Northern State University

Student Teaching Work Sample

Candidate Name:

Miranda Haugen

Candidate Phone Number:

Candidate ID Number:
Name of School where data was
collected:
Subject/Content Area of Unit:

Math

Grade Level:

1st Grade

Date Submitted:

11/3/14

My signature verifies that this TWS is my own authentic work. I understand that obtaining, or attempting to obtain,
a passing grade on a TWS by falsification or misrepresentation may result in a failing grade in a course or expulsion
from the teacher education program.

Signature of Candidate Submitting the TWS:

Miranda Haugen

I. Contextual Information and Learning Environment

Task: Candidates gather contextual information and discuss factors that may influence
the teaching and learning process.
1. Community and School District Information:
The rural community resides in the Midwest and has approximately 26,091
people. According to the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the community is
91.8% White, 3.6% Native American, 1.3% Asian 0.7% African American, 0.2%
Pacific Islander, 2.0% two or more races, and 0.5% from other races; the
percentage of people below the poverty level is 11.6%. The community is
industry based with plenty of jobs and opportunities. The school district consists
of five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.
2. School and Classroom Information:
The single-floored school consists of 454 students. There are 3 same-grade
classrooms for Kindergarten to 5th grade and 2 special education classrooms. All
the classrooms are considered an open classroom design due to the walls not
touching the ceiling and there are no doors to enter the classrooms. My
cooperating teacher had 23 students in her classroom at the beginning; before
leaving the experience she was down to 20 students. The classroom has a
SMART Board, one desktop computer, an overhead projector, and a telephone
for available technology. The school has a desktop computer lab for the younger
students, and 2 sets of laptops for grades 3-5. The school has 6 educational
assistances, 5 grandmas, and 12 parents that consistently volunteer as
instructional aides. Two of the parent volunteers help in my cooperating
teachers classroom.
3. Student Information:
There were twenty-three 1st graders in the classroom I student taught in. The
students are 6 or 7 years old and consist of 11 females and 12 males. At the end
of my experience there were twenty 1st graders in the classroom (11 boys and 9
girls) due to three students moving away. None of the students in the classroom
are identified as special needs or gifted/advanced. After filling out a survey oneto-one, 5 students are visual learners, 12 students are auditory learners, and 6
students are kinesthetic learners. The students were all at appropriate height and
weight for their age. The following information is from the South Dakota
Department of Education website under the schools 2012-2013 report card and
the schools improvement plan since information needed was unavailable in
current classroom and previous school year report card. The ethnicity of the
school that year was 92.9% White, 1.4% African American, 1.4% Asian, 1.4%
Native American,1.0% Hispanic, 1.4% with two or more, and 0.5% Pacific
Islanders. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students is 11.9%.
The school has 9.5% of its students identified with special needs and
approximately 1.0% is identified as English Language Learners.
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4. Instructional Implications:
Having no students identified with special needs or as ELLs, I knew I wouldnt
have to completely modify or accommodate individual students in my lesson
plans. It was still important to give assistance when needed during independent
practice so frustration level would not occur with student(s). With a wide range of
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners I adapted my lessons to include each
category of learning style to best meet the needs of all students. By having more
than one grade level teacher, I frequently asked the other 1st grade teachers how
they presented a certain lesson to gain ideas and learn of different teaching
methods.
II. Individual Student Information Case Study
Task: Candidates demonstrate understanding of how individual students physical,
social, and emotional development impacts his/her learning. Candidates are able to
identify research-based strategies to assist and support student learning.
The purpose of this case study is to determine a classroom students educational
perspective by gathering background information, observing the student, identifying the
main student learning issues, analyzing the main issues, and reflecting on effective
solutions and strategies to assist the student reach his/her full potential. I observed and
assisted XX over the span of 12 weeks in my Elementary Education Student Teaching
Field Experience. I selected XX due to her receiving the lowest reading scores in the
classroom through a school-wide district assessment during the first week of school.
XX was born in the month of June and is currently 6 years old in the 1 st grade.
Her low-middle class family consists of her father, mother, and 2 younger siblings. XX
is identified as a Native American. According to school records, in Kindergarten XX met
all school district standards except high frequency words and counting to 100 by ones.
These two standards received P meaning progressing, but needs further development.
XX was absent 8 times and was tardy 17 times throughout her Kindergarten school
year. After the first quarter of 1st grade, XX has been absent 1 time and tardy 8 times.
XXs grades for first quarter are the following: Reading = S-, Math = G, Writing = S-,
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Social Studies/Science = S, Handwriting = S, and Conduct = G. The letter G stands for

