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Jonathan Johnson
Eric Walz
Educ 386
8 December 2014
Teacher Work Sample
My time in Educ 350 and 386 has strongly affected my teaching experience in an
extremely positive way. With being in close contact with a hard working experienced teacher, I
was able to pick their brain. During this semester, I worked in close contact with Keith Brown.
Mr. Brown is a 6th grade geography teacher, and during my semester under his tutelage I was
taught about a vast variety of topic relating to teaching. With help on classroom management,
how to create lesson plans, how to set up a classroom, and other facets of teaching that arent
normally talked about in education courses. I was granted an in-depth look at the profession of
teaching. By giving a brief introduction of Preston, utilizing a case study on two of my students,
a lesson plan, and a narrative about my learnings here I hope I can shed light upon my semester
here at Preston Middle School.
Poudre school district is home to one of the finest school districts in the state. The schools
that reside in Poudre school district boast both innovative ideas and highly trained teachers. One
such school which resides in this innovative school district is Preston Middle school. Preston
middle school is located in northern Fort Collins, Colorado and holds a student population which
is predominately Caucasian, due in part to Preston Middle School residing in an affluent
predominately white middle class area. Now, Preston Middle school is a school unlike any other
middle school Ive ever had the opportunity to step inside. A simple glance at the exterior of
Preston doesnt show the true extent of what resides inside the school. Preston offers a vast
assortment of courses; courses that Ive never had the pleasure of attending when I was in middle

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school. Courses that Ive never heard of being offered in a Middle School setting before. Courses
such as Woodshop, Engineering, Flight classes, Computer Sciences, and so much more were all
offered to prospective Pumas. Now, many of these classes are heavily reliant on technology,
which is no surprise considering how much technology is integrated into Preston Middle School.
Technology is in abundance at Preston, in ways that I never imagined. For example, its still hard
to wrap my head around the fact that every 6th grader in Preston is given a laptop for personal use
at school and at home. In my years in a middle school, we were never given a personal laptop for
use, instead the school had 2 carts of community laptops that the entire student body would use,
whenever the need for laptops arose.
In Educ 350 the all of my time was spent in a room on the south wing. In this wing was a
geography class, which was taught by Keith Brown. The room set up was different from the
normal classroom set up usually found at Preston. For, Mr. Browns class used to be an old
technology lab, therefore it has a vast amounts of plug in Ethernet spots, 4 long poles containing
Ethernet hardware cables were set up in the class, an extraordinary amount of shelves on the left
side, and one of the few rooms that actually contained a small scale Air conditioning unit
allowing the room to always remain cool. Next, Mr. Brown constantly changed up his seating
arraignment. Sometimes the classroom was set up in large rows, sometimes in groups of 4, and
then sometimes in rows but in smaller groups of 2. While switching up the classroom
arraignment, Mr. Brown would also mix the seating chart around. Forcing them to meet and
interact with other students that they may not know; resulting in new friendships, thusly creating
an enjoyable friendly classroom culture for the students and the teachers.
This friendly classroom culture really compliments the current crop of students who
populate the classroom. For my classroom had a vast variety of children, as I interacted with kids

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who were in the band, slackers, troublemakers, future engineers, artists, elephant fanatics,
fashionistas, animal fanatics, a host of soccer players, football players, sky kids, coffee drinkers
(which surprised me, because I still dont drink coffee), and such more types that I could spend
forever talking about.
With three different classes and three different sets of kids, I got to experience the whole
spectrum of kids in their academic capabilities. I had gifted and talented students, as well as
students that needed a little bit of extra help to keep up. Throughout my semester I got to know
many of them personally, but two of them stuck out to me the most.
The students that I met with came from a variety of backgrounds. So it was not surprising
that no two student were the same. Out of all the 75+ students that made up the purple and teal
days, I choose two to do a case study about. Both of these students are exemplary people and
share many common traits and hobbies. Their names are Alex and Sarah and both of them are in
Mr. Browns purple 5 class.* (Students names have been changed). Both girls, enjoy athletics
outside Preston Middle school; with Alex playing soccer, and Sarah in competitive swimming.
After interacting with both of them throughout the semester, it was evident that athletics played
an important in part in their lives, and took up a lot of time outside of school. Time that could be
spent doing school work, or homework. One would think that they would both suffer
academically. Oddly enough, it seemed like the academics were negatively impacted in only one
of the students, and that student was Sarah. Simply put Sarah struggled in school. She got off
track often, quickly became distracted, didnt enjoy reading, was a chatter box, and proved to
have the tendency to be a nuisance in the classroom. Alex on the other hand, flew through her
classwork, was hardly ever off task, and overall a role model student. After talking to both

