Running head: TOUCHSTONES OF GOOD TEACHING REFLECTION

Touchstones of Good Teaching Reflection

Michelle McCormick
OTL 502-Learning Theories and Models of Instruction
Colorado State University-CSU Global
Nella B. Anderson, PhD
July 24, 2016

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Abstract

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For this assignment, we were asked to develop a reflection based on how we
implemented the 12 touchstones of good teaching into a lesson plan. In this reflection, I
will analyze student data to determine growth and progress made from the pre-assessment
to post-assessment. Also, I will reflect on things that worked well as well as wells as
things I would change for next time. Having learned about the 12 touchstones of good
teaching has been very valuable as I hope to implement them daily in my teaching this
fall. Touchstones of Good Teaching Reflection
The 12 touchstones of good teaching are essential things that teachers
need to be doing in their classrooms daily. I plan to utilize them into my
classroom by creating a checklist to use as a constant reminder. Additionally,
as a principal candidate, I plan to lead my fellow teachers on how to
implement the 12 touchstones of good teaching into their lessons and
instruction.
The past eight weeks, I had the opportunity to develop plan using the
12 touchstones of good teaching. I created a first grade math lesson on
fractions. There were many components that I thought were fairly easy but
there were also parts that I found challenging. I realized that implementing
these touchstones came natural and most of them were things I do anyways.
First, I looked at the standards for first grade and unpacked them. By
unpacking them, I was able to dive deeper into what they really mean and I
was also able to make them more student friendly. I think it is important for
them to be able to understand what they are going to learn and why they are
learning it. Then, I developed a few essential questions which helped to
shape my lesson and help to deliver the why are we learning this aspect to
the students. I also provided some real world examples and applications to

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the lesson, which helped to engage and interest the students. I found that
this particular lesson was fairly easy to come up with real world examples,
however, there will be lessons that I will come across while teaching where it
will be rather difficult to make that relevant real world connection. But I think
the most crucial point with this touchstone is too get the students excited to
learn about whatever topic you are teaching. Then, I had students set their
own learning goals. This past teaching year, I began to have students set
their own goals. I loved it and the kids really liked to see how much growth
they made. It was a challenge for them, which was good because it helped
them reach higher levels than they think they are capable. One challenge I
faced last year with goal setting was time. I only set goals once a month with
them in reading, writing, and math. The goals are very specific and
measureable. We graph their progress on bar graphs so they can see what
their goal is and how far away/close they are to reaching it. It did take a
sufficient amount of time to set goals with them but it was very worth it. The
challenge I faced is finding the time to set goals, when I could be doing small
group intervention activities. I found that setting goals with them is just as
critical as an intervention group. It is just something you have to make time
for.
I taught my lesson this past week and I thought it went very well. I was
able to administer a pre-assessment before the lesson as well as a postassessment after the lesson. I was very pleased to see how much growth my
student made in just one lesson. Normally, I would assess fractions before
and after a whole unit, not just one lesson. We teach fractions in a series of
lessons as well. So, I found it a little challenging to try to cram everything
about fractions into one lesson. In order for my student to succeed on my

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activity that I had planned, I had to start from the beginning on fractions,
which would normally be taught in separate lessons. However, I found that
my student was very successful in the lesson and learned a lot about
fractions. I had planned on showing a YouTube video about fractions and the
Internet wasnt working. This is a pretty typical situation in my classroom as
well so it is a good reminder that you cant rely on technology; you always
need to have a back-up plan. I have included two graphs below, which reflect
on his pre-assessment results as well as his post-assessment results. As you
can see, he is above proficient on describing fractions and writing the correct
fraction next to the divided shape. We struggled a little bit with dividing
shapes into equal parts but he understood what equal meant. In all, I was
very pleased with how much he learned and how much he absorbed from my
lesson.
The touchstone that really stuck out to me through this lesson was
item 9, which is making the most of every minute. We were asked in one of
our assignments to set a time frame in minutes for every part of our lesson.
Honestly, in my teaching experience, I have never wrote out to the minute
each lesson. I know in my head how long I have for math or reading or
writing, but I have never done it to the minute. This was a very useful
touchstone because from now on, I am going to be very mindful about how
long for my opening, how long for the mini-lesson, etc. Time can surely slip
away from you if you are not careful. Additionally, keeping good track of time
will help eliminate negative behaviors if they are given to much work time.
While teaching my lesson, I realized my time frame wasnt on track. It
seemed like my lesson went faster than I had anticipated on the lesson plan.
However, I think it would have taken longer if I had been in my classroom

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teaching 20 other students. But since it was just one student for this lesson,
we got through everything much quicker. I think that with experience over
the years, I will be able to judge how long each activity should take, which
will be useful for planning.
In conclusion, I am very grateful for having taken this class. It was
definitely an eye opener into things I can do to improve my teaching. It was
also a self-esteem booster as I learned about things that I already to in my
classroom. I really enjoyed learning about the 12 touchstones of good
teaching as well as putting them into action with implanting a lesson plan. I
like how the touchstones are very concrete and emphasize some of the most
important elements of teaching. This will be a great resource to pass on too
any new teachers that I lead in my future principal endeavors as well as
veteran teachers.

First Grade Math Lesson Pre-Assessment Data

Write the fraction as part of a whole

Student's Score
Standards
Describe the divided shape using halves and fourths

Partition shapes into equal parts

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First Grade Math Lesson Post-Assessment Data

Student's Score