3. Instructional Delivery and Facilitation
The effective educator consistently utilizes a deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject taught to:
A. Deliver engaging and challenging lessons;
It is important to have a "hook" in each lesson. In my class, during a unit about the body, we had a skeleton in our class. The students named him Mr. Bones and they looked forward to our lessons each day to learn about the systems of the body. The students successful learned the names of the bones and created their own x ray. Later on, the students built their own skeletons out of paper and were able to label them using terms taught during the body unit.
In another class, while learning about government, the students used a jigsaw activity to collect information about the three branches of the government. They wrote what they learned on the leaves and attached them to a tree worksheet.
In another class, while learning about government, the students used a jigsaw activity to collect information about the three branches of the government. They wrote what they learned on the leaves and attached them to a tree worksheet.
B. Deepen and enrich students' understanding through content area literacy strategies, verbalization of thought, and application of the subject matter;
C. Identify gaps in students' subject matter knowledge
After reading a word problem during a math lesson, I realized that since many of my students were ELL most had no idea what some of the words used in the text meant. I created a power point of these "strange words" and we used it as a game before dismissal. I made sure that I had a picture or video of the word with a meaning. This made it easier for the students to solve the problems. Many would just give up when reading them because they had no idea what a "such and such" was. This power point game helped solve that problem and keep them on task.
D. Modify instruction to respond to preconceptions or misconceptions;
When teaching a unit or lesson, it is important for the teacher to check for understanding. On the worksheet above, a student wrote this note and turned it in. I had assumed that the students knew what this word meant, after a quick thumbs-up check, I discovered they didn't. You cannot assume that every student knows what a word means.
E. Relate and integrate the subject matter with other disciplines and life experiences;
After learning about 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional shapes, the students worked with manipulatives. At a field trip, the students discovered 3D shapes in a play area and were able to identify cylinders, cubes and other details learned in class. The students also were able to apply a unit about measuring and telling time to everyday life. We made a bulletin board documenting this.
F. Employ higher-order questioning techniques;
During instruction in a social studies lesson, the teacher asks the student "How can you show that you are a good citizen?". The student in the photo, given "think time" is trying to relate the lesson to his own life and experiences.
G. Apply varied instructional strategies and resources, including appropriate technology, provide comprehensible instruction, and to teach for student understanding;
Using many different techniques, the teacher can ensure learning and understanding. In the slide show above, the students use concrete items (yarn) to build words and sort them by their spelling patterns, students also use various websites such as spelling city as pretests. As the students progress on the websites, the teacher can determine if they have mastered the spelling pattern.
H. Differentiate instruction based on an assessment of student learning needs and recognition of individual difference in students;
After checking all students' A/R records, the class was divided up into three groups. The students who were reading at a higher level were placed in a group in which they rotated into centers. Included was DEAR (Drop everything and Read) time, media center and readers theater. My mentor teacher and I saw that these students were completing what was expected of them and were able to work independently for some tasks The students who were struggling were rotated into centers in which they were tested for fluency, and did great leaps reading and rotated from computer programs to partner reading.
I. Support, encourage, and provide immediate and specific feedback to students to promote student achievement; and
During our math unit on telling time, we used manipulatives (in the form of clock models). In the photo on the left, a student is given a time to show on a clock, the teacher checks his "work" with the correct answer. This gave the student immediate feedback on his progress. Those students who were struggling with the difference between the minute and hour hand were given additional problems and one on one help.
J. Utilize student feedback to monitor instructional needs and to adjust instruction.
After one of the many Reading Street stories that are read aloud to the class, the students are given this exit ticket. The teacher checks these to ensure that the students are understanding the concept. Often a word used or a concept is misunderstood. The teacher can review this the next day. ELL students heard the word fainting, when in reality the word used in the story was fading. This can be clarified also.