Running Head: LESSON REFLECTION ONE

Angela Walter
ELD 375-Teaching Mathematics
Cambridge Elementary School-Ms. Fischer
Spring 2014
Lesson Reflection 1

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Reflection One
On the afternoon of Thursday, March 27, 2014, I worked with a small group in Ms.
Fischers first grade classroom. After the students returned from lunch and had fifteen minutes of
quiet time, I taught this small group lesson. I assisted five students who struggled with math
story problems where they had to find the missing addend. Many of the story problems included
words like some, fewer or more. I read the story problems that required either addition or
subtraction to the students, providing them ample time to choose a method to solve the problem,
draw a representative picture and solve the problem.
The mathematical objective or goal for this lesson was for the students to practice story
problems that incorporated the word some to find the missing addend and for them to take the
necessary steps to solve the problem. As a result of this lesson, the students were expected to
gain a better understanding of the necessary steps required to complete the story problem. .
While not every student in this small group was able to solve every single problem, all of
the students displayed a better understanding of math story problems as a result of this lesson.
Because I started with easier story problems and gradually increase the level of difficulty, the
students were able to gain confidence after the first couple of problems. When the questions
became more difficult, they were able to reflect back to the methods they used to solve the easier
problems and use those methods to solve the more challenging problem. The students gradually
gained independence and were able to complete the word problems independently.
One student seemed to have a lot of difficulty with the earlier problems, so I read him the
problem, drawing pictures of the people in the story problem and distributing the objects. After I

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showed him Justin gave 4 to Joey and 6 to Chris, he was able to write an equation to represent
it. When we worked on a similar problem, he said, Oh, I know how to do this. Its easy if I draw
the picture. By the end of the lesson the students met the previously mentioned objectives and
had a better understanding of the necessary steps required to solve a story problem. The
scaffolding by me earlier in the lesson helped the students eventually work on the math-story
problems without assistance and choose how to solve the problem independently. The students
learned that they could use difference methods, like counting on or drawing and crossing out
circles, in order to find the missing addend that solves the problem.
I believe, for the most part, the lesson was successful because the students had a decent
understanding of the concepts at the end of the lesson. Because the students were struggling prior
to the lesson, the extra practice and explanation of the concept helped the students have a better
understanding of a topic that seemed abstract to them. However, I am not a hundred percent
confident that the ideas of the lesson will stick with the students when they have to read the
problems independently. This lesson was a review for an upcoming test and I am not sure the
students will be able to complete the math story problems independently on the test without
some scaffolding by an adult.
The students seemed to be engaged in the lesson, especially earlier in the lesson. I think
that the students felt excited and special to work in a small group with a guest teacher. I would
ask Who would like to tell me how you got the answer? and at least two eager hands would go
up. If I was working one on one with a struggling students, a student who was already finished
before I could ask the question would ask Can I explain this one? I want to tell you what
method I used. The students were actively trying to solve the problem, drawing counters on
their board and asking questions if they needed assistance. The students noticed, towards the end

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of the lesson, that their classmates were doing centers and became less engaged in the lesson.
They frequently turned around trying to see what center their friends were on taking their focus
away from the problem.
Even though this lesson was a review for the test that was the next day, I would most
likely not assign the test the next day if possible. If the test could be moved, I would have the
students work on a work sheet with the story problems independently at their seats. This would
give the students another opportunity to practice the story problems but in a setting where they
are forced to be more independent. By giving the students the opportunity to read the problems
by themselves, it would be an easier transition to the test.
If I was to teach this lesson again, I would probably encourage the students to think a
little more independently. I felt throughout the lesson I was giving them obvious hints instead of
allowing them time to think about the problem. For example, instead of asking, while pointing to
the circled number following the equal sign, Is the number you circled the answer to the story
problem, I would ask, Why did you circle the 9?. This would require the students to think
about the problem and go back to realize the missing addend is the answer to the math story
problem. I would also spend more time on the problems. Instead of rushing through the problems
and worrying about completing all of the intended problems, I would make sure every student in
the group understood the problem before I moved on. I started to move on when all of the
students had some understanding of the question, but next time I would wait until all the students
understood the story problem completely.
If I was to teach this lesson again, I would try to be more confident. Earlier in the lesson,
my nerves got the best of me and I felt like a robot teaching the lesson. I deliberately went

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through the lesson plan. After about fifteen minutes, I put my lesson plan down and the lesson
was so much easier to teach. I relaxed and the lesson seemed to go a lot smoother than before for
the students and me. While teaching plans in the future, I will focus on relaxing rather than trying
to make the lesson perfect.
Through reflections, I feel I learn more about my strengths and weaknesses in the lesson.
Prior to writing down my reflection, I simply think Oh, I did that really well or That could
have been better with no thought beyond that. Writing down these reflections gives me the
opportunity to think How can I make that better, Why did that work and that didnt. My
reflection encourages me to think more critically about the lessons and how I can learn and
improve as a result of the lesson. From this lesson in particular, I learned to take my time so the
students truly benefit from the lesson. In this reflection, I realized that asking the students higher
order questions will help them think more about the story problem so they can use those critical
thinking skills with future problems.