good and above grade level; the letter S stands for satisfactory and at grade level. XX
is reading slightly below grade level.
According to reading test results given the first week of school, XX struggles
drastically in the areas of letter sound fluency, nonsense words fluency, and fluency in
general. During this district test, students have one minute to say as many letter
sounds correctly as they can. XX was only able to say 16 correctly; average for 1st
grade students at the beginning of the year is about 30. At the end of Kindergarten
spring semester XX was able to say 32 correctly in one minute. XX reads at a slow rate
because she takes a great deal of time trying to decode words. At the end of
Kindergarten XX read 17 nonsense words correctly in one minute. At the beginning of
1st grade XX read 23 nonsense words correctly in one minute; this is below the
expected amount for the beginning of 1st grade. Her confidence is also low because she
lacks quick decoding strategies. With XX struggling in reading, she is unable to write a
basic story about a single topic independently. XX struggles to break apart unknown
words and use the sounds she hears to spell the word according to phonemes. XX also
writes her stories without a capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and a
punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. With XX reading slightly below grade
level, unable to decode words effectively, and reading at a slow rate, XX was placed in
a remedial reading program.
XXs intervention tutoring group meets 4 times a week for a half hour daily during
leveled reading time in her general education classroom. XX goes to tutoring with four
other 1st graders. During tutoring the teacher has the students read a book at their
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reading level, do letter recognition and sound activities, focus on a short vowel, and
learn 3 new high-frequency words. The teachers special training and the small class
sizes make possible frequent ongoing assessment and flexibility in adapting
instructional techniques to individual differences (McCormick & Zutell, 2011). The
reading tutor tests the students weekly in their lowest category that needs improvement.
After two weeks of intense intervention tutoring group, XX has gone from 16
correct letter sounds to 36 correct letter sounds in one minute. Since XX met the
expected amount of correct answers for beginning first grade, her reading tutor changed
the focus of her instruction to nonsense word fluency. XX needed to use her skills of
knowing the sounds of the letters to decode and blend the nonsense words. In XXs
first reading test, XX started at 23 correct nonsense words in one minute. After 3 weeks
of intense instruction, XX read 47 correct nonsense words in one minute. Remedial
tutoring has helped XX learn her letter sounds and taught her how to use her sounds to
spell and read unknown words. XX will still receive reading tutor for one more month. It
is predicted that XX will test at grade level for all areas and be removed from the
remedial tutoring program. Reading tutoring has also enhanced XXs writing skills.
XXs writing has drastically improved since she has started receiving remedial
assistance. At the beginning of 1st grade, XX couldnt write a sentence with a capital
letter and punctuation at the end. XX would sit at her desk and show no interest in
writing. After 20 minutes of free writing time, XX would have about one incomplete
sentence. The problem was XX did not have letter sound skills to decode words she
wanted to write. Not knowing what letters forms the sounds she hears in a word made
XXs confidence in writing almost non-existent. Guided writing was initiated to help XX
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build confidence, break words apart to hear sounds, provide reminders of capital letters
and punctuation, and direct assistance when she did not know what letter made the
sound heard. As XX received remedial tutoring, her confidence in writing has
blossomed. XX now writes independently with confidence. When editing her writing
XX still needs reminders of capital letters and punctuation, but XX is now not afraid to
spell out words the best she can with phonemes.
Understanding XXs learning issues allowed me the opportunity to determine this
students educational perspective. Throughout my teaching experience I was able to
best meet XXs educational needs and actively assist her to reach her full potential.
Over the twelve week span of my Elementary Education Student Teaching Field
Experience I demonstrated competence at positively impacting XXs growth in learning.
This proved to be a rewarding field experience for the student and student teacher.
III. Management and Motivation
Task: Candidates use an understanding of individual and group motivation and
behavior including effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques to create a
positive learning environment. Write a paragraph for each of the following:
1. Description of classroom environmental factors you observed that affect learning.
My cooperating teachers classroom is filled with bright colors, childrens artwork,
helpful posters such as the alphabet and numbers, seasonal (fall) decorations,
and creative bulletin boards. These components in her classroom generate the
environment to be a positive, welcoming setting for students to learn. The desks
are in a U-shaped arrangement facing the classrooms SMART Board. The
formation allows all students to see the SMART Board at once as well have an
open space for students to sit through reading instruction and classroom
discussions. Behind the students desks is a jelly bean-shaped table. The table
is used for leveled reading group instruction and a conference area when
students are discussing individual work with the teacher. By positioning the table
in the back of the room, the teacher can see all the students at their desks while
she is working with small group or one-to-one instruction. The classroom has its
own library that is stocked with books about themes or topics the class is
currently learning about. The library allows students to read books once their
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work is complete, but also reinforces the information that is being taught in
whole-group instruction.
2. Description of individual student motivation strategies used (e.g., giving choices)
My cooperating teacher uses a behavior chart to manage individual student
behavior. All students start with a green card. If a student is exhibiting negative
behavior the students card turns yellow. If negative behavior keeps persisting
then the students card is turned to red. On red behavior the student loses 5-15
minutes of recess depending on the reason the card was changed. The student
sits the allotted time and then conferences with the teacher when time is up. The
teacher and the student come up with a plan to handle the situation in a positive
way so the student can return back to green. Purple cards are awarded to
students who are showing exceptional behavior. At the end of the day purple
carded students receive a special prize of candy, small toy, sticker etc. Students
are highly motivated to receive a purple card because of the reward at the end of
the day and classroom recognition. Choices are also given to students
throughout the day. When students are not called for guided reading groups they
can choice to write in their journal, read their leveled books in their desk,
color/draw a picture about a story they wrote, and various other activities.
Allowing choices offers the students a feeling of independence and control which
is motivating. My teacher also has a caught being good jar located in the front
of the room. Students who demonstrate good behavior, but not enough for a
purple card can go to the jar and receive a piece of candy. The jar motivates the
student to keep displaying good behavior so they can receive their purple card.
3. Description of group motivation strategies used (e.g., counting backwards, voice
level barometer, silent signals).
Rewards were also used as a group motivation strategy. My cooperating teacher
had 5 stars that were laminated. The classroom as a whole tries to earn the 5
stars for good behavior. Good behavior includes working quietly during
independent practice, all following directions, all students returning their
homework in on time, etc. The students are so excited when their teacher puts a
star on the board and explains why they have received it. The rewards for
earning the 5 stars can be extra recess time, free choice time, a special treat, or
an educational video. The stars can be removed if the classroom is not showing
appropriate behavior. Another group motivation strategy was frequent praise.
My cooperating teacher would praise the class when they were on task, quiet,
and following directions. Students knew they were on the right path towards a
star if the teacher was praising them frequently.
4. Describe verbal communication currently occurring in classroom interactions
among students and with the teacher.
Verbal communication in the classroom among students and the teacher are
positive. Students praise each other on classroom art projects and help one
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another clean around their desks. One of the classrooms rules is being
respectful. The students say please and thank you after their teacher hands out
supplies/activities, and they also say excuse me when walking past one another
in a tight space. When a student becomes upset they go to the teacher in a calm
way and explain their problem. Classroom disagreements are done in a calm,
private manner. The teacher models appropriate verbal communication to the
students. She always says please when asking a student to come to her for a
conference, when shutting off the light, or passing out papers. When students
hand in papers or materials she says thank you to them. The teachers tone of
voice is constantly at an appropriate manner even when she verbally explains
why she is disappointed at the class.
5. Describe non-verbal communication occurring in classroom interactions among
students and with the teacher.
Nonverbal communication among the students and the teacher are positive as
well. If a student drops an object from his/her desk a desk neighbor is always
willing to pick the object up without being asked. Students also push in each
others chairs if a student forgets. When a student or the teacher is talking the
other students are looking at the speaker and being quiet. When a student
needs to be reminded of staying on task, the teacher will tap his/her desk. For
nonverbal feedback the teacher will give a thumbs up or a smile to the student.
6. Implement one management technique and reflect on its effectiveness.
Through observation of my first week of student teaching, I noticed students had
a difficult time of discontinuing their current activity to listen to the next set of
directions from the teacher. Students would still be coloring, cutting, or writing
while my university supervisor was explaining directions. I decided to implement
a management strategy called hands on stop. When I say out loud to the
students hands on top, all students must stop what they are doing and put their
hands on their head before they finish saying that means stop. The first week
of implementing this strategy went well, but was not perfect every time. I then
decided to implement another strategy along with hands on top. The second
strategy is called beat the teacher. Every time all students stopped what they
were doing and put their hands on their head with eyes on me, they received a
point. If all students did not comply, then I would receive a point. At the end of
the week (Friday) if they received a higher score than me, then they received a
special reward of extra recess on my duty, playing a math game, a treat, etc.
The students loved the game beat the teacher that compliance was 100% before
the end of my student teaching experience.
7. Include your School-Home Communication artifact.
August 24, 2014
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Dear Parents/Guardians:
My name is Miranda Haugen and I will be student teaching in your childs
classroom from August 25th to November 7th. I am thrilled to apply the
knowledge that I have accumulated through my educational courses to Mrs.
_______s classroom.
I am currently attending Northern State University and will complete my BSED in
December with a major in Special Education and Elementary Education and a
minor in Reading. I was born and raised in Aberdeen, SD and have grown up in
this wonderful town all my life. My parents had 3 girls with me being the middle
child. In my free time I enjoy bowling, reading, spending time with my family, and
attending Zumba classes at the YMCA.
I chose to become a teacher because I had a teacher that inspired me at a young
age. My 5th grade teacher made every student feel welcomed, addressed each
students needs, and created a friendly atmosphere. I will do everything I can to
make your child feel the same way I did in my 5th grade teachers classroom.
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns please feel free to contact me
through the school office or through my email; _____________________. I am
looking forward to these next 12 weeks and getting to know you and your child.
Sincerely,

