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Teacher Work Sample

Angelique M. Colón Marín

4/30/2012

7th Grade - English

University of Puerto Rico at Humacao EDPE 4019 – Practice Teaching

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contextual Factors 3

- Knowledge of community, school, and classroom factors

- Knowledge of characteristics of students

- Knowledge of students’ varied approaches to learning

- Knowledge to students’ skills and prior learning

- Implications for instructional planning and assessment

Learning Goals 6

- List of Goals

- Alignment with Grade Level Expectations

- Appropriateness for students

Assessment Plan 8

- Assessment plan table

Design for Instruction 12

- Results of pre-assessment

- Unit overview

- Activities

- Technology

Instructional Decision-Making 17

Analysis of Student Learning 18

- Whole Class

- Subgroups

- Individuals

Reflection of Self-Evaluation 23

- Most Successful Learning Goal

- Least Successful Learning Goal

- Reflection on possibilities for professional development

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CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

Community, School, and Classroom Factors:

The Juan Ponce de Leon Bilingual School is a middle school (grades 7th

to 9th

) located in

the middle of a very hectic city, in the Dr Vidal Street in Humacao. The school is approximately

100 years old and has been subject to adjacent constructions of many kinds. Surrounding the

school are a gas station, a car dealership, multiple stores, different kinds of houses, two other

schools and a hospital. Because of the availability and variety of business, the area is quite

concurred. Normal business hours run from around eight in the morning to four in the afternoon

which are the usual regular hours for the Juan Ponce de Leon. As a result of what I’ve

mentioned before, students, teachers and school personnel have problems getting to school.

There have been multiple car accidents because of the narrowness of the streets and multiple

aggressive encounters because of these and other factors. The environment turns hostile very

quickly.

The community in general, people surrounding the school, although very close, is not

very active. The greatest participatory aspect is that of vendors. The students come from

Juncos, Las Piedras, Humacao, Maunabo, and even Yabucoa. They are selected through a

rigorous process which includes, admissions test, interviews, writing prompts, letter of

recommendation and transcriptions. The qualified students are those with the greatest results in

all areas. Some of them are also selected because they are related to school personnel. Because

of the general considerations, Special Education is not a priority. Students are supposed to be

able to hold themselves in the classroom and compete with other highly qualified students. In

terms of socio-economics, students come from all kinds of different backgrounds. Parents

choose the school because it is supposedly bilingual and it has a great reputation. As a result,

parents who can afford private schools, choose to try out their chances at the Juan Ponce de

Leon. In terms of race, Puerto Rico is a varied culture. Although some towns are known for a

more prominent race, Humacao is not one of them.

Since the school is quite old, we naturally assume that so are the classrooms. Although

some have minor restorations, the foundations are weakened. I had the fortune of teaching in

possibly one of the best classroom in the school. It has air conditioning, technology, tables and

chairs instead of individual desks, and it is quite colorful. However, it has quite the amount of

problems. There was no running electricity throughout the classroom. Only the electricity

connected to my cooperating teacher’s desk was working. During the semester this was fixed.

Before this, the computers were removed because they were not able to use them. During the

past couple of weeks, the air conditioning has been giving us trouble. It works marvelously

some days, and on others it doesn’t. Because of how old it is, there is really no way to fix it.

Days in which the air conditioner is not working, are the worst. Most of the groups, except for

the first, come in from their Physical Education class. The aspect of air conditioner calms them

and helps the transition into the actual lesson. Nonetheless, without the air, they feel completely

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uncomfortable and it is very difficult for them to pay attention. Apart from my cooperating

teacher’s classroom, the rest are even worse.

Some of the parents are involved in the restoration process of classrooms. One of them,

for example, is a refrigeration expert so he is continually sought after when there is a problem

with the air conditioner in the different classrooms. Another parent constructed a book shelf for

my cooperating teacher’s classroom. Throughout the semester I’ve noticed that their

involvement is closely linked to their relationship with the personnel at school. Various teachers,

including Sara Troche, are very approachable. In their persona, you can see an actual

commitment towards seeking a good learning experience for each student. Parents recognize this

and are easily engaged in this process of improvement. There is ultimately a want for a better

education between teachers and parents.

Characteristics of Students:

My group is known as one of the “worse” groups in the entire school. Every teacher

knows for a fact that they are very talkative. Before selecting them as my practice group, I had

briefly socialized with them. I chose them ultimately because I thought it would be convenient.

I took mostly into consideration my case study. One of the students has leukemia and has been

out of the school since he was diagnosed right before beginning the semester. I supposed that he

would need the most help and that he and his family would take advantage of an opportunity

such as individualized help. Afterwards, I realized that this student was not coming back for an

undisclosed period time and furthermore, that I had a student who was already in dire need of

individualized attention.

