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Katie Lewis

Dr. Hartman

English 483

08 March 2018

Reflection Letter Demonstration One

Dr. Hartman,

During the days leading up to my teaching day, I was very nervous. I had practiced multiple

times to myself, in the mirror, and timed my lesson. I knew that I was prepared, but until I

started, I was tense. However, as soon as the first few words came out of my mouth, I was fine.

Once I began to converse with the class, it all started to feel natural. I loved it! Ever since I was a

little girl I knew I wanted to be a teacher, so to finally get the chance to do it, felt wonderful. I

am reminded of how much work goes into teaching and the satisfaction in return when doing it. I

appreciate the feedback that I have received from you and my peers. After reading your

comments, I have thought about how I would handle students when they decide to finish early

from the daybook writing. I think I would take the advice from our readings and tell students to

write until they have nothing left to say, and when they get to that point, write that, too. Having

the opportunity to pass out materials and give instructions gave me a glimpse of what it will be

like in my future classroom. Furthermore, since our class is small, I think I went to quickly

through the process of gluing in daybook sheet, looking over it, and being ready to watch the

video (I realized this once I started playing the video and saw that most students hadn’t glued

theirs in yet.). Next time, I will allow more time for students so that they can focus on one thing

at a time as you suggested. I do think that the form helped students follow along and helped them

pay attention. In the peer feedback that I received, many students stated that the sheet did help
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them follow along. Also, next time when I am using PowerPoint and asking students questions, I

will wait longer for responses instead of providing the answer I am expecting. The feedback I

received from my peers also mentioned how they liked the video, real-life connections, and

discuss questions. Overall, I do think that I did ok for my first time, but there are those little

things I want to be aware of next time.

Self - Assessment:
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Emerging Developing Meeting Exceeding N/A SCORE

Learning Candidate is Candidate Candidate Candidate Exceeding


Environment not is respectful demonstrates demonstrates
consistently and supportive supportive
respectful or provides a relationships relationships
provides an safe and with students with students
environment orderly and provides and provides
that does not environment a positive and a challenging
support that respectful and
learning minimally environment respectful
supports that supports environment
learning learning that supports
learning

Student Students Students Student Student Exceeding


Engagement participation participation engagement engagement
(content in tasks are in tasks are in tasks are in tasks are
specific) not focused focused on focused on focused on
on skills or skills but not the the
the the understanding integration/
strategy/cont strategy/con of skill and the development
ent tent strategy of
understandin
g of skill and
strategy

Learning Candidate Candidate N/A N/A


Connections does not makes Candidate Candidate
(content make limited links previous links previous
specific) connections connections learning to learning and
between between new content personal
previous previous backgrounds
learning and learning and to new
new content new content content
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Emerging Developing Meeting Exceeding N/A SCORE

Expanding Meeting
Student Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate
Learning does not use evaluates questions questions
questions to with students to students to
evaluate questions at elicit build upon
student the lower responses responses
learning and level of that show that show
conducts a taxonomies application or application or
more understanding understandin
teacher- of concepts/ g of
centered content concepts/
classroom or content
candidate
responses
are absent,
inaccurate,
or
misaligned
to content

Pedagogy Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate Meeting


presents presents presents presents
inaccurate conflicting accurate and accurate, (we talked
information or vague accessible accessible, about
regarding information information and in-depth everything
lesson regarding regarding information but have not
content lesson lesson content regarding gone entirely
and/or content and/or lesson in depth yet)
concepts and/or concepts content
concepts and/or
concepts
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Emerging Developing Meeting Exceeding N/A SCORE

Analyzing Candidate Candidate Candidate Candidate Meeting


Effectivenes proposes proposes proposes proposes
s changes to changes to changes to changes to (Tried to ask
(reflection) instruction instruction instruction instruction different
that do not that that reflects that reflects questions if
reflect minimally whole class individual and students did
student reflects needs with group needs not answer
needs student minimal with the first one.
needs connections to connections I should
research to research have slowed
and/or theory and/or theory down when I
noticed that
students
hadn't had a
chance to
glue in their
sheet before
I started the
video.
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Assessment Reflection

Katie Lewis

English 483

Dr. Hartman

18 April 2018

Assessment Reflection

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to design an assignment for students to complete.

I knew what I wanted from students from the very beginning, but I could not decide how I

wanted them to do it. When planning my writing assignment design, I knew I wanted students to

have a choice of how they wanted to present their chosen argument to me. I wanted to step

away from the traditional black words on a white page essay and allow them to get creative.

I decided to give students four options to choose from: a public speech, a children’s book, the

fun theory, and a commercial. Once I decided the options I wanted students to have, I began to

struggle with how I would grade them. I started to make my first rubric and realized that if I used

it, I would not be able to give students an actual grade. I decided to look up several examples of

rubrics to use as models, and I think that is what helped me the most. When students finally

submitted their assignment, I loved going through them and reading what they had come up

with. I have always loved grading assignments, and my mom would even let me help her grade

some of her kindergarten students work when I was younger (with her help of course). I have to

admit that I was not at all surprised by the choices that students made.

Lastly, I think the overall hardest part for me was giving students an actual grade. I think this

was partially because my students were my peers. Also, it took me a little bit to decide how I

wanted to handle the student that did nothing. I wrestled with the idea of no zeros and giving a

69% instead. However, when I graded the student that did some work, I came up with a grade

of 70%. I began to think how it was not fair to give a student who did nothing a grade so close to

my student who did something. I decided to give my nothing student an incomplete grade. In my
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comments to her, I put that I would suggest to her that we meet, that she should take advantage

of our other work days in class, and that if she chooses not to complete the assignment, then it

will result in a zero after so many days. I am still thinking about that decision and trying to

decide if it would be something that I would do/implement in my future classroom.


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Overall Writing Assignment Design and edTPA Reflection

Reflection

When I first learned about edTPA, it made me very nervous because of how much has to

be put into it. To be truthful, I am still scared of edTPA. Although I now have a better

understanding of edTPA, it is still nerve-wracking to know that I have to complete this during

student teaching to determine if I am qualified to teach. Knowing that my career depends on

edTPA, is stressful.

I have begun to feel more comfortable as time has progressed with planning and

instruction the most. I enjoy planning lessons, and it comes more natural to me than commentary.

At the beginning of instruction, I would become nervous about teaching in front of my peers, but

I am now comfortable with it. Sometimes I may still feel uneasy on occasion, but I feel like the

majority of teachers still get nervous sometimes.

I find that the hardest part for me is feedback. I try and try to reply as a reader, but it is

way harder than it seems. I need to work on leaving more descriptive feedback to students so that

it fits to just his/her paper. I have noticed that I give more general comments that could be used

on just about anyones paper. The process and experiences of the WAD and edTPA have made

me feel more prepared and ready to continue pursuing English Education.

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