Running head: REFLECTIVR PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION

Reflective Planning and Instruction

Becca Roberts
Regent University

REFLECTIVE PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

Introduction
Reflective planning and instruction could be one of the most important aspects of
teaching, in my opinion. Not only are as teachers should we think about things that went well
and things that need to be changed, but it is essential for the teacher to know where their students
are in the lessons and the objectives. If a student is significantly behind in the classroom, this is
important to know. having the reflective time on planning and on the instruction can allow the
teacher time to think about where the students are. This time can be as simple as grading the
independent work that the did after a lesson. With this information a teacher can see what
students need to be pulled into a small group for more one on one time with instruction or if the

REFLECTIVE PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION

whole class needs to have more instruction on the topic. This can also show a teacher what
students are able to work in a small group together because they are on the same level.
Rational
The first article I chose is a timed math assessment that the students take. This is a page
full of 100 math problems the students should be able to recite from memory. The students have
5 minutes to complete this assessment. Once the students are able to master this page by not only
completing the whole thing, but completing it correctly, they can move onto the subtraction
sheet. These sheets encourage the students to practice more at home and at school because they
enter into clubs with each sheet. The students take one of these assessments about once every
two weeks, and it is an easy way for the teacher to see the progress the students are making. This
is especially important because simple addition is not something that is taught every day in the
math lessons.

The second article that I have chosen is a picture of different comprehension sheets for
different levels that the students are at. The students initially all take the same comprehension
assessment to see where they stand. Reading levels are easy to track with the PALS testing, but
comprehension is different for students in the second grade. Depending on the grade that the
students get on the initial comprehension sheet will determine where there students will place in
the groups they work with in groups. There are three different groups that the students can
receive in the comprehension sheets.
Rational for Article

REFLECTIVE PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION

At Regent we learned many things about being able to look at the lesson and think about
what went well. I cannot think of a specific lesson that was taught to help me be able to look
back at a lesson to help me reflect on a lesson; I believe that this is strictly instinct. As mentioned
before I believe that there are many aspects on reflecting over a lesson. One of the biggest ways
to reflect is to make sure the students are grasping the material that is being taught. Taggart said
effective teaching is a reflective decision maker who finds joy in learning and in investigating
the teacher/learning process (2005, p. 1). Being able to decide of the students truly are giving
their best in the work that they are doing is part of being an investigator.
Being a classroom teacher there is no way that things can go smoothly every day. Being a
teaching means constantly has to change things around to make sure that things are working for
the students. Being a teacher is also constantly looking at what the students are excelling or what
they are not doing well in. We must regularly examine what has worked and what hasnt in the
classroomthen take your answer and turn them into positive, resolute statement that gives you
concrete goals on which to focus immediately (Lewis). If the things that have been noticed
have not changed, there is no point in noticing the change.
References
Lewis, B. (n.d.). The Va;ue of Self-Reflection for Success in Teaching. Retrieved November 21,
2015, from
http://k6educators.about.com/od/professionaldevelopment/a/self_reflection.htm
Taggart, Germaine (2005). Promoting Reflective Thinking in Teachers: 50 Action Strategies.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.