edTPA questions

Instruction Commentary Instruction

Task 2, you will write a commentary, responding to the prompts below. Your commentary should be no more
than 6 single-spaced pages, including the prompts. If needed, insert no more than 2 additional pages of
supporting documentation for the videorecordings at the end of the commentary (e.g., digital copies of
indiscernible materials or transcriptions of inaudible comments). These additional pages do not count toward
the commentary page limit noted above.

1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clip(s)? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan number.

The lesson in the video clip is my Lab D lesson. This lesson was my third lesson of the semester.

2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment

Refer to scenes in the video clip(s) where you provided a safe, respectful, and organized learning environment.

a. Describe how you provided a positive, low-risk emotionally and physically safe environment.
b. Explain how rules, routines, and transitions maximized students’ engagement in the lesson.

At the start of the lesson I told the class to choose their own partners. This provided a positive
environment because they all chose their friends to be their partners. At 44 seconds I started playing
music that went along with my instant activity to provide some positive and low-risk emotion to my
lesson. The music could have kept everyone engaged and promoted a positive vibe of the class. At 2:35 I
started my safety statement about how to keep a physically safe environment for the lesson.

At the start of the lesson I had students engaged right away with an instant activity. I had them transition
at approximately 2:20 to the baseline to get some information about the lesson for the day and about our
objectives and safety for the day. At 2:30 I started explaining the task and rules of the lesson and giving
the safety statement. Having quick transitions into task and dialogue about the lesson kept everyone
engaged in the lesson and helped get the class into a routine.

3. Engaging Students in Learning

Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your response to the prompt.

a. Explain how you actively engaged students in learning tasks aligned with the objectives of the lesson
in the psychomotor domain and at least one other learning domain (cognitive, affective).

In the lesson I had the students engaged in learning the psychomotor domain by completing the tasks
I had assigned. They practiced two different parry’s in fencing parry 4 and parry 6. My objective
was to have them successfully perform the parry’s at least 5 times. I had the students then work on
the cognitive domain by asking check for understanding questions about my objectives of defining a
parry and a riposte. At the end of class I had the students define both a parry and riposte on an exit
slip.

4. Strengthening Student Competencies

Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your explanations.

a. Explain how you actively monitored students’ actions during the learning task(s) and asked
questions or provided corrective feedback to improve student competencies.

During the lesson I walked around and made sure to keep my head on a swivel to see all of the
students in my vision. I made sure never to have my back to any of the students. I would ask them
check for understanding questions during the lesson to make sure they understood what the lesson
objectives were. I also walked around and had some corrective feedback to students who were
struggling with certain aspects of the skill.

b. Explain how you used instructional cues/prompts, explorations/demonstrations, and/or student

analysis of their own and/or others’ psychomotor skills to develop student competencies in the
psychomotor and at least one other learning domain (cognitive, affective)

I made sure to demonstrate the task in different ways. I demonstrated the task without
equipment and then I demonstrated the task with the equipment so the students could
see what it looked like with and without the equipment. I gave the students cues about
both parry’s. For parry 4 I used the cue of wrist down so they would rotate their wrist
down and for parry 6 I used the cue wrist up so they would rotate their wrist up for the
parry. I then had the students. Each analyze each other performing the skill on a peer
assessment sheet. I used some check for understanding questions to test the students
knowledge of the objectives for the day in the cognitive domain. I had them define
parry and riposte on an exit slip at the end of class.

5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) 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 (e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, students with
higher/lower proficiency levels, underperforming students or those with gaps in content knowledge, or
students needing greater support or challenge).

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.