Part I

Date: 9/24/2014
Time: 1:55pm-4:00pm
School: Clear Creek Elementary School
Cooperating Teacher: Becky Dixon
Grade: K
Number of Students Present: 16
List of Activities (from Daily Log)
Rest time, math/science stations, assist students, reading buddies, dismissal

Part II: Critical Incident Analysis

1. Account of the incident

What happened, where and when; who was involved?

What was your role/involvement in the incident?

What was the context of this incident (what led to the incident)?

What was your intent and focus at this point?

During math stations, I was assisting Table 3, a group of 4 girls whos station involved
reaching into a bag, pulling out a handful of cubes, counting them, then writing and drawing the
number of cubes pulled out. These students are just learning to read and write, so occasionally,
they would write numbers backwards. This was especially common with four, seven, and nine. I
tried to explain that the number was backwards, but they didnt seem to understand until I drew a
number line, which they were used to seeing, and could look at the way I had written the numbers
versus how they were writing them.
2. Initial responses to the incident

What were your thoughts and feelings at the time of the incident?

What were the responses of other key individuals to this incident? If not
known, what do you think these might have been?

At first I was a bit frustrated that the students couldnt seem to understand what I meant
by backwards. However, once they could see what I meant, I was very excited to see that they
were eager to fix their mistakes and write the numbers the correct way.
3. Issues and dilemmas highlighted by this incident

What dilemmas were related to this incident?

Outline any values and/or ethical issues which are highlighted by this
incident.

What took you by surprise or happened in a way you didnt expect?

I was very surprised that it was so easy for the students to understand their mistakes just
by changing how it was explained. Having something tangible to look at instead of hearing
about what was wrong truly seemed to solidify the concept for the students.
4. Outcome

What were the outcomes of this incident for the various participants?

Are there ways in which this incident has led to (or might lead to) changes in
how you think, feel or act in particular situations?

What are your thoughts and feelings now about this incident?

The students from my group left their math station feeling more confident in writing their
numbers. It made me realize that if I start to get frustrated that something isnt working, the
students probably are too, and I should try a different approach to the situation to see if it works.
Im really quite proud that I figured out a way that worked without having to take Ms. Dixon
away from the group she was working with to fix the problem.
5. Learning

What have you learned (about yourself, how you relate to others, how you
learn)?

What future learning needs have you identified as a result of this incident
(Scottish Social Services, 2009)?

I learned that if I take a moment to step back and think about a different way to approach
something instead of immediately panicking that my methods arent working, there is a very
good chance that I can find another, better way to do things on my own. It was also another
strong reminder that everyone learns in different styles. While hearing that the numbers were
backwards may have made sense to me, it didnt to the students, but a visual representation
did.
6. INTASC Standard(s) (located in Resources on Blackboard)

Review the INTASC Standards. Which standard is most closely related to

this classroom incident? (list the Standard number and the standard, as well
as explaining the connection).

Standard #8: Instructional Strategies

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage
learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to
build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
This standard most closely relates to this incident because I had to try more than one
strategy to get the students to understand how to correct their mistakes.

Reflection
The above is a journal reflection based on my time n a kindergarten classroom.
This particular incident occurred while helping students at math time that were writing
numbers. The situation had frustrated me during the class, so I felt the need to reflect on
it further. The reflection on the incident shows my strength as a future educator because I
can learn form my mistakes, and by reflecting on what went wrong, ensure that I do not
make the same mistake in the future. This will be very helpful because it means I will
learn more quickly what approaches work best to teach my students.
This fits well with standard #8, instructional strategies. I see a connection here
because I tried more than one strategy to help the students I was working with understand
the concept I was trying to help them with. After finding a strategy that worked, it was
easy to lead the students to understand what I meant when I said the number was
backwards. This allowed the students to connect the way numbers look on a number line
to the way they write numbers on their own. This connection let the students leave math
stations knowing how to write their numbers facing the correct way, no matter the
situation.
As an educator, no single way of teaching is going to work for all of my students.
Therefore, I will have to implement varied instructional strategies in my classroom to
help my students learn. I could find assistance with new teaching strategies by asking
other educators in my school what strategies they have had success with. I can also go to
the internet and find teaching blogs that discuss varying instructional strategies. No
matter what I choose to use as a resource for instructional strategies, the true value lies in
implementing them in the classroom to help students learn.