Reflective Narrative of Lesson Taught in Residency- Field Experience

Narrative Details:

Introduction:

During this lesson, I led the pre-kindergarten students toward developing letter recognition, reading comprehension, and handwriting. I wanted to achieve a learning environment through different activities and discussions that would allow the students to be fully engaged. With this reflection, I will discuss how effective this lesson was in terms of the pupil’s overall participation and understanding of the given concepts. In the class, students followed the process and confirmed their knowledge with active participation tasks. They were involved with the more interactive materials that would teach them all about the nature of letters and numbers. Also, we used simple charts to assess their pre-knowledge and stimulate discussion questions about the alphabet. Students were motivated and interested in participating because they kept their presentations to the point and the rest of the students were making the process a group exploration activity by asking relevant questions.

The students displayed their knowledge so well by naming the letters of the alphabet. During the initial stage, letter recognition and sound association were reinforced by their involvement in the related activities. The students were able to use words to show the discriminability between the letters and their sounds as a sign that they understood phonetics. Reading activities were centered on comprehension as students were involved in the discussion and answered questions raised in the lessons. They did not limit themselves to letters and numbers but also demonstrated their general ability to apply their knowledge to diversified situations. The hands-on skills developed the ability of the students to learn how to decipher the sounds and improve their recognition.

Working in a group during this class was different from the previous classes. The students actively worked on memorizing the names of letters and numbers as well as on matching these sounds using their words and their perceptions. They also made links between the concepts and the real world. Their discussion capability clearly showed that they were able to manage its practical application. While teaching, I employed a continuous set of assessment methods to trace the growth and the level of students’ knowledge. I reflected on their thinking by asking non-directed questions that led them to explain their thoughts. With the use of progress tracking, I became aware of the places where support was needed and provided the support specifically.

As an instructor, I think that based on the level of the students’ active participation, the lesson added value and their understanding, and the objectives were met. The student’s capability of involving the themes, as well as lexical units of matching letters to sounds and numerals, showed their learning accomplishments. Participation of the learners and successful exercising of the activities indeed showed their comprehension of the knowledge and skills learned.

TIAI Domain II: Assessment

The final evaluation test occurred after I taught the lesson as a summative assessment. This was a broad assessment that tested students in their comprehension of letter and number recognition, and their ability to use concepts they already had a grasp of. The post-test served as the last reporting instrument in the evaluation of their learning achievements.

The summative assessment showed me the big picture whether the students have good or bad understanding of the things that we’ve taught them and which areas need more reinforcement. It is a vanishingly rare opportunity for the students both to test their skills and to get overall diagnostics of their learning. This also touches on the aspect of TAI indicator 7, which is tied to measuring students’ comprehension at the end of the lesson.

The aspect of the assessment communication was tailored such that the students understood the objectives and the expectations. I ensured class discussions and peer feedback were an integral part of the class, and students felt that the learning environment was easy to learn in. At the after-assessment, I arranged one-on-one conversations with each student to discuss their results what they did right and what could be improved next time. The feedback was meant to resound with students as being precise, plausible, and stimulating reflection and growth in their students’ skills, in correlation with indicator 8 of the TIAI.

TIAI Domain III: Instruction

Given the diversity of learning styles and the variegated levels of knowledge, group instruction that accounts for these specific needs had to be applied. Sessions concentrated on learning stations of different grades; this way, students attended the session according to their progress and preferred learning approach. I would give the group members who needed scaffolding and individualized guidance during small group activities.

Different modalities of learning, such as teams, interactions, and communications, were cultivated in the group learning options. Students were directed to respond according to their opinions, put questions into the lectures, and take part in the mutual discourse during the lectures. Teamwork and cooperation from group projects and learning centers proved to be more effective than studying solo. These led to collaboration and nurtured the perfect learning community in the class. During these activities, the quality of learning was enhanced and the interaction between students became, thus, effective.

