Part

III(b): Instructional Decisions/ Monitoring and Adjusting Reflection

Instructions:
After full implementation of all lessons, reflect and respond in detail to the following prompts.
Complete responses in paragraph format adhering to all writing conventions and criteria as
indicated on the rubric.
Your Evaluator will provide feedback within BbLearn. You will also receive an auto-email from
Qualtrics with the results (points only) of the evaluation. You must earn a minimum score of
“12” on this submission.

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Reflections on Lesson Plans/Instruction

1. How did lesson design and delivery promote meaningful, active engagement for all
learners?

The lesson design promoted meaningful, active engagement for all learners by

addressing multiple learning styles. Students used “fist to five” hand signals, create angles with

their arms and legs, and use manipulatives that were as big as their body. These activities

helped students who learn best through body movement. Each lesson started with a lecture to

help students who learn best through auditory methods. Two of the lesson had Google Slides

that provided an opportunity to provide visual learners the best opportunity to learn.

The lesson delivery promoted meaningful, active engagement for all learners by

requiring students to respond to questions constantly. Students answered questions with hand

signals, verbally to the whole class, and on white boards. I used the Madelyn-Hunter method to

plan my lesson, and I feel it offered the best opportunity to use guiding questions effectively.

2. Describe which instructional strategies were most and least effective.

 Part III(b): Instructional Decisions/ Monitoring and Adjusting Reflection

Throughout the course of my unit lesson, I saw the importance of observing and

adjusting while in the middle of the lesson. One day where I would model the difference

between a right, acute, and obtuse angle on a worksheet using the document camera, then I

would call students to perform a couple problems, and lastly I would monitor the students

working independently. Although some of the students were engaged, I felt many of the

students would find the angle asked in the question and stop listening to their peers or myself. I

adjusted my lesson because I wanted the students to focus on what characteristics of the

angles made their answers correct instead of rushing to the right answer" or something along

those lines might resolve the splice here. I was not going to use the work sheet for a grade, so I

switched the lesson from a paper and pencil practice to a group discussion. I felt I had a higher

student engagement. I also felt it more accurately allowed me to evaluate the students

understanding.

Relating the material to anything the students were interested in was very helpful. I

would find images of food, basketball courts, soccer and football fields, animals, and even

maps. Using images that students were familiar to in the real world, I could gain student

interest and ask questions about the importance of the accuracy in the measurement of the

angles. Students would discuss how it would make certain things unusable if the angle were to

be an acute angle instead of a right angle.

One instructional strategy I found ineffective was using a video to introduce or

gain interest in a lesson. I have seen my cooperating teacher use videos in science lessons. The

videos are relevant to the lessons, and the children find them entertaining and educational. My

lessons were math based and did not seem to get the same response. In the future I would not
 Part III(b): Instructional Decisions/ Monitoring and Adjusting Reflection

rely on videos to gain student interest for a math lesson but I can see where a relevant video

can be effective.

3. Which technology tools/strategies were most and least effective? Explain. (If you did not
have access to technology, describe what could be utilized effectively in a future setting.)

Using technology in my lessons allowed me a multitude of ways to introduce content. I used

Google Drive to create slide shows and my worksheets. In Google Slides definitions of key

vocabulary displayed while I gave my lectures. I also display examples of different geometry

terms and insert images so that students could see them in the real world. I used Google Docs

to create my assessment and my worksheets. I created worksheets that only covered the

performance objectives the students were asked to do. I also utilized the document camera

regularly to show students how to work through problems and allow them to share their

thought processes to the class.

The technology I used that I found least effective was YouTube. YouTube has

entertaining and educational content, but for my lessons I found it to be less effective than

hands on activities.

4. How did you use formative assessment data and student cues to monitor and adjust
instruction?

 Part III(b): Instructional Decisions/ Monitoring and Adjusting Reflection

I found formative assessments helpful in monitoring student understanding during my

geometry lessons. I consistently used “fist to five” to ask students their confidence level in each

section of the lesson. If students held up a fist they were uncomfortable in their understanding

of the content. If students were holding all five fingers up they were extremely comfortable in

their understanding of the content. Depending on how many students were holding up more

than three fingers, I would review or elaborate on the content. For example, if more than half

of the class held up three or more fingers on their confidence in identifying an acute angle, I

would ask a few students to explain. After a few students explained that an acute angle was

smaller than ninety degrees I asked students and then put their fingers in an example of an

acute angle in the classroom. By using a student cue I was able to give a verbal review and

incorporate body movement as a formative assessment.

This lesson required understanding of the vocabulary before students could identify

different geometric terms in the real world. Using formative assessments allowed for me to see

which terms students understood just from lecture and PowerPoint and I needed different

methods of reinforcing the definitions. Students were honest in using hand cues, but by using

body movement I could assess student understanding. Quickly adjustments could be made and

review could be done as needed.

5. What adjustments did you make throughout the unit based on your Cooperating
Teacher’s feedback?

My cooperating teacher offered useful feedback through out my unit lessons. One of

the most helpful tips my cooperating teacher gave me was to extend my wait time after I asked
 Part III(b): Instructional Decisions/ Monitoring and Adjusting Reflection

a question. I had not realized how quickly I was calling on students for answers. She told me to

look at the clock and give students ten seconds. Before looking at the clock I was only waiting

three to five seconds and getting the same ten to fifteen students raising their hands. After

extending my wait time to ten seconds, I would consistently have over twenty students raising

their hands to answer questions. This adjustment allowed me more diversity in the students I

was calling on and it raised participation.

Making my lesson closings shorter was another helpful piece of feedback. My

cooperating teacher said that I was basically performing two independent practices in one

lesson. She told me to limit my closings to a task that can be done in less than two minutes. I

adjusted my closings into to tickets out the door. I was able to use the closing activities as

formative assessments for my lessons the next day.