Miranda Haugen
Teacher Candidate
8. Include your Classroom Management Plan.
The following classroom management plan was created by my cooperating
teacher. I implemented this plan throughout my student teaching experience as
well.
Belief: All students have the right to a safe and productive learning environment.
No one has the right to deny another the opportunity to learn and succeed.
Classroom Rules:
1. Raise your hand.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

Use kind words. (follow the Golden Rule)
Be honest.
Walk in the hallways.
Be quiet in the Quiet Zone.
Listen to the teachers.
Clean up.
Be respectful and responsible!

Redirection:
It is reasonable to expect children to need redirection from time to time. Most
redirection can be handled appropriately in the classroom without further
interventions. In our classroom, we use a behavioral management plan that uses
the colors of a stoplight to alert students when poor choices are being made.
Each day, students begin with a "green" card. When inappropriate behaviors
occur, students will be asked to move their card to "yellow" which signifies a
caution. If behaviors improve, the student can earn their way back to a green
card. But, if the student continues disruptive behaviors, they will be asked to
move their card to "red" which results in a loss of 5-15 minutes of recess time.
This allows the student to "stop and think" about the choices they have made.
After serving time, the teacher will debrief with the student to come up with a
plan on how to better handle the problem. Afterwards, the student will be offered
another opportunity to start again with a green card. If the child continues to
disregard redirection and make poor choices or when behaviors are more
serious, they will be given a Pink slip which will be sent home for parents to sign
and return to school. Pink slips may also be used by any teacher, including
music, art, or gym, or any lunchroom or playground supervisor.
Should a student continually make poor choices parents will be contacted by
phone. Severe infractions may result in more serious consequences as outlined
in the school handbook.
Class Rewards:
When the class as a whole earns five stars for good behavior, they are rewarded
with a special treat such as extra recess time, free choice time, etc.
Individual students who are "caught being good" will have the opportunity to
move their card to purple and may receive a sticker, certificate, prize, etc. for
their good behavior.

