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Core Curriculum Portfolio

Daisy Gutierrez

California State University, Long Beach

COUN 6906: School Counseling Curriculum & Instructional Design

Dr. Lopez-Perry

November 27, 2023

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Table of Contents

Needs Assessment Survey and Summary Form ………………………………………………..3-5

Classroom Action Plan…………………………………………………………………………....6

Lesson Plan…………………………………………………………………………………….7-11

Presentation Slides………………………………………………………………………...….12-19

Pre/Post Evaluation ………………………………………………………………….…………..20

Self-Evaluation ………………………………………………………………………………21-22

Supervisor / Teacher Evaluation …………………………………………………………..…23-24

Classroom Results Report………………………………………………………………........25-26

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Needs Assessment: Social Skills

Hello Students! Please take a few minutes to answer the questions down below as best as you
can. Your answers to these questions will help your school counselors learn more about the
support we can provide you to be the best Lowell Lion you can be. Please read each question
carefully and select one answer. All answers will be confidential.

NEW ASSESSMENT: LESSON WILL BE TAUGHT ON SOCIAL SKILLS 11/6

Please type in your student ID:

______________

1. I work well with others in a group.

● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
2. I know that I can do well in school.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
3. I know how to be kind to others.
● Yes
● No
● I don’t know
4. I know how to communicate when I need help.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
5. I know how to get help for others when they need help.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
6. I need help making new friends.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
7. I know how to tell others how I feel.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
8. I know how to say sorry if I have done something wrong.
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● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
9. I know how to follow directions.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
10. I respect students that are different from me.
● Yes
● No
● Sometimes
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Needs Assessment Survey Summary and Lesson Topic Form

Name: Daisy Gutierrez Date: 10/02/23_

1. Needs Assessment Survey Summary

Briefly describe the purpose of your needs assessment survey

The purpose of this needs assessment survey is to identify and prioritize the needs of students
at Lowell Elementary to improve their academic success through the building of social skills.

Summarize the key findings and insights from your needs assessment:
After survey results were collected, it was found that 19% of students reported needing help
making new friends, 17% of students reported that they do not know how to communicate
their emotions, 49% of students do not know how to communicate when they need help, and
64% of students do not know how to work well with others. Students’ scores also reflected
over 90% of them agreeing that they know they can do well in school, 95% know how to be
kind to others, and 89% of them know how to apologize if they have done something wrong.

2. Lesson Topic:
What lesson topic have you chosen based on the needs assessment findings?
The general topic of the needs assessment is social skills for elementary aged students. More
specifically, the lesson will focus on learning how to work well will others, and learning how
to communicate with others when they need help.

How does this lesson topic directly address the identified needs of the students?
Through collaboration and guidance from my site supervisor and principal, students would
most benefit from a social skills lesson based on recent student interactions within the
classroom setting that can be applied during recreational activities.

Explain why you believe this lesson topic is important for the students' academic success, career
development, or social-emotional growth:
I personally believe educating students on the importance of communicating their feelings and
practicing positive social skills with peers and adults will serve them in several ways. Not only
will students learn skills to better communicate when they or others need both academic and
behavioral support, but they will also learn tools to support their academic success by learning
to advocate for themselves and their needs, as well as learn skills to help them work best with
others. Learning how to work with (or at the very least respect) others different from them can
help prepare them for the diversity that will come as they progress in their k-12 education and
into their post-secondary career. Learning how to overcome challenges when working with
others can also be applied to learning to overcome challenges individually, further
strengthening their autonomy and self-efficacy regarding behavior and academics.
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Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan Social Skills: Working Well with Others and Communicating our
for Needs

School Counselor: Daisy Gutierrez

Target Audience: Mrs. Pedroza’s 4th grade class
Mindsets & B-SS 7: Leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively in diverse
Behaviors: groups.
(limit of three)
B-SS 8: Advocacy skills for self and others and ability to assert self,
when necessary.
Lesson 1 Of 1

Learning Objective(s)/Competency
Students will: Be able to identify skills to work well with others in groups.

Students will: Learn how to appropriately communicate with others when they need
help.

