Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Setting Instructional Outcomes
Every day we write objectives on the board for students to read before we start our lesson. We read them as a class and check them off as we complete them. The blue words are the tasks that students will be completing. Objectives help give students a purpose for learning.
Designing Student Assessments
harriet_tubman_and_the_civil_war_test.docx | |
File Size: | 17 kb |
File Type: | docx |
This test was created by teachers from last year's team. The questions were pulled strategically through information given in texts that were read aloud, pictorials, and narratives. There are multiple choice and short answer questions to help give students variety, while also working on using complete sentences.
Designing Coherent Instruction
january_30.docx | |
File Size: | 126 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Each week we write lesson plans for the following week as a grade level team. We have a collaboration binder where we have our units planned out to keep on track. We use our pacing calendar to help guide us in our lesson planning, which we use to help guide our daily instruction. Lesson plans are sent out to our principal, vice principal, and instruction coach each week where they look over them.
Domain 2: Classroom Environment
Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
I saw this technique used in GLAD training. I have five tables, so my students work in teams to earn points for the skill they are working on for the week. Each week is a different team task. I learned through GLAD that it is important to give points often, without taking any points away. It is also important to make sure students are motivated to win by getting an award for having the most points.
Organizing Physical Space
I use the blue offices when I have students take a test. This prevents students from looking on other students' papers and allows them their own space to work. I also use these offices when we have days where students are very talkative. This helps keep all 27 of my children a little more quiet than usual.
During my first year teaching, I realized how important it is to organize classroom space. I have my students split up into four groups of six and one group of three. I have reorganized my room several times, however this is my favorite seating arrangement because it allows students the opportunity to interact with each other.
Managing Classroom Procedures
One of my procedures in my classroom is having students turn finished and unfinished work into these two baskets. This helps me keep track of who has finished and who still needs time to work.
I organize my binders and math notebooks in the back of the room based on student numbers. Students walk to get their notebooks or binders quietly when it is time to use them. This is also one of my most important procedures because we use them every day for concept board and reading intervention.
Domain 3: Instruction
Engaging Students in Learning
I use a lot of GLAD strategies in my classroom. Both of these pictures demonstrate GLAD by using different strategies. The first picture are my Martin Luther King Jr. and Harriet Tubman pictorials. These are drawn in pencil as preparation before the lesson. As I discuss the poster, I use markers to color coordinate information for students. The next day we revisit the posters and add word cards or pictures to the pictorial as I retell the information. The second picture is a narrative input that I read to students during our Civil War unit. A narrative is a story that contain real like pictures to help students identify the story by using real pictures.
Communicating with Students
I use interactive notebooks to help me keep in touch and communicate with my students. Students really enjoy writing in these notebooks and I really love to hear about what is going on with my students' lives. I learned in Lee Pesky training that writing helps build fluency, so I try to have my students free write as much as possible.
Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
This is our curriculum called Engage New York. They provide questions and discussion opportunities for students as we read together. They also have pictures that are presented as a PDF file that go along with the stories. The curriculum helped guide my instruction and was very easy to use.
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities
Growing and Developing Professionally
All new teachers had the opportunity to complete GLAD Training in the fall. We went to a class and also saw first hand how GLAD is implemented into the classroom. The training helped guid amy GLAD instruction and gave me more insight on how to help my students engage is deeper level instruction.
Maintaining Accurate Records
rti_sheet-_christian.xlsx | |
File Size: | 34 kb |
File Type: | xlsx |
I recently had my first RTI meeting with a young boy who is struggling in all subject areas. This is the graph that I used to record his data compared to other students fluency. I graphed the sight words that he knows as well as his monthly reading fluency scores. This helped compare average growth of other students within my class, to the young boy we were concerned about.
Reflecting on Teaching
This is my formal observation from my principal. After she observed me, we sat down and debriefed about what went well and what I could work on.