VideoReflection

CarrieKramer
April6,2015

ThefollowingisareflectiononavideotapedlessonthatIperformedonMarch5,
2015.Thelessonincorporatedtheuseofdifferentiatedgroupsrotatingthroughcenters
focusedonthepracticeofmultiplication,andoneteacherledcenterfocusedonthe
developmentofstudentknowledgewiththerelationshipbetweenmultiplicationanddivision.
Theentirelessonlastedaroundanhour,andeachgrouprotationlastedabout15minutes.

CreatingandMaintainingaPositiveandSafeLearningEnvironment
Thedifferentiationofmygroupsallowedmetobolsterapositiveandsafelearning
environment,aswellastheactivitiesIchoseforthestudents.Wehadlearnedour12s
multiplicationfactsthedayprior,soItriedtoplanmeaningfulengagingstationsthatwould
allowforpracticeofthemultiplicationfactsupto12.Whenlookingbackatthevideoitwas
evidentthatthestudentswereengagedandtheenvironmentwaspositive.Myteacher
applaudedmeonhavingavarietyofstationsfromseatwork,tostudyislandpracticeandan
interactivegamecalledFootballMultiplication.Onegrowfromthisareawouldhavebeenfor
metohavehadmoreattentiononthehappeningsaroundtheroom.Lookingbackatthe
video,Icouldseesometiffshappeningduringthegamethatprobablycouldhavebeen
resolvedifIhadpaidcloserattention.Ifoundmyselfreallydeeplyfocusedonmyteacherled
center,insteadoffocusingmyattentionallthroughouttheroomandmyteacheragreed.

PlanningForInstruction
Thelessonwasdefinitelywellplannedoutandmyteacherhelpedmethroughthe
entireprocess.Wehaddecidedon2stationsbeingseatworkandcomputerbasedtohelp

withthenoiselevelintheclassroom.Thatway,studentsinmycenterwouldnthavetofightto
hearme,andtheonlypeopletalkingshouldbethoseplayingthegame.Forthismostpartthe
videorevealedthatthishadworkedhowever,thereweretimeswhenitdidgetalittlenoisyin
theroom.Otherthanthatitwasclearlyevidentthatmydifferentiatedgroupshelpedmeto
reachtheneedsofmylearners.Ithinktheplanningofmygroupswasthoughtfulandmy
teachernotedhowthestudentslevelswithinmygroupseemedtomatcheachother.That
wasoneofmyglowsfromthelesson.

EngagingandSupportingStudentsinLearning
Thedifferentiationofmygroupsalsohelpedmetomeetthisstandard.Notonlydidthe
planningtoallowfortheotherstudentstobeengagedinpracticeactivities,buttheteacher
ledcenterhelpedmetoprovideanappropriatelevelofsupporttothestudentswithineach
group.Myteachernotedtheplanningofmygroupsandactivitiesasaglowinthisstandardas
well.Agrowforme,wasthefactthatafewofmystudentswereofftask.Thisalsorelates
backtobebeingsodeeplyinvolvedintheteacherledcenterthatIwasunawareofwhatelse
washappeningintheroomatsomepoints.

AssessingStudentsLearning
Lookingbackatthetapeandtheworksamplescollectedfrommylesson,theonlyreal
assessmentperformedforstudentslearningwastheactivitywedidattheteacherledcenter
andtheseatworkturnedintobecheckedbythestudents.Myteachernotedthatmepatrolling
theroomattimesthroughoutthelessonwouldhavehelpedmetogatherassessment
informationthroughobservationoftheothertwostations.Studyislanddidtrackperformance
databutitwouldhavebeengoodformetoobserveaswell.


DevelopingasaProfessional
AsaprofessionalIdohavesomethingsIneedtoworkon.Myclassroom
managementasawholesuffersattimes,mostlybecauseIhavenotreallyfoundwhatworks
bestformeasofyet.Whentalkingwithmyteachershegamemesomesuggestionsafterthe
lesson.Oneofthemwastogetmygroupstartedandthentakeamomenttopatroltheroom
andredirectstudentsasneeded.Ididincorporatetheuseofabellinmylessontograb
studentsattentionandthathelpedsignificantly.Iusedthebellabout4times,ImyselfwishI
hadnthadtouseitatall.Anothersuggestionofherswastousea321approachtocatch
thestudentsattention.MeaningwhenIgettooneyouneedtostopwhatyouaredoingand
putyoureyesonme.Shesaidshesometimeswillusethiswhenseriousredirectionare
needed,andshenoticedafewpointsthroughoutthelessonwhenthatwouldhavehelped.

AsawholethislessonhadgonemuchbetterthanthefirstgroupofmathstationsI
decidedtorun.IdidseeimprovementsinmyoverallclassroommanagementandIlovedhow
Idecidedtogroupthestudents.Iwouldteachthislessonagainhowever,Iwouldtakeinto
considerationotherformsofassessmenttousethroughoutthelesson.Iprobablycouldhave
doneaquickroundofquizquiztradeattheendwithmultiplicationfactstoassessthe
learningofthestudents,Ialsocouldhaveincorporateddifferenttypesofactivitieswhich
wouldhaveallowedformoreassessment.IwouldalsomakesurethatItookthetimetowalk
aroundandpatrolstudentsthroughout.Thiswouldhavehelpedmenotonlyassessbutkeep
studentsontrackaswell.Also,asidefromusingabell,IwishIhadusedsomesortoftoken
system.Icouldhavegiveneachstudent3tokens,thetokenswouldhaveservedaswarnings.
Attheendofthelessoniftheyhadall3theycouldhaveclippedup,andiftheylostthemall

theycouldhaveclippeddown.ThiswasasuggestionbymyteacherandIdoagreewithher
becauseitwouldhaveprovidedtangiblemotivationforthestudentstostayontask.