Materials:
- Chromebooks
- Pre/Post Survey
- Presentation slides
- Access to Projector
- Teacher Laptop
- Paper
- Markers

Procedure: Describe how you will:

Introduce: - I will begin the lesson by introducing myself, my role as a school
counseling intern, and the topic the lesson will be covering. I will
(4 minutes) remind students of the needs assessment taken at a previous date
and its findings informing the lesson topic that will be covered.
- I will then move onto sharing classroom expectations with the
students to make use of during the lesson. I will also remind
students that those expectations are identical to those already
practiced within their classroom setting.
- The last component of the introduction section consists of students
completing the pre-lesson survey:
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Slide 2: “Students, please take out your Chromebook and make

your way to your Google Classroom to access the pre-test. Do
your best, there are no right or wrong answers. Once you are done,
please close your Chromebooks and wait for the next instructions.
Thank you.” I will walk around the classroom and answer
questions students may have.
Communicate Slide 3 will inform students of the lesson’s learning objectives.
Learning Objective: “Thank you for completing the pre-test. Now let’s move into what we
will be learning today. By the end of the lesson, you will all be able to…
(3 minutes) 1. Identify skills to help you work well with others in groups.
2. Learn how to communicate with others when you need help.
Teach Content: Slide 9: “In order to work well with others, it is important that we focus
(~20 minutes) on a few things.
1. It is important to communicate with group members.
2. It is important that we listen to each other.
3. It is important that we stay positive when working with others.
4. It is important that we all take turns participating.

Let’s talk about communication first.”

Slide 10: “Communicating with group members means sharing your

thoughts and ideas with others. When we do that, we must respect
everyone’s ideas. If a student in your group is having a hard time, we can
always ask them how we can help. It is important to share your thoughts
and ideas to avoid any confusion when working with others.”

Slide 11: “Let’s move into listening. When working with others it is
important to listen to everyone. When you take the time to listen to
everyone it allows all to feel involved and like their opinion matters,
making it easier for others to want to contribute.”

Slide 12: “Staying positive when working with others is also so important.
Keeping a positive mindset will help you stay motivated and work better
with others. It will also help you look at obstacles as challenges you can
overcome rather than setbacks.”

I will ask students if there are any questions thus far before moving onto
the final skill.

“Are there any questions?” Questions will be addressed and answered

should students have them.

Slide 13: “Taking turns is the last skill to help us work well with others.
Everyone’s opinion in a group matters and should be respected. Allowing
everyone to chime in and participate can allow others to see different
perspectives to reach the group’s goal. Remember, two heads (or three or
four) are better than one, so take advantage of working together.”
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I will then move onto the second topic of this lesson: How to
Communicate What We Need

Slide 16: “Let’s move into how we can tell others what we need. To do so,
we must first ask ourselves “What do I need?” Once you can identify
what you need you raise your hand quietly and practice being patient for
help to come. Lastly, don’t forget to use your magic words when talking
to others, especially when we need something.”

Slide 17: “Some examples to help when asking ourselves ‘What do I

need?’ are listed on this slide. Do you need help with schoolwork, do you
need help talking to someone, do you need help finding something?

It is important to be able to identify what it is that we need using our

words so that others can help us.”

Slide 18: “Raising your hand quietly is very important when

communicating what we need. When asking for help we should try our
best to avoid distracting others that may be concentrating.”

Slide 19: “Practicing patience is very important when communicating

what we need. Remember, if you need help within the classroom there are
28 of you and only one Mrs. Pedroza. Raise your hand, sit tight and be
patient for help to arrive.”

Slide 20: “Lastly, remember to always use your magic words when
communicating something you need. A simple “please” and “thank you”
will go a long way.

Students will be asked if they have any questions before moving onto the
post-lesson survey. Should they have questions, they will be addressed
and answered.

Slide 21:
“Are there any questions about what we covered in today’s lesson?”
Practice Content: To begin the lesson, students will participate in an ice breaker activity
(~20 minutes) called Common Denominator.
Slide 4: “Students, let’s begin. I will walk around and assign you all a
number between 1 to 5. Once you all have your number, your first task is
to locate other students with the same number as you and sit at a table of
your choice. I will set a timer for 3 minutes for you all to find your group.
Here’s a tip: use your words to find your group mates. Ready, set, go!”

Once students have located their groups, we will move onto slide 5.

Slide 5: “Great job everyone! Now that you are in your groups, find one
thing that every member in your group has in common. Once you’ve
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discovered your common denominator, one of you will draw that common
factor on a sheet of paper and will share it with the rest of the class.”

I will then pass out a sheet of paper and markers at each group table.

“You have 6 minutes. You may begin.”

Slide 6: Once the 6 minutes have passed, students will be asked to share
their table’s common denominator and the drawing created. Students will
be thanked for sharing before moving onto the next component.

Slide 7: “Great job everyone. It was awesome to see you all working
together to complete this task. How did you all figure out what the
common denominator was with your group? What did you do?”