IV. Instructional Design and Implementation - Unit

Task: Candidates design, implement, and assess a unit of study including a minimum
of five lessons. For ELED/SPED, it is suggested that the unit be designed for reading or
math; for all other areas, five sequential lessons in the content area.
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Math Unit Common Lesson Plan - Describing and Sorting Shapes

Teacher Candidate: Miranda Haugen
Cooperating Teacher: Jessica Hed
Grade Level: 1st Grade
Subject: Math
Common Core:
1.G.1 Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and
three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build
and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.
Learning Objective(s):

Students will be able to differentiate among defining attributes (vertices and

sides) and non-defining attributes (color and size) of a shape with 100%
accuracy.
Students will be able to draw a shape that matches a given rule (a defining
attribute) stated with 100% accuracy.

Describe how this lesson is developmentally appropriate:

Vygotsky believed that learning should be taught through a specific support
system. Teachers should give a great deal of support at the beginning of the lesson,
and then throughout the lesson decrease the support towards independence. In these 5
lessons, the teacher starts the lesson with modeling the daily activity. The students
then take some control of the lesson by participating in the check for understanding
portion. More independence is given when the students do the independent practice
activity. The student is in full control at the end of this unit through the postassessment.
[ Slavin, R. E. (2009). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. ]
Pre-Assessment and Post-Assessment
The test given as the pre-assessment will be utilized as the post-assessment at
the end of the unit. The assessments will be read out loud to the class. The total
number of points possible in the assessments is 14.
Assessment:
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Geometry Pre-/Post-Assessment

Name: _________________________

Date:_________________

1. Two examples of defining attributes are:

a. Vertices and color
b. Sides and vertices
c. Color and size
d. Size and sides

2. Two examples of non-defining attributes are:

a. Vertices and color
b. Sides and vertices
c. Color and size
d. Size and sides

3. Circle all the vertices in this shape.

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4. Draw a quadrilateral shape.

I drew a _________________________.

5. Draw a shape with 3 vertices.

I drew a _________________________.

6. Draw a shape with all equal sides.

I drew a _________________________.
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Key Vocabulary:

Attributes (defining, non-defining)

Vertices
Triangles
Quadrilaterals

Technology needed:

SMART Board
Investigations for the Interactive Whiteboard program

Other required materials:

Shape cards
Poster board/construction paper
Power polygon manipulatives
Dot paper
Individual whiteboards with a marker and eraser

Accommodations:
There are no students identified with special needs or who are ELL/ESL in the
classroom. If I see a student struggling during independent practice I can provide oneto-one assistance or positive reinforcement to motivate the student to finish. I will also
allow adequate time for all students to complete the independent practice worksheet at
their own pace. Corrections will be done with the student one-to-one if needed.
Lesson 1 Making a Shape Poster
Lesson Opening:
Students will play Guess My Rule with the teacher on the SMART Board through
the Investigations software. The SMART Board has a circle drawn on it and two shape
cards placed in the center that have straight sides. The teacher is to tell the students
he/she has a secret rule for what shapes can go inside the circle. The shapes in the
middle already fit the secret rule. The teacher will show another shape card. Students
that think the shape card goes in the circle stand up. The students that dont think the
shape card goes in the circle sit down. The goal is to get as many shapes inside the
circle before guessing what the rule is. Once there are many cards in the circle, ask a
student what the secret rule is. Check if the rule they mention applies to the image on
the SMART Board. After having a student state the correct rule, ask what rule the
shapes outside of the circle would have (do not have all straight sides). Play another
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round of Guess my Rule if you feel it is necessary. The next rule can be only triangles
allowed in the circle.
Instructional Input:
Explain to the students that they will be using the shape cards presented in
Guess My Rule to do their activity today. Tell the students that they will be sorting 18
shape cards into two, three, or four groups. Present 6 shape cards on the SMART
Board (two squares, a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, and a semicircle). Model a way to
sort the shape cards. For example, I see two squares. I can make a square group.
Model another way students could create a group (four sides). To check for
understanding, ask the students if there is another kind of group they could make.
Guided Practice:
Pair the students into groups and hand each duo a set of shape cards. Allow the
students to pass out the 18 cards on the floor. Have the students start arranging the
cards into groups with their partner. Throughout this time the teacher should be going
to each group and asking how they are sorting their cards (the names of each group). If
a group cannot decide how to sort the cards, pick two cards up and ask the students
what is something that is the same or different about the two shapes.
Independent Practice:
Once the groups have their shape groups decided, allow the students to finish
sorting the shapes into the correct category. Once they are done sorting, have the
students glue their shape groups on a piece of poster board/construction paper. The
students need to write the name of each shape group on the poster as well.
Lesson Closing:
Allow the groups to present their shape posters. Make sure each group tells the
name of each shape group they have created. Point out to the students how different
the class has arranged the same 18 shape cards.
Lesson 2 Describing Triangles
Lesson Opening:
Display the power polygons slide from the Investigations software on the SMART
Board. Ask the students what shapes they see displayed on the SMART Board.
(Students learned the shape names from the previous unit). Tell the students that we
will be talking about triangles today. Since we are only talking about triangles today,
lets sort these shapes into a triangle group and a non-triangle group. Allow one
student at a time drag a triangle into the collection box to form a triangle group on the
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SMART Board. Ask the students how they know each shape was a triangle. (3 sides, 3
points/corners, straight sides)
Instructional Input:
Explain to the students that mathematicians have a special word for
corners/points of a shape. They are called vertices. All triangles have 3 vertices and
three sides; those are defining attributes of a triangle (they make it a triangle). To help
students remember that sides and vertices are defining attributes you can teach them
this song to the tune of The Farmer and the Dell:
Sides and vertices,
Sides and vertices,
Sides and vertices of a shape are defining attributes
Display the slide of Dot Paper from the Investigations software on the SMART
Board. Tell the students that they will be making different size triangles on their own dot
paper. To make a triangle on dot paper, first you circle 3 dots; those are the vertices.
Then you connect the dots you circled with straight lines. Some lines will not touch
another dot on the way, this is okay! Model a few different size triangles for the
students. Once you think they understand how to draw triangles on the dot paper,
check for understanding by asking how you draw triangles on the dot paper.
Guided Practice:
Pass out a sheet of dot paper to each student. Draw a triangle together as a
class. For example, pick the first dot on the left hand corner, the dot 3 spaces down,
and the dot 3 spaces to the right from the 2nd circled dot. Connect the sides and then
check to see if each student drew the same triangle on their paper.
Independent Practice:
Allow students to practice drawing different size triangles on the dot paper. Tell
them to avoid drawing the same triangle. At the end, students can count how many
different triangles they have drawn and write that number at the bottom of the paper.
Students can also color each triangle a different color.
Lesson Closing:
Ask the students what two new mathematician words they have learned in this
lesson (defining attributes and vertices). Review what vertices mean. Review what
defining attributes are (sing the song) and have the students say the defining attributes
of a triangle.
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Lesson 3 Describing Quadrilaterals