Throughout the entire semester, I have come to know my group as much more than the

“talkative” group. Yes, they are very talkative, but they are also eager to participate. They

complain about absolutely everything, but they still work. Some of them are very participative

in the lesson, however, when it comes to assignments, they are very irresponsible. Others are

constantly interrupting the lesson, not paying attention, and trying to call attention to them.

These are usually the most challenging. They lack motivation. Some are very quiet, but when

assessed, they are great students. There are also students who never understand (according to

them). In general, they are lazy in most aspects. They are conformists. They do not strive to

exceed but just to meet the required goals. They want to get good grades, but doing the

minimum.

Students in seventh grade are still crossing the line between elementary and middle

school. Whereas in elementary they are very dependent, in middle school begin to develop

individuality, independence and worse of all, they hit puberty. Taking these factors and my

experience so far, it’s been quite challenging especially when we’re taught to be constructive

facilitators and in elementary their teachers are in the majority, behaviorist.

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Students’ varied approaches to learning:

Taking into consideration what I’ve already mentioned in the past section, a

constructivist classroom is quite difficult to achieve. The students are used to drills and

repetition. During their elementary years, they’ve been taught grammar, parts of speech and the

necessary skills to dominate the basics of the second language; however, exposure to a

constructive approach is barely noticeable. Students are used to getting to class and writing

whatever is on the board. Whichever topic or subject is on board is what is going to be worked

on during the class. With me as their teacher, the experience has been different.

In terms of listening and speaking, they are used to the material in English, but the oral

part in Spanish. They are not used to reading much and the actual construction of knowledge is

almost nonexistent. In a day by day scenario, the necessary skills and knowledge are provided

by the teacher; the student’s role is to memorize and practice it. In other words, the standards are

met by the teacher and not the student.

Two of my students are part of the Special Education Program. They both have ADD

and one of them has specific learning disabilities. When put in a classroom with very active

students, the particular student with ADD and learning disabilities is never on the same page as

the rest of the students. The only reason why he was allowed into the school is because he is

related to one of the faculty members. The fact of the matter is that I cannot delay the classroom

because of his needs but I am also faced with the challenge of not leaving him behind because

there are standards to be met.

Students’ skills and prior learning:

As I’ve mentioned before, the students are used to drills, repetition and memorization. In

terms of critical thinking, I had to begin from zero. They are not usually exposed to it and when

asked to think critically and solve problems, they don’t reach the capacity needed to achieve

these. They are concrete thinkers. Their ability to think in an abstract manner and in a global

manner is nonexistent. They are very egocentric. To my advantage were their writing skills.

According to my cooperating teacher, they had learned writing skills during the first semester of

the academic year.

Implications for instructional planning and assessment:

When planning for my Thematic Unit, I took into consideration their lack of critical

thinking. I chose a subject for my TU that would hopefully help them reach a level of abstract

thinking that they could apply to other classes and their daily life. As they supposedly know the

basic writing skills, I also planned assignments that would require meeting the standards as

implemented by the Department of Education. A third characteristic that I took into

consideration was their laziness. I worked towards implementing a process that would help them

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through a transitional phase that would lead them towards facilitated classes. The role of the

teacher would be less active and students would be required to come to their own conclusions. I

also took into consideration technology in the classroom. Because I had one of the best

classrooms in the school, I was able to use technology to provide for a diverse educational

experience. I exposed them to different platforms: Power Point Presentations, Prezi

Presentations, Vimeo, and others. Another characteristic that I took into consideration was

multiple intelligences. I wanted the students to be exposed to this approach in a manner that

would actually help them visualize and construct a concept instead of learning and memorizing.

What I did not take into consideration were the numerous short period, holidays, meetings, and

other eventualities that would affect the process. Most of these unplanned or heard of as late as

the same day.

LEARNING GOALS

Learning Goal #1 (LG1): Students will be able to construct their own definition for short story.

Learning Goal #2 (LG2): Students will be able to identify elements of the short story.

Learning Goal #3 (LG3): Students will be able to identify vocabulary in context.

Learning Goal #4 (LG4): Students will be able to identify main idea.

Learning Goal #5 (LG5): Students will be able to answer and formulate guided and open

questions.

Learning Goal #6 (LG6): Students will be able to apply sequencing skills.

Learning Goal #7 (LG7): Students will be able to state cause and effect.

Learning Goal #8 (LG8): Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills.

