Candidate Work Sample: Tony’s Story Smith 1

Candidate Work Sample: Tony’s Story

Katie Smith

ED 433
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Context

While working within an English 10 course, my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Jessica

Valentine/Keller gave me the opportunity to work with students on diversity and discuss popular

(and extremely important) relevant topics such as police brutality. I worked with the short story,

“Tony’s Story” which described a young teenage boy of Native American descent becoming a

victim of circumstance, facing the cruelty of police brutality and the repercussions that come

from it as time goes by. This story is especially relevant within Pike High School, where this

lesson took place, because according to niche.com, 59.9% of their student body is African

AMerican, 24.2% are Hispanic, and 5.3% identify as multiracial. 1 With that being said, racial

issues, especially prominent ones within modern day media, are crucial to educate students about

in order to understand the movements behind them trying to enact change.

Students will never understand change until they are educated on why change needs to

happen in our society. An example of this within the lesson is when it was being taught,

Columbus Day was near. This year, there was a big national movement to change Columbus Day

to Indigenous Peoples Day, commemorating those tribes who suffered once Europeans came and

took over North America. Considering “Tony’s Story” centers around a boy of indigenous

descent, this made the story even more relevant to the students since they were seeing the

multimedia push to change the holiday the unit surrounded.

In terms of the context behind this lesson, not only did I consider the diversity of the

story, but I also took into consideration where the students are cognitively in their development. I

took Erik Erikson’s theory of developmental stages and considered the fact that according to

Erikson, school-aged students are cognitively struggling with inferiority versus industry,

1 “Pike High School Students.” Niche. Accessed November 22, 2020. https://www.niche.com/k12/pike-high-
school-indianapolis-in/students/.
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meaning students are struggling to find their own identities within a crowded sea of integrated

images and likeness.

This makes a lesson about diversity even more crucial because it develops and refines

their cognitive skills and gives representation to those who are more diverse, rather than

reiterating Eurocentric ideals. For the unit itself, I wanted to utilize all of these environmental

factors and implement them in the form of socratic seminars so students have the chance to

discuss with one another without any distractions - a personal interaction among themselves,

their peers, and the text. My objectives are:

● To develop an understanding of diversity, stereotypes, intolerance, and

generalizations and the effects through textual evidence, personal experience,

reflection, and discussion

2 “Stages of Psychosocial Development - Erik Erikson.” Google Sites. Accessed November 23, 2020.
https://sites.google.com/site/erikeriksondl825/home/stages-of-psychosocial-development.
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● to demonstrate the importance of diversity and illustrate the necessary cultural

changes through the use of the assigned literature, discussion, and new and prior

knowledge

These all follow the IDOE English/Language Arts standards 9-10.RL.4.2 and 9-

10.RL.2.1:

★ 9-10.RL.4.2 -- Analyze and evaluate how works of literary or cultural significance

draw on and use allusions, archetypes, symbols and allegories from myths,

traditional stories, or religious works, including how the material is rendered new.

★ 9-10.RL.2.1 -- Analyze what a text says both explicitly and implicitly as well as

inferences and interpretations through citing strong and thorough textual

evidence.

Unit Map
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Assessment Plan

When tackling a topic such as diversity, I feel as though such a heavy and loaded

topic would be best assessed through discussion requirements and exit tickets rather than

through worksheets. However, I do wish to assess their knowledge over what they have

learned at the end by assigning an essay over diversity and its importance. I will also be

grading each student over their participation in each socratic seminar. I want to see that

they are fully understanding what they are reading so I can see where each student is and

assist those who are struggling or behind. To do this, I have a rubric I created where I can

assess each student after the seminars and keep track of their progress:
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In terms of the paper, I want this paper to be a reflection of their learnings as well

as a reflection of their own preconceptions. This paper will be over diversity, what they

have learned about diversity, what they thought about diversity before this unit, and what

they think now at the end of the unit. I want to make this a bonding experience, as well as

the seminars, where students can fully participate and show their learning while also

learning from each other; so, once their papers are due, they will give a summary version

of their writing to the class in presentation form. They will start their writing process by

filling out this basic outline:

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After they have finished the planning outline, it is intended that each student will utilize their

outline for their presentation because it summarizes all of their main findings they will expand

upon in the paper. This makes not just the planning process for paper more organized and easier

to build upon, but it also helps the students have a template ready for their presentation of their

culminating essay.

