of the topic after implementing the unit lessons. The post-assessment can be the same as the pre-assessment, a modified version, or something comparable that measures the same concepts. Include the scoring criteria used to determine whether the student Exceeds, Meets, Approaches, or Falls Far Below the learning goal and measurable objectives.
Post-Assessment
One of the post-assessments for this unit is a narrative written by the students. The entire unit focuses on how to write a narrative. The unit is taught through vocabulary, reading, and writing. The pre-test assessed whether students understood the parts of a plot and general vocabulary related to narratives. As the unit progresses, students learn about elements of plot, figurative language, imagery, dialogue, and point of view. The teacher uses group activities, short stories, notes, and short responses to teach the objectives. This all leads to the post-assessment, a rubric, where students use each of these elements in their own scary story (narrative). The rubric is used as a learning tool first. The teacher uses it to teach what is required in the narrative, the students use it during their writing process, and the teacher uses it as a formative assessment during share-outs. At the end, the rubric is the summative assessment; the points in each paragraph determine whether an element is present and the mark-ups determine if a student recognizes the element in his/her own writing accurately.
Scoring Criteria:
There is a possible total of 60 points. 5 points are from the formative assessment of share-outs.
Score Student
54-60 points Exceeds the learning objective
Highly proficient
48-53 points Meets the learning objective
Proficient
42-47 points Approaches the learning objective
Partially proficient
0-41 points Falls far below the learning objective
Minimally proficient
The second post-assessment is a more traditional test and revisits some of the vocabulary from the pre-test, while also testing reading comprehension.
Elements of Horror
Directions: Read the excerpts from the short stories and answer the questions.
“True!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am! but why will you say that I am mad?” (Poe, Tale-Tell Heart)
1. From whose point of view is the story told?
A. Third person point of view
B. First person point of view
C. Second Person point of view
D. From the old man’s point of view.
“Please come in,” she said pleasantly. She stepped aside, holding the door wide open, and Billy found himself automatically starting forward. The compulsion or, more accurately, the desire to follow after her into that house was extraordinarily strong.
“I saw the notice in the window,” he said, holding himself back.
“Yes, I know.”
“I was wondering about a room.”
“It’s all ready for you, my dear,” she said. (Dahl, The Landlady)
2. What can we infer from the landlady’s response to Billy:
A. She was watching him
B. She wants to stuff Billy like her pets
C. She is going to poison Billy
D. She asks Billy to sign the book
“Don’t fall asleep—or drive fast—or pick up any strangers on the road…”
“At any moment the link with life may break. This may be the last thing I ever tell on earth…the last night I ever see the stars…” (Fletcher, The Hitchhiker)
3. These quotes from the Hitchhiker are examples of:
A. Voice
B. Style
C. Foreshadowing
D. Suspense
“I am in an auto camp on Route Sixty-six just west of Gallup, New Mexico.” (Flectcher, The Hitchhiker)
4. This quote is an example of:
A. Point of View
B. Suspense
C. Conflict
D. Setting
“If you still think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs.” (Poe, The Tale-Tell Heart)
5. The feelings of anxiety, fear, or discomfort the reader feels when reading the story is an example of:
A. Tone
B. Style
C. Suspense
D. Mood
“It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this? And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously,--oh so cautiously—cautiously (for the hinges creaked)—I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights—every night just at midnight—but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.”
6. The narrator insists he is not crazy. However, he also tells us that he wants to kill the old man, not because he dislikes the old man, but because he hates his “Evil Eye.” Based on this information, what can we infer about the narrator?