Alignment with Grade Level Expectations (Department of Education in Puerto Rico)

Listening/Speaking:

The student uses the English language to interpret oral input, construct meaning, interact

with confidence both verbally and nonverbally, and express ideas effectively in a variety of

personal, social, and academic contexts.

L/S. 7.1 Listens and responds during a read aloud from a variety of fiction and nonfiction to

comprehend, generalize, relate to character and setting, and make connections to text. (LG2,

LG5, LG8)

L/S. 7.2 Listens, responds to, and analyzes complex instructions and statements; applies and

clarifies instructions and directions; answers and formulates closed and open-ended questions.

(LG5, LG8)

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L/S. 7.5 Explains the main idea or topic; identifies important details from learned concepts or

read alouds in a variety of expository texts; applies sequence of events to summarize. (LG4,

LG6)

Reading:

The student uses reading strategies, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills to

construct meaning and develop an understanding as well as an appreciation of a variety of

genres of both fiction and nonfiction.

R.7. Analyzes the text, establishes purpose, recognizes author’s purpose, and distinguishes text

features to enhance comprehension. (LG4, LG8)

R.7.2 Applies context clues, reference sources, and other vocabulary expansion strategies to

assess word meaning using prior knowledge to relate to new meaning; uses prefixes, suffixes,

and root words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar, multiple-meaning, and compound words.

(LG3)

R.7.3 Distinguishes main character from supporting characters, compares and contrasts character

traits, describes and explains setting in fiction. (LG2, LG8)

R.7.4 Sorts and organizes relevant events, states cause and effect, makes connections, predictions

and inferences; draws conclusions; states the problem and solution in fiction and nonfiction.

(LG4, LG5, LG6, LG7, LG8)

R.7.5 Identifies and states fact and opinion, paraphrases and states main idea or topic, and

determines important details in a narrative and expository texts. (LG4, LG8)

Appropriateness for students:

My thematic unit was mostly geared towards reading. As a result, most of the goals were

related to the reading standards. Some explicitly stated in the standards and others not. The

important aspect in terms of appropriateness is that I set the bar. It was necessary for the

students to be exposed to these learning goals because they will be a constant for the rest of their

educational career. Not only are they being exposed for the first time to the structure of stories,

but they are also being asked to apply critical thinking skills in the process. The reading factor

and the combination of standards and goals is meant to make the process an effective and lasting

one. It was also meant to serve as a stepping stone towards higher levels of knowledge which

will be required in the following grades.

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ASSESSMENT PLAN

Learning Goals Assessments Format of Assessment Adaptation

LG1 – Students will

be able to construct

their own definition

for short story.

Pre-Assessment

Formative

Assessment

Post-Assessment

Students were to

classify characteristics

provided into Poem

and Short Story.

After identifying the

characteristics/elements

of a Short Story,

students were to

construct their own

definition of short

story.

With the constructed

definition, students

were to write their own

stories.

Some characteristics

could belong to both.

They were to add all

of the ones that

applied to short story.

Help them with words

they might not

understand.

The characteristics

will be displayed on

the board. Help them

with hints such as:

“A short story is…”

and “The elements of

a short story are…”.

N/A


be able to identify

elements of the short

story.

Pre-Assessment

Formative

Assessment

Multiple Choice Pre-

Test

Students were to

identify the elements of

the short story of “The

Open Window” by

Saki for homework.

N/A

Re-teach elements of

the story and provide

clearer examples if

needed.

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Post-Assesment Take Home Test –

Students were to

answer a series of

questions about the

elements of the story

applied to “The Open

Window”.

N/A


be able to identify

vocabulary in

context.

Pre-Assessment

Formative

Assessment

Post-Assessment


Test

Students were to look

up the definition of

vocabulary words from

the article “Snake

Scientist” and fill in the

blanks provided by the

teacher.

Take Home Test –

Students will fill in the

blanks provided by the

teacher. Vocabulary

used is from the story.

N/A

Discuss the formative

assessment and apply

the vocabulary words

to the context of the

article.

N/A


be able to identify

main idea.

Pre-Assessment

Formative

Assessment


Test

Students were to

answer questions

concerning main idea

in homework.

N/A

Prepare presentation

about “appearances

can be deceiving”

applied to real life.

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Post-Assessment Take-Home Test –

Main Idea applied to

characters.

Instead of asking the

students the main

idea, I asked them

how can

“appearances can be

deceiving” be applied

to the main characters

(Mr. Framton and

Vera)


be able to answer and

formulate guided and

open questions.

Pre-Asessment

Formative

Assessment

Post Assessment

N/A

Students were to

formulate and answer

during a presentation

on “appearances can be

deceiving” and during

the guided reading of

“The Open Window”

by Saki.

