Elementary Education

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within
the brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.

1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[In both videos, lesson 3 is being shown. The lesson starts off with a summary of Leprechaun
on the Loose. Later on, this lesson involved independent writing on how to make the best
Leprechaun trap they could possible make. The purpose of this lesson was for the students to
pull ideas from the two stories to go with their writing. Students drew a picture of their
leprechaun trap the previous day. To help with their writing, I gave them a sentence to start off
with. This lesson allows me to check their sentence structure and how well they are using strong
key details.]
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.

a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?
[In order to engage students in learning, I decided to bring the lesson to life. The main goal was
for the students to write about how their leprechaun trap will work by getting ideas from the
reading. To ensure that the students were not just doing hard work, their ideas were put towards
making changes to the classroom leprechaun box. In the video is also a paraprofessional. She
helps to guide one of the students with an IEP and struggling learners. Due to being an
independent writing piece, I respected the different ways students were thinking. Even if their
information were not in the stories. I challenge students to give me stronger words and more
details in their description.]
3. Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy

strategy and related skills.
[In the lesson 3.1 (1:43-2:22) video, the students and I are doing a guided summary. That
summary led up to our assignment for the day. The instructions given made students aware of
what their big goal was. It was to catch the leprechaun’s brother from the story Leprechaun on
the Loose. By pulling something from a story and bringing it to life, students are able to express
their creativity. They stated how their trap was the best and supported their answers. With
teacher guidance, the students wrote what was expected to happen when the leprechaun show
up to the trap.]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[This instruction linked students’ prior learning with new learning by using an event that is
occurring during the month the lesson was presents. Before the reading started, I asked them

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 Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

which holiday is in March. This allows me to see if they knew of St. Patrick’s Day. The
instruction also linked to the students’ ability to free-write. The prompt was to write about their
own trap. In the lesson 3.2 (0:30-0:54) video, I am helping a student that is not allowed to be in
the video. This student struggles to stay focus in what she is doing. By taking that into
consideration, I will read what she wrote and give her smaller changes to feed off of.]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.
a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
apply the essential literacy strategy using related skills to comprehend OR compose text.
[In the Lesson 3.1 (1:06-2:12) video, I am feeding off of my students responses to form the next
question. By thinking about the story step-by-step, students are comprehended what happened
before/during/after. Each discussion lead up to what the main goal was for the lesson.]
b. Explain how you modeled the essential literacy strategy AND supported students as
they practiced or applied the strategy to comprehend OR compose text in a meaningful
context.
[In the Lesson 3.1 (0:20-2:08) video, I modeled the essential literacy strategy by pulling the
answers out of the students. if they are not able to tell me how the book went, then they are not
prepared to write a piece on their own. The overall goal is to find the main idea of the story and
key details. Their answers led my discussion over the two books.
In the Lesson 3.2 (1:05-1:12) video, on the board is an example of how to start off their writing.
“My Leprechaun trap will work because…” Their job is to say why or how it works. What are
some things it used? In this clip, I am reading a student’s writing and seeing how she finished
out the statement on the board.]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. What changes would you make to your instruction—for the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challenge—to better support student learning of
the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support, such as students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students.
[For this assignment, I would make instructional changes for students who need greater
support. Many of those student are spread out. So I was not able to get to them in time to help
them through the lesson. For example, in the Lesson 3.2 (0:24-0:41) video, there a student in a
white shirt. She has an Early Intervention Plan (EIP) set for language arts. As shown in the
video, she becomes uncomfortable after a while of no support. As a teacher, I cannot save a
student every time they give up. However, I could have pulled the students who need more help
and put them in a group to help and feed off of each other.]
b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[These changes would improve student learning because it helps students to build connection
with others. The overall goal for this assignment wasn’t for everyone to be different. The goal

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 Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

was to pull some details from the stories and/or whatever lessons we used to discuss
leprechauns. Many students wrote about putting the leprechaun’s favorite food in the traps.
Many of the students concerns are thinking about more things to add. As a teacher, I am able to
guide creativity. However, as a small group, they are able to continue that support of creativity.]

Copyright © 2015 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 3 of 3 | 6 pages maximum
All rights reserved. V4_0915
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.