A. The narrator is actually crazy
B. The narrator wants to get away from the old man
C. The narrator is kind to the old man
D. The narrator has a plan to kill the old man
7. In which part of a story’s plot does the suspense build?
A. Climax
B. Resolution
C. Rising Action
D. Falling Action
“I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film over it…I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.” (Poe, The Tale-Tell Heart)
8. What type of conflict does the narrator have in the story?
A. External Conflict
B. Internal Conflict
“Billy started sipping his tea. She did the same. For half a minute or so, neither of them spoke. But Billy knew that she was looking at him. Her body was half turned toward him, and he could feel her eyes resting on his face, watching him over the rim of her teacup. Now and again, he caught a whiff of a peculiar smell that seemed to emanate directly from her person. It was not in the least unpleasant, and it reminded him—well, he wasn’t quite sure what it reminded him of. Pickled walnuts? New leather? Or was it the corridors of a hospital?” (Dahl, The Landlady)
9. Dahl chose to describe the landlady with the odd scents of pickled walnuts, new leather, and the corridor of a hospital. When authors describe things using the five senses it’s called…
A. Mood
B. Tone
C. Imagery
D. Description
10. The Landlady ends before we find out what happens to Billy. The Monkey Paw ends without us hearing Mr. White’s third wish. The Hitchhiker ends with the unanswered question of whether the man on the side of the road was a ghost, the narrator, or simply a figment of the narrator’s imagination. When scary stories end with unanswered question and no resolution it’s called a…
A. Cliff-hanger
B. Horror story
C. Suspense
D. Scary story
Match the term to the correct definition:
11. _______ Resolution
12. _______ Climax
13. _______ Conflict
14. _______ Rising Action
15. _______ Mood
16. _______ Tone
17. _______ Exposition
18. _______ Theme
19. _______ Plot
20. _______ Setting
A. The attitude or feeling an author has towards his or her subject.
B. The place and the time period in which a story takes place.
C. The part of a story when conflicts are introduced for the characters.
D. The end of a story when problems are solved and the reader learns how the characters have changed.
E. The feeling or emotion a piece of literature or writing creates in a reader.
F. The action that makes up the story, following a plan called the plot line.
G. The beginning of a story when the characters and setting are introduced.
H. A message about life or human nature that is communicated by a literary work.
I. A struggle between two opposing forces in a story.
J. The moment of highest tension when the conflict is strongest.
21. Label the 5 parts of the plot line:
22. Complete the chart below with evidence from the text. (2 points)
23. “Dr. Meldrum thinks that some samples are hoaxes, but others interest him. Why is he most likely interested in those other samples? Use RACES to write your response: (Hint…the ‘R’ has been done for you)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Standard 4 - Unit and Lesson Planning
Day 1
|
Day 2
|
Day 3
|
Day 4
|
Day 5
| |
Title of Lesson or Activity
|
Imagery Activity, Graveyard excerpt
|
Horror Notes, The Tell Tale Heart
|
Types of Conflict Notes
|
A Grave Tradition, 5 Ws, Point of View Notes
|
Tone versus Mood
|
Standards and Objectives
What do students need to know and be able to do for each day of the unit?
|
Standards for the 5 day week:
Language Standards
Grade 8 Students:
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech in context.
Reading Standards for Literature
Grade 8 Students:
3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
Working towards the Unit Objective:
Students can define elements of figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia, and sensory language on a quiz, and integrate such language into their writing to show rather than tell the reader what happens in their narrative.
|
Working Towards the Unit Objective:
Students can read short stories and excerpts from a novel and identify examples of sensory imagery and figurative language, interpreting the connotative meaning in a class discussion.
Students can use selected readings to illustrate how the author’s point of view, dialogue, action, and conflict drive the story and analyze how those elements develop the author’s characters in a class discussion and short writing assignments.
|
Working Towards the Unit Objective:
Students can correctly identify what type of conflict is evident in a scenario or short story.
|
Working Towards the Unit Objective:
Students can list the four points of view on a quiz.
|
Working towards the Unit Objective:
Students can list the five parts of plot on a quiz, reference them during class readings of short stories.
