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Angela Tortora
UED 496 Artifact C: Rationale and Reflection
Regent University

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Rationale
Creating an activity that is developmentally appropriate is highly important because if
students are given something that is too challenging, they will give up due to the fact that what
they are expected to do is too complicated. On the other hand, if a student is given something
that is too easy, he or she will become bored with the activity because the child needs to be
challenged. By having a lesson that incorporates activities that are developmentally appropriate,
a teacher can engage the minds of his or her students and keep discipline issues that will arise
from students who are frustrated or bored at bay.
As I began my placement in Kindergarten, my cooperating teacher was more than willing
to let me do activities with the students. One activity that I created for my students incorporates
reading, writing, and mathematics that is developmentally appropriate for them. I created a Word
document, copied a picture of a bare tree from the Internet into the document, and added a line
that says, My ________________ tree has __________ leaves on it. The students have been
learning many different words on the Word Wall. I encouraged the students to use words from
the Word Wall to describe their tree. The students have been learning to recognize and count
their numbers for math. In order to add mathematics to this activity, I had the students count the
number of leaves they glued on the tree and write the number on the line at the bottom of the
sheet.
The other artifact I selected is a picture of me leading the students in the Morning
Message and calendar time. During the designated time on the carpet each morning, there is a
message for the students. When I led the morning message, it read, Today is Friday, October
24, 2014. We will go to P.E. and computer lab today. How many bats? ______ In the message,
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there are several letters missing. Using Popsicle sticks, I called students to come forward to fill in
the blanks. I told them what the word was and asked them what sound they heard at the
beginning of the word. They told me and had to write the letter on the interactive white board.
Meanwhile, I had the rest of the class follow along and write the letter in the air with me so that
everyone remained engaged in the activity. Not only are the students learning how to read and
write letters, but there were also thirteen pictures of bats on the board that the students had to
count and write the number in the blank space provided.
The reason I selected these two items for this artifact is because it shows that I understand
that my students are in the developmental stage of being emergent readers. Emergent readers
have literacy skills, such as identifying letters and their sounds, concepts of print, and phonemic
and phonological awareness (Tompkins, 2013, 59). My class of Kindergarten students is learning
how to read as well as to write their letters and numbers. The activity with the tree gives the
students an opportunity to practice reading, writing, counting, and developing their fine motor
skills. According to Bergin and Bergin (2012), teachers need to [g]ive children repetitive
practice of important skills in order to strengthen synaptic connections (p. 50). In order to
reinforce the skills the students have been learning to date, I created these learning experiences
for them.
As I created these activities and did them in the classroom, I have reflected on how they
connect to the standards for student teaching. Being in this class has helped me to continue to
develop my personal philosophy of teaching because I am learning techniques for classroom
management and for this particular artifact, I am building a better understanding of the
developmental needs of children in Kindergarten. These children are in the stage of emergent
literacy, which means they are learning how to read, write, count, and understand concepts of
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print. I agree with Maslows hierarchy of needs; in order for children to learn anything, their
basic needs must be met first. Once they are met, the child will move to the next level of needs
and so forth. I have noticed this in the classroom. If the children have not eaten breakfast in the
morning, they are very easily distracted and will not follow directions. As I am teaching whole
groups and tutoring individual students, I am developing different teaching techniques. Every
child is different and has his or her own set of needs. I am learning that what may have worked
with one student may not work with another. As I collaborate with my cooperating teacher, I am
discovering that she and I share similar ideas about teaching and our end goal is to show the
students how much we care about them both academically and personally. Based on this
experience, I believe that I am growing as a professional educator and fulfilling the standards for
student teaching.

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Reflection
I selected the template of the activity I created and the photograph because I believe both
selections showcase my ability to teach students on their developmental level. I have observed
the students over the past week and am learning what level they are at both developmentally and
academically. As I have observed the various differences in the students, I was able to tailor my
instruction to meet their needs. I also selected these items because I wanted to showcase my
passion for teaching these students. I love teaching these kids and I want to create learning
experiences that are fun and meaningful.
The items I selected for this artifact connect to the standards in many ways. As previously
mentioned, I am continuing to develop my personal philosophy of teaching, I am learning new
techniques for teaching and motivating students, I am collaborating with other teachers, and I am
learning how to make an impact in the lives of these kids both personally and academically. I
enjoy what I am doing. My goal for teaching is to show students how much I care about them
and to give them the tools to reach their full potential.
Based on my selections for this artifact, I am able to create learning experiences for
students that are interactive, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. I have been able to
practice different techniques and strategies when I teach. Not only that, but when difficulties
have arisen, such as a lack of understanding, I have been able to go back and explain the concept,
followed by asking questions to ensure the students grasped the concept. I have been able to
work with the entire group, small groups, and individual students. Further, I can effectively
communicate my ideas and discuss them with other teachers to ensure the students receive the
best education possible. Lastly, I have demonstrated that I am learning how to make an impact in
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the lives of these students because I am taking the time to understand their developmental needs
and creating lessons and activities that will meet them where they are.

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References

Bergin, C. C. & Bergin, D. A. (2012). Child and Adolescent Development in Your Classroom.
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
Tompkins, G. (2013). Language Arts: Patterns of Practice. Fresno, CA: Pearson.



Tortora 8
Name: _________________________________



My _______________________ tree has ________ leaves on it.