Students answered a

number of open and

guide questions in the

different parts of the

Take Home Test.

N/A

N/A

Students were to

answer these types of

questions in different

contexts.


be able to apply

sequencing skills.

Pre-Assessment


Test

Sequencing drills and

exercises.

N/A

Re-teach sequencing.

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Formative

Assessment

Post-Assessment

Students were to create

a timeline on a

cardboard depicting 5

important events of the

story.

Take Home Test

Guide the selection of

events. The students

would bring the

events to me and I

would correct them

before they could

begin working on

their timeline.

Traditional Sequence

of Events


be able to state cause

and effect.

Pre-Assessment

Formative

Assessment

Post-Assessment


Test

Cause and Effect drills

and exercises.

Take Home Test.

Cause and Effect

applied to “The Open

Window” by Saki.

N/A

Re-teach.

N/A


be able to apply

critical thinking

skills.

Pre-Assessment

Formative

Assessment


Test

Critical thinking

applied to the story


by Saki. Students were

to answer and apply

critical thinking skills

to make connections.

N/A

Provide it through the

exposure of

“appearances can be

deceiving” .

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Post-Assessment

Take Home Test –

Main Idea Questions

The question was

guided but to apply

the critical thinking

skills students are to

support their answers.

DESIGN FOR INSTRUCTION

Results of pre-assessment:

Student LG2 LG3 LG4 LG6 LG8

%pre %pre %pre %pre %pre

1 71 0 0 100 100

2 57 66 0 100 0

3 57 0 100 100 0

4 57 33 0 100 0

5 57 100 0 100 0

6 28 0 0 100 0

7 42 0 0 100 0

8 57 66 0 100 100

9 42 100 0 100 100

10 57 100 0 100 0

11 57 33 100 100 0

12 71 100 100 100 100

13 42 100 0 100 0

14 57 33 0 0 0

15 28 0 0 100 0

16 57 33 0 0 0

17 71 66 100 100 0

18 57 33 0 100 0

19 57 100 0 100 0

20 71 33 100 0 0

21 57 66 100 100 0

22 71 66 0 100 0

23 57 66 0 100 0

24 57 33 0 0 0

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Unit overview:

Topic Goal Activity Technology

Short Story LG1, LG2

Students will classify

characteristics into

short story or poem.

They will construct a

definition for short

story with the

characteristics/elements

provided. They will

write their own short

story taking into

consideration the

definition they

constructed.

The board and

sentence strips are

used for the class.

Students will write

their stories in a paper

provided by the

teacher.

Elements of Short

Story LG2

Students will discuss

with the teacher the

elements of the story.

With new knowledge,

students will edit their

previous story to

accommodate the

actual definitions.

Handouts with

elements of the story

and their definitions

are provided by the

teacher. Students will

edit in a paper that it

attached to their

previous story.

Snake Scientist

Vocabulary LG3

Students will look up

the definition for

various vocabulary

words from the article

“Snake Scientist”.

Students will fill in the

blanks taking into

consideration the

definitions.

Students used

handouts and

dictionaries provided

by the teacher.

Snake Scientist LG5

Students will do guided

reading with the

teacher. The teacher

will ask guided and

open questions.

Students will answer

and formulate their

own questions.

Textbook was used.

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Appearances can be

deceiving LG5, LG8

Students will be active

participators in a

presentation that

exemplifies the idea

that “appearances can

be deceiving”.

Students will answer

guided and open

questions and will

formulate their own.

Laptop, Projector and

a Prezi Presentation

are used. In the

presentation students

are exposed to

images, they are

asked to judge and

then be surprised by

the results.

The Open Window LG5, LG8

Students will do guided

reading of the story


with the teacher. The

teacher will ask guided

and open questions.

The student will be

able to formulate

his/her own.

Photocopies of the

story.

Elements of the Short

Story LG2, LG8

Students will define

elements of the short

story. They will

identify the elements of

the story “The Open

Window”.

Photocopies of the

story and the

assignment.

Sequencing LG6, LG8

Students will complete

a series of sequencing

exercises. They will

use critical thinking to

make connections,

predictions and

inferences.

Exercises were

displayed on the

board through the

projector.

Timeline Rubric LG6

Students will select at

least 5 events to present

in a timeline. The

teacher will discuss the

rubric for the Timeline

with the students.

Photocopies of the

rubric were provided

by the teacher.

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Cause & Effect LG7, LG8 Students will state

cause and effect in a

series of exercises.

They will apply critical

thinking skills to solve

problems.

Photocopies provided

by the teacher.

The Open Window

Timeline Presentation LG6

Students will present

their timelines.