Students can recognize the difference between tone and mood in selected readings.
|
Academic Language and Vocabulary
What academic language will you emphasize and teach each day during this unit?
|
1. Imagery
2. Five Senses
|
1. Horror v. gore
2. suspense
3. Point of View
4. Inference
5. Mood vs Tone
6. Foreshadowing
7. Predicting
8. Visualization
9. Showing vs. Telling
10. Imagery
11.Characterization
12. Tell-tale
|
1. Conflict
2. External v. internal
3. Character v. Character
4. Character v. Nature
5. Character v. Society
6. Character v. Self
|
1. 5 W’s + H
2. Point of view
3. First Person
4. Second Person
5. Third Person Limited
6. Third Person Omniscient
|
1. Tone
2. Mood
|
Summary of Instruction and Activities for the Lesson
How will the instruction and activities flow? Consider how the students will efficiently transition from one to the next.
|
1. Choose random food items to put in cups and have three volunteers use the senses to describe the item to the class.
2. Class guesses food items and cup that is guessed correctly the most wins.
3. Read Graveyard excerpt out loud.
4. Discuss questions on imagery from the story.
5. KWL chart on Edgar Allen Poe for exit ticket
6. 2 minute video clip on Poe’s life
|
1. Powerpoint of Elements of Horror Notes for students’ notebooks
2. Audiobook of Tell-Tale Heart
3. Worksheet covering Imagery, Visualization, Showing v. Telling in story and how it creates suspense
|
1. Finish Tell-Tale Heart
2. Powerpoint of Types of Conflict Notes for students’ notebooks
3. Hand out types of conflict homework
|
1. Read “A Grave Tradition” in textbook
2. 5 W’s + H review
3. Fill out 5 W’s + H schematic for story
4. Powerpoint of Points of View Notes for students’ notebooks
5. Homework due
|
1. Tone versus mood video clip activity
2. 3 Little Pigs plot elements exit ticket
|
Differentiation
What are the adaptations or modifications to the instruction/activities as determined by the student factors or individual learning needs?
|
All students enjoy and benefit from the imagery activity. Then I read the story so I can use tone and voice to create suspense and action, rather than asking students to read it, who may struggle with a word or falter in their reading. For Honors students, I ask for a RACE paragraph response on the theme of the excerpt, in addition the simple questions on imagery. For struggling students, I use a think-pair-share method to help them brainstorm answers to the questions on imagery. They can work together to find examples in the excerpt before sharing with the class.
|
The Horror notes are the same for all students, but with the Honors class I am able to move faster through them because some of the concepts are review. Students are able to use their notes on quizzes, so struggling students have the advantage of learning vocabulary by seeing it, hearing it, writing it, and then applying it to quiz questions.
The Tell-Tale Heart is an audiobook. For classes with lower reading levels, I stop the book more often to go over what is happening and define difficult passages.
|
Again, the notes are the same for all students, but I am able to adjust the speed and the number of examples or explanations I give for each term depending on the class. For struggling students or periods with a higher percentage of basic, I will give more class time for the homework. This allows them to ask questions and receive support before they have to do independent practice at home.
|
Honors has done the Point of View notes already and should have a grasp of the 5 W’s + H. By skipping this, I am able to do the conflict activity with them that general education classes will do next week. The activity is hands-on and forces them to analyze what conflict adds to a story. Groups of students work towards a common goal, but certain cards are handed out with tasks and conflicts to make it harder to complete.
For lower classes, I will take the time to correct the homework in class. This allows students to learn from their mistakes immediately so they learn, rather than later receiving a graded worksheet they no longer care about.
|
Honors students go to a enrichment class on Fridays to work on a novel study, so I chose a lesson that is again review for advanced students. The activity uses video clips to show the difference between tone and mood. Students are engaged by the funny clips and the activity helps them remember tone and mood through repetition and humor.
The exit ticket is another review of the plot diagram by asking students to put a well-known story in the correct order. They show their grasp of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution by correctly ordering the paragraphs. By working in groups, the struggling students can learn from the proficient ones.
|
Required Materials, Handouts, Text, Slides, and Technology
|
1. 3 cups with food
2. copies of “Graveyard” excerpt
3. half sheets of questions for story
4. Edgar Allen Poe video clip
|
1. Elements of Horror Powerpoint
2. audiobook of “The Tell-Tale Heart”
3. worksheet on imagery to follow “The Tell-Tale Heart”
|
1. Types of Conflict Powerpoint
2. Homework worksheet
|
1. textbook
2. 5 W’s + H schematic for “A Grave Tradition”
3. Points of View Powerpoint
|
1. Tone versus Mood Powerpoint with video clips
2. 3 Little Pigs Powerpoint
|
Instructional and Engagement Strategies
What strategies are you going to use with your students to keep them engaged throughout the unit of study?
