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Self-Examination Videotape Assignment

Goals:
Learn to analyze and solve problems of practice;
Get better at organizing your classroom for learning;
Find your teaching self
A. Procedure
B. Analysis
I will be choosing to analyze my videotape recording by a couple of the core questions, but
mainly by how students behave during small group activities. I will be looking at a variety of
aspects of my teaching, and focusing on core questions that I can ask myself.
1. Core Questions
Lesson Content
When focusing on the lesson content portion of my videotape, I was confident and
comfortable with the expectations of the particular lesson, but I was not confident in the specific
material that was being covered on this day. On this particular day, we were practicing our
scientific literacy skills. Students were reading an ACT passage, answering the subsequent
questions, and then we were using the sticky note tool to convey student responses to the class.
Students, after completing the questions on their own, they formed groups and each group placed
their answer on a sticky note and placed it on the chart. This was a great way for students to
convey their ideas to others, record their ideas, and share them with the class. It was a chance for
students to share the information anonymously too.
Watching myself back, I was not confident in the material being used on this day. I had
planned on students reading the passage and answering questions, but I did not prepare the
reading and questions myself. I skimmed the reading, and it showed in my videotape. When
students would ask me questions, I would hesitate in answering them, at times I asked if they
could give me a minute, and then a looked up the question/answer in the article. Students
seemed patient with me, but watching myself back, it didnt look very confident or professional.
The lesson content was pretty difficult for students, and they asked many questions of me.
The purpose wasnt a lesson on the content, but rather a practice of reading and comprehension
skills. The content, even though it was an ACT passage, and did not fit directly into the flow of
the lessons in that unit, it did however fit with the content in a way. Students had learned about
conduction and convection on Monday, and the subsequent Friday (the day of the videotaping),
the passage discusses convection. Students asked many questions on what convection was, even
though that wasnt the main purpose of the activity. Since students knew that they needed that
material for their unit test, they were focused on knowing it for that days lesson. Student
confusion seemed to fluster me in my teaching. I tried to reiterate to students, many times
throughout the lesson, that it wasnt about right or wrong answers, or about knowing convection,
but rather it was about understanding where to find answers in scientific readings.

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Management of Students
During this lesson, there were different types of management situations that I put myself
in. For instance, the lesson started off with a demonstration in front of the entire class. I had to
manage the entire class as one, and with an interactive demonstration. This took more effort.
Students would start to get chatty, and I had to decide if it was a moment to dismiss the chatter
(because it was a cool and exciting demonstration), or to address the chatter. Watching myself, I
probably should have taken control of the chatter a little sooner. I decided to dismiss some of the
chatter because it was a lesson that veered from the normal path. However, by making that
choice, it became harder to take control of the class later. I repeated myself about three times,
saying eyes up here, and quiet down. After I decided to ask my students to promise me
verbally that they could handle this demonstration, otherwise we wouldnt be able to do any
more in class, all of them behaved and were much quieter. They took my serious tone as exactly
that, serious.
I transitioned the lesson into silent, individual work time by simply informing students that
we were moving on to a new activity. If their balloons (from the demonstration) were going to
distract them, we would not do any more demonstrations in class. I asked if anybody would like
me to hold on to their balloon so it wouldnt be a distraction. The class promised they could
handle it, and that proved to be correct. I think by laying out the rules right up front, with my
expectations, and being very stern in those expectations, students understand not to mess around,
especially when you threaten to take away a privilege. Without realizing it at the time, I
displayed a negative reinforcement. I threatened to take away something from my students in
order to get them to behave in the way that I wanted.
When students began talking to one another, I would quietly go up to those individual
students, and explain to them that I expect them to be working silently. I also heard myself say
to a couple of students, if I have to tell you again, I will have to separate you from your partner.
I dont know if threats are the best way to go, but each time I did it, the students would tell me
that that wasnt necessary, and they would get back to work. Student digressions were caught
quickly by me, but mostly if they were obvious, by being too loud for example. If students were
working in a group, and talking off task, this was harder to monitor. Watching the tape back, the
group that was closest to the camera wasnt always talking on task, but they were aware of where
I was in the class, and it was hard for me to catch them in the act. I noticed that I turned around a
couple of times as if I heard something I shouldnt be hearing (chatter), but it looked like I
ignored it. I think it was more a fact that I couldnt place where the off-topic conversation was
stemming from.
2. Special Topic Examinations
B: How do students behave during small group activities
Group 1:

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Preparing for the task: about two minutes. Students seem to take a while organizing their
papers (even though they each only have two papers with them), and they take some time
figuring out who should sit where.
Procedural stuff: about three minutes. Students take their time figuring out what they are
supposed to be doing. They keep looking at their papers, then at one another, and then
back at their papers. At one point, I walk over to the group, and then they all begin to
discuss the topic at hand.
Intellectual stuff: ten minutes. Students vary between talking off-topic and analyzing
their responses to the questions at hand.
Socializing: five minutes. Students do this intermittently with intellectual thinking and
working.
Group 2:
Preparing for the task: about thirty seconds. Students get right to work. They act very
rushed, and no one messes around.
Procedural stuff: about one minute. They split up the duties immediately.
Intellectual stuff: fifteen minutes. Students analyze their responses to the questions at
hand.
Socializing: three minutes. Students do this intermittently with intellectual thinking and
working, but it does not seem to distract them from the task at hand.
Group 3:
Preparing for the task: about five minutes. Students take forever to even move seats and
sit with their group. I address this problem, but they are still slow to move. I think in this
case I should have informed this group that for every minute they waste, they will be
staying after class with me.
Procedural stuff: about three minutes. Students take their time figuring out what they are
supposed to be doing.
Intellectual stuff: five minutes. Students spend very little time on task. They rush
through the work.
Socializing: eight minutes. Students spend a lot of time talking to one another, and even
members of other groups.
Group 4:
Preparing for the task: about one minute. Students organize themselves, go over the
instructions, and get to work.
Procedural stuff: about two minutes. Students discuss what they are supposed to be
doing. They debate briefly.
Intellectual stuff: fourteen minutes. Students slowly discuss the topic and questions.
They dont socialize, but they talk very slowly about the material.
Socializing: three minutes. Students dont seem to talk. They sit there quietly.
Group 5:
Preparing for the task: about two minutes. Students seem to take a while organizing their
papers (even though they each only have two papers with them), and they take some time
figuring out who should sit where.

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Procedural stuff: about three minutes. Students take their time figuring out what they are
supposed to be doing. They keep looking at their papers, then at one another, and then
back at their papers. At one point, I walk over to the group, and then they all begin to
discuss the topic at hand.
Intellectual stuff: ten minutes. Students vary between talking off-topic and analyzing
their responses to the questions at hand.
Socializing: five minutes. Students do this intermittently with intellectual thinking and
working.
Some groups had too much time for the assignment, and others seemed to have the right
amount. There was one group that didnt finish, but they spent their time socializing. At this
point, I was still very nervous and uncomfortable with discipline. Students would not get away
with that behavior now. Students who are wasting time are asked to see me after class, where I
waste their time. By doing this once or twice with a student, they begin to take me seriously in
class, especially with group work. Students seem to put forth the least amount of effort possible,
and they seem to know what Ill let them get away with, so they skirt just past that line (with
how much work they can choose to do). Most groups stay on task, and I know some students
have requested to work in groups because they say they learn better. I would like to continue to
use groups because I feel like they can be very helpful to students.
Students worked quietly when reading the passage and the questions. A lot of student
questions to me involved their confusion of the material (which wasnt important). I was not
prepared for these questions. Group responses are much better than the individual responses.
Some groups had too much time to complete the activity, and others wasted too much time. In
the future I will plan more material for each class period, I will over plan. This way, I can fill
extra time in a class.
3. Report your findings
This experience has taught me how important it is to identify areas in which improvement
can be made, as well as the fact that I need to assert my authority in the class. It also taught me
that for some students, working in a group and having answers be anonymous, can be very
useful. I had students who never offer their thoughts, providing ideas and contributing them to
the class for the first time.
It was great to see every student participate in the Now and Later chart and the sticky
note tool. This was the first time I had equal participation amongst all students. I think that this
type of activity/tool is useful to students, especially the shy, quiet, and not forthcoming students.
For the demo, especially at certain times when participation was required from everyone (for
example, I would say Everyone say this with me, We promise to be responsible for our balloon
during the demo.), students offered their ideas verbally. For the questions during the demo,
students would raise their hand or get called on to make some initial observations and
explanations for the phenomenon. It was great to see students behaving so well. I can see how
making students make a verbal promise to myself, even if it seemed a little childish at first, can