Each student brought

his/her own poster.

The Open Window

Take Home Test

LG2, LG3, LG4,

LG5, LG6, LG7, LG8

Students will listen to

instructions for a take

home test. Teacher

will clarify doubts.

Photocopies of the

home test were

provided by the

teacher.

Activities:

Activity 1 -

Taking into consideration the principles of Constructivism and my entire educational

career at the UPR-H, I decided to promote the construction of knowledge in the classroom. With

this in mind, I created learning goal #1: Students will construct their own definition for Short

Story.

Because of their limited background exposure to the construction of knowledge, I

tweaked the activity so that their process was guided by me. The entire classroom was to work

together to divide characteristics and elements pertaining to poetry and to short story. Because

my first unit with them was that of poetry, they were able to divide them correctly in their

majority. When incorrect, there was usually a student who was able to explain to other students

why there was a mistake. After dividing the characteristics and elements on the board, students

were to write their own definition in a piece of paper. This provided for writing skills and for the

construction which was thanks to their own effort. The ability to construct the definition serves

as a reward for being able to divide the characteristics and elements.

Activity 2:

Learning standard R.7.2 states that students will use context clues to determine the

meaning of unfamiliar words. Since I began working with 7-2, I had noticed that they lacked

vocabulary. Not only did they lack it, but they were very comfortable asking the teacher the

meaning of an unfamiliar word instead of looking it up in the dictionary. Because of this, I

decided to create learning goal #3: Students will be able to identify vocabulary in context. In

the pre-test, there were three multiple choice exercises that dealt with vocabulary. Out of a

possibility of 78 correct answers, 35 of these were answered incorrectly. This amounts to 44%

of the answers incorrect.

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Because of my previous history with the group, I decided to provide them with 10

vocabulary words. For these vocabulary words, they would have to look up the definition, look

up the Spanish translation and use the words in a fill in the blank exercise. The vocabulary

words were part of an article that I used as a pre-reading exercise. The vocabulary words were

provided before reading the article. However, during the reading of the article, students were to

assess the vocabulary that they had already researched, but applied to the article. The words that

they looked up not necessarily matched the context of the “Snake Scientist” article. With this the

students developed responsibility towards finding words that they did not know and they

assessed their meaning comparing them to details and context clues form the article. The

students would also get to apply the knowledge acquired in their post-assessment where they

would receive a similar exercise.

Activity 3 -

One of the learning standards says that students will be able to “sort and organize

relevant events”. I took this into consideration as well as my cooperating teacher’s advice. One

of the things that she mentioned when I was to start my reading unit was that students often had

problems with sequencing. I decided to incorporate this very important skill into my unit. In my

pre-test, 5 students out of 26 answered the “sequence of events” question incorrectly. This is

roughly 19% of the class. Although this might not be such a significant number, I decided to

take into consideration my cooperating teacher’s advice and the standards. Because of this I

created learning goal #6: Students will be able to apply sequencing skills.

To be able to implement the skill, I first began with simple exercises of sequencing so

that they could understand the basic concept. After the basics, I passed on to applying

sequencing skills into real life situations. After this, I proceeded to provide the students with a

special project that would help them develop their sequencing skills applied to the story read in

class which was “The Open Window” by Saki. In this special project, students were to create a

timeline using events from the story and depicting them through drawing or images. After

preparing the timeline, students were to present them to their classmates during class. Not only

did they have to select important events, but in the process, students were permitted to exploit

what we call Multiple Intelligences. Whereas students are exposed to sequencing through text, I

gave the students the opportunity to visualize it for the learning effect to be more lasting.

Technology:

Technology was actively used during the thematic unit. It was used in a manner where it

did not overwhelm or underwhelm. It is very important to be as dynamic as possible in the

classroom. Too much technology would provide for routine, as well as if it were too little.

Students were appreciative of technological lessons such as the “Appearances can be deceiving”

presentation. Pictures, music and important facts were presented in it. It also maintained the

authenticity factor which provided for a very effective and fun class. Students were very into it

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and were left wanting more. Technology was also used to present practice exercise for the

different skills.

INSTRUCTIONAL DECISION-MAKING

When it came to the elements of the story, I brought in a handout with the definition for

each element. After discussing the elements, students were to write their own story taking into

consideration what we had just discussed. They wrote the story and earned the points. Even

though the elements were present, they were present in a subconscious way in which students

couldn’t really identify them. They were too concrete about it. I didn’t realize this until I

assigned for them to bring the elements of the story applied to “The Open Window” by Saki as

homework. As I explained the homework they seemed to understand perfectly and all doubts

were clarified during class. The day they were to hand in their homework, the students were

frustrated. They came to me during my orientation period to ask me to clarify doubts and to help

them answer. I felt inhibited and frustrated because I had already explained it to them and they

didn’t have any problems with it. I felt like they wanted me to answer their homework instead of

them working on it. When it was time for class and they were to hand in their homework, they

kept on complaining about how they didn’t understand the homework and they really didn’t want

to hand it in without feeling sure about their answers. I decided that I would re-teach the

elements of the short story.