|
The imagery activity is funny and engaging; students enjoy trying to come up with words to describe unusual smells. Also, I introduce Edgar Allen Poe using a K-W-L chart so students are invested and curious before we watch his bio.
|
Notes are an example of direct instruction that is necessary. To help students stay focused, there are modern examples and unusual stories for each term. Causing them to laugh or startle aids their memorization. Finally, we use an audiobook for the Tell-Tale Heart because the narrator has a gravelly voice and excellent use of tone. Students follow the story better with this production.
|
Again, notes are necessary, but I include fun moments to keep the pace and hopefully prevent boredom. Conflict is an intriguing concept for students so they typically enjoy debating the different types and how they impact a story. This drives much of the instruction and keeps students engaged. Often, I use think-pair-share so students feel safe sharing ideas before we discuss as a class.
|
While continuing to learn about Poe, we read a story about his popularity and how crowds still visit his grave. The story is written like a newspaper article to keep students’ interest. I have a handout to keep them focused while they follow along.
|
To learn about tone and mood, students get to watch video clips. Seeing examples of this comparison visually supports students’ memory. Also, during the exit ticket, students use a well-known story in the activity. By using a familiar story, students are not put-off and can focus on the task.
|
|
How are you going to measure the learning of your students throughout the lesson?
|
1. Students are assessed on sensory imagery words through the cup activity and the questions from the “Graveyard” excerpt.
2. Students are assessed on their prior knowledge of Poe using a KWL chart.
|
1. Students are assessed on how imagery, visualization, and showing v. telling create suspense in ‘The Tell-Tale Heart.”
|
1. Students are assessed on types of conflict on their homework that is graded in class the next day.
|
1. Students are assessed on their prior knowledge of 5 W’s + H through the schematic that accompanies “A Grave Tradition.”
|
1. Students are assessed on elements of plot using the 3 Little Pigs exit ticket.
|
Summative, Post- Assessment
What post-assessment will measure the learning progress? Note: This can be the same as the pre-assessment or a modified version of it.
|
Post-Assessment
One of the post-assessments for this unit is a narrative written by the students. The entire unit focuses on how to write a narrative. The unit is taught through vocabulary, reading, and writing. The pre-test assessed whether students understood the parts of a plot and general vocabulary related to narratives. As the unit progresses, students learn about elements of plot, figurative language, imagery, dialogue, and point of view. The teacher uses group activities, short stories, notes, and short responses to teach the objectives. This all leads to the post-assessment, a rubric, where students use each of these elements in their own scary story (narrative). The rubric is used as a learning tool first. The teacher uses it to teach what is required in the narrative, the students use it during their writing process, and the teacher uses it as a formative assessment during share-outs. At the end, the rubric is the summative assessment; the points in each paragraph determine whether an element is present and the mark-ups determine if a student recognizes the element in his/her own writing accurately.
Scoring Criteria:
There is a possible total of 60 points. 5 points are from the formative assessment of share-outs.
Score Student
54-60 points Exceeds the learning objective
Highly proficient
48-53 points Meets the learning objective
Proficient
42-47 points Approaches the learning objective
Partially proficient
0-41 points Falls far below the learning objective
Minimally proficient
(See above for test example.)