Lesson Opening:
Sing the defining attributes song from the previous lesson. Then, ask students if
they know what the word quadrilateral means. If no student knows or says the right
answer, tell the students a quadrilateral is a shape with four straight, connected sides.
Then, ask students if they know an example of a quadrilateral. Students should be able
to come up with square, rectangle, trapezoid, and rhombus from previous unit. Display
the power polygons slide from the Investigations software on the SMART Board. Since
we are only talking about quadrilaterals today, lets sort these shapes into a
quadrilateral group and a non-quadrilateral group. Allow one student at a time drag a
quadrilateral into the collection box to form a quadrilateral group on the SMART Board.
Ask the students how they know each shape was a quadrilateral. (4 sides, 4 vertices,
straight sides)

Instructional Input:
Display the slide of Dot Paper from the Investigations software on the SMART
Board. Tell the students that they will be making different size quadrilaterals on their
own dot paper. To make a quadrilateral on dot paper, first you circle 4 dots; those are
the vertices. Then you connect the dots you circled with straight lines. Some lines will
not touch another dot on the way, this is okay! Model a few different size quadrilaterals
for the students. Once you think they understand how to draw quadrilaterals on the dot
paper, check for understanding by asking how you draw quadrilaterals on the dot paper.
Guided Practice:
Pass out a sheet of dot paper to each student. Draw a quadrilateral together as
a class. For example, pick the first dot on the left hand corner, the dot 3 spaces down,
and the dot 3 spaces to the right from the 2nd circled dot, and the dot 3 spaces above
the 3rd circled dot (forms a square). Connect the sides and then check to see if each
student drew the same quadrilateral on their paper.
Independent Practice:
Allow students to practice drawing different sizes and shapes of quadrilaterals on
the dot paper. Tell them to avoid drawing the same quadrilateral. At the end, students
can count how many different quadrilaterals they have drawn and write that number at
the bottom of the paper. Students can also color each quadrilateral a different color.
Lesson Closing:
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Ask the students what the new mathematician word was today (quadrilateral).
Have students sing the song for defining attributes and then say how many sides and
vertices a quadrilateral has.
Lesson 4 Comparing Shapes
Lesson Opening:
Ask the students what we have learned the last few days. Some responses
should be triangles, defining attributes, vertices, and quadrilaterals. Sing the song of
defining attributes as well.
Instructional Input:
Tell the students that there are attributes/characteristics about shapes that do not
define the shape. Non-defining attributes are the size of the shape and the color of the
shape. These two attributes do not determine if a shape is a specific shape. Model an
example with one of the power polygon manipulatives. Hold up a small, orange square.
Tell the students that the defining attributes of the square are 4 sides and 4 vertices.
Then, tell the students that the non-defining attributes are the shape being orange and
that it is a small one compared to the other manipulatives. To check for understanding,
hold up another power polygon manipulative like a green, large triangle. Ask the
students what the defining attributes are and the non-defining attributes.
Guided Practice:
For guided practice students will be paired and given a bag of power polygon
mainpulatives. The students will take turns of taking a polygon from the bag and
describing the defining attributes and the non-defining attributes to their partner. The
partner must confirm if the person was right. The teacher will walk around during this
time and hear each student describe a polygon at least once.
Independent Practice:
Students will complete a worksheet from the Investigations curriculum. The
worksheet has lots of shapes on it and asks the students to color all the triangles blue
and color all the squares red. The students then have to write how many sides a
triangle and square have, and how many vertices.
Lesson Closing:
Ask the students: what are the two attributes that define a shape, and the two
attributes that dont define a shape?
Lesson 5 Review and Assessment
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Lesson Opening:
Ask the students what they have learned in math class this week. Review with
them. Some responses should be triangles, defining attributes, vertices, quadrilaterals,
and non-defining attributes. Sing the song of defining attributes as well.
Instructional Input:
Ask the students if they remember playing the game Guess My Rule on the
SMART Board (review how to play the game if needed). Tell the students that you will
give a rule(s) out loud and they have to draw a shape that meets the given rule(s) on
their individual whiteboard. For example, draw a shape that has 3 vertices. Model how
you would draw the shape on the SMART Board.
Guided Practice:
Have the students do the following drawings:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

A shape with equal sides.