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be very important. By doing this, I was letting the students know very clearly, that I am taking
this seriously, and they should too. If they want to do fun activities and demonstrations in the
future, it is up to them. The choice resides with them. By letting them own the decision,
students stepped up to the plate so to speak.
The demo was successful because it didnt SEEM like an assessment to the students, but
it initiated some conversations about applying explanations using scientific principles for a
phenomenon. It felt casual for the students and myself, yet it was an activity that pulled out
some deeper student understanding about their understanding of conduction and convection.
Unfortunately, the demo was really fast paced, so it mightve lost students because they werent
given time to go through the process of getting to a meaningful explanation of the demo. In the
future, the demonstration could be more structured, but I also hope that by structuring the
demonstration more, that I do not destroy the casual nature of it. Students responded really well,
and they even told me that they liked doing something fun in class. I would hate to structure
future demonstrations so much that I lose the casual, fun nature of the activity.
During the demonstration, some students brought up physical and chemical changes,
which was a topic a few weeks back, but the assessments didnt cover that because that wasnt
the goal. Some students also had large overture questions, like what would happen if you
dropped a huge block of dry ice into a swimming pool?these are interesting science related
questions, but arent included in assessments for this unit. Seeing students ask larger questions
like this made me think about ways in which I could allow students ideas to infiltrate the class a
little more, and to dictate what we learn/discuss. Maybe questions like this could be assessment
questions on a test, and students would have to use the knowledge they gained in class in order to
answer the question. This would demonstrate better mastery of material, rather than
regurgitation of material.
The students were more motivated to participate during the demo, but it tended to be the
same students answering questions. The ACT questions with the sticky notes tool garnered a
wider scope of participationmore students voices were heard through the sticky note activity
although it wasnt as willing. The voluntary participation felt better as a teacher. For the
sticky notes participation was good because the students ideas could still be expressed to me, the
teacher, but the students answers remained anonymous to the other students so no one was
singled out for being wrong. One improvement would be to share and discuss the responses,
so that every student can hear different explanations to a problem and discuss these responses.
This would also be a great way to add time to a lesson if need be.
I used the sticky note tool, and this tool was used on a Literacy Friday. Every Friday, I
try to get the students to use and understand how to use literacy skills. I try to relate the reading
to what students are covering in class, and after reading a science passage (usually taken from
old ACT exams or old PLAN tests), students are asked to answer the following questions that
relate to the passage. My goal is to improve students literacy skills and eventually improve their
test scores on standardized exams. The sticky note tool was used on a Literacy Friday towards

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the end of the second unit (on physical and chemical changes and the changes in matter).
Theyve already learned all of the material for the unit, todays literacy passage was about
convection (a part of the unit that students seem to struggle with), and the sticky note tool went
along with the reading.
Students first worked individually on answering passage questions. Then, I had them
move into groups in order to allow them to share their ideas, and get new ideas from other
students. By having them move into groups, students had 3 brains answering 1 question, and
they were able to debate what the right answer might be. The next step was each group came up
with one answer and an explanation, and placed their group response on the classroom chart
(tool). I made sure to inform students that I wasnt worried about right or wrong answers, but I
wanted to see their explanations. This gave students the chance to see how other groups
compared to their answer, but anonymously.
The sticky note tool helped take individual responses, revise them in groups, and then
revise them into a class understanding. This brought small ideas into very large explanations. I
thought that the way that I built off of student responses was useful to myself and to the students.
I tried to elaborate on student responses. In the future, I would elaborate even more. I would
take a students response, and then ask why (to get at the explanation), and then dig even deeper
by asking them to explain some of the principles they used in their explanations. In this way the
tool pushed students to think in a deeper more meaningful way. I hope that each time I use this
took in the future, my results improve.
This tool helped because it allowed me to visually see what areas the students struggled
with, and what areas most of them understood. It also allowed students to debate answers and
obtain a new understanding of the problem and its answer without having to vocalize their
response aloud to the class. Students liked the anonymous and group aspects, and every student
offered up a response!
I really like how the tool worked with my class. The students responded well to it, and it
was the first time that everyone in the class was participating in some way or another. Next time,
I will allow more time for students to discuss responses. Also, I will conduct a before and after
sticky note tool. This way, all students see how their responses change when they are allowed to
collaborate with other students.
With this lesson in mind, I would make sure that I include the answers to the
misconceptions and questions the students had in the next few lessons. These responses would
be included in the next lessons in class, like perhaps in a review that we would perform. In the
future, I will also make sure to use student ideas more regularly. Students responded well when
their responses were anonymous, so I will begin including this practice in my lessons.
I now know that students participate when their responses are anonymous, so I will
conduct aspects of future lessons where they each write a response, but they dont have to raise

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their hand and answer in front of the class. Also, I will allow students to work in groups to see
why they answered a question the way that they did.
Something else I learned from this lesson and watching myself back, was how to
discipline students. I need to make sure my authority is asserted in class. I can inform students
that by wasting class time, they must stay after class with me, and I will waste their time. Also, I
need to hold students accountable for their actions. If I say I will move a students seat if I find
them talking again, then I need to follow through on this action. I have gotten a lot better about
this in the past few weeks, but there is plenty of room for improvement here.
Differentiating learning and activities is something that I want to put some focus on in
my future lessons. I have learned a lot by videotaping myself, so this is a practice I think I will
continue.