Nathan Tanner

Video Reflection
February 20, 2015
Things I Did Well:
On the whiteboard I wrote down objectives for the lesson and they were clearly visible to
all students. This helps students get a sense of what we will accomplish in class.
Using visual aids to assist learners (in the form of PowerPoint slides)
I tried to highlight important information from the slides that I really wanted students to
write down and learn (explicitly telling them which information was important, and
numbering the compromises to make it easier to get the main points for their Cornell
Notes).
While students took notes, I walked around the room to ensure that students were on task
and writing down the information I wanted them to know.
During the lecture period, I think that I engaged students with the information that I
included on my slides, with supplemental information, and by trying to make connections
to things students had read previously. I say this, because students seem to really be
paying attention during this portion of the lesson.
I used a Think-Pair-Share to give students the chance to engage information from the
slides, and to discuss a sensitive issue with their peers.
I tried to use real-life, tangible examples to make historical issues and problems more
accessible for students.
I explicitly tried to pull students forward to move into the second phase of the Jigsaw
reading activityalthough I think I could have waited about 15 seconds longer to ensure
that everyone was paying attention.
In addition to giving instructions about how students would read the Constitutionwith
the reading handout I was giving themI tried to provide a rationale for reading the
Constitution that it governs their lives and is important to understand for this reason.
I believe that regardless of my faults, I displayed confidence in the classroom during the
lesson.
Things I Need to Improve:
Towards the beginning, I think I could have summarized the two plans with the two
specific things a little more explicitly, or just had a student write them down on the board
to make sure the students got them into their notes.
I believe that I could have used at least 1-2 Think-Pair-Shares to break up the lecture to
take the focus off of me and off of the slides. It would have been good to have students
retell some of the information that Id presented.
I used a few really big wordslike codified, and othersthat I didnt really explain, or
ensure that students understood before moving forward with my presentation. I should
have done this, or at the very least written the words down, so that students could really
understand what I was saying. Alternatively, I know that I need to simplify the language I
use to talk about historical/political/social issues. This will ensure that all students can
access the information I am trying to share.
I think that I should have debriefed the Think-Pair-Share activity I used to discuss the 3/5
Compromise.

I think I could have been more explicit in my instructions about the Jigsaw reading
activity students were unclear about how theyd be taking summaries, and which
groups they needed to be in.
I should have used specific groups for this lessonmaybe should have passed out
colored papers representing the six groupsto avoid taking so much time to get into
groups, and move on with the activity. This would have eliminated some of the problems
I encountered as we moved to the second part of the Jigsaw activity.
I should have waited for all students to be listening before discussing how the summaries
for each reading section should be conducted. Instead, I tried talking over students :/.
I think I need to improve my instructional pacingI move to slow through my lecture,
and too quickly through the other activities.
It was also my intention to have students fill out a KWL before reading the U.S.
Constitution. It was listed as one of my objectives, but I just forgot to have students
complete the activity. I wonder what I could have done once I realized that I forgot to do
it
I need to make sure all students are with me before giving instructions.
I should have had students complete the L section of the KWL (that I forgot to use) as
an exit card, and for myself to review to have a better sense of what students learned and
missed during the lesson.