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Domain Three: Instruction
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One of my goals as a teacher is to make my instruction as engaging, interactive and hands on as possible. I aim to incorporate different instruction techniques to achieve this goal, including technology integration and diverse materials and subjects. I also create instruction that promotes the 4 Cs, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity. I use differentiated instruction and materials in order to benefit all my students. I believe it is important to learn the needs of every student and then tailor class to meet these needs. The following artifacts exhibit my instruction in the classroom.
3a: Communicating with Students
Math Groups: Multiplication and Division Lesson Plan
This lesson consisted of group rotations where students practiced solving and explaining word problems, as well as their division facts. When teaching a lesson, I give specific instructions so my students can follow along with what I need them to do. I found detailed instructions are especially necessary on days we did group rotations. Students were moving throughout the room, completing work on their own, and they needed to know what to do. I made sure to tell them all the materials they would need and I left notes on a whiteboard for them at each station. I also reminded students of voice level expectations and respecting other students and groups working.
3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
Class Questioning
I started an activity in my third grade class where students asked questions about what we were learning. Students were given a topic and had to come up with a question. It could be something more they wanted to know or something they were still confused on. If a student was stuck they could write a fact they had learned. Before beginning, we talked about what makes a good question. The first time we focused on the energy unit we had begun. Throughout the rest of the unit I either addressed the questions in content or answered them as a hook or closure to a lesson. The second time, we talked about US History. This was an introduction to a new unit and students wrote either a question they had about history or something they hoped we learned. The questioning activity got students to think deeper and take their understanding to a new level. By thinking about what questions they had, students began to think more about lessons and what we had learned. This also lead to discussions about how asking questions can enhance learning.
3c: Engaging Students in Learning
Hands On and Interactive Materials
Part of my philosophy is using interactive, engaging and hands on materials in the classroom. I believe that these can be a huge benefit to students and their learning. They give students another way to learn and interact with the content. Using physical materials allows students to visualize and manipulate tools. In math, students used clock manipulatives to visualize and show different times. I gave students a time and they had to move the hands on the clock to represent it. This was more kinesthetic than just drawing them on a piece of paper. In ELA, students used root word, prefix and suffix papers to create new words. Students combined the papers and created a list of words. Other activities we used included math counters, cut and paste activities and SCOOTs.
3d: Using Assessment in Instruction
Social Studies Timeline and Rubric
In our social studies unit, as a class we created a timeline about explorers. We talked about the important parts of a timeline, and how to construct one. Students then made a timeline of their lives. Together, as a class we labeled the years and talked about appropriate titles. Students were then on their own to add their events and illustrations. When students were finished, I collected and graded the timelines. The assignment was worth 35 points and was graded using the pictured rubric. Students were shown the rubric ahead of the project and we talked through the different aspects. I feel that it is important we share with students how they are going to be graded and what we will be paying attention to. I also gave them this time to ask any questions about it, before they began.
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