Whole Class Lesson Reflection
What evidence do you have that students mastered or did not master the lesson objective? Based on your evaluation of their work, how many students mastered the lesson objective?
The poetry lesson I taught was day one of a two day lesson, therefore I didn’t collect any of the student’s work. I circulated throughout the room during guided practice and independent practice to check for understanding by asking questions as well as answering any questions the students had. By visiting the students while they were working, I was able to see their charts, read their work, and help clear up any misunderstandings. Several students mastered finding the meaning right away during guided practice. By the end of independent practice approximately 85% of the class had mastered the objective. There were also several students that hadn’t written anything on their paper because it took them so long to draw the chart.
While walking around the room during guided practice, I noticed that several students were getting the literal and figurative meanings backwards. The meanings themselves were correct but what they were calling them was switched. I brought the class back together and went over the meaning of figurative by using the word “infer.” I told them that the literal meaning is what is being said and the figurative meaning is what you infer from those words. After that, the students quickly grasped the concept.
Also, because this was the first day of a two day lesson, the students were able to take what they learned and transfer it to the next day. The students were finding figurative language and figuring out the literal and figurative meanings and why the author chose those words with other types of figurative language, not just similes and metaphors. The students used the same charts they drew during my lesson and filled them in with minimal guidance from the teacher.
What did your students learn as a result of your teaching? Was that your intention?
The students learned that authors sometimes use figurative language to provide a deeper meaning or a different meaning than what we expect. The students were able to find figurative language in the form of similes and metaphors in poems and determine the literal meaning, figurative meaning, and why the author chose those words. The students learned to think about the words and to make inferences to determine what the author is really trying to say.
What they learned was the intention of my lesson. The majority of students were able to take what they had learned and transfer that knowledge to other types of figurative language. They were able to find the meaning behind the words and not just what the author said.
Name at least 1 aspect of the lesson that was successful. Why was it successful?
The most successful aspect of the lesson was the use of a Power Point presentation during instruction. For me, as the teacher, it helped me to stay focused on the content and not worry about what I was going to say. Everything that I felt was central to the lesson was written on a slide so I didn’t forget it. My thoughts about the figurative and literal meanings and why the author chose those words from my think aloud were already listed in the chart. I didn’t have to “wing” it and the students had an example to follow. Also, I didn’t have to walk around with the lesson plan or notes in front of me.
The students were able to see the chart they needed to recreate in their journals and to refer to the board to copy it. They were also able to see all of the information that was needed to complete the chart. They were able to refer back to this slide as an example during guided practice. They were also able to use the slides to check their work, several students asked to see the examples again as a guide. During independent practice the instructions were displayed on the Smart board so I didn’t have to repeat them over and over.
Name at least one aspect of the lesson that was less successful. Why was it less successful?
The one aspect that was less successful was the poetry chart/graphic organizer. The chart itself was a great way for students to organize their thinking and to be able to compare the meanings, however, a lot of students took a long time to draw it. Most of the students were able to draw it in a short amount of time but about a third of them wanted it perfect. These students used rulers or book ends to get the lines perfectly straight and measured the spaces so they were identical. This took time away from them being able to read the poems and completing their work. These students fell behind and weren’t able to complete guided practice or independent practice. There were also two students that were still working on drawing the chart when guided practice was over.
What changes might make this lesson more successful? Why might these changes help improve the activity?
There are a few changes that I would make to make this lesson more successful. The first thing I would do is have copies of the poetry chart to pass out. This would save time because students wouldn’t have to draw it and they will be able to get started on their work quicker.
I would also make more time for the students to talk to their neighbors about the topic and their ideas. I would do more of a think-pair-share approach. Before passing out the poems for guided practice, I would use a PPT slide to show another sentence from the poem with a simile in it. I would have the students talk to a neighbor about what they think the meanings are and then as a class share their thoughts. I would also do the same thing with ‘why the author chose those words.’ This would allow the students to hear more examples and would help them when it came time for independent work.
Prior to teaching this lesson, I spoke with the teacher about my reservations at having them find 3 examples of figurative language for independent practice. I wasn’t sure if we were going to have enough time for them to find that many and figure out the meanings. The teacher stated that she thought they could do it and if not, they could finish it for homework. Next time, I will probably change the instructions to "find at least 2." Because of the time it took students to draw their charts, most completed only 1-2. Also, I would only give the students 3 poems to read and locate the figurative language and meanings. While my teacher stated that the 5 short poems I chose weren't too many and that the students wouldn't have problems with them, next time I will only use 3. By changing the number of meanings they have to figure out, cutting down on the number of poems they have to read, and using a preprinted chart, students will have a better chance at being successful.
The PPT was extremely useful and I wouldn’t change the use of that, but I would use the white board as well. The final slide in the PPT listed the instructions for independent practice, but because I used the PPT during my small group lesson, some students got a late start filling in their chart. They weren’t able to remember the instructions and couldn’t remember what to do. I would use the white board to write the instructions for independent practice which would allow me to show a different slide from the PPT. For example I could show the completed chart as a guideline for students to follow when filling in their charts.
