Lesson Self- Assessment for ED 215R

Name: Chelsea Kirchberg

Literacy Objective: Comprehension of non-fiction
School: Manitoba grade 1
CT: Liz Foro

Planning and Preparation: My lesson plan addressed the range of literacy development of the
learners in my classroom by choosing a Big Book that was appropriate for the age group of the
children and by doing a shared reading where the students could follow along reading with me
doing the best that they could when it came to words they havent learned yet. For the more
difficult words in the book that I did not expect the students to know, we talked about the
pronunciation and what those words meant and how they were related to the topic of the
book. My lesson reflected Vygotskys theory of scaffolding where I guided the students by
reading to them, they tried to read along with me, and I facilitated a discussion where they
explored what they learned in the book and how that information could be connected or
related to them in their everyday lives and the outside world. We talked about what they
thought the topic was going to be about and what they thought they would learn about
machines, then we talked about what they did learn about machines, and finally the students
on their own connected the ideas and topic to what they already know including the new
vocabulary words they learned from reading the book that they can now incorporate into their
vocabulary. The overall lesson plan of reading, creating a chart, and discussing the topic went
well. The part that didnt go as well was classroom management of the environment, materials,
and student behavior. I would be more prepared with materials and be sure to try to teach the
lesson in their original classroom instead of an outside room because there were too many
distractions and no available resources.
Classroom environment: I encouraged student participation in many ways. One way was the
topic of the book and the discussions that I facilitated that would interest the children and
encourage them to participate in sharing their thoughts, feeling, and ideas. Because the
students were interested in the topic of machines, they were more likely to want to participate.
I also included an activity where the students and I created a chart together of any ideas of
machines that they had. I asked each student to share one idea that they had. I also made sure
to give every student a chance to participate by calling on them, especially if they were being
quieter than the other students who were louder and more eager to participate. I had several
short activities in one lesson that kept the students actively engaged with the lesson. They were
excited to read along with me using the pointer and using expression in our voices while
reading. Next, the students enjoyed sharing the thoughts and feeling about the questions I
asked about what they learned from the book and how it related to their background
knowledge. They wanted to share with me and their friends what they knew and why. Next,
when we created a web chart together the students all had something to contribute to the web

so that their ideas were on paper amongst their peers. The social interaction during the lesson
was great. The students fed off each others responses and answered what I had asked of them.
We had all talked about what we had learned, what we thought, and how we can use what we
learned such as new vocabulary and looking for machines around their own house that they
use.
Instruction: My literacy objective was for students to know about non-fiction genre versus
fiction genre. They were supposed to understand that non-fiction is a genre that gives you real
facts and information about something that is not made up. Also, the other objective was for
the students to practice their fluency in reading. Before reading the book, I asked the students
if they thought the book would be fiction or non-fiction and why. We discussed that it would be
non-fiction because machines are something that is real and they predicted the book would
give facts and information about the topic. After reading the book, I asked them again to
summarize what genre the book was and why it was non-fiction as opposed to fiction. They had
a pretty clear understand, but some thought it would be fiction because robots are machines
but arent real. We talked about how there are types of real robots and that the main idea
was to teach about other machinery and tools we use to help us do work and that since the
book gave us information about machines and what they do, it would be non-fiction. To help
with fluency, I chose to do a shared reading instead of read aloud so that the students could
participate and practice reading closely (paying attention to each word) and smoothly. To help
them do this I used a pointer to follow along underlining each word as we read, but making a
smooth sweep under the words rather than pointing to each word individually. This seemed to
help the kids with their flow and pace their reading. For these reasons I think my strategies and
instruction was effective and did meet the needs of my literacy learners. They were able to
establish the difference between fiction and on-fiction and apply it to what we were reading
and what they have read at other times. Their fluency sounded great and the students were
able to follow along with me and the pointer as we read the book together. It was difficult to
keep the students focused and on-task when transitioning between activities (discussion,
reading the book, and creating a web). Next time I will have things prepared better and give the
students something to do or think about between transitions. Also, I will have all my materials
ready and pre-set up to avoid having to pause to do this.
Assessment: I chose to assess the students informally by both observations and by the small
group discussion and web making that we did together. The students answered the questions I
asked them correctly about information from the book, about genre, and were able to give
appropriate input when creating the chart and having a discussion about what other machines
they know and how they help us do work. I learned that the students already knew what makes
a book non-fiction versus fiction so I spent less time on that aspect of the lesson than I had
planned. I also learned that the students listen to each other and feed off of peer responses,
which was good to encourage participation from everyone in the group. My assessment
procedures were effective in showing me that the students got meaning from the lesson and
met the goals of the learning objective. I think student responses and having a group discussion
was an effective method as opposed to having the student do a worksheet because they each
got to tell me and their peers their own unique ideas and I could tell who really knew the

