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Table of Contents

Section Page

Contextual Factors 2-12

Learning Goals 12-19

Assessment Plan 19-28

Design for Instruction 28-36

Instructional Decision-Making 36-38

Analysis of Student Learning 39-43

Reflection and Self-Evaluation 43-47

References 47

Appendix 48-65

Learning Goal Graphs 49-51

Student Work 52-65

Contextual Factors

There are multiple factors that may affect the teaching and learning process in my classroom. Some factors may affect all the students in my classroom, while others affect possibly just one. These factors could come from the community, the district, the school, the classroom, or the student him/herself.

Community Factors

The community in which I student taught is a rural community with a population of just over 600 people. Recent statistics state the racial makeup of the city is 97.57% White, 0.16% African American, 0.81% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.16% from other races, 0.65 Hispanic or Latino. The majority of the population’s age is either less that 18 years or 24-44 years of age. The median income of households is $37,614, with 0.0% of the community’s families below the poverty line. Although it is a small community, there are larger cities that employ residents with an average 30 minute commute. This community brings in many new families because of its low property taxes, and has shown school support by passing tax laws which give money to help the district.

District Factors

The district in which I student taught consists of students from three neighboring cities. The district population has been decreasing in the recent years and is currently at 476 students. The gender ratio in the district stands very close to 50:50. There is a very small population of non-white students. Currently there are less than 1% of students with Hispanic origin and less than 1% of students with Native American origin. The district currently has 23% of students with free or reduced lunch.

Level III special needs students are sent to a neighboring school district, and there is currently no need for an ELL teacher. There are Special Education teachers placed in all school buildings who work with those students that need remediation or extra help with their classes. Talented and Gifted students are not recognized through extra curriculum until fifth grade, where they are chosen based on test scores and teacher recommendation.

The district has incorporated some initiatives throughout all of the schools. These include CRISS strategies, E2T2 mathematics, Second Chance Reading, and a Positive Behavior Support System. All new teachers go through CRISS training before the school year. Mathematics teachers receive E2T2 training and reading teachers experience Second Chance Reading instruction. The Positive Behavior Support System in the districts way of preventing bad behavior and is implemented through all school buildings.

School Factors

The school building in which I student taught contains 5th grade through 8th grade. This year’s population is 126 students. The male to female ratio is 31 males to 32 females. There is a 1.2% minority population in the school building. The free and reduced lunch in this building is 26%, which is just a small amount higher than the district percentage. Students with behavior problems are recommended for a local boys and girls private school. There are two special education classrooms, one for 5th and 6th grade, and another for 7th and 8th grade. Most students are pulled out only for remediation or one-subject support. The students chosen for T.A.G. are pulled from class for two hours every Friday.

The school building implements CRISS strategies, and there is a day-long professional development day that all teachers will attend this school year. The school building also implements a Positive Behavior Support System where all students are taught correct manners and behaviors at the beginning of the year. They are given ROYAL reminders throughout the year for both positive behaviors and negative behaviors. Negative behaviors result in either loss of recess or a lunch time learning session. Positive reminders are rewarded by the principal and then sent home to inform the parents of the student’s good behavior. All mathematics teachers use E2T2 strategies and attend seminars throughout the school year, while all reading teachers use Second Chance Reading strategies and also attend yearly seminars. The current principal has been at the school for 10 years creating positive moral for teacher and students alike. The teachers in the building range from first year teaching to more than 25 years. The positive attitudes and joyous personalities of each teacher have had a great impact on the school’s learning community.

Classroom Factors

I student taught in a sixth grade mathematics classroom. The room is around 27 feet by 21 feet and was filled with 18 desks, the teacher’s desk, a desk for myself, various small tables for books and student work, a television stand, an overhead projector and stand, a large storage cabinet, and two large filing cabinets. The desks and other furniture took up most of the area of the room, allowing minimal space for students to work in anything other than a whole class setting or a two to three person group. The desks were in rows facing the white board at the front of the room with two large windows to the left, the door and teacher’s desk to the right, and a window to their backs. The windows emit light, making a glare on the white board. The students can see the door from where they are sitting during a lesson, potentially causing them to become distracted if a visitor were to enter the classroom. The teacher’s desk sat towards the back of the classroom. This allowed the students to ask questions without their peers looking on incase they were uncomfortable. The classroom was on the third floor of a school building with no air conditioning. This caused the room to become stuffy and hot during the day. Because of the heat, two fans were constantly running, causing problems with blowing papers and noise.

The main technology in the classroom included an overhead projector, a television, a DVD/VCR player, the teacher’s computer, and twenty calculators. The television and DVD/VCR player sat near the teacher’s desk. This was due to the fact that the school would be receiving Geometer’s Sketchpad in the future and the only way the teacher could show anything through the television was from her computer. Because of the television’s placement, student would have to turn their desks in order to see the movie being played. The overhead projector was on a moving cart, and in order to use it, the students will have to move away from the center of the room so it can project the text large enough for all students to read. Every time I use the overhead, I will have to adjust the students and return the overhead to the corner of the room when I’m done. Although this is a pain, it is the only way for me to easily display information to the whole class without writing it all on the whiteboard. There are twenty new calculators hanging in the back of the classroom for students to use anytime they need to. These are all tattooed with the school’s name and are not to leave the room. This is helpful for students who forgot their calculator or do not own their own. Currently, the school hasn’t received their copies of Geometer’s Sketchpad so I am unable to use it during my teaching. There is a computer lab at the school. However, during sixth grade math, it is in use for eighth grade technology every day. This means I will have to sign up for the portable laptops. Currently, all of the laptops are being cleaned out and fixed up so I am unable to use them.

