Breanna Wallen

Education 115
Instructional Strategies in the Classroom

Facilitating learning in the classroom is the number one priority of educators. Within the
classroom setting, students should be provided with various opportunities to enhance their
understand and further their knowledge. Educators should be able to provide different levels of
instruction based upon a student's learning needs, and they should give students different
experiences within the context of learning. During my semester observations, I chose to focus
on the content that students were learning in middle school literacy classrooms. Through my
experience in the classroom, I learned a lot about facilitating learning in the classroom and
working with students who are on different learning levels.
Six grade students at Rye Cove Intermediate School began class by completing Daily
Language Review assignment. These assignments reviewed common grammatical concepts
that the students have been learning about throughout the year. The teacher allowed students
to work in pairs, and after students finished, the class went over the correct answers. During this
time, I noticed that the teacher really encouraged students to use resources, like the dictionary,
instead of accepting answers like I dont know or telling students the answers. By having
students engage in their learning, they are more likely to retain the information; therefore, this
instructional method is very beneficial to the students education.
In reading block, students were reading, Hatchet; however, instead of the students or
teacher reading, the students followed along in their book while a recorded tape of the book
played out loud. This was a neat and very useful way to facilitate fluency in reading. In addition,
this method of instruction seemed to keep students interested in the book, while addressing a
variety of different learning needs in the classroom.
Seventh grade students at Rye Cove were also engaging in their learning. The teacher
began class by having students complete a bellringer activity. Following this activity, students

Breanna Wallen
Education 115
entered the reading block of instruction. The teacher used a software program to introduce
students to a new unit of reading. The software began by activating students prior knowledge,
then it reviewed nonfiction and text structures. The program then helped students develop a
purpose for reading, by having the students create their own chart which they would keep
throughout the unit. In addition, this program also helped cover important vocabulary for the
unit.
The program that the teacher used in the seventh grade classroom was a wonderful tool
for instruction. It allowed students to keep up with the class, even though they were able to work
at their own pace. In addition, it helped the teacher direct her attention toward students who
need more instruction, while allowing students who did not to work on their own. Overall,the
program served as a good resource to help facilitate learning
In the resource classroom, students were learning about comparing and contrasting. The
teacher began by having students review words that signal something is being compared or
contrasted. Students completed worksheets that continued the review prior to reading. The
worksheets in this classroom served as a reference for students to use while reading, and they
helped the students connect meaning to what they were learning. Once students completed the
worksheets, they began to make predictions about the story they were going to read. The
teacher used a read aloud approach that allowed students in the classroom to take turns
reading aloud. In addition, this method of reading permitted the teacher to provide extra support
as needed. Following the completion of the story, students answered comprehension questions
about the story. The purpose of these questions were to help the students learn to look back at
the story in order to help them with finding answers. After the students finished, the teacher
would sit down with each student individually to review the lesson. At the same time, other
students would read. I believe this one-on-one instruction is very important to ensure that
students are understanding the lessons.

Breanna Wallen
Education 115
My experience observing at Rye Cove Intermediate was time well spent. Through my
observing, I learned a lot about how to facilitate learning and ensure that students are
comprehending the lessons that are being taught. Furthermore, I learned a lot about working
with students with different backgrounds and learning needs. I believe that that through this
experience, I have gained a lot of insight that will be beneficial throughout the rest of my journey
to become a teacher.