Identify Targeted Support

By having the rubric in which I can track participation in class discussions, I will

be able to give specific support as we progress through the rest of the unit leading up to

the paper. One way I plan on giving support to those who need it emotionally is by

implementing exit tickets and creating a “mailbox” in the classroom where students can

turn in their exit tickets and feel free to write anything they want to me regarding their
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class experience that day. This gives students the opportunity to be honest about what

might trigger them or tell me about something they may have experienced in life that is

similar to what we discussed in class. This gives me an idea of their Learning

Environment and Engagement as well as an opportunity to see where they may be

struggling elsewhere, rather than solely relying on discussion participation. It will allow

those who are reluctant to speak or may have difficulty with speaking among their peers

an opportunity to respond in an alternate format. It also affords me the opportunity to

help draw those struggling students into the discussions by initiating conversation based

on their exit ticket responses.

I chose this because not only does it create a safe environment for each student,

but it also gives ny special education students or ELLs the opportunity to let me know

what they do and do not understand, giving me a clearer understanding as to how I can

assist those with specialized needs and adjust as needed. By creating not just written

assessments, but oral assessments in a classroom setting, students with specialized needs

can be sure their needs are being met. For example, an English language learner may be

more confident speaking than writing, or vice versa, so there are a variety of

opportunities for students to gain points and a lot of leeway while grading. To me, the

content is more important than how well they read or write, so I want to be sure the

students are internalizing the content and developing critical thinking skills more than

simply doing work for a grade.

I can gain Evidence of Academic Language by meeting students where they are

and monitoring progress; I can assess how they are utilizing academic language. For my

general education students, assessing the use of academic language comes from their use
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of literary terms, unit vocabulary, analysis of Socratic Seminar discussions, analysis of

text through the diversity “lens”, and proficiency in their writings. For my students with

specified needs, their exit tickets can be a way I can see where they are progressing in

their use of academic language and their overall understanding of the text, lesson

vocabulary, and application of knowledge . I can use their exit tickets as a non-graded

way of seeing where they are in their language development and lesson objectives and

give specified assistance as they work towards completing their final paperand their

Socratic Seminar questions and discussions.

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Deepening Student Learning

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While each student will have their own discussion points and questions ready for class

each day, I will have some questions ready to further their learning and discussions:
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Showcase

While researching appropriate ways to introduce a diversity unit without offending any of

the students, I found an amazing lesson on the Learning to Give website called “Uniqueness and

Prejudice” that includes handouts I will give as an addendum to the activity.

“Tell the students that they are going to play a game called "Uniqueness and Prejudice."

They will be asked to stand up and move around the room as they reflect on different ways they

can be described. Tell them that you want them to be honest but remain open to playful

expressions of first impressions.

Play a game called Uniqueness and Prejudice. In this activity, the leader reads statements

that describe different physical or cultural traits (see sample statements below). Participants

identify statements that describe them and then tell the group what they don’t want others to

assume about them because of these traits.

Before this activity, write down a list of traits that might describe some students in your

group. Use the sample statements below* as a guide. Start with descriptions that are obvious

before moving to descriptions that are more personal. In this way, students build trust before

moving into more challenging territory. Move the furniture so that there is room for participants

to stand in two groups facing each other. Create a line on one side of the floor with masking tape,

a rope, or a meter stick.

To begin, all students are on the opposite side of the room, facing the line. Tell

participants that they must be respectful, positive, and supportive of all the other participants or

they will not be allowed to play.

Directions:
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1. The leader reads aloud a descriptive statement in the first person (e.g., I have

blond hair.) If the statement is true for any students, those individuals step

across the middle line and face the rest of the group.

2. Those who stepped across the line should think about and take turns giving the

following response statement: “Just because I (have blond hair), don’t assume

that I (finish the sentence).” Encourage the participants to be honest and to

think past the initial stereotype to the ways they think others have responded to

the featured trait. They may use humor and creativity in their responses, but

should remain honest. (e.g., Just because I have blond hair, don’t assume that

I’m not smart. …that I bleached it. …that I can’t understand trigonometry.)

Stress that the purpose of this activity is not to have the funniest response –

while students may use humor, their responses must be relevant and

meaningful to get the most out of this activity.