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students, I discovered that both had pretty normal family and personal lives. Both of them had
loving guardians, were liked by their classmates, and lived like normal affluent 6th graders.
So, at first it confounded me that they both could be so similar in so many ways, yet still
differ dramatically in terms of academics. It wasnt till I found one key difference between the
two. At first I had thought there had to more to this story, but as I interacted with Alex and Sarah
more and more, it became more and more evident. I discovered Alex had well above average
reading comprehension and literacy skills, while Sarah simply struggled with reading. It all made
sense now. Whenever Alex was faced with reading that was too difficult for her, she grew
frustrated and quickly lost interest in the classwork. Effectively sending her farther and farther
behind in her classwork. At the same time, Alex had no problems reading, and therefore could do
the classwork with problems and remain on a consistent pace.
I knew from past classes that literacy skills were important in academic success, and I
heard countless examples and narratives about students that struggled with reading. I knew it was
important, but this first-hand experience really showed me the real daily struggle, that kids with
low reading skills suffer on a daily basis.
Assessments are an integral part of teaching, and my experience in Educ 350 has opened
my eyes to a vast variety of both informal and formal assessment methods. In my classroom, a
lot of information was doled out for the students to analyze and learn, therefore they were
constantly using a vast majority of assessments. Now, with technology being so prevalent in the
classrooms it was no surprise that a majority of assessments could be found online.To start, the
majority of assessments were done on the computer, and were tests or quizzes. Such tests and
quizzes that were already created on Edmodo. Once completed by the students, they were
instantly graded and the results sent to the students and to the teachers gradebook. Now, these

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were the formal types of online assessments, but there were also informal types of assessments.
For example, I watched the students use both Google survey, as well as the website Kahoot. In
my opinion, I believe that Kahoot is one of the best online learning tools that teachers can use to
Trick students into learning but at the same time having fun. I was in the classroom when one
of these Kahoots were taking place, and I have never seen the students so engrossed and
competitive. They were all paying attention and ready to answer every single question they
possibly could. Granted the noise level was a little over the top but its a great price to pay if
your students are engrossed in learning.
Those were all assessments that required technology but I also witnessed both informal
and formal methods of assessment that didnt require extensive technology. For, formal methods
of assessments, you always have the classic forms of paper tests and paper quizzes. As well as
summaries about what they learned today. However, Informal assessments were the assessments
that really stole the show. You could do a variety of different things, from checking for
comprehension with a thumbs up, thumbs down, a simple head nod or shake, or even Mr. Walzs
Off the Wall assessment. They all provide feedback for the teacher in regards of student
understanding; with a quick snapshot about how the students are feeling at that moment about
their learning. But at the same time, also provides a breath of fresh air for both students and
teacher in regards to assessing their learning. Now, due to this exposure to these new
assessments, my attitude towards assessments have slightly changed. I understand the
importance of formal assessments in a classroom setting, people may not like them, but they
serve a purpose. Its where the informal assessments is where my attitude has changed. Informal
assessments are such a creative and innovative way of still assessing the knowledge of students
but in such a way that it doesnt feel like a real assessment. Yet it still gathers crucial feedback

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that you could get in a test, just in a more relaxed and less stressful way. And in many cases, the
students dont even realize that they are being assessed, and therefore can feel less stressed and
give honest feedback.
Thanks to class readings, past lectures, readings, classroom experiences, and classroom
discussions I learned a lot in regards to classroom management and lesson planning. By
completing this lesson toolbox, I made a little cheat sheet about what I learned from all these
experiences and readings.
Standards toolbox

Develop and utilize a variety of

formal and informal assessments
including rubrics

1. Use the informal thumbs up and thumbs down method, ask them
to either give a gives a quick snapshot of what the collective
students know.
2.Walzs off the wall assessment- Every student can pick a number
with a corresponding question, if miss, then other students can
answer it, very innovative way of checking for understanding
3.Google surveys, create a google survey that automatically grades
itself and sends the results to you, very easy and quick
comprehension check
Create a learning environment
1. Practice passing back papers, get the students into a rhythm of
characterized by acceptable
how to pass back papers making it efficient and quick, wont waste
student behavior, efficient use of
time passing back papers so more time can be made for lecture.
time, and disciplined acquisition
2. Set up a daily opening routine, students know exactly how class
of knowledge, skills and
starts the same way every single day, helps them get into a rhythm
understanding
and focused
3. Be concise on how one grades, students should know what they
need to do in order to do well in the class, relives student and parent
confusion
Apply appropriate intervention
1. Redirecting students, avert their attention to whatever they were
strategies and practices to ensure a doing back to the class, improves your classroom management
successful learning environments
2. Never issue an ultimatum, never say either behave or Im sending
you to the principals office or something along those lines, gives
the students and you more opinion for if you dont follow through
the students will sense weakness and pounce.
3. Use the principals office as a last resort, make sure that this
choice isnt your first way of doing classroom management, shows
administration a lack of classroom control
Communicate with
1. Using email to communicate , helps keep interested parents and

