Artifact Title: Lesson Plan Reflection

Date: March 10, 2014

Artifact Description:

This was the third overall lesson I taught during my Pre-student Teaching practicum
experience at Neal Wilkins in Platteville. I taught Mrs. Johnsons 4-K class. This art
project lesson was related to the letter of the week we were working on, and I had gained
a lot more confidence by this lesson that went very well, as shown by my thoughts in this
lesson plan reflection.

Alignment

Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:

This experience best aligns with Standard 9: Reflection- The teacher is a reflective
practitioner who continually evaluated the effect of his/her choices and actions on others
(students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively
seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

This best aligns with Standard 9 because I learned just how important reflection in
during my pre-student teaching clinical experience. It really let me express my strengths
in the lesson I taught and praise myself for those things, but it also helped me realize that
there are always things to improve on. I have become very appreciative and welcoming
of constructive criticism whenever it is given it will help me only to become better and
improve. Whether I am being given advice from a mentor, or I am being constructively
critical of myself, I know that expressing my goals and accomplishments are extremely
important to my practice.

I am more competent relative to this standard of reflection because I have learned
how to become effective reflector of myself. I have learned what to look at in my lessons
relative to the parts that went well and the parts that could be improved. I have become
more competent in teaching my lessons thoroughly and even expanding my ideas as a
result of my reflecting.

UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skill and Disposition Alignment


This experience best aligns with KSD4.a: Reflects on Teaching- The candidate makes an
accurate and thoughtful reflection of his/her teaching effectiveness, is aware of specific
elements of his/her teaching that contributed to successful instruction, and can offer
alternative teacher action to predict the future successes alternate approaches.

The experience of writing my reflection is most definitely a thoughtful and accurate
review of how my lesson was taught and how effective it was. It is also a review of
things that can be changed, modified or done better. In reflecting on the activities done
and the lesson that is taught, new ideas arise and can be incorporated into the lesson in
future instruction.

I have become more competent in accepting alternative action possibly
recommended by supervisors or mentors, but also by brainstorming on my own. I have
come to feel that I can always improve my lesson in some way, and I always ask myself
as I reflect How could you make it more exciting? or What could you do differently
the next time around to make it more engaging?

Secondary KSDs:

KSD4.e: Grows and Develops Professionally
KSD4.f: Shows Professionalism

Reflection

What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience:

I learned that reflection is as necessary a part of teaching a lesson as the biggest
components of the lesson itself. Reflection on the part of the teacher will only benefit
students learning, and the teachers instruction. It can elicit new ideas, improvements to
existing ideas and also reveal the positive parts of a lesson, and things that went well. If
teachers reflect on their instruction, it is doing nothing but benefitting all involved
(students and teacher).

What I learned about myself as a prospective educator as a result of this experience:

As a prospective educator, I learned that there is always room to improve things in a
lesson and make something more exciting or engaging. Things get forgotten in the
moment of teaching reflection reminds us of those pieces that are important and can
prepare us for a better lesson the next time around. I have come to appreciate immensely
the feedback reflection provides not only from outside sources like a mentor or a
supervisor, but from yourself. It is important to be praised and encouraged on the good
aspects, and it is just as important to accept and learn from the aspects that could be
improved.