Parental involvement is a strong point at this school. When it comes to parent-teacher conferences, 95% to 100% of parents attend. Of those attending, close to 50% of their sons and/or daughters attend also. Parents are quick and willing to help if they are asked. The free or reduced lunch for students in the sixth grade stands at about 16%. Students are placed in a traveling group, either A or B, which they stay in as they attend science, social studies, mathematics, reading, English, and any other specials. Exceptions include the two fifth grade students who enter 6A for mathematics class, the six sixth grade students who enter 7A for mathematics, and the one sixth grade student who enters the Special Education classroom for mathematics.

Students follow the ROYAL guidelines where they respect each other, organize themselves and their time, take responsibility, always are on time and ready, and lead by example. Royal Reminders are issued for those students misbehaving or leading by example and can result with either a loss of recess or lunch time learning session. Positive Royal Reminders are given to the principal who recognizes those students and also informs the parents of their successful child. Crowns are given to students for positive behavior. These crowns can be used like money at the school store.

Student Factors

The students I will be focusing on for my Teacher Work Sample are in 6A mathematics. There are ten sixth graders and two advanced fifth graders, with an average age of 11 years old. There are eight males and four females. These students are all Caucasian. Of the 16% of students with free or reduced lunch in this grade, 13% are in this class. The students weren’t placed this way on purpose, the higher percentage was just an outcome of random placement into 6A.

One student in the class is in T.A.G. Half of the sixth graders in the class are in Second Chance Reading because their reading scores from last year were very low. One student received mathematics reinforcement in the Special Education classroom last year, but is now fully included in sixth grade mathematics and is only in Special Education for reading and English.

The achievement levels in this class are widely varied. There are some students who score very high in mathematics and can do this with little to no effort. There are also those students who struggle and try extremely hard, but often fail to succeed. In the middle, there are those students who understand mathematics, but have to put forth a lot of effort to succeed. The class ranges from a fifth grader who topped off all of his tests on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, to a sixth grader who was previously in the Special Education classroom for mathematics.

The developmental levels also range widely in this class. Some students are mature for their age and actively participate in class and do their homework. Other students are lazy and often are quick to give up when they don’t understand right away. One student lacks maturity and may throw a temper tantrum if he/she is wrong and thinks he/she is right. Another student understands what is being taught in class and answers freely and correctly any questions brought up in class, but can’t seem to transfer this knowledge onto paper when he/she is doing his/her homework. Yet another student will be active in class and participate, he/she will answer randomly when called upon, even though he/she knows he’s/she’s wrong. Although there are these specific students, there are other students in the class who have their own quirks, but haven’t shown them yet.

As for culture, this class has all grown up in the same community and gone to the same schools. They all speak English as a first language and none are fluent in any other language. Their interest, though somewhat varied, includes topics such as sports, movies, video games, hanging out with friends, and music. The students took a survey about their learning styles, and of the twelve students in 6A: five prefer hearing someone describe how to do a task, six prefer watching someone do a task, and one prefers doing the task him/herself. Mathematics is a very visual subject area. There is one student who may benefit from auditory teaching because he is extremely smart, but lack the skills to pay attention. Some students will benefit from a more hands-on approach, which will help keep them interested in the content.

Student Skills

The first unit in sixth grade mathematics is a review chapter. There were three students I focused on and studied their work during this unit. These students, Student A (SA), Student B (SB), and Student C (SC), are all in 6A. SA is a high achieving, top scoring student on all of the worksheets and previous testing. This student has problems paying attention and gets easily distracted. The student makes random movements and noises, has problems controlling his/her impulses, lack organization skills, and has been considered borderline autistic. The student participates in special programs during the summer and is in T.A.G.

SB is an average achieving student in the class. He/She works hard to achieve his/her grade. The student is ready and willing to ask questions if he/she doesn’t understand the problem. Most of the student’s errors are silly mistakes because of working through the problem too fast. He/She gets great support from home. An example is his/her step-father making him/her do extra mathematics homework at home. Even though there are times when he/she isn’t successful at them, he/she is quick to recognize the concept in class.

SC is a lower achieving student. There are times when this student works very hard and can succeed. There are other times when the student easily gives up and just writes down random answers. The student is always willing to participate in class, even though he/she knows he/she’s wrong. The student has difficulty paying attention when the teacher is in front of the room teaching and the students are taking notes. He/She is easily distracted and at times starts interrupting class by talking out of turn. He/She had mathematics remediation last year, and the student has very little parental support. There are many times he/she will give no effort, and is actually smarter than he/she gives him/herself credit for.