A quadrilateral. (point out the different drawings)
A shape with 3 vertices.
A shape with 2 long sides and 2 short sides.
A shape with 4 vertices.

While students are drawing, give assistance when needed. Review with the
students what the difference is between defining attributes and non-defining
attributes.
Independent Practice:
Students will take the post-assessment as shown above.
Lesson Closing: n/a
V. Analysis of Student Learning
Task: Candidates analyze the assessment data, including pre/post assessments, to
determine students progress related to the learning objectives.
The following results were derived from my math unit titled Describing and
Sorting Shapes. Nineteen out of the twenty 1st grade students completed the same preand post-assessment for this unit. Student profiles consisted of 9 girls and 11 boys with
varying levels of ability. This math unit was designed with five lessons for 50 minute
each, for a total of five days. Two objectives were developed for my math unit:
differentiate among defining attributes (vertices and sides) and non-defining attributes
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(color and size) of a shape with 100% accuracy, and draw a shape that matches a given
rule (a defining attribute) stated with 100% accuracy. Both math unit objectives were
administered through an independent quiz. The subsequent tables demonstrate
student performance of each objective and objective outcomes. The student or
students meeting each objective are highlighted in blue.
Objective 1
Student Pre-Assessment
Assessment
Student defining Non-defining
1
2
X
3
4
5
6
7
X
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Student Post-

Student defining non-defining

1
X
X
2
X
X
3
X
X
4
X
X
5
X
X
6
X
X
7
X
X
8
X
X
9
X
X
10
X
X
11
X
X
12
X
X
13
X
14
X
X
15
X
X
16
17
X
18
N/A
N/A
19
X
X
20
X
X

The independent quiz utilized for pre- and post-assessment consisted of two multiple
choice questions for objective 1. Students were asked what two examples of defining
attributes are, and what two examples of non-defining attributes are. The students
needed to circle sides and vertices for the first question, and color and size for the
second question. Only 2 students answered the defining attributes question correctly
on the pre-assessment; none of the students answered the non-defining attributes
question correctly on the pre-assessment. I did ask student 2 and 7 if he and she knew
what defining attributes meant because I was shocked they received the correct
answer. They both stated they did not know what the big word meant and that they
guessed on the quiz. According to the table above, all students passed objective 1
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except students 13, 16, 17, and 18. Through a multiple intelligence survey administered
at the beginning of school year, student 13 and 17 are both high in the musical
category. I believe they both answered correctly on the defining attributes question
because we sang a defining attributes song multiple times throughout the week. When
learning about non-defining attributes there was not a designated song to go with the
information presented, so a lack of connection possibly occurred. Student 16 mixed the
two answers up and student 18 was out of school ill for 3 days including the assessment
day.
Objective 2
Student Pre-Assessment
Student quadrilateral 3 vertices equal sides
1
X
2
X
X
3
4
5
X
6
X
7
X
X
8
9
X
10
11
X
12
X
X
13
X
14
15
16
17
18
19
X
X
20
X

Post-Assessment
Student quadrilateral 3 vertices equal sides
1
X
X
X
2
X
X
X
3
X
X
X
4
X
X
X
5
X
X
X
6
X
X
X
7
X
X
X
8
X
X
X
9
X
X
X
10
X
X
11
X
X
X
12
X
X
13
X
X
14
X
X
15
X
X
X
16
X
X
X
17
X
X
X
18
N/A
N/A
N/A
19
X
X
X
20
X
X
X

Objective 2 was drawing a shape that matches a given rule (a defining attribute) stated
with 100% accuracy. None of the students completely met this objective on the preassessment. First grade is the first time when students hear and understand what the
word quadrilateral means; the majority of the students left that question blank because
they were perplexed on the word quadrilateral. Eleven students out of twenty could
draw at least one shape given the rule stated on the pre-assessment. According to the
chart above all students reached objective 2 on post-assessment except students 10,
12, 13, 14, and of course student 18 was unavailable due to illness. Students 10 and
21

14 drew a circle, student 12 drew a trapezoid, and student 13 drew a rectangle. By

knowing the academic levels of the 4 students, I believe those 4 students did not truly
understand what the word equal meant. Though we discussed what shapes have all
equal sides during class, I did not spend a great percentage of class time discussing
what equal meant.
Students Combined Test Score Results
14
12

Test Scores

10
8
Pre-Test

Post-Test

4
2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Students

Examining the overall student test scores demonstrates that all students made
improvements (exclusion of student 18). Only 6 students did not receive a 100% on the
unit quiz. It is noteworthy to add that students increased the post-assessment scores
by a group average of 10.37 points from their pre-assessment score. The average
post-assessment score is 13.37 out of 14 points.
Unit Reflection
Overall I believe my math unit lesson went well. My students were actively
engaged in the lessons throughout the unit, I provided hands-on materials and the
concepts the students were learning were also hidden within fun activities. In addition
to the identified math concepts, my students also performed basic social skills such as
waiting your turn, sharing, and working together. At the beginning of each lesson I
asked the students what we have learned during previous days in math class. The
students were anxious to share with me what we have been learning each time I asked.
Throughout my lessons I provided quick transitions such as modeling, checking for
understanding, guided practice and independent practice. I also had my materials and
Smart Board software prepared in advance of presenting the lesson. Subsequently
misbehavior was virtually nonexistent due to the structured lesson design and
presentation.
22