After playing several rounds of this game, reflect on student feelings about the activity:

3. How does it feel to step over the line and face the rest of the group?

4. What are the positive and negative sides of being unique?

5. In what ways does society reward and punish uniqueness or differences?

6. What did you learn about your classmates?

7. Are prejudices and assumptions always bad? Always wrong? Explain.

8. What prejudices do you have that you didn’t know you had before?

9. Why is it so easy to come up with assumptions to complete the statement?

10. Are some prejudices easier or harder to discuss?

11. What can we do to stop others from making assumptions about people?
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Discuss examples from history of how intolerance of ideas, religion, and ethnicity

contributed to discrimination and strife . For example, after 9-11, people made generalizations

about people of the Muslim faith and in some cases violated their rights. Many Muslims were

treated with suspicion and a lack of respect by people--including some who might not have

understood that they were exhibiting prejudice and intolerance.

*Sample Statements: ▪ I have blond hair. ▪ I walk to school. ▪ I am an only child. ▪ I live

in an apartment. ▪ I love science. ▪ I want to be a doctor when I graduate from college. ▪ I

don’t want to go to college. ▪ I was born in a different country. ▪ I am on the basketball

team. ▪ I don’t eat meat. ▪ I am a religious person. ▪ I am a quiet person. ▪ I am a

cheerleader.”3

I found this lesson extremely helpful while planning a unit over sensitive topics. This

resource, the Learning to Give website, is a database for educators like me to utilize service

learning exercises and lesson plans within our own units to deepen each student’s understanding.

This activity is the catalyst for creating a safe learning environment in order to have deeper

discussions throughout the course of the unit.

Assessment to Inform Instruction

In order to effectively create a unit lesson that results in authentic student learning, I

would have a multi-step approach to my assessment to inform instruction.

3 Uniqueness and Prejudice. Accessed November 23, 2020. https://www.learningtogive.org/units/diverse-

community-who-my-neighbor-9-12/uniqueness-and-prejudice.
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● My exit tickets would be used to gather information on where students are and

where I should go next in my instructional approach, i.e.- is there an opportunity

for reteaching, peer coaching, higher-level application, or enhanced group

discussion through information (shared personal experiences, unique

perspectives) on exit ticket responses.

● Observation of Socratic Seminars would be used to determine some key factors

about each student and the student groups at large. I would want to note how

each individual and group is making sense in their discussions, how well they are

using textual evidence in their statements and conclusions, how well are they

interacting with one another, are they struggling to acquire the content and the

objectives of the lesson, and are they able to make real-world application and

freely share diverse ideas and opinions with the group?

● The final essay would be a summative assessment of their knowledge gained,

their application to the text, their knowledge of the literary devices used in their

analysis, and their personal application of the text and their understanding of

diversity and its implications. The Socratic Seminars would provide me with

measurement of individual growth and whole-group learning of both the content

and their social-emotional development.

● I would also need to acknowledge the social-emotional needs of each student and

how those needs might affect their content acquisition or understanding of a

sensitive topic.

● Finally, I would use data to drive my instructional approach. When grouping

students for Socratic Seminars, it is important to have a heterogeneous group both

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academically and in terms of diversity, providing peer assistance for struggling

students and diversity of opinions and ideas. Standardized testing data, IEPs and

ILPs, and classroom performance data will assist with academic grouping.

Identifying cultural groups and creating groupings that represent the range of

diversity within the classroom will facilitate more meaningful discussion and

sharing of ideas.

Analysis of Teaching

By using cooperative learning in Socratic Seminars, I will benefit all students and all

learning styles. My role as the facilitator, mediator, and evaluator will help students meet the

objectives of the lessons and unit. It will provide opportunities for greater understanding of

underlying concepts through practice and discussions among team members and promote

learning actively and improve retention, develop student social and communication skills,

promote self esteem/concept, enhancing student motivation and understanding, and help students

better understand diversity - both from the lessons and text but also through diversity of ideas

and opinions in the discussions.

Analysis of Learning

Through the exit tickets, observations, and final essay I will be able to assess the level

and depth of knowledge students have gained from the lessons. I will be looking for personal

reflection, use of specific textual references, knowledge of applied use of key vocabulary terms,

and application of discussions in the Socratic Seminars and the initial lesson on uniqueness and

diversity from the Learning to Give lesson.. I can assess their understanding by comparing their
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exit ticket responses to their final paper response which will demonstrate their growth and

understanding. As I evaluate their learning daily, I can use their exit tickets to identify needs and

to reteach if needed. I can also clarify any misconceptions identified through exit tickets and

observations. Exit tickets are also a good way to enrich content knowledge as unique

perspectives can be identified and shared with the whole group. The final presentations to the

class will enrich all students and provide diversity in ideas and responses that will increase

student understanding of the importance of diversity in the classroom, in ideas and cultural

differences, and in our society.