tws8 Kcruell

Karisma Cruell
TWS 8
April 9, 2015
TWS 8
Reflection, Self-Evaluation, & Professional Development
I taught my unit over a course of two weeks and I taught it in a way where
students were able to explain their understanding to me in a variety of ways. I taught my
unit this way because I wanted my students to understand that they are all smart, they
just all have different levels of understanding. If they can explain it to me through
drawings, explanations, or through writing then it would be unique to every student
individually. I used a variety of engagement strategies to spark my students interest
throughout the unit. I incorporated class discussions, read alouds, and a variety of
cooperative learning techniques. I wanted to give my students positive experiences to
ensure that I was addressing all learning style and that the students were retaining the
information.
If I were to teach this lesson again, I would find a way incorporate science into all
other subjects, not just math and social studies, so that the students could have
experienced more practice of the content. Although my students retained information
well, incorporating it into all other subjects would have helped keep them engaged in
those other subjects.
Whole Class:
My instructional decisions impacted the whole classes learning in a positive way

because the more we reviewed content, the more the students retained the information
learned. I did not just want the students to remember the information for the test; I
wanted them to retain the information for future reference.
The only thing that was changed was the amount of the time we spent reviewing
for certain content. If my students were not answering questions correctly or could not
recall certain information, we would spend more time reviewing and discussing that
content. This improved student progress because the students were spending more time
reviewing, which caused them to retain the learned information.
I successfully engaged the students by incorporating a variety of instructional
strategies, as has already been addressed in TWS.
Instructional modes employed included some lecture, whole group,
demonstration, class discussion, and cooperative learning.
I used the SmartBoard effectively to show videos and slideshows and also to view
books on the presentation app so that all of the students could see what I was
reading.
The students were actively involved in acting out the water cycle and in a tornado
drill, and in class discussions. The students were passively involved in the read
alouds.
I presented the information in a clear and logical manner and a variety of
different ways. I explained every piece of information thoroughly, showed it to
them in a video, and then presented it to them in the text. This provided the
information in a variety of ways so that it became clear to each student in their
unique ways.
Karisma Cruell
TWS 8
April 9, 2015
The materials and resources I selected for the lesson were extremely effective
because it, again, offered information in a variety of ways that addressed all
learning styles.
I could relate the lesson content to the lives of the students because the weather is
something that we as people experience daily. This unit just gave the student a
broader understanding of what they see daily.
Incorporating a variety of classroom discussions was my way of managing the
classroom during the unit because this group of students has a hard time not
talking during instruction. Knowing that, allowing the students to talk with limits
of talking about weather information only, it cut down on a lot of the
misbehavior.
I interact very well with my students. I emphasize respect from both them.
During the unit I gave every student a fair chance to share and participate.
I was able to summarize the lesson and relate it to many aspects of their daily
lives at school.
My estimated time allocation for the unit as noted was accurate. Some days were
spent more on review than on other days but the unit overall stayed in the
planned time range.
Three Individual Students:
The student most successful was my high-performing student as the student

received a 100% average on the unit as a whole because she is a focused learner
and she listens effectively and follows directions. The student is a bit talkative but
she knows when to direct her attention back to instruction for learning.
The student least successful was my low-performing student as the student

performed average on the unit as a whole but was not as successful as my other
two individual students. The student was least successful because the student
goes to Reading Recovery during the time block allocated for Science. The
student also tends to be very talkative and has some trouble focusing on her
work. The student could be more successful if she sat in a desk separate from the
rows of desks in the classroom so that she focuses on her own work and other
students around her. I did work with the student individually when there was
downtime and that improved her success throughout the unit.
o If I taught this unit again I would block out more time to work with this
student individually.
The student average in performance was my average-performing student as the

student remained average throughout the unit, although the student did receive a
100% on the final test. The student was average in performance because she
struggles with focusing during instruction and she tends to work through things
quickly without giving information much thought the first time. I did have to
advise the student to go back and do some things over, as she is eager to learn she
is just not patient in her learning.
Karisma Cruell
TWS 8
April 9, 2015
o If I taught this unit again I would block out more time to work with this
student individually as well.
Modifications have been previously stated throughout other TWS sections*
o Modifications were based on all students in the class.
Reflection on Possibilities for Professional Development:

Two professional development goals that emerged from my insights and
experiences with the TWS is one, to implement more positive reinforcement strategies
in teaching. I will improve my performance in this area by learning more about the
strengths and weaknesses of my students. I want to find out what they are good at and
what they struggle with and help them improve positively in those areas while being able
to recognize using positive reinforcement. The second goal that emerged from my
insights and experiences with the TWS is to learn to manage my time more effectively.
Although I finished my unit in the time allocated, I could still improve in some areas. I
will improve my performance in this area by better planning my, not only by the week,
as requirement, but by the day as well.

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Karisma Cruell

My instructional decisions impacted the whole classes learning in a positive way

Three Individual Students:

The student most successful was my high-performing student as the student

The student least successful was my low-performing student as the student

The student average in performance was my average-performing student as the

Reflection on Possibilities for Professional Development:

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