Though most of my math unit lessons ran smoothly, I have contemplated a few
changes I would make for similar lesson plans. Since two students did not distinguish
what a non-defining attribute was, I would implement a second song to reinforce what a
non-defining attribute is. By incorporating another song, students can make
connections on remembering what a non-defining attribute is. Secondly, this lesson
was presented on the week of Halloween. With the plan of events for Halloween on a
Friday filled, I was unable to have a review time. I chose to skip the review part of the
last lesson and jump into the assessment. I feel that the review would have helped the
student that switched the first objective answers around, and have additional time to
review what shapes have all equal sides. In my next similar lesson plan I will discuss
with the students more in depth what all equal sides in a shape means as well.
The data displayed in the tables above shows proof of student learning for each
objective. Reviewing the overall combined test score results demonstrates that each
student increased their post-assessment score from their pre-assessment score; these
overall findings confirm that student learning was obtained.
VI. Reflection and Self-Evaluation - Goals
Task: Candidates reflect and evaluate progress toward personal and professional
goals. Write one goal with procedure and evaluation for each area of NSUs School of
Educations Conceptual Framework:

Knowledge of Self as an Individual

Knowledge of the Learner
Knowledge of Content
Knowledge of Pedagogy
Knowledge of Self as a Teacher and Member of a Learning Community

Knowledge of Self as an Individual

Goal: I will provide opportunities for all students to learn and succeed in a
positive classroom climate.
Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by adjusting assignments and instruction
to meet the needs of all students, calling on each student throughout the day,
and providing positive comments to the class and individuals.
Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal by making sure I have popsicle sticks or a
list of student names that I can check to make sure each student had a turn at
answering questions. I will also check to make sure each lesson plan meets the
needs of all students. Lastly, at the end of each day I will self reflect if I gave the
class multiple positive comments to the class and individually to create a positive
atmosphere in my classroom.
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Knowledge of Content
Goal: I will present accurate knowledge of major concepts and vocabulary of the
subject I am teaching.
Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by studying the content I will be teaching
in advanced. To fulfill this goal I must present the knowledge and vocabulary to
be taught through only valid resources (their textbook, creditable outside
resources, state standards).
Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal through self evaluation. I will question
myself if I have used accurate knowledge of major concepts and vocabulary
through valid resources. I also will ask my cooperating teacher if she felt I
reached this goal.
Knowledge of Learner
Goal: I will incorporate my students learning styles in my lesson plans.
Procedure: I will accomplish this goal by having the students fill out a Gardners
multiple intelligences survey with my assistance. After filling out the survey I will
tally the results and make note of the popular intelligences in my classroom. The
top intelligences will be placed in my lesson plans.
Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal through self evaluation. I will check to make
sure my lessons incorporate the top multiple intelligences in my classroom.
Knowledge of Pedagogy
Goal:

I will give directions and assignments clearly and accurately.

Procedure: To accomplish this goal I will state the directions out loud to the
classroom in an appropriate volume for all to hear. The students (as a class) will
then repeat the directions out loud back to me. Before this process starts I must
have the attention of the whole class. The same process goes for presenting
assignments.
Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal through self evaluation if I went through the
procedure I described above. I also will know if I presented direction and
assignments clearly and accurately based on my students work or behavior. If
students are asking tons of questions or are not doing what they are told, then I
know I did not accomplish this goal at the time.
Knowledge of Self as a Teacher and Member of a Learning Community
Goals: I will use constructive criticism to improve and refine my teaching skills.
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Procedure: To accomplish this goal I will take notes during triad meetings or
mini-meetings with my cooperating teacher about skills I can improve or refine. I
will post the notes on the front of my binder so I can see them before each
subject/activity. By viewing the notes before activities, I can work on those skills
throughout the activities while it is fresh in my mind.
Evaluation: I will evaluate this goal through self evaluation. I will check that I
have made accurate notes of the constructive criticism my university supervisor
and cooperating teacher stated. I will also evaluate this goal through the
evaluations of my university supervisor and cooperating teacher and/or their
feedback the following meetings. The feedback will determine if I still need to
work on the skill or if I have improved or refined the skill.

The Elementary Education Student Teaching Experience had a major impact on

my professional development. I analyzed an individual student, planned and
implemented numerous lesson plans including a unit lesson, attended parent-teacher
conferences, staff development days and strived to reach my goals. Throughout my
experience there were several successes, challenges and components identified for
future improvement or redesign. Each one of these experience factors contributed to
my growth, development and goal achievement as a professional. At this time, I reflect
on my student teaching experience to determine goal accomplishment and ongoing goal
achievement.
My first goal, categorized as knowledge of self as an individual, was stated as I
will provide opportunities for all students to learn and succeed in a positive classroom
environment. To accomplish this goal I adjusted instruction to meet the needs of all
students, called on each student throughout the day, and provided positive comments to
the class and individuals. To adjust instruction to meet the needs of individual students,
I would give some students more guided practice time and assistance before moving
25