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parents/guardians effectively in
order to involve them as partners
in student learning

Employ a range of teaching

techniques to match the
intellectual emotional and social
level of each student and choose
alternatives teaching strategies to
achieve different curricular
purposes
Utilize understanding of
educational disabilities and
giftedness and their effects on
student learning in order to
individualize instruction

Apply technology to the delivery

of instruction

guardians in the loop and on the same page as you and their kids,
alleviates confusion
2. Use a classroom website, helps keeps everyone on the same page,
everyone is up to date on current events in the classroom.
3. Send home weekly updates, send home a little blurb of what was
discussed in class and what will be talked about in the upcoming
days, helps the parents know whats going on the classroom and can
connect with their students
1. Dont just straight lecture, mix up the way you convey lecture,
helps keep the class fresh and keep lecture entertaining
2. Use other forms of lecture, maybe use a flip class go activity
based for a couple of weeks, helps practical students learn as well
as other students who may learn differently
3. Slow down, let the students gather in the lecture and process it
before going onto the next subject, some students learn slower than
other lets everyone catch up.
1. Gifted doesnt mean more work, just because someone is gifted
doesnt mean they should get more work than other students, it will
make them work less hard to no longer be gifted or talented
2. Coordinate with other teaches, finding out how what they are
doing to get the students to learn or behave, collective minds work
better than just one
3. Be supportive, be there for the students outside of school, during
school and other times, shows the students you care and gives them
much needed support.
1. Use smart board, let the student use it and work, makes them
learn in their own way
2. Videos, find good informative videos of your subject, a breath of
fresh air helps a visual learner comprehend and kids really enjoy
videos
3. Utilize a flipped classroom, activity based classrooms are the
way of the future and gives the students hands on time, allows them
to work through the problems.

My personal experience at Preston Middle school was quite positive. This early on in my
education experience, I wouldnt really consider myself to have many established strengths. The
few strengths that I do have would be; an ability to connect with all kinds of students, bringing
an energized and enthusiastic attitude, and having an upbeat attitude. Now, I know I have many
areas to improve on in my educational experience. Such areas including improving my classroom

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management, adjusting my lectures to fit various students, and implement technology and
activities in my classroom to make it more modern. Classroom management could always be
handled better, and I could work on using both my voice and non-verbal cues to get students
back on task. As well I could strive to make my classroom less lecture based and create ways of
learning that benefit all kinds of learners. Visual learners may struggle with just listening to
lecture, so activities that they can participate in can really help facilitate the spread of
information from teacher to student, and then hopefully from student to student. Also, unlike
Math and Science, history doesnt have many online models and activities that have been already
created. So many of the activities might have to be my own creations. Which is honestly
something that I am looking forward too, because I can adjust them on the mind, and re structure
them how I see fit depending on circumstances.
Part of my educational experience at Preston was to attend an extra-curricular activity at
Preston middle school. I decided on choosing to attend the Halloween dance that took place the
week before Halloween. The kids could come to the dance dressed in their Halloween costumes
and partake in dancing or any other activities that were set up to keep them entertained for the
next 2 hours. Now, the dance itself was quite a fun experience. The students were fueled up on
sugar and happy that it was the weekend so they were literally bouncing off the walls with
energy. I spent the majority of the time, patrolling the Cool Down area. At this area, I
redirected, student after student from their sugar induced shenanigans to a more healthier and
safe alternative. It was a good two hours of practicing classroom management and practicing
extreme redirecting. It was very loud, so I put to use my teacher stare, nonverbal cues, and
occasionally raising my voice whenever the situation arose. Overall though, I had a lot of fun,
and would 100% advise future 350 students to follow suit and volunteer at the dances.

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Attached at the end of this Teacher Work Sample, is a sample lesson plan that I created
which represented a standard that falls under the 6th grade geography standard.
This opportunity that CSU and Preston Middle school provides prospective teachers is
amazing. By granting prospective teachers the chance to grow classroom management
techniques, run a lesson on their own, and just spend more time in the classroom is huge for the
development of teachers. Ive experienced a lot of growth in this short semester Ive spent at
Preston and Ive grown so much in teaching. As well as a person as I developed personal
relationships with both students and teachers.

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