objectives and who got the gist of it but still needed some practice according to the accuracy of
their responses. A worksheet or other method that didnt use discussion and interaction would
have allowed them to collaborate, but they could have just gotten the answers from peers and
not use much of their own thinking. To follow up this lesson I would do another activity with
the same book as this was the first time they saw/read it. I would start by asking them to
summarize what they learned previously and if they looked for any other machines at home or
elsewhere. I would do shared reading with the students again to help them remember what
information was given to them, help them increase their comprehension of the information in
the book, and also help them practice fluency. I would do an activity with them to build off the
previous brainstorming and retelling activity such as focusing more on the content of the book
specifically not about what machines are and where we see them, but more specifically about
what they do and how they work as the students seemed to still have trouble with that part.
Professional Responsibilities: From the feedback I got from this lesson I learned to most
importantly have your materials ready and be prepared. I needed a pointer, an easel, and a
whiteboard that I forgot about getting ready. Also, to not be afraid to use my teacher voice and
use discipline with the students when they are off-task, not listening or following directions, or
misbehaving. Other than having my materials prepared ahead of time, which is easily fixable
because I knew what I need, but was placed in a different room which I didnt expect, the best
advice would be to expect the unexpected. That also goes for student behavior. You may trust
that your students are going to listen to you, do as their told, and be interested and focused,
but that is not the case. Especially young children are easily distracted and can be a bit wild and
test your buttons. I was afraid to be stern with the children because I dont want them to dislike
me, but I shouldnt be so concerned with this. They need to know that I am their teacher and
that they need to respect me, and in return will get my respect. I need to be more firm with the
students and not be afraid to put my food down and discipline them when necessary. I tried to
remind them and nicely give them warnings, but they knew I was not serious or being strict. I
need to work on this in future lessons and in future field placement when working with kids so
they knew there is a boundary and that I am not just their friend or peer; that I am their teacher
and they need to behave respectfully as such.
Reflection: I learned a lot about teaching an effective literacy lesson from this teaching
experience. I learned about the importance of being fully prepared, to expect the unexpected,
to have firm classroom management, and to have a voice. I also learned that you sometimes
have to spend more or less time on a certain aspect of a lesson according to the students
needs. It will affect my planning for future lessons because I will spend more time figuring out
exactly how the lesson is going to play out and exactly what materials I need. I will have things
set up far ahead of time, and I will plan lessons that will have smooth transitions and keep the
students engaged. It will affect my implementation of the lesson because I should follow my
plan (not exactly and plans are subject to change or adjustment) and not let the students make
the decisions of what they want to do. I will also be more firm in teaching my lesson and
presenting myself to maintain classroom control. And to have a second plan or an extra activity
just in case you need something else for the students to do for transitions or in case the lesson
ends earlier than planned. I think this lesson showed my growth in the WTS 9; the teacher is a

reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on
pupils and others and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally. I feel that
this lesson gave me a lot of helpful and useful insight into my teaching abilities, strengths, and
struggles. Also;, because of reflecting on what went well and what didnt during my lesson as
well as reflecting on my own choices and actions, I feel I know what to focus on in my future
lessons whether it be continuing to practice my strategies or to make changes and try
something new. I sought feedback from my cooperating teacher to help me see from an outside
and professional perspective how my performance went and how the overall lesson carried
out. From this feedback, I also learned what I can work on to grow professionally as a teacher.
The Alverno Ability I feel Ive showed growth in for this lesson would be integrative interaction.
This is the first lesson Ive done, especially with young children, that I planned a lot of
discussion for rather than just engaging and hands-on activities. I respectfully asked for and
listened to the ideas and opinions of my students to learn about them as people, as a student,
and about what they know. And verbally interacted with and provided interactive opportunities
for my students in a professional and respectful manner to show that I cared about what they
had to say and what they thought, and also so I could use the interaction to assess and evaluate
knowledge and progression of my students.