Entry # 4: Refection

At the end of this experience I am very grateful to have spent this semester with the Pre-K 4 class, Ms. Christina, and Ms. Elia. Not only did I get a chance to see what my current Pre-K 3 class is working towards, I also learned many teaching techniques and strategies. Some things I’ve learned include various call and responses (i.e. “Hocus Pocus” -“Time to focus”), great sorting and matching activities, and how to set up successful centers in a small space. The children have been a joy to work with and I will miss spending time with them. The bonds formed through this experience have made my own personal experience at Saint Albans even more enjoyable.

From my observation I received valuable feedback that helped me better assess students in an authentic way. This was my first formal observation at Hunter and I felt encouraged by the feedback and comments I received.  Being in the early stages of my career, having feedback on my in-class performance was extremely helpful. Authentic assessment is an area I continue to struggle with and your specific advice was very much appreciated. I also enjoyed the different discussions and topics addressed in-class. Thank you for a great semester!

Entry # 3: Post Observation Survey

This experience was just fantastic for helping develop my practice. I was so thankful for your kind comments and thoughtful feedback. I have begun to implement more authentic assessment into my daily routine and I am gaining a better understanding of what the children are retaining. Thank you!

2. Did the students learn what I had intended?  Were my instructional goals and objectives developmentally appropriate?  What is my evidence?

I believe that the students did learn what I had intended them to learn. The objective of the lesson was “After reading an informational text and observing a pumpkin, children will demonstrate knowledge of a pumpkin’s physical attributes and parts.” I was able to observe the children use some of the pumpkin vocabulary during the art activity (i.e. “look how many seeds I have”). This indicated that the children were able to identify and apply knowledge of a pumpkin’s parts. I think the lesson was developmentally appropriate because it built on what the children had been learning and included a few more challenging terms. This was apparent in the children’s interest and engagement. I was especially happy with the lesson when Ryota, our usually quiet ELL student, repeated the targeted vocabulary “fibrous strands”.

4. Were my strategies and activities effective?  What is my evidence?

I think my strategies and activities were effective because there was a variety of learning experiences including a read aloud, a discussion, a sensory experience, and a hands-on art activity. The children were engaged and enjoyed each activity which increased their interest in learning the new terminology introduced. During the art activity one child asked for the term ‘fibrous strands’ to be repeated, after which several other children repeated the term. Ms. Christina reported that the term was reintroduced the following day, which helped fortify the vocabulary introduced.

 7.   If I had the opportunity to teach this lesson again, what might I do differently?  Why?

If I did this lesson again I would allow the students more free range with the art materials and I would approach the assessment portion differently the following day. Using open-ended questions such as, “What is important about pumpkins?” I can authentically assess what the children learned and where more practice is needed. Giving children more free-range with the art material would have also allowed for more creativity and insight into what the children remembered about pumpkins. I would also prepare larger experience chart paper to record and preserve the children’s thoughts about how a pumpkin looks, smells, tastes, feels and sounds like. I might also break up the 5 senses and discuss 1-2 per day over a few days, reviewing our thoughts from each discussion daily.