| ||||
Standard 5 - Implementation of Instructional Unit
Video Recording Link: https://youtu.be/QeCRtJR6YrM
Summary of Unit Implementation:
My five day unit was successful. Day one ran longer than expected with the imagery game show, which pushed the discussion on the life of Edgar Allen Poe to the second day. I had some time left in the period, but not enough to show the video and discuss. As an acceptable way to break this up, students started a KWL chart on Poe. They filled out what they already know as their exit ticket. This allowed me to jump right into W and L at the beginning of the period on day two. I felt it was a good compromise because students began to think about the author and consider what they already knew as a parting task and then on day two, I could ask them to get out their charts, reading exactly what they had written prior. We were able to jump right back into Poe’s life, since students had a record of their thoughts from the day before. Nurpahmi (2015) conducted research that determined, “Listening is a complex activity, and we can help students comprehend what they hear by activating their prior knowledge” (p.30). Discussing Poe and watching a short video clip on his life requires students to listen to information through direct intstruction, so the KWL chart was effective in activating their prior knowledge before learning new. Besides this, the other activities followed the plan I envisioned; we took notes, read “The Tell-Tale Heart,” read “A Grave Tradition,” graded homework in class together, and discussed tone versus mood.
Besides activating prior knowledge, I also used engagement strategies to encourage learning and memory. The imagery game show that asked students to describe an item for their classmates using the 5 senses was popular and exciting. Students will definitely remember the definition of imagery because of the activity. The other strategies that worked well were the use of an audiobook and think-pair-share. The audiobook allowed students to hear the story with the correct pauses, tone, and emphasis that creates suspense in a story like “The Tell-Tale Heart.” At times, I have students read passages out loud in class and I feel I lose some of the students’ attention because their peer may stumble over a word or mispronounce one. Eliminating this possibility kept students listening and curious about what was to come. Think-pair-share was effective for students’ brainstorming. I have noticed at times that the same students raise their hands to answer questions. To encourage others to engage and participate, I asked them to pair with a partner and share first. I noticed an increase in sharing after this technique. In contrast, the unit involved a good amount of note-taking. There is a lot of new vocabulary for our narratives and I felt I had to introduce it near the beginning. In hindsight, I would try to spread it out a little more because I feel students start to disengage when there are too many periods in a row of note-taking.
Summary of Student Learning:
In general, I feel students learned new vocabulary and reading strategies, with the goal that they would become better writers by learning these concepts. The homework that was turned in had a high percentage of proficiency; though as usual, there was a small number of students who didn’t turn in their work. As a whole, the discussions were provoking and students showed a depth of insight about the readings. After reading the excerpt of “The Graveyard,” I lead a discussion with each period. In one class, a student started to veer into the negative. Rather than engaging with the reading and the elements of horror, he tried to shrug it off and provide a ridiculous prediction to cause a laugh. When the murderer talks of the knife handle being wet, he tried to say the character was just doing dishes. I paused for a second, unsure whether I should just shut him down or try to turn it around into a learning moment. Instead of calling him out for being off-topic and moving on, I simply asked him to defend his answer with evidence from the text. I feel it was a good response to encourage learning, while also maintaining classroom control. I reinforced to all students that ideas and conjectures have to be supported with evidence and I took the power of attention and laughter away when the student couldn’t provide a response. I showed that I am open to new or off-the-wall ideas as long as there is support in the text.
References
Nurpahmi, S. (2015). Improving Listening Skills by Activating Students’ Prior Knowledge.
English Teaching, Learning & Research Journal, 1 (1), 28-38.
Standard 6 - Analysis of Student Learning
Post-Test Data: Whole Class - Once you have assessed your students’ learning on the topic, collect and analyze the post-test data to determine the effectiveness of your instruction and assessment.
|
Number of Students
Pre-Test
|
Number of Students
Post-Test
| |
Highly Proficient (90%-100%)
|
45
|
55
|
Proficient
(80%-89%)
|
20
|
28
|
Partially Proficient
(70%-79%)
|
16
|
12
|
Minimally Proficient
(69% and below)
|
31
|
10
|
Post-Test Analysis: Whole Class
|
The results of this data are very encouraging, specifically in the minimally proficient category. The number of students who failed the test went down almost 70%, while even the partially proficient category went down in number. Consequently, the proficient and highly proficient categories both increased, by 25% and 40% respectively. As a whole, students did much better on the post-test with 79% of students mastering the content. This definitely shows an increase in content knowledge on the plot diagram and vocabulary that was tested on the pre-test. At the same time, students improved on their comprehension and paragraph responses. I can compare this to the reading comprehension section on the previous unit’s test. Before we taught the RACES strategy of writing, students’ paragraph responses were often incomplete or insufficient and they scored poorly on the last test. In comparison, after teaching this specific writing strategy and practicing it in class, the paragraph responses were markedly better showing an improvement in writing technique and thus learning. Almost 20% of the test was based on reading comprehension and a written response, so the high scores specifically reflect an improvement in this area.
