Elementary Literacy

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

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 clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[ The first Video Clip is from lesson one. The second video clip is from lesson five. The first
video clip runs a length of 05:47 and the second video clip runs 06:39. In clip one the video
begins towards the beginning of my introduction lesson into making inferences. It starts in the
middle of me explaining the inferring process and discussing an anchor chart (we make anchor
charts on the white board and have student take pictures of them on their iPADs so that they
always have the charts with them). Throughout the lesson I continue to reference the academic
language previously discussed (visualize, schema, inference, evidence, text-to-text, text-to-self,
questioning) to help students form a deeper understanding with the use of academic language.
In the second video clip I am just starting our writing lesson. Students are using sensory details
to connect to the photograph and then they are adding said details while making inferences.
Here you see students working on their graphic organizers which can be seen as Instructional
Material 5.2. In video clip two, you will see the students and I reviewing both sensory details and
making inferences. Students are using their prior knowledge of these topics to gain
understanding into the photograph and draw inspiration for the stories they will be writing later in
the lesson. In both videos you will see teacher lead discussions that elicit student voice where
students discuss and express their insights into the learning objectives (making inferences and
figurative language/ sensory details).]
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.
a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?
[ I consistently model mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to my students with
diverse backgrounds and needs throughout my instruction. According to Marzano, engaging
students in the learning process (having open discussions), encouraging physical movement
during activities (not shown in video clips but can be found in lessons two and three) and
addressing student interactions in a positive manner throughout instruction are the essential
ingredients for comprehensive instruction. I purposefully incorporate these instructional
procedures into my lessons to increase the receptiveness of my students as they approach the
central focus and their learning objectives throughout the learning segment. I demonstrate
positive rapport and mutual respect nonverbally by moving around the room and going up to the
students who are answering or asking questions which helps the discussion feel more intimate
and creates an environment that encourages students to “think out-loud.” An example of this
and challenging students to engage in learning can be seen in video clip one (lesson one) at
02:25 – 03:42 , when Aliana asks if an inference is a fact, and I explain to her that an inference
is what you do with the evidence you’re given. We worked through the misunderstanding
together by walking through the process of making an inference (I make sure not to interrupt her
while she is working through her understanding which shows her that I think she is capable and
builds confidence). The remainder of the class is quietly listening, reflecting on their own

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

understanding, and showing us support through their patience and respect. This atmosphere is
built through modeling the behaviors and expectations I have for my students. Throughout the
learning segment I also mindfully responded to individuals with needs for additional supports, as
identified in their IEP and GT (gifted and talented) plans, that included things like preferential
seating, (close to point of instruction) visual aids, (projector, poster, anchor chart etc.) and
wearing a microphone during instruction. In video clip two (lesson five), the use of the projector
can be seen starting at 03:47 and used throughout the remainder of the lesson. This chosen
instructional method not only supports students with visual and hearing impairments, but it also
supports all of my students by enhancing their literacy environment.
3. Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy

strategy and related skills.
[ The strategies that I used most (questioning) to provoke student expression of their
comprehension of the essential literacy strategy (making inferences) can be seen in video clip
two (lesson five), where we are having an open class discussion. I am asking students to look at
a photograph and to use sensory details to describe what might be happening in the photograph
(Instructional Material 5.1). At 05:44 – 06:27, Wynter gives a response and I reply with the
question, “Is that kind of an inference though? More than just a sensory detail?” This response
requires the class to dig deeper into their understanding and it pulls them back to inferring and
connects the essential literacy strategy (making inferences) to the writing skill (figurative
language/ sensory details). Another example of engaging students in developing their essential
literacy strategy (making inferences) can be seen in video clip one (lesson one), at 04:17 –
05:40, when Ty and Brooklyn give their inferences to the text and Matt’s current understanding
of inferring is tested so he calls for clarity. This shows the level of engagement students have
with developing their comprehension of the literacy strategy. ]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[ One of my main goals throughout the learning segment was to have students articulate the
learning objectives in their own words. This helps them scaffold onto their prior knowledge and
make connections that make sense to them. In video clip one (lesson one), at 01:50 – 02:28 I
ask the question “Why do you think what a character says can help you infer into the text?” and
Noah answers giving a text-to-self connection, he uses an example from Wonder to define why
characters words are important and how said words can help the reader infer into what the
character is feeling. It can also be seen that that discussion between Noah and I drove Aliana to
think deeper into what an inference is and ask the question “is an inference a fact?” By having
an open discussion students not only see the way that I model my thinking but they also
experience their classmates working through their understanding and can use that to create
their own comprehension. Using a discussion based instructions also allows students to build a
stronger classroom community. It can be seen in video clip one (lesson one) at 00:00 - 00:24
and 01:30 – 01:37 that I use the academic language “text-to-text connection, text-to-self
connection,” I do this to model the connections students are making. Making connections is a
large part of comprehension and making these personal and cultural connections known,
scaffolds students individual understanding of the literacy strategy which creates new
understanding. ]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
apply the essential literacy strategy using related skills to comprehend OR compose text.
[ To elicited student responses I used a Marzano questioning strategy. Marzano explains that
questioning strategies can be used to engage and interest more than one student at a time
which increases the rate at which students respond. In video clip two (lesson five), at 05:44 -
06:27 we are discussing sensory details based on Instructional Material 5.1. I asked, “Wynter
what’s something you might hear?” to which he replies, “little kids screaming.” I take his original
response and we elaborate, as to why he might hear this. We then discuss that his response is
based on personal experience or prior knowledge and that he was making an inference and
using that to add in sensory details to his story. I know that he gave this response to be funny,
but exposing the thought process behind it and exploring what lead him to his response gave
me the opportunity to connect our literacy strategy with our writing skill and created organic
understanding. This understanding builds from the students prior knowledge and allows them to
think critically about how they can apply sensory details and inferences to create their own
stories. ]
b. Explain how you modeled the essential literacy strategy AND supported students as
they practiced or applied the strategy to comprehend OR compose text in a meaningful
context.
[ I modeled the essential literacy strategy and supported students as they practiced and applied
the literacy strategy in a meaningful context in multiple ways. In video clip one (lesson one) at
02:25 - 03:42, I am modeling my process of making inferences using Aliana’s example. I use
her example to meet her at her current approximation and I give her extra support which is
allowing her to practice they literacy strategy at a higher level. I am showing the process of how
to make an inference based on the evidence that I wear glasses. I model my thinking (starting
where she is in her understanding), and use hand gestures and my thought process to model
the different levels of thinking. I clear up all of her misconceptions and answer all the questions
that she has. When we have reached the same level of understanding I give her positive
feedback by saying “good question” which also promotes other students to ask questions.
Another way that I support my students as they apply the literacy strategy in video clip two
(lesson five) is by giving them a graphic organizer (Instructional Material 5.2). This helps them
keep track of our discussion, different sensory details, and inferences. This also helps me see
where they are in applying their literacy strategies, which helps me support them when they
begin writing and allows me to see if I need to model a different strategy. ]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.
a. What changes would you make to your instruction—for the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challenge—to 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,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students).
[ After reviewing my videos and completing the learning segment there are definitely some
changes I would make to better support student learning of the central focus. There were many
students that benefited from the lesson activities (I inferred this based on monitoring students’
progression and formative assessments throughout the learning segment). Nevertheless, I