into independent practice. I wanted to make sure each student completely understood
the concept presented before performing work on their own. I originally planned to
adjust assignments as well, but none of my students required accommodations or
modifications. The cooperating teacher pre-made Popsicle sticks with each students
name on them; I used these Popsicle sticks daily to allow each student an opportunity to
voice their opinion. Popsicle sticks also held each student responsible for an answer
since students did not have to raise their hands. Lastly, I provided positive comments to
the class and individuals throughout the day. When writing my goals at the beginning of
the experience, I wrote I would evaluate this aspect of the goal through reflection at the
end of the day. I found myself reflecting after each lesson presented to the class. I
believe it is vital for teachers to provide positive feedbacks frequently in a lesson to
confirm to the students your expectations are being met in behavior and academically.
By adjusting instruction to meet the needs of all students, calling on each student
throughout the day, and reflecting on how often I have used positive feedback
throughout the day, I believe this goal was accomplished. In the future I will continue to
display concern, respect, and provide positive feedback for my students so they can all
succeed and reach their potential.
My second pre-written goal categorized as knowledge of content, was stated as
I will present accurate knowledge of major concepts and vocabulary of the subject I am
teaching. I composed this goal from my elementary junior field experience due to only
partial accomplishment. In order to fulfill this goal I studied the content I was teaching
the next day, the preceding evening. After school I would look over the technology
aspect of the schools math and reading curriculum. After reviewing the interactive
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materials, I would take my cooperating teachers teaching manuals home and review
them before the following day. The resources I used to teach the subject matter were
from the schools curriculum textbooks and curriculum software. Outside resources for
science and social studies topics were approved picture books from the schools library.
My second goal was assessed by my cooperating teacher as well. My
cooperating teacher stated the following: I feel as if Miranda has continually met the
goal of presenting accurate concepts and vocabulary while doing her student teaching.
She was well prepared while teaching reading and used the teacher's manual as a
guide. I have a power point that she studied and was familiar with and used during the
teaching of her lessons. She has met the same goal while teaching Math and has also
brought in creditable outside resources for extra practice and support. My cooperating
teacher and I both appraised this goal as accomplished. In the future I will continue to
study the teachers manual and other creditable outside resources to present valid
information to my students.
The third goal, categorized as knowledge of learner, was I will incorporate my
students learning styles in my lesson plans. The first week of observation for my
student teaching experience I administered a one-to-one multiple intelligences survey. I
administered the survey individually because I didnt want the students to fill the survey
out incorrectly and also circle answers because their desk neighbor did. After tallying
up the results, I found that 12 of the students are visual/spatial, 4 of the students are
bodily/kinesthetic, and 4 of the students are verbal/linguistic according to their topmost
results; fourteen of the students lean more towards interpersonal and 6 students lean
towards intrapersonal. By keeping the multiple intelligence survey in mind, I developed
27

my lesson plans to be hands on/active, with lots of information in picture formats and
allowing the students to draw what they know, and also explaining directions and
information verbally. My lessons also involved plenty of group/partner work, but also a
time where students can express their knowledge through individual work. My math unit
lesson plan is a great example of involving all of the components I have developed
through the multiple intelligence survey. This goal was accomplished strongly. In the
future I hope to give all my students a multiple intelligence survey. The information
assists a teacher to learn about each student and allows the teacher to teach difficult
subject matter to their students utmost strengths.
I will give directions and assignments clearly and accurately, was the fourth
goal I wrote under the category of knowledge of pedagogy. To accomplish this goal I
needed to have the full attention of the whole class. To get their attention I used my
behavior management strategy of hands on top that means stop. Then I stated the
directions out loud to the classroom in an appropriate volume for all to hear. I originally
wrote that the class would then repeat the directions out loud back to me. Sometimes I
found that this procedure was unnecessary and left that part of the procedure out.
Students did not ask many questions, but clarity was at times needed. I did ask
students to ask their neighbor if they had a question on directions to provide the
students responsibility of listening to the directions the first time. I would consider this
goal partially completed due to the fact that students sometimes asked me additional
questions for clarity. In the future I will continue to work on presenting directions clearly
where clarity is un-needed.

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My fifth and final goal categorized as knowledge of self as a teacher and member
of a learning community was I will use constructive criticism to improve and refine my
teaching skills. Throughout each triad meeting and mini-meetings with my cooperating
teacher I took notes to better enhance my teaching skills. I would review the notes each
day before the students came down to the classroom from the gym in the morning.
Through my evaluations by my cooperating teacher and university supervisor and
discussions throughout the meetings, they both felt I displayed the majority of the
components listed on the evaluation forms. When constructive criticism was given, the
suggestions were minimal and quick fixes. Miranda was eager to improve and refine
her teaching skills during her student teaching experience. She was very good about
asking for constructive criticism, especially at the beginning of her experience, to make
changes and continue to grow toward her goal, stated my cooperating teacher. Both
my university supervisor and cooperating teacher believe I am ready for my own future
classroom; this goal was appraised accomplished by all three individuals.
Overall the Elementary Education Student Teaching Experience impacted my
professional development by allowing me the opportunity to determine a students
educational perspective, adjust my instruction and implement effective strategies to best
meet students educational needs and actively assist them to reach their full potential.
Over the span of my Elementary Education Student Teaching Experience I was able to
positively impact students growth in learning and create a positive classroom
environment. The experience proved to be rewarding education for the students,
teachers and student teacher.

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References and Credits

McCormick, S. & Zutell, J. (2011). Instructing students who have literacy problems (6th
ed., p. 9). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

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