I started the class as usual with a motivational technique which would grab their attention

and help them focus on the task at hand. We played hot potato and the student left with the hot

potato was to provide the definition for an element provided by the teacher. After this I decided

to go straight into it. I went element per element, in the order provided in the handout and

discussed it in three different manners. The first was to explain the definition. I clarified any

other doubts that were still lingering. The next part was to use the element applied to a story that

we were creating in the classroom. For example: Maralis was hungry. This was the exposition

of the story. Maralis went to the store to get some candy. This was an example of the rising

action. It was a technique of whole language in which the students provided me with the story

but at the same time I guided the discussion in a manner in which they would be able to identify

each element accordingly. The third and final way in which I discussed the elements was the

elements applied to the story “The Open Window”. I tried not to give the answers away. I

provided and guided the discussion with questions that would lead them to properly recognize

and identify the elements. By the end of the class, their demeanor was positive. Some students

still had problems but I felt that the authenticity of the exercise provided for a meaningful and

lasting acquisition and learning.

The second time I had to re-teach was when the students were assigned to create a

timeline. Although they were able to complete the sequencing events, the students had problem

identifying events per se. In this case, the situation was quite tricky. Some students were eager

to clarify doubts, while others were sure of their abilities to complete the task. I decided to

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address the classroom as a whole instead of the individuals. I realize that some students are not

so eager to clarify doubts. They are afraid of what the other students might say. I also realized

that although some students might be very sure of their knowledge, there is always room for

error.

I dedicated a class towards writing the events that they would use for their timeline. I had

already used a technique with a student that had worked so I decided to share it with the entire

class. To be able to formulate the events for the timeline, all students had to do was to

summarize the story. They had to somehow visualize themselves telling the story to another

person. The guide questions were: What happened first? What happened then? What happened

after that? In this manner, students were able to formulate more than jut 5 events and it proved

quite successful at least in the class. When constructing the timeline, students still had issues but

concerning other aspects.

ANALYSIS OF STUDENT LEARNING

Whole Class


%pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post

1 71 83 0 75 0 50 100 100 100 50

2 57 88 66 62 0 66 100 60 0 66

3 57 90 0 100 100 83 100 100 0 83

4 57 90 33 100 0 100 100 100 0 100

5 57 47 100 100 0 33 100 60 0 33

6 28 38 0 100 0 0 100 0 0 0

7 42 95 0 100 0 100 100 100 0 100

8 57 19 66 100 0 0 100 100 100 0

9 42 52 100 100 0 66 100 40 100 0

10 57 71 100 100 0 83 100 100 0 83

11 57 14 33 100 100 0 100 40 0 0

12 71 42 100 100 100 50 100 100 100 50

13 42 76 100 62 0 100 100 50 0 100

14 57 0 33 62 0 0 0 50 0 0

15 28 38 0 100 0 33 100 50 0 33

16 57 85 33 100 0 100 0 100 0 100

17 71 66 66 28 100 33 100 50 0 33

18 57 66 33 100 0 50 100 100 0 50

19 57 28 100 20 0 0 100 100 0 0

20 71 47 33 75 100 33 0 50 0 33

21 57 80 66 100 100 50 100 100 0 50

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22 71 52 66 100 0 50 100 100 0 50

23 57 28 66 62 0 0 100 16 0 0

24 57 100 33 100 0 100 0 100 0 100

Analysis:

Learning Goal #2 – Students will be able to identify elements of the short story.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Improved Did not improve

LG2

Students

For LG2, it was almost split in half. Fourteen students improved compared to their pre-

test and ten did not improve. This means that only 58% of the students improved and 41% did

not improve. In the pre-test, students were asked to read a short story and select from a multiple

choice the correct main idea; in the post-test, students were asked to provide supporting details

for the main idea that had already been discussed in the classroom.

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Learning Goal #3 – Students will be able to identify vocabulary in context.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Improved Stayed the same Did not improve

LG3

Students

For LG3, fifteen students improved, four had the same scores as for the pre-test and five

students did not improve. These fifteen students translate to 62%; 16% of the students had the

same scores as the pre-test and 20% of the students did not improve. A total of 78% of the

students met the criteria.