Students will be encouraged to share what they did within their group to
complete the task.

Slide 8: Students will be informed that it is important to work well with

others as that is a skill they will use all throughout life. That is why we
will be spending some time learning how to strengthen it.
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Slide 14: Students will be asked to pair with another student and be ready
to share their thoughts regarding what they would do in the situation
presented.

“Now, what if you practice the four skills I just mentioned and other
group members are still having a difficult time contributing. What can you
do? THINK, PAIR, & SHARE with a partner, and be ready to share with
the class in a few minutes.”

Once students have shared their input they will be thanked for their
participation and will be given other examples that may not have been
mentioned.

Slide 15: “Thank you to those that shared. Those are all great examples of
what to do. Here are a few more Do’s and Don’ts you can consider in that
situation:

DO:
1. Ask members if they need help.
2. Bring the situation to an adult’s attention.
DON’T
1. Get upset with the group member and make fun of them.
2. Leave the group to join another one.
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Summarize: Slide 22: Students will be asked to THINK, PAIR, SHARE two skills that
(3 minutes) will help them work well with others and two skills that will help them
communicate their needs effectively. Once a few minutes have been spent
doing that we will move onto the post-lesson survey.
Close: The last 5 minutes of the lesson will be spent taking the post-lesson
(5 minutes) survey.

Slide 23: “Students, thank you so much for your participation in today’s
lesson. Now I ask that you all open your Chromebooks and make your
way to your Google Classroom. Find the post-lesson survey and spend the
next few minutes completing it. Please take your time and try your best.”
Data Collection Plan – For multiple lessons in a unit, this section only need be completed once
Participation Data:
Anticipated number 28
of students:
Planned length of 55 minutes
lesson(s):
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Presentation Slides
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Pre / Post Lesson Survey

Question 1: (A)
I believe knowing how to work well with others is important.
Agree Disagree

Question 2: (S) You are working on a math worksheet and need help solving a question. What
is the best way to communicate with your teacher that you need help?
A. Raise your hand, get angry when your teacher is helping another student, and give up
on your worksheet.
B. Raise your hand quietly, wait patiently, explain what you need, and use magic words.
C. Shout out “I need help.”

Question 3: (K) Which of the following skills are helpful to work well with others?
A. Communicate, listen to each other, stay positive, take turns.
B. Communicate, speak loudly, and only let a few members participate.
C. Keeping to yourself, waiting for others to tell you what to do, putting your head down.

Question 4: (S) You are working on a group project and a classmate makes a mistake when
working on their part. What should you do in this situation?
A. Get upset with them and make fun of them.
B. Ask them if there’s something you can do to help them.
C. Leave the group and join another one.

Question 5: (S) If someone in your group is not doing their part as a group member, which of
the following options is the best to do?
A. Nothing. You do all the work yourself.
B. Nothing. You don’t do your part either.
C. Tell an adult what’s going on.
D. Stop being the student’s friend.

Self Evaluation:
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Classroom Observation Checklist

Daisy Observation
Name: Gutierrez Number 1 2 3 4
Grade level/Subject : 4th
Grade Date:11/6/23
Respond to each statement using the following scale:
2=More emphasis 3=Accomplished very
1=Not observed recommended well
Organization
Presented overview of
lesson. 1 2 3
Paced lesson appropriately. 1 2 3
Presented topics in logical
sequence. 1 2 3
Related today’s lesson to previous/future lessons. 1 2 3
Summarized major points of the lesson. 1 2 3
Presentation
Explained major/minor points with clarity. 1 2 3
Defined unfamiliar terms, concepts, and principles. 1 2 3
Used good examples to clarify points. 1 2 3
Showed all the steps in solutions to homework problems. 1 2 3
Varied explanations for complex or difficult material. 1 2 3
Emphasized important
points. 1 2 3
Writes key terms on blackboard or overhead screen. 1 2 3
Integrates materials (examples, cases, simulations) from
"real world". 1 2 3
Active, collaborative, and cooperative learning favored over
passive learning. 1 2 3
Interaction
Actively encouraged student questions. 1 2 3
Asked questions to monitor student understanding. 1 2 3
Waited sufficient time for students to answer questions. 1 2 3
Listened carefully to student questions. 1 2 3
Responded appropriately to student questions. 1 2 3
Restated questions and answers when necessary. 1 2 3
Demonstrates respect for diversity and requires similar respect in
classroom. 1 2 3
Content Knowledge and
Relevance
Presented material at an appropriate level for students. 1 2 3
Presented material appropriate to the purpose of the
course. 1 2 3
Demonstrated command of the subject matter. 1 2 3