|
The teaching in this unit was effective as a whole. Instruction included direct instruction using note-taking, hands-on activities to engage students, whole class readings of multiple horror stories, discussion of vocabulary as it relates to these stories, and homework to formatively assess learning. I believe the variety of strategies influenced the success of the unit. The pre-test specifically assessed vocabulary, but only by testing knowledge of definitions. The post-test assessed vocabulary through definition mastery, as well as application to stories read in class. Students showed through their post-test scores that they improved their learning of vocabulary, but also how to recognize it in relevant texts. Greenwell and Zygouris-Coe (2012) studied two high school ELA teachers with reading endorsements to discover how their expertise affected their teaching and found that their “practices reflected a focus on engaging the reader with text, including motivational and relevant texts in the classroom, increasing the interactions between reader and text, and incorporation of effective reading strategies to support vocabulary and comprehension development” (p. 23). In this same way, my unit incorporated multiple engaging texts to practice comprehension, analysis, and the application of relevant vocabulary. While we took notes on definitions, the best learning, as referenced by Greenwell and Zygouris-Coe, was when we read together and discussed. Students in small groups, individually, or through class discussion determined what the theme of “The Tell-Tale Heart” was and the imagery present in “The Landlady.” This proved effective when they were able to correctly answer questions on the test using the applicable vocabulary along with passages from the stories.
References
Greenwell, S., & Zygouris-Coe, V. (2012). Exploring High School English Language Arts
Teachers’ Responses to Professional Development in Reading Instruction. Journal of
Reading Education, 37 (2), 21-26.
|
Post-Assessment Analysis: Subgroup Selection
|
I chose my honors class as a subgroup; these are students recognized as gifted in reading and writing based on standardized test scores. ELL students would have been my first choice, but with such a low population in the school, the statistics would not be significantly relevant. Honors students are 12.5% of my student population, whereas ELL students are only 3.5%. Also, Honors students were taught using the same instruction, but given a more challenging reading comprehension section, so I am curious to see how they performed.
|
Post-Assessment Data: Subgroup (Gender, ELL population, Gifted, students on IEPs or 504s, etc.)
|
Number of Students
Pre-Test
|
Number of Students
Post-Test
| |
Highly Proficient (90%-100%)
|
12
|
7
|
Proficient
(80%-89%)
|
1
|
7
|
Partially Proficient
(70%-79%)
|
0
|
0
|
Minimally Proficient
(69% and below)
|
1
|
0
|
Post-Assessment Analysis: Subgroup
| ||
The data for the Honors class was interesting. The scores on the pre-test were phenomenal. This is because the pre-test checked for vocabulary understanding purely on a “remembering” level of bloom’s taxonomy. Much of the vocabulary should have been familiar to students from previous years. It makes sense that an Honors class would have the highest success remembering these terms. In contrast, the post-test asked students to apply (Bloom’s Taxonomy level three) their knowledge of the vocabulary to passages from the stories read in class, as well as comprehend and analyze (Bloom’s Taxonomy level four) a passage, which consequently was almost 25% of the total points. I used an 8th grade reading passage from the iready program and tweaked the two questions and the written response prompt to fit my unit. While the scores between pre-test and post-test went down, this does not reflect a shift in learning. All students still mastered the content, but 50% of them moved from highly proficient to proficient. This is a reflection of the addition of reading comprehension questions and a prompt asking for a well-cited paragraph response on theme. I believe these students need additional practice on this skill.