Incorporating active and engaging means like practical tasks, narrative, and multimedia resources for the students were used in order to create an interesting learning condition. Through my own excitement about letters and the alphabet, I hoped to inspire students and augment their interest in learning how to read and write.

The use of verbal and non-verbal communication in teaching also helped learners to understand the lesson. Comprehension was enhanced by clear and concise directions that included visual clues. Visuals such as signs and diagrams supplemented this. Nonverbal cues expressed an engaging atmosphere, which conveyed excitement and support. Bloom’s Taxonomy concepts, on the other hand, encouraged students to be critical and problem solvers. As a result, they applied what they had learned at the lower thinking levels to develop higher-order thinking.

Engaging students in activities that required critical thinking and problem-solving skills fostered a deeper understanding of the subject matter. The integration of different forms of communication facilitated class discussions, student participation, and effective feedback. Adapting instruction based on student feedback and responses ensured individualized support and addressed misconceptions.

Having a strong knowledge of the content allowed for meaningful delivery of information and stimulated students’ mastery of the subject. Answering students’ questions and facilitating discussions encouraged different perspectives and critical thinking.

However, I would retain the cooperative learning strategies and differentiated resources that successfully promoted collaboration and addressed diverse learning needs (TIAI indicators 11 and 12). These strategies facilitated communication, teamwork, and individualized instruction, creating a positive and inclusive learning environment.

TIAI Domain IV: Learning Environment

In an attempt to deal with off-task behavior, I resorted to prevention methods such as going ahead and clearly availing rules of appropriate behavior right from the onset and providing specific instructions on the required behaviors. An example of such an instance was when the students did not adhere to the rules; in such cases, I have been inclined to discreetly use gestures, physical proximity, and private conversations to put them back on track, the emphasis being on the action, not the student. Through an unceasing effort of sustaining the mentioned routine and offering support when required, I helped students understand the consequences of their actions and they were enticed to make responsible decisions.

Analysis: Managing the classroom environment that was proposed was proper in facilitating the self-disciplined and positive class atmosphere. The joint establishment of classroom norms and standards empowered the students, which in turn motivated the students and increased their level of engagement. Through giving students recognition and constructive feedback, students themselves felt the ‘something inside’ of them that was in them, which then led the students to show their pride in their successes. The warmth of my interactions with fellow students and building of rapport through understanding individual needs led to trust, communication, and an overall sense of belonging in the classroom setting.

I tried to be present with students and build good relationships so that I could lay a good foundation for a positive learning environment. I ensured to put myself in the shoes of my clients and learn their unique needs and stories so that we can be partners in their journey through trust and open communication. In order to take diverse learning styles into account, I offered everyone the same feeling of value and inclusion in the classroom. Comments and reviews from students and my mentor were a big deal when it came to improving my classroom management skills and, as a result, enhancing the learning climate.

Overall Learning Experience

However, this was not simple enough to provide services to students with different needs. Individualized support and scaffolding for students with special needs were essential. Collaborative learning group assignments turned unexpectedly to be daunting tasks, which is indeed a wake-up call. Obviously, what really matters is learning how to make appropriate differentiation of the activities to support the active participation of all students. Another factor that would have added more strength to the class is working with the school staff and instructional coaches because they also play a very important role in the development of students. Exercising different media, technology, and regular studies for student engagement, formative assessment, and classroom management could have been an opportunity to make teaching more effective.

Relationship with the students and having their different needs prioritized contributes to professional strengths. Pursuing interactions with students, practicing an active listening attitude, and reflecting on the methods used in teaching is a great way to improve the strategies for instruction and make use of the strengths. While students are being equipped with more advanced thinking skills, an emphasis should be placed on developing autonomous thinking, as well as problem-solving and research abilities Techniques such as using open-ended queries, research tasks or digital tools related to the students’ inquiry are the tools to enable critical thinking and scientific inquiry thus increasing their information literacy. As a whole, the learning process brought to my mind the significance of building up a competitive and dedicated master class, providing diversified guidance, and permanently searching for new opportunities concerning my professional development.