STEP Standard 7 – Reflecting on Instruction to Improve Student
Progress
Improved Practice Based on the Unit of Study
Based on the experience of developing and delivering your instructional unit, list three short-
term goals to improve specific areas of your teaching practice based on the unit of instruction
and describe your plan to reach each short-term goal.
Short-Term Goal
1. I taught this lesson based upon the
information that I my cooperating
teacher shared with me and what I had
learned about the students in the
classroom at this time. As I reflect
upon the lesson unit I taught. I
wished that I would have managed my
time more wisely at the beginning of
the lesson and provide the students
with better direct instruction. At the
start of the lesson, I believed I was
headed in the right the direction in
terms of my teaching what is the
beginning, the middle and the ending
of story. However, I realized my
nerves got the best of me which
caused me to doubt myself and lose
my train of thought which inevitable
caused me to lose track of time. My
short goal is to have better time
management skills by taking my time
when teaching and focus less on
having a perfect lesson and focus
more the students
needs/strengths/weaknesses of the
students of the classroom
2. As I continued to teach the students, I
realized that I wished I had gotten a
better sense of how the students
processed, learned, and retained the
information when it is being taught to
them. Differentiated instruction would
have been key in this lesson because
as I was teaching the lesson, I realized
that some of the students had not grasp
Plan to Reach the Goal (i.e., professional
development, research on the Internet,
observation of a veteran teacher, etc.)
Based on the experience of developing and
delivering my instructional unit. Here is a list
of short-term goals to improve specific areas
of your teaching practice based on the unit of
instruction. Here is my rationale for my short
goals. I choose these short-term goals with
the students’ strengths/needs /weaknesses in
minds along with me as a teacher.
I believe it would have been more beneficial
for me to watch and take notes from my
cooperating teacher (veteran teacher) as she
taught this lesson or a lesson similar to this
so that I could have an idea of how to
manage my time better and still be able to
teach the students the lesson that would
covered all their strengths/weaknesses/needs
so that they could master the skillset that was
being taught.
I would reach this goal by not only getting to
know my students better, but I would also
collaborate more with my cooperating teacher
as well as research the internet. To discover
for mays to differentiate this lesson according
to the needs/strengths and weaknesses of the
students. So that I was better prepared to
teach the lesson according to what would
have been more beneficial to them in ensuring
 the concept in the beginning, the that most of them would have mastered the
middle, and end of the story while I skill/strategies that was being taught to them
started teaching more of the story regarding the elements of a story.
elements like the problem and the
solution of the story.
Some students were unsure of how to
identify each story element. I felt bad
because in hindsight if I would utilize
a more efficient way of assessing the
students while I was teaching I could
have readjusted my lesson according
to climate of my students and their
capability to identify and using the
academic language of what the
elements of the story is: such as the
problem and solution of the problem.

3. By the end of this unit lesson, I
realized there were some things I
needed to change or readjust, based
upon the feedback that I received from
the students and my cooperating
teacher. I should have taken my time
to model each step of their
independent assignment so that they
understood what the expectation of the
assignment was. Instead of me
assuming that they knew how to
complete the task after giving them
the instruction as to how to complete
the task. I still should have taking
more time to demonstrate/ model how
to complete it/
To reach this goal, I should have asked more
clarifying questions such as: can you identify
what the beginning of the story is? How do
you know? Can you provide me with an
example or examples of how you know what
each element of the story is by referring to the
text that was just read to the class? To make
sure they were comprehending the lesson
before giving them the instruction to complete
the assignment. To ensure they would be
successful in mastering the skillset or
strategy.

Long-Term Goals: Teachers who are dedicated to their profession and to improving the lives of
students will continually look for ways to grow and learn. The best way to ensure that learning is
prioritized is to create a long-term goal. Create one long term goal that is specific and
measurable. Make sure to discuss the following:
Long-Term Goal:
Rationale: Why did you choose this goal? How As a teacher I am dedicated to my profession
do you expect it to improve the outcomes of your and improving the lives of students by
future students? continuing to look for ways to grow and learn

End Date: By when do you expect to accomplish
this goal?
Action Timeline: What steps will you take to
complete this goal, and by when will you take
them? Example:
1/31/18: Join AACTE
Resources: What resources are available to assist
you in accomplishing your goal?
by attending ongoing professional
development trainings and/or the conferences
that assist in the developmental process of me
becoming more of a distinguished teacher
inside and outside of the classroom in the
district I work for.
This goal is an ongoing goal because I believe
as a teacher it is in my best interest to not
become complacent in my teaching and
learning but to continue in an ongoing process
of become better at teaching for the
betterment of my students so that they too
will grow and learn on their academic journey
and become good citizens.
The steps that I will take to complete this goal
is ongoing until I believe that I have obtain
the knowledge and skillset to accomplish the
necessary steps to complete this goal. Since I
am a sponge, I don’t foresee me completing
this goal anytime soon because I enjoy
learning new strategies/tools to enhance my
teaching repertoire.
There are school/district/statewide trainings
that I can attend or are assigned to me as
teacher to ensure that I am accomplishing this
goal.