| ||
While the number of proficient students technically went down, I believe students still learned. The pre-test only assessed a level one on Bloom’s Taxonomy, while the post-test assessed a level three to four. The fact that Honors students were still proficient to highly proficient shows they learned during the unit and instruction was effective. Additionally, the passage for comprehension and theme analysis was longer and at a higher grade level than the one used for the other general education classes. Honors students seemed to score lower than the other classes on this section, but it was also a more challenging passage. In hindsight, I can see how the instruction could have led to some of the disparity in growth from general classes to the Honors class. I used the same teaching strategies, which were effective, but I also used the same stories. Possibly, the Honors students need more challenging readings in class to prepare them for a more difficult passage on the test. Greenwell and Zygouris-Coe (2012) expressed characteristics of the reading-endorsed teachers’ classrooms: “Students seemed engaged with reading and tasks; they volunteered to read aloud in class, they asked critical questions, and they seemed to approach assignments as exploration instead of a chore” (p. 23). I observed all of this during the unit in my Honors class, so they were clearly engaged with the stories. Yet, when it came time to test, they struggled with the written response or comprehension of the passage. I need to determine how to keep them engaged, while also reading more challenging pieces.
References
Greenwell, S., & Zygouris-Coe, V. (2012). Exploring High School English Language Arts
Teachers’ Responses to Professional Development in Reading Instruction. Journal of
Reading Education, 37 (2), 21-26.
| ||
Post-Assessment Data: Remainder of Class
|
Number of Students
Pre-Test
|
Number of Students
Post-Test
| |
Highly Proficient (90%-100%)
|
19
|
48
|
Proficient
(80%-89%)
|
17
|
21
|
Partially Proficient
(70%-79%)
|
16
|
12
|
Minimally Proficient
(69% and below)
|
29
|
10
|
Post-Assessment Analysis: Subgroup and Remainder of Class
|
The remainder of the class showed evidence of learning and mastery of content, with 76% of students scoring 80 or above and 53% of students reaching highly proficient. While they struggled with the pre-test, which was just an assessment of vocabulary knowledge, they showed learning by passing the post-test, which required deeper levels on Bloom’s Taxonomy. The test was more challenging and yet they did better, showing that the instruction during this unit was effective. While the Honors subgroup showed a decline in highly proficient, they also faced a more challenging passage. In comparison, the general classes read an iready story from a 7th grade level. As 8th graders, they should be able to master the comprehension of this passage and answer questions on it. For the writing, they still showed improvement in their technique. While the passage may have been easier to comprehend, students still had to craft a response citing evidence to support their choice of theme. The high scores show that students learned from the writing practice during the unit and were able to show it on the test. Even without the inflated A’s and B’s from Honors students, this subgroup still had a tremendously high passing rate, with only 11% of students failing at 69 or below.
|
Based on student learning in this unit, I am confident in moving on to our Twisted Fairy Tale Narrative assignment. This is a summative assessment that incorporates everything we have learned up to this point. Students take a familiar fairy tale and twist it into their own version. While writing, they use quotation marks in dialogue, elements of plot, conflict, figurative language, imagery, suspense, subordinating conjunctions, point of view, foreshadowing, and mood. Every one of these terms was content learning for the past four weeks. The five day unit I taught introduced conflict, point of view, and imagery through short stories, engaging hands-on activities, and note-taking. Now that students have demonstrated a mastery of the content on a test, I can assess their application of this knowledge in their own writing. The objective for the writing assignment is: I can write a narrative essay using elements of horror, plot, and grammar we have learned in class, such as imagery, suspense, and dialogue.
While reading comprehension and written responses are part of instruction for the whole year, I will specifically address certain components based on the assessment at the end of this unit. Most students have a grasp of the RACES strategy, but there are still 10% of students who struggle with reading a passage and answering questions on it. For those students, I will address the RACES strategy again and give them individual instruction to make sure they master it before moving on to more complex passages. Based on this assessment, and the fact that a high percentage of students scored proficient to highly proficient, I will look for a higher-level passage to practice next. Students scored well in the general education English, but the passage was still below their grade level. The goal is to have them mastering a passage at the 8th grade level by state testing in April.
|
Standard 7 – Reflecting on Instruction to Improve Student Progress
Improved Practice Based on the Unit of Study
Based on the experience of developing and delivering your instructional unit, list three short-term goals to improve specific areas of your teaching practice based on the unit of instruction and describe your plan to reach each short-term goal.