Learning Goal #4 – Students will be able to identify main idea.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14


LG4

Students

For learning goal number four, 54% of the students improved compared to their pre-test;

20% stayed the same. These students that stayed the same had positive scores in their pre-test.

In total, 74% of the students met the criteria. Approximately 25% of the students did not

improve in this area.

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Learning Goal #6 – Students will be able to apply sequencing skills.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12


LG6

Students

Only 16% of the students improved their sequencing skills; 45% of the students stayed

the same, and 37% of the students did not improve. Students that stayed the same were, as in

previous goals, correct in their sequencing question on the pre-test and also correct in their post

test. A total of 61% of the students met the criteria.

Learning Goal #8 – Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16


LG8

Students

For learning goal #8, 62% of the students improved; 20% stayed the same and 16% did

not improve. A total of 82% of the students met the criteria.

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Subgroups: Girls (11) vs. Boys (13) – Learning Goal #3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9


Boys

Girls

There are thirteen boys and eleven girls. For learning goal #3, 53% of the boys were able

to improve; however, 72% of the girls also improved in this area. A total of 23% of the boys had

the same score in their post test as their pre-test; while 9% of the girls stayed the same as well.

Finally, 23% of the boys and 18% of the girls were not able to improve. In conclusion, a total of

76% of the boys and 81% of the girls met the criteria. This means that girls were the most

improved between both genders.

Individuals

I will refer to the students that I have selected as Student A and Student E. For the pre-

test, Student A (student number 7 in whole class) did not meet the minimum criteria. Student A

scored 33% in the test. Student E (student number 12 in whole class), however, met the

minimum criteria and exceeded scoring 86%. In the post examination, Student A exceeded

expectations and pre-test scores by achieving 86% in the test. Student E underwhelmed and

achieved only 65% in the post examination. Understanding learning of these particular students

is necessary because of pre and post examination scores.

The teacher’s main goal is to be able to facilitate a learning process in which a student is

able to meet the standards. When students have achieved standards, we try to take them a step

further and help them to continue exceeding in academics. What obviously happened with my

two students is that although one was able to pass on to the next level, the other was not as

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successful. As a teacher, it is necessary to tabulate and furthermore analyze results to be able to

improve and recognize missteps in the teaching-learning process. The recognition of these will

permit the teacher to better him/herself and as a result provide a better educational experience for

the student.

Student A improved in all learning goals except for learning goal #6 in which Student A

stayed the same, scoring 100% in both pre and post examinations. Student E scored 100% in the

pre-test for LG3, LG4, LG6, and LG8; however, Student E scored less in the post-test for LG4

and LG8. The student also scored 71% for LG2 in the pre-test and in the post test scored 42%.

Taking into consideration attitudes and discipline in the classroom, Student A was always more

aware of the teaching; Student A was always paying attention and asking questions to clarify

doubts. Student A also met me before and after class to clarify further doubts. Student E, was

always very confident of his/her capacity. Student E was never paying attention and was

supposedly always clear with instructions. Student E never handed in work on time and

furthermore was always late and frequently absent.

The key to the results is dedication. Student E has the potential to be an exceptional

student; however, Student E is not responsible or dedicated to the learning process. Student A

has a lot of potential as well but always wants to reaffirm existing thoughts concerning the

lessons. Ultimately, if attitudes and behaviors persist in both students, Student A will exceed

standards while Student E will barely meet them.


%pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post %pre %post

7 42 95 0 100 0 100 100 100 0 100

12 71 42 100 100 100 50 100 100 100 50

REFLECTION AND SELF-EVALUATION

Most Successful Learning Goal

Learning Goal #8 – Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills.

As my most successful learning goal, I chose LG8 in which 82% of the students met the

criteria. Although 20% of the students had already met the criteria for the pre-test, being able to

continue to apply these skills in other kinds of assessment is a great improvement. A total of

62% of the students actually improved taking into consideration their pre-test. This means that

there were students that could not think critically and were able to meet this basic criterion with

their post examination.

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Since I began the semester, it was made very clear to me that critical thinking was one of

the most difficult skills for the students to achieve especially when they’re coming from

elementary school in which they are constantly exposed to automatic responses, and drills and

repetitions. I also realized that when students were able to apply critical thinking skills in the

classroom, I felt a complete rush that made me feel like my facilitating skills were actively

working on a better future.

One of the reasons why I believe that the students were able to achieve critical thinking

skills was because I was constantly exposing them to different learning experiences in which

they would have to think critically. Even before I had selected LG8, I provided the students with

opportunities to apply these skills and separate themselves from the norm. Students would get to

the classroom and automatically ask me: Do we have to copy what’s written on the board? Most

of my practice the answer has been no. I wanted the students to be exposed to a Constructivist

classroom. Because of these continuous opportunities, students gradually improved and were

able to apply these in different assessments.

