ESC 708: Project Seminar, Reflective Journal 3B
Standard 3B is concerned with Implementing and Managing Standards-Based ESL and Content Instruction. Its principles assess the following: “Motivation and Classroom Management and Engagement” and “Planning Instruction based on Contextual Knowledge and Knowledge of Subject Matter.” Therefore, the artifact I selected for this standard is a classroom observation conducted by my school’s assistant principal. This artifact is an informal evaluation of my stand-alone ENL class. The reason why I chose this artifact is because I was assessed based on components of the Danielson Framework/Rubric which aligned with the principles of Standard 3B. For instance, I was evaluated Effective on Danielson’s category of “Engaging Students with Learning” which demonstrates evidence of classroom engagement as specified within Standard 3B. Furthermore, this artifact provides me a unique perspective on my teaching practice because a classroom observation allows the person being assessed to review the details of her lesson after its deliverance.
The objective of the lesson was to teach students to identify how two particular pronouns, “it” and “they” function in English text. In order words, students will be able to categorize which nouns are replaced by the pronouns “it” and “they” in their text reading. My goal was to build their comprehension skills in reading because I noticed that often my English Language Learners would lose track of what was happening in a text once pronouns were introduced. They failed to associate that fact that pronouns were representing nouns without explicitly naming the nouns. This is quite common in written English but students had a difficult time recognizing this grammar trend. Danielson’s 1A assesses teachers based on their “Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy” which was my aim in terms of the language objective of the lesson that demanded that students be able to practice identifying and replacing pronouns with nouns. During my lesson, I modeled what I expected students to accomplish for the task as a form of guided practice. I then instructed them to use color coded pencil to underline the pronouns “it” and “they” on their handout in order to help them be more successful at the task. This also earned me an Effective rating for Danielson’s 1E: Designing Coherent Instruction.
This artifact also illustrates my ability to establish a desirable class atmosphere for learners to take academic risks by supporting student growth with positive reinforcement. Thus, for Danielson’s 2A: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport, I was able to acquire an Effective rating due to constructive teacher-student interaction and successful response to disrespectful student behavior. When one of my students asked me to check her work, I came over and noticed how well she was completing the task. She had understood the premise of the assignment and wanted to make sure she was answering the questions correctly. I praised her by exclaiming that she was “getting this” to which she continued to work eagerly. On the other hand, when one student was off-task, I redirected him to the assignment by explaining to him individually what he had to do and how to do it. In terms of Danielson’s 2D: Managing Student Behavior, I was also assessed as Effective for being able to deal with misbehaviors appropriately although I could improve by ensuring that all students are more attentive. What I appreciated about this classroom observation is that it contained next steps for me to implement as an instructor moving forward. My feedback was to create a visual scaffold such as a chart which would serve as a supplement for my directions and also function as a classroom reference for students.