Short-Term Goal
|
Plan to Reach the Goal (i.e., professional development, research on the Internet, observation of a veteran teacher, etc.)
|
1. Implement use of the think-pair-share technique in class discussions or whole group classwork.
|
I have received feedback from my mentor teacher and from my Grand Canyon Supervisor to use think-pair-share as a technique in class discussions and whole-class assignments. Sumarsih and Sanjaya (2013) conducted research on the think-pair-share method in teaching writing and concluded that “students were very interested in the TPS technique and they do not only improve their achievement in writing descriptive text but also improve their teamwork, responsibility and self-confidence” (p.112). There are many reasons this technique is useful, but the two specific to my development are:
1.) TPS supports discussion in a setting where students are hesitant to share. After asking a question, if there is little response, I will ask students to TPS to brainstorm ideas. Then there should be more responses when asking the whole class again.
2.) TPS supports discussion in a setting where numerous students want to share and there is not enough time. When students are excited about their responses and the teacher can’t hear every one, they will get validation from sharing with a peer. I will use this technique when I want more students to be heard.
I will check in with my mentor teacher again in a few weeks to see if she has noticed an increase in my usage of TPS.
Sumarsih, M. & Sanjaya, D. (2013). TPS as an Effective Technique to Enhance the Students' Achievement on Writing Descriptive Text. English Language Teaching, 6 (12), 106-113.
|
2. Make more decisions about lessons in the moment when changes need to be made instead of forcing something that isn’t working.
|
To reach this goal, I will observe teachers in the building whom my mentor teacher recommends for their intuitive teaching. Deprez and Meeus (2013) interacted with student teachers throughout their learning experience and determined “much teaching behaviour is the result of beliefs about and attitudes towards education” (p. 38). I believe I came into student teaching with a belief that teaching is a set plan and the goal is to stay on track so each period is the same and ends in the same place. As I have progressed, I have seen how different each period is based on numbers, personalities, abilities, and the general environment or feel of a class. My goal is to be able to make decisions about a lesson in the moment, rather than doing it the same every period. This goal takes practice; doing it more will make the decisions more automatic and more effective. I will also observe teachers who have been doing it for years to see how they handle each period differently and what they keep the same.
Deprez, J. & Meeus, W. (2013). Attracted to Teaching: Images of Education when Entering the Teaching Profession. The Journal of Didactics, 4 (1), 37-51.
|
3. Determine in a lesson when to take comments or questions and when to keep the attention and focus up front. Determine when to allow a tangent and when to cut it off.
|
I plan to research articles about classroom management, specifically the ebb and flow of the teacher talking and students talking. Kitishat and Al-Friehat (qtd. in Bayar & Kerns) remind teachers that “even teaching using the best update curriculum will be useless if there are no rules that prevent the undesirable behavior from interrupting the teaching process” (p. 43). Many times, while instructing from the front, I have students raise their hands. It is a judgment call on whether I ignore them to continue what I am teaching or to let them speak. Sometimes it is a valid question or comment that benefits the lecture or the discussion and sometimes it is off-topic and distracting. My goal is to find the line and stick to it. If I decide that I will not take student input during direct instruction and note-taking, then I need to follow that guideline at all times. Students will be confused if I sometimes allow them to speak during direct instruction and other times forbid it. I intend to research the effects of student input on engagement during direct instruction, with the risk that a raised hand may be an off-topic comment.
Similarly, I want to have a plan for when the comment is funny or off-topic. Do I allow some humor that is a result of student engagement with the topic? If so, then how long do we engage in the tangent? Some of this is practice, but I also want to research classroom management techniques related to this possibility. My goal is to have students engaged in the topic; if allowing some students to interject humor or tangents promotes that, I don’t want to completely inhibit all comments.
Bayar, A. & Kerns, J.H. (2015). Undesired Behaviors Faced in Classroom by Physics Teachers in High Schools. Eurasian Journal of Physics and Chemistry Education, 7 (1), 37-45.
|