Another reason why I believe they were able to meet the criterion is because I was the

one asking questions. My students want everything to be handed to them. I was taking any of it.

I provided an environment in which students would have to search, research and possibly

comment with their peers to be able to answer their own questions. This eventually provided for

an independent environment in which critical thinking would come naturally.

Even though I had exposed them to critical thinking exercises, I wanted them to be able

to demonstrate in writing and reading these skills. I chose “The Open Window” by Saki with the

particular main idea of appearances can be deceiving because it provided for so much critical

thinking. This along with carefully prepared plans which exposed them to different aspects of

human nature was a perfect set-up for the development of critical thinking. In their pre-test,

students were to answer a question which solicited critical thinking skills. In their post-

examination, students were to answer a question in which they were to provide details from the

story and arrive at their own conclusions to be able to answer it. Furthermore, the answer was

not explicitly stated in the story. Students had to take into consideration characterization, setting,

and human nature per se to be able to answer the question successfully.

An example of an activity that I used to expose them to critical thinking was a

presentation on “Appearances can be deceiving”. Students would see a picture and as part of a

classroom discussion, they would also assume and judge based on appearances. After they

arrived to their own conclusions, I revealed a brief summary of who or what the subject or object

really was. Students in most cases were baffled with the answers. This also provided for a

wonderful opportunity to expose them to Social Transformation. The exercise proved

successful. Students were excited about the class and wanted more. Opportunities like these set

the pavement for the application of critical thinking skills and provided for a successful and

achieved learning goal.

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Least Successful Learning Goal

With learning goal #2, only 58% of the students improved; 41% of the students weren’t

able to identify elements of the short story. It is almost split in half and that is a concern. One of

the reasons why I believe I was not as successful with this LG is because at the time, I was sick.

I could barely speak, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t breathe well and as a result, my delivery was

poor. Because of my illness, my patient level was at its lowest. I had difficulty planning and

difficulty facilitating the lessons.

Another reason why I believe I wasn’t as successful is because I might have over-

estimated the students’ potential. When it came to the elements of the short story, I handed them

a paper with the definitions of each element. In the class, we discussed them one by one and I

provided them with examples. This was also a class that I had to repeat because I realized that

many students had doubts. Even knowing that my students had doubts, I didn’t think about

trying another method. The second time around I discussed them one by one and used an

authentic situation in which they could apply, identify and create the elements of a story.

However, I realize now that I should have done research and put an extra effort towards

providing them with an experience in which they would be able to meet expectations.

Reflection on possibilities for professional development

Throughout my practice and the past seminars, I have been talking about Constructivism

being a fairytale; however, with this thematic unit I just proved to myself that this is quite on the

contrary. Yes, in terms of behavior I have to be a bit more firm and consistent, but with the

learning experience, constructivism is possible.

Seventh grade proved to be a completely new experience for me. I had always been

exposed to higher levels and therefore had been very comfortable. The problem with seventh

grade is that as a teacher you have to help them cross the fine line between elementary and

secondary level. Whereas in elementary students are used to drills and repetition, in secondary

level students have to be independent thinkers who are able to construct their own knowledge

and definition of the world.

What I would very much like to improve in terms of my profession are my classroom

management skills. I believe that with a better set of instruments and with a clearer mind

towards classroom management, my lessons could have been more effective. Another goal that I

would eventually like to achieve is being able to identify which techniques are more effective

towards guiding the student to a more constructivist classroom. We’ve been told that it can take

up to decades for things to pick up, well if I’m an active worker towards that change, then we’re

a step closer towards achieving a better education for our students.

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Specific steps that would help me achieve these professional goals are continuous

research and dedication to my craft. As teachers we should always strive to be at the vanguard.

When a situation arises, we should be able to formulate more than one possible solution because

after all, we are facilitators. We have been polished and renewed into better citizens and

professionals who are capable of fomenting change. I think it’s also very important to remember

that we are forever students. Reflecting and analyzing situations will provide us with data that

could potentially positively affect the teaching-learning environment. Another very important

step towards achieving my goals is to constantly study my students. No student is equal to

another. Being able to differentiate and identify weaknesses and strengths will facilitate the

process and ultimately help me become a better professional. Lastly, I think it’s very important

to be able to analyze myself as a professional. I have to be able to not just identify my

weaknesses and strengths but use them to my advantage and manipulate the weaknesses so that

they can be used as something positive.

TWS

Documents

Transcript of TWS