Summary Comments

21. What were the instructor’s major strengths as demonstrated in the observation?
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Some of my strengths were student engagement and encouragement. I believe

beginning the lesson with the Common Denominator activity provided a fun
environment for our lesson to follow thereafter. I also noticed that several students did
not seem to understand some terms or phrases I implemented in my lesson. As a
result, I improvised and reworded the confusing material in a more simple and
understandable way for the students and felt as though I did that well throughout the
lesson. Lastly, when answering student questions, I felt as though I successfully
related the answer to real-world and developmentally appropriate concept for students
to not only understand, but also remember for future use.

22. What suggestions do you have for improving the instructor’s skills or methodology?

For future lessons I would definitely spend more time summarizing main points of the
lesson with the students. Doing THINK, PAIR, SHARE check-ins were effective, but
having a large group check in summarizing the points together would be helpful for
retention and understanding and would incorporate that component in future lessons. I
would also like to become more comfortable with silent spaces during lessons.
Although I allowed students the opportunity to think to themselves before sharing, I
felt as though I might not have allotted them enough time to do so before I filled the
space. I see that being an area of growth for me, as well. Lastly, I would make sure
my terms and wording of phrases incorporated in the lesson were a bit easier and
simpler for the classroom. I found myself improvising how to explain terms and
replace them with simpler synonyms a few times throughout the lesson. Ensuring I
am providing material at an appropriate level for children (and checking with others
before finalizing the lesson) is a task I will be doing for future lessons.

23. If this was a repeat observation, what progress did you discern in the instructor’s skills?
This was my first lesson presentation, but I look forward to implementing my
observation and Mrs. Pedroza’s recommendations in future lessons.

Supervisor /Teacher:
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Observation Checklist
Mrs. Pedroza
– Observing Observation
Name: Ms. Daisy Number 1 2 3 4
Mrs. Pedroza’s 11/6/2
Grade level/Subject 4th grade class Date: 3
Respond to each statement using the following scale:
2=More emphasis 3=Accomplished very
1=Not observed recommended well
Organization
Presented overview of
lesson. 1 2 3
Paced lesson appropriately. 1 2 3
Presented topics in logical
sequence. 1 2 3
Related today’s lesson to previous/future lessons. 1 2 3
Summarized major points of the lesson. 1 2 3
Presentation
Explained major/minor points with clarity. 1 2 3
Defined unfamiliar terms, concepts, and principles. 1 2 3
Used good examples to clarify points. 1 2 3
Showed all the steps in solutions to homework problems. 1 2 3
Varied explanations for complex or difficult material. 1 2 3
Emphasized important
points. 1 2 3
Writes key terms on blackboard or overhead screen. 1 2 3
Integrates materials (examples, cases, simulations) from
"real world". 1 2 3
Active, collaborative, and cooperative learning favored over
passive learning. 1 2 3
Interaction
Actively encouraged student questions. 1 2 3
Asked questions to monitor student understanding. 1 2 3
Waited sufficient time for students to answer questions. 1 2 3
Listened carefully to student questions. 1 2 3
Responded appropriately to student questions. 1 2 3
Restated questions and answers when necessary. 1 2 3
Demonstrates respect for diversity and requires similar respect in
classroom. 1 2 3
Content Knowledge and
Relevance
Presented material at an appropriate level for students. 1 2 3
Presented material appropriate to the purpose of the
course. 1 2 3
Demonstrated command of the subject matter. 1 2 3

Summary Comments

21. What were the instructor’s major strengths as demonstrated in the observation?
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Ms. Daisy did a great job engaging the students and encouraging them to participate.
The opening activity allowed them to feel comfortable and connect that team working
experience with the lesson’s components. I appreciated Ms. Daisy walking around
throughout her lesson and encouraging those more kept to themselves to participate.
She did a great job answering student’s questions and checking for understanding.

22. What suggestions do you have for improving the instructor’s skills or methodology?

Ms. Daisy would benefit from potentially presenting the material in simpler terms. All
concepts and instructions were ultimately provided to students for their
understanding, however, to save time and having to repeat herself so often, potentially
using simpler terms would be beneficial for future lessons.

23. If this was a repeat observation, what progress did you discern in the instructor’s
skills?
This was my first time observing Ms. Daisy. I would love for her to visit my
classroom and present another lesson to my students, possibly building on the
lesson presented today.
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