Wendy Zhang

Domain B: Reflection on Skill

Before studying in the Adolescent Math Education program at Hunter College, I have
taken the Education Minor at the University at Buffalo (UB). I was required to observe high
school students in school setting for several times when I studied at UB. That was the first time I
learned that observing and practice teaching in schools is an essential part of being a student
teacher. However, I did not expect to complete fieldwork hours when I started taking graduate
courses at Hunter College. At first, I was not used to the frequent visits of schools and I thought
it was too much. Now I realize these fieldwork and student teaching experiences had prepared
me to become a better teacher by giving me the opportunities to practice organizing myself to
plan, carry out the act of teaching, and improve my teaching based on my own reflection and
supervisors feedback.
Before entering the graduate program, I had the mindset that I can teach lessons without
writing lesson plan for every single lesson since I have already acquired sufficient math
knowledge. As I practiced creating lesson plans for some education courses and lessons that
require video-taping, I learned that an organized and thorough lesson plan can help me teach a
lesson effectively and in a timely manner. Through courses such as Building the Foundations of
Literacy in Adolescent Education and Intensive Study of Teaching Diverse Learners in
Mathematics, I learned how to plan lessons that are aligned with the desired learning goal and
specific learning objectives. I also learned that I should organize my lesson and establish
instructional routine so that students can respond quickly and I will be able to manage the
classroom without disruption. For example, I always plan to start my lesson with an engagement
activity that allow students to utilize prior knowledge to solve the problems, then I move on to
instructional plan followed by a sustaining activity that allow students to work individually and
in groups. At the end, I will plan to assess if students have achieved the learning objectives or

Wendy Zhang

Domain B: Reflection on Skill

made progress by giving distributing and collect an exit ticket. As technology develops overtime,
I have learned the benefit to include the use of technology in my teaching, I found it saves me
time and engages students in learning.
I grew up learning mathematics with teacher-centered lessons. As I learn about how
students learn the best and as I practice teaching in actual classroom setting, I find studentcentered lesson is a more effect way to improve and motivate learning. Students are fond of
socializing. The concept of zone of proximal development also suggests that interaction with
peers is an effective way of developing skills and strategies. Thus, I often asked students to
discuss in a group for 30 seconds before they contribute their ideas to the whole class. I use
questioning techniques frequently as I found that lecturing has minimal affect in engaging
students. Whenever I throw a question to students and discover that none of them know the
answer, I would always ask them to discuss their ideas in groups for 30 seconds then give
answers in a whole class discussion. Lastly, I learned that I need to deliver meaningful lessons
that motivate and engage learners. Using students funds of knowledge proved to be an
effective way during my practice of teaching.
In courses such as Intensive Study of Teaching Diverse Learners in Mathematics and
Assessment of Teaching and Learning in Adolescent Education, I learned about the importance of
formative assessment. Different kinds of assessments have different purposes. The purpose of
formative assessment is helping teachers adapt their instruction to meet students needs and
assisting students to determine what learning adjustments they need to make. The purpose of
summative assessment is reporting or summarizing achievement of students after students
complete a particular phase of education, whether it is a classroom unit, or 12 years of schooling.
Before I would think summative assessment is the only way to evaluate students learning. Now I

Wendy Zhang

Domain B: Reflection on Skill

know that summative assessment is limited to the products of students learning. It is timeconsuming and yields little benefit to students learning. On the other hand, formative assessment
is authentic and dynamic, and it does not consume instructional time without yielding direct
benefits to students. In addition, I learned that its important to give students feedback after the
assessment because it will shape what the teacher will do next to help the student to close the gap
between his or her current learning status and the learning goals. The feedback can start with
confirming the part that the particular student did well and then move on to giving suggestion on
improving and learning the concept the student did not understand. After giving the feedback to
students, it is necessary to make instructional adjustments in response to the evidence to meet the
learning needs when students are not on track.
Lastly, the fieldwork and student teaching experiences gave me the opportunities to
develop my skill in developing caring learning environment. Based on my own experience, one
thing I learned is not to get into an argument with a student in front of the whole class.
Confrontation not only puts the student on the spot, but also makes it difficult to maintain a calm
and relax environment where everyone can continue learning without distraction. The best way
to handle disruptive or distracted student is to remind them to focus on the lesson quietly and
peacefully then fix the problem after class. Furthermore, I learned to be patient with students, use
positive reinforcement and correct mistake in a sensitive way. I believe I wont be able to
develop this skill without the fieldwork and student teaching experience.