Physical Education

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

Dillon Chichester

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.
1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clip(s)? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[The lesson shown in the video clips is from Lesson # 1 out of 3, racquetball serving]
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clip(s) where you provided a safe, respectful, and organized
learning environment.
a. Describe how you provided a positive, low-risk emotionally and physically safe
environment.
[Promoting a low-risk emotionally and physically safe environment is very important to me. A
perfect example of how I provided this for my students can be seen at 0:22 in the video labeled
Task 2 part A video 2. During this clip, I had just finished giving both positive and corrective
feedback to a student and asked her to perform a drive serve with having her eyes up. I
encouraged the students that getting hit with this ball might sting, but it will not cause serious
damage unless it hits you are the face or gentile area. It was made clear to me during the
lesson that the student became more comfortable because they knew that the ball wouldnt hurt
if you use the correct precautions. At 1:05 in Task 2 part a video 1, I provided a physically safe
environment for the students. I did this by warning the students of potential risks with the
activity that we were about to begin. Because the activity included balls being hit with
consecutive attempts, and many students were still at a beginners stage with little control, I
made sure that everyone was aware of the proper procedures to stay safe and avoid getting hit
by a ball. This promoted a physically safe environment because although there were potential
safety risks, the students were made aware of them so that they can contribute to making the
gymnasium the safest environment that it could possibly be ]
b. Explain how rules, routines, and transitions maximized students engagement in
the lesson.
[One specific rule that I had that not only helped the students with engaging with the lesson, but
it also promoted a safe learning environment was at all times they are to have the safety
goggles on as well as the strap around their hands for the racquetball racquet Task 2 part a
video 1 at 1:10. This is also where my transition from my intro and warm up begins. This
specific transition maximized the students engagement in the lesson because I let the students
pick what racquet they were comfortable with as well as a ball and let them go at their own pace
for hitting the ball off of their racquet. I reminded the students of the wrist band by reinforcing the
rule that they must always keep it around their wrist, I was keeping the environment safe which
was part of the affective objective. A routine that helps keep the students engagement to the
lesson at a maximal level is having them serve in racquetball, for two to a court and choosing
whatever serve they want to as I demonstrated all four serves in the first video. This is made
evident :20 in for video labeled, Task 2 part A video 2 This routine increases the students
engagement because it decreases the chance of students being distracted by thinking about

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 Physical Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

other serves and being able to only do one serve. This is why I let them pick whatever serve
that they want to perform.]
3. Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your response to the prompt.

a. Explain how you actively engaged students in learning tasks aligned with the
objectives of the lesson in the psychomotor domain and at least one other learning
domain (cognitive, affective).
[After demonstrating the proper technique for serving, the students began to be actively
engaged with the psychomotor learning objective. At 0:45 during Task 2 part a video 2, I had
the students divide into partners and go into different racquetball courts to practice serving. I
had them do this several times so that they can practice the skill while following the cues. After
they practiced doing it without saying the cues aloud, I had them cognitively think about the skill
and connect the act of doing the skill to thinking about the skill. This helps connect both the
minds and bodies to process the skill and will help address students with different learning
styles, learn the skill more effectively. Therefore, it not only addressed the psychomotor
objective of demonstrating the ability to throw overhand, but it also addressed the cognitive
objective of being able to name the cues of the serve for racquetball. Affectively, good behavior
was the objective and that was to be obtained by following my instructions and to cooperate
during all activities. At all points during this video, students are shown being actively engaged
with the lesson and listening to my instructions and keeping the environment safe. Specifically,
this is made evident during the process of students getting a ball and racquet as well as a
racquetball court to practice serving. This can be found starting at 0:15 in Task 2 part a video
2.]
4. Strengthening Student Competencies
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your explanations.
a. Explain how you actively monitored students actions during the learning task(s) and
asked questions or provided corrective feedback to improve student competencies.
[Starting at 0:15 during Task 2 part a video 2, it is made evident that I am actively monitoring
the students performances during the learning tasks. I am going around to each student and
watching them perform the skill and providing them with personal, congruent feedback that will
enable them to succeed at their highest potential. I started at one end of the racquetball courts,
and worked my way around in a line making sure that I was providing students with feedback
that was both constructive and positive. I provided both forms of feedback, which I clearly did
throughout the entire practice segment of the lesson, is imperative to strengthen the student
competencies. This is because positive feedback allows the student to know what they are
doing correctly and to continue to perform in that specific manor. Also, congruent feedback
helps the student remember the cues and allows the student to gain an understanding of what
they are not doing correctly, so that they can make an attempt to fix this. One specific example
of when I gave both positive and corrective feedback to a student is at 4:03 during Task 2 part a
video 2. At this point of the lesson segment, I was helping a student refine his serving pattern
by challenging him to perform a lob serve. I let him know that he had a strong serve with a
proper follow through, but one thing that he should correct was the way he was stepping
towards his target. After doing this, the student practiced it the way I explained and performed
at a higher level of competency. As stated before, during the entire practice segment of the
lesson, as seen in the video, I was actively monitoring the students performances and actively
attempting to maximize their serving competency levels.]
b. Explain how you used instructional cues/prompts, explorations/demonstrations, and/or
student analysis of their own and/or others psychomotor skills to develop student

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 Physical Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

competencies in the psychomotor and at least one other learning domain (cognitive,
affective).
[ When going over the cues for serving, I told the class that the cues would be balance, eyes,
and follow through. This is shown at 4:16 Task 2 part a video 1. It is important to go over the
cues and have the students identify the cues as they go throughout the lesson. I used
demonstration from 4:00-9:00 Task 2 part a video 1. From that time frame I went over the
different serves that they will be performing. I made sure that they knew the cues throughout the
serves because I asked the class serval times what the cues would be. They answered back
with the correct answer, this is a way to test the knowledge of the students throughout the
lesson. A way for this to test the affective domain was having the students work with a partner
on their serving. They would be able to give each other peer feedback and adjust accordingly as
I walked around myself to give positive feedback t the students. Assessing the affective domain
can be challenging so I had the students pay attention to their teammates movements and
place value on the importance of having an effective serve.]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your responses to the prompts.

a. What changes would you make to your instructionfor the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challengeto better support student learning of
the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language
learners, students with higher/lower proficiency levels, underperforming students
or those with gaps in content knowledge, or students needing greater support or
challenge).
[One thing in particular I would have changed to increase the support of student learning of the
central focus would be my body positioning while giving feedback to students. Nearly at all
times, my back was faced towards one side of the racquetball courts. I think that If I had them all
on the same side for courts then I would have been able to see who was struggling more than
others, and this would have allowed me to address the lower skilled learners quicker than going
around the racquetball courts, by turning around one by one. Also, at the very end of Task 2
part a video 2 at 2:34, I had a high skilled learner that had good form and hit the ball effectively.
I should have modified the task for him by giving him specific targets to hit. This would have
helped maximized his learning.]

b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[These would improve student learning because if I change my body positioning, I would be
able to see the students performing the tasks more frequently. This would have increased
student learning because I would have been able to be more aware of the skill levels of
students if I was watching more of them at once. Although the way I did it allowed me to
give more personal feedback to each student at a time, I still could have done that, while
also being aware of what was going on behind me. It would have increased the safety of
the lesson as well as the potential for teachable moments. One of the most important things
to do is to create a more challenging task for a high skilled learner would have increased his
learning because he was already comfortable performing the skill. If I challenged him to do
more whether it be hitting at a specific target. it would have forced him to be more accurate

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 Physical Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

and precise with his movement and the performance of the skill; which would have resulted
in maximizing learning of the skill for this particular student ]

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The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
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