Context for Learning Information

Context for Learning Information Directions: Respond to the prompts below relative to the type of field
experience you are taking. The targeted instruction will be the focus of the field experience (ex: general,
social studies, math, reading, science, etc.)

About the School Where You Are Teaching

1. In what type of school do you teach?
Elementary school: [ ]
Middle school: [ ]
Other (please describe): [ x ] Private preschool

Urban: [ ]
Suburban: [ x ]
Rural: [ ]
2. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co-teaching,
themed magnet, classroom aide, bilingual, team taught with a special education teacher)
that will affect your teaching in this learning segment.
The school that I am doing my field experience hours in is a private preschool that also has
two kindergarten classes. The class that I am in has one teacher and one assistant teacher or
“teacher’s aide”. The class has fifteen students, six being girls and nine being boys. Although
there is only one head teacher, both the teacher and the assistant teacher work together to
teach lessons, and often split the class into two small groups. They will each take a group and
teach in a different area of the classroom, then switch groups so all students get to experience
both teachers. In the school, there is another company that specifies in teaching special
education, helping students that need unique accommodations for their differences. This
company has a few different classrooms of their own in the building, but they also bring
certain students into the other classrooms to let them experience a different environment. Two
of the fifteen students come from these special education rooms and join the class for a large
portion of the day, and they each come in with a special education teacher to guide them and
provide support. Most of the time, there are four teachers in the classroom; one head teacher,
one assistant teacher, and two special education teachers.
3. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that might
affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curriculum, pacing plan, use
of specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.

The school that I am at uses the Tools of the Mind curriculum in their lessons. This
curriculum along with the New Jersey Department of Education do not require any
standardized testing for this grade and age level. It seems that Covid-19 protocols for not only
the school but the state have affected planning and delivery of instruction for teachers.
Preschool aged children are expected to keep masks on throughout most of the day, besides
during snack, lunch, and gym. Both the teacher and the assistant teacher find themselves
having to stop what they are doing or teaching to remind students to wear masks the correct
way. This often creates a distraction for other students and it is then difficult to redirect focus.
Teachers are also expected to clean and sanitize in between every activity, which takes time
away from creating smooth transitions between lessons or activities.
About the Class Featured in This Assessment
1. How much time is devoted each day to the targeted instruction (literacy, math, science,
social studies, etc.) in your classroom?
Roughly two hours are devoted each day to the targeted instruction in the classroom. Due to
the shorter attention span of the preschool age students, these two hours are put into fifteen-
minute increments throughout the day.
2. Is there any ability grouping or tracking? If so, please describe how it affects your class.
When the teacher has lessons to teach, she will often use ability grouping to split the class
into two groups based off of their performance level ability to listen to instruction. The head
teacher will take one group to a table while the assistant teacher will take the other group to
the carpet or another location in the classroom. I think ability grouping has an overall positive
impact on the classroom, due to the fact that students are learning while surrounded by other
students with the same capability and learning level. This benefits the teacher as well because
she knows how detailed she has to be with instructions depending on which group she is
working with.
3. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for the targeted instruction. If
a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.
The teachers both use the Tools of the Mind curriculum for targeted instruction.

4. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, classroom library or other text sets, on-line
professional resources) you use for instruction in this class.

There is an electronic whiteboard that is sometimes used for instruction in the classroom.
There is a classroom library that consists of a child sized book shelf displaying many books
for different reading levels. This ensures that there is a book that is appropriate for any child,
no matter the skill or level of reading they are currently at. The classroom library is definitely
one of the most utilized resources in the classroom. When a student finishes an assignment or
activity before the rest of the class, they are told to go pick out a book to read while they wait
for their friends to catch up. The library is also often used during transitions when following
the schedule. Students are asked to pick out a book and read on the rug while tables and
chairs are disinfected and the next lesson or activity is set up. The head teacher also has many
online resources that she uses for lesson ideas, worksheets, and activities. She has
subscriptions to some websites where she pays a monthly or yearly fee to access hundreds of
templates and project ideas for her classroom.

About the Students in the Class Featured in This Assessment

1. Grade level(s): [ pre-kindergarten ]
2. Number of
 students in the class [ 15 ]
 males [ 9 ] females [ 6 ]

Copyright © 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

All rights reserved. V2_0913
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the
edTPA trademarks is permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Context for Learning Information

3. Complete the chart below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations or
modifications for your students that will affect your instruction in this learning segment. As
needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete the chart. Some rows have been
completed in italics as examples. Use as many rows as you need.

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/supports or
accommodations/modifications to instruction or assessment (e.g., students with IEPs or 504
plans, English language learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with
gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students needing greater support or challenge).
Students with Specific Learning Needs
IEP/504 Plans: Number of Supports, Accommodations,
Classifications/Needs Students Modifications, Pertinent IEP Goals
Example: Visual processing 2 Close monitoring, large print text, window
card to isolate text

Other Learning Needs Number of Supports, Accommodations,

Example: Struggling readers
Kinesthetic learners
Auditory learners
Visual learners
Students Modifications
5 Leveled text, targeted guided reading,
ongoing reading assessment (e.g.,
running records, miscue, conferencing)
6 Hands on projects, use objects or models
to explain a lesson, body movement when
recalling or reciting material
3 Read material out loud, repeat material,
incorporate music into lessons, use songs
to recite material, have student repeat
information back
4 Bright and colorful displays in classroom,
Write information on board, videos based
on lesson, show pages when reading book,
Draw and use pictures to explain
Copyright © 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.
All rights reserved. V2_0913
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the
edTPA trademarks is permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.