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 Elementary Literacy
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

recognized missed opportunities that came to light during video clip one where I could have
changed my instruction to better support student learning. For example in video clip one (lesson
one), at 00:25 – 00:35 I recognized a missed opportunity when Anna said her teacher last year
called your schema “your brains filing cabinet.” I said “that’s good, I like that,” where I should
have asked her why she thinks her teacher called it that, and then we could have elaborated
and created deeper understanding. The collected group would have benefitted from this
elaboration and possibly made connections to other prior knowledge from the previous years
learning. In video clip two (lesson five), I noticed that there were a lot of students that had their
hands raised and that I just could not get to them all. One instructional strategy that I should
have utilized is “turn and talk.” I would have students share with their peers at their tables. This
would have built more understanding and given students more ideas for their writing. Reflecting
upon instructional strategies is essential and very effective for scaffolding differentiated levels of
support for all students. By reviewing my teaching footage and analyzing the video I found the
best strategies I could use to support my students in their learning and used this insight to guide
my teaching in the future. ]
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.
[ The changes that I defined in the aforementioned question would improve students learning in
a couple of ways. Watts and Coleman discuss the importance of reflection and the positive
influence reflecting has in terms of quality of learning and improving instruction. Vygotsky
encouraged using scaffolding to stimulate a deeper level of knowledge, which is achievable by
modifying instruction to meet the needs of the students and to guide them in attaining their
specific goals. After reflecting further, I think that elaborating on Anna’s comment would have
improved students learning by scaffolding connections onto what students had learned in their
class the previous year pertaining to schema. As I assessed students work over the course of
the learning segment, I noticed there was confusion about using the details in the text and
activating their schema to create their inferences. For example in lesson four the graphic
organizer (Student Artifact 4.1) gives three prompts for making an inference (What I know from
the text, What I know from my brain, My inference). Any student who did not have direct support
when writing the “What I know from my brain” column (which is connecting prior knowledge/
using schema) wrote something very basic at best third grade level responses. Therefore I know
that developing students inferences based on their schema would allow them to reach the
essential literacy strategy in the learning segment. I not only would chose to have Anna
elaborate on schema, but I would also create a mini lesson discussing how schema connects
with the inferring process. This change would model scaffolding by working to progress literacy
strategies and necessary skills while reassuring students development and practice of new
content using modeling and guided practice. Dewey discusses the importance of being
persistent, active, and using careful consideration when approaching future experiences to
support students learning. The second change that I would make would be allowing the
students to be more active in their learning. In lesson five’s instruction, while students were
actively participating, I could not address every student. How I chose to remedy this would be
changing my instructional strategy to a “turn and talk.” I would have my students share their
ideas with their table groups. This would allow more student involvement and would generate
more ideas for their writing. The central focus incorporates skills that allow students to gain
meaning from the text; therefore, allowing more opportunities for students to discuss their
inferences would build meaning and understanding towards the central focus. In conclusion,
what I most aspire to incorporate into my teaching is a reflective outlook as an educator that
consistently focuses on positive changes that support my students overall development. ]

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