The poetry lesson I taught was day one of a two day lesson, therefore I didn’t collect any of the student’s work. I circulated throughout the room during guided practice and independent practice to check for understanding by asking questions as well as answering any questions the students had. By visiting the students while they were working, I was able to see their charts, read their work, and help clear up any misunderstandings. Several students mastered finding the meaning right away during guided practice. By the end of independent practice approximately 85% of the class had mastered the objective. There were also several students that hadn’t written anything on their paper because it took them so long to draw the chart.
While walking around the room during guided practice, I noticed that several students were getting the literal and figurative meanings backwards. The meanings themselves were correct but what they were calling them was switched. I brought the class back together and went over the meaning of figurative by using the word “infer.” I told them that the literal meaning is what is being said and the figurative meaning is what you infer from those words. After that, the students quickly grasped the concept.
Also, because this was the first day of a two day lesson, the students were able to take what they learned and transfer it to the next day. The students were finding figurative language and figuring out the literal and figurative meanings and why the author chose those words with other types of figurative language, not just similes and metaphors. The students used the same charts they drew during my lesson and filled them in with minimal guidance from the teacher.
What did your students learn as a result of your teaching? Was that your intention?
The students learned that authors sometimes use figurative language to provide a deeper meaning or a different meaning than what we expect. The students were able to find figurative language in the form of similes and metaphors in poems and determine the literal meaning, figurative meaning, and why the author chose those words. The students learned to think about the words and to make inferences to determine what the author is really trying to say.
What they learned was the intention of my lesson. The majority of students were able to take what they had learned and transfer that knowledge to other types of figurative language. They were able to find the meaning behind the words and not just what the author said.
Name at least 1 aspect of the lesson that was successful. Why was it successful?
The most successful aspect of the lesson was the use of a Power Point presentation during instruction. For me, as the teacher, it helped me to stay focused on the content and not worry about what I was going to say. Everything that I felt was central to the lesson was written on a slide so I didn’t forget it. My thoughts about the figurative and literal meanings and why the author chose those words from my think aloud were already listed in the chart. I didn’t have to “wing” it and the students had an example to follow. Also, I didn’t have to walk around with the lesson plan or notes in front of me.
The students were able to see the chart they needed to recreate in their journals and to refer to the board to copy it. They were also able to see all of the information that was needed to complete the chart. They were able to refer back to this slide as an example during guided practice. They were also able to use the slides to check their work, several students asked to see the examples again as a guide. During independent practice the instructions were displayed on the Smart board so I didn’t have to repeat them over and over.
Name at least one aspect of the lesson that was less successful. Why was it less successful?
The one aspect that was less successful was the poetry chart/graphic organizer. The chart itself was a great way for students to organize their thinking and to be able to compare the meanings, however, a lot of students took a long time to draw it. Most of the students were able to draw it in a short amount of time but about a third of them wanted it perfect. These students used rulers or book ends to get the lines perfectly straight and measured the spaces so they were identical. This took time away from them being able to read the poems and completing their work. These students fell behind and weren’t able to complete guided practice or independent practice. There were also two students that were still working on drawing the chart when guided practice was over.
What changes might make this lesson more successful? Why might these changes help improve the activity?
There are a few changes that I would make to make this lesson more successful. The first thing I would do is have copies of the poetry chart to pass out. This would save time because students wouldn’t have to draw it and they will be able to get started on their work quicker.
I would also make more time for the students to talk to their neighbors about the topic and their ideas. I would do more of a think-pair-share approach. Before passing out the poems for guided practice, I would use a PPT slide to show another sentence from the poem with a simile in it. I would have the students talk to a neighbor about what they think the meanings are and then as a class share their thoughts. I would also do the same thing with ‘why the author chose those words.’ This would allow the students to hear more examples and would help them when it came time for independent work.
Prior to teaching this lesson, I spoke with the teacher about my reservations at having them find 3 examples of figurative language for independent practice. I wasn’t sure if we were going to have enough time for them to find that many and figure out the meanings. The teacher stated that she thought they could do it and if not, they could finish it for homework. Next time, I will probably change the instructions to "find at least 2." Because of the time it took students to draw their charts, most completed only 1-2. Also, I would only give the students 3 poems to read and locate the figurative language and meanings. While my teacher stated that the 5 short poems I chose weren't too many and that the students wouldn't have problems with them, next time I will only use 3. By changing the number of meanings they have to figure out, cutting down on the number of poems they have to read, and using a preprinted chart, students will have a better chance at being successful.
The PPT was extremely useful and I wouldn’t change the use of that, but I would use the white board as well. The final slide in the PPT listed the instructions for independent practice, but because I used the PPT during my small group lesson, some students got a late start filling in their chart. They weren’t able to remember the instructions and couldn’t remember what to do. I would use the white board to write the instructions for independent practice which would allow me to show a different slide from the PPT. For example I could show the completed chart as a guideline for students to follow when filling in their charts.