Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Camryn Huffman
In this observation, my teacher taught the children the letter m. First, she started
by asking the children what sound the letter m made, since most of the children knew this
already. Once they correctly answered, Mrs. Feaster moved on. She then asked the children
to name words that started with m. All of the children, as with every lesson, raised their
hands eagerly in the air. They gave many examples. The children then learned how to write
the letter, and they were given a word to write that started with it. In this case the word was
mom. The children all did a very good job listening and then portraying what they
learned.
2. Describe how the teacher initiates the lesson. How does it begin and how does it end. Describe how the
teacher gained and maintained student attention. What happened when a student was
The teacher usually starts with what the children already know. In this case,
they knew the sound of the letter. The teacher gained and kept their attention by letting
them participate. She asked them to provide examples instead of doing it herself. They
were then given more of a hands-on activity to end the lesson. If a student got off-task, it
only took one time for Mrs. Feaster to get their attention back. The students really respect
her.
3. Describe the teaching strategies used by the teacher (cooperative learning, discussion,
modeling, demonstration, brainstorming, jigsaw, etc.). How did the teacher use the
I think Mrs. Feaster started with brainstorming. She asked the kids a question and
they all came up with ideas. She then transferred to experimental learning. She allowed for
4. Describe how the students were recognized for correct responses to questions? Were
the questions structured so that they mainly encouraged convergent (one correct
answer) or divergent (many acceptable answers) thinking? How did the teacher respond
Mrs. Feaster has many ways of rewarding kids for being correct. She will simply
give them verbal praise, or she will give them a point on a program they use on the
computer. The answers were divergent because there were many acceptable answers. When
a student answered incorrectly, she just said, Nice try, or something of that sort.
Could the lesson have been improved by utilizing a different organizational structure?
At first, the kids were learning as a whole group. This was when they were
brainstorming. They were then moved into small-groups for the hands-on activity. She
organized it this way because she knows that her students learn at different paces. I think
equipment that were used during instruction and tell how they facilitated learning. If
none were used, explain how additional materials could have been used to improve the
lesson.
ARTIFACT AND REFLECTION: INTASC STANDARD 9
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She used her smart board at first, to write down some of the words the kids were
saying. She had a monkey under the letter on the alphabet. She used papers for them to
practice on. She then had them turn the papers in themselves
7. Describe how the teacher met the needs of diverse learners (students with special needs,
students with language barriers, students with different learning styles, students with
academic work? Were the children taught at their developmental levels, or all
as the other students. With one of the boys, with autism, she gives him harder lessons
because he has a higher reading level. They were not all expected to do the same thing. I
lesson. How was prior knowledge assessed? How did the teacher check for
understanding during the lesson? What type of assessment did the teacher use (or plan
to use later) to assess the extent to which the children mastered the concept(s) taught?
The paper after they broke into groups was also a type of assessment. She keeps track of
what letters they improve on every week. She also informs the parents on what they are
9. What were the students expected to do after their task is finished? How was academic
their paper. They then have to turn it in to the tray. After that, if nothing else is planned,
they can read a book of the carpet. Most of the time, the kids want to show Mrs. Feaster
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their work, but other than that, they are just supposed to know what to do next.
10. Describe how the teachers instruction and the tasks assigned reinforced students
understanding of the purpose for what they were learning and its connection to the
world beyond the classroom. If not evident, how could the teacher have accomplished
these?
The teachers instruction was very helpful. When the kids named examples
themselves, it helped them to make connections. She gets them active and has them
repeat things along with her. I think the kids really comprehended what she was teaching
them.
Reflection
The artifacts I have provided above relate to the observation hours I completed while
taking the course Introduction to Teaching, which is Education 101. Within this course, the
students had to do twenty hours of observation in a classroom. The artifacts above include my
daily log for my service learning, and also one of the observations I did along the way. The
service learning hours that I completed meet INTASC Standard 9 and the observation I also
included provide evidence for what I learned from the experience. This experience also allowed
hometown of Linton. I wanted to complete my hours in a kindergarten class, for that is the grade
I wish to teach in. I chose Mrs. Feaster because although she wasnt new to teaching, she was
ARTIFACT AND REFLECTION: INTASC STANDARD 9
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new to teaching kindergarten. I thought it useful, being new to education myself, to observe a
teacher who was also relatively new. She also has her degree in Special Education, which I am
also interested in obtaining a degree in. She had some special education students in her
classroom and I really wanted experience in how a teacher adapts to that. Observing Mrs. Feaster
allowed me to decide exactly the type of teacher I want to be. She was very loving and caring
towards the children, but also strict enough that they did not challenge her authority. I hope, like
Mrs. Feaster, to provide the love and care that certain student may need while also advancing
their intelligence and teaching them new life skills. The observation above explains how Mrs.
Feaster ran her lessons to benefit everyone in the class. The activities she provided allowed
individualization, which I support and hope to also incorporate in my classroom. The artifacts I
provided cannot thoroughly express all I learned from Mrs. Feaster, but I know I will be a better
professional ability. In this experience, I also got to practice my abilities as a teacher. Since it
was my first experience in a classroom, it made the decision for me whether I had chosen the
right career for myself. With this decision, I also gained tremendous insight to how a classroom
experience in the classroom; through which I gained through my service leaning experience. I
have many goals for myself moving on. One professional learning goal I have is how to link a
childs individualization to the curriculum required by the school. To achieve this goal, I must
continue to be in the classroom. The more experience I gain in the heart of it all, the more