MUED 376: Choral Music, Materials & Techniques

(M2 & T)
Direct Instruction: Self-Assessment
Instructions: Select a 4 - 7 minute clip from one of your practicum teaching rehearsals
and review your direct instruction through answering the following questions. Please
write 3- 7 sentence answers for each question. Be thorough and specific.

1. Had I written out my script in a direct instruction model? Would it have helped
my lesson delivery and success if I had done so?
Yes, and it helped with the making and delivery of my lesson plan!

2. What was my ratio of 1, 2 and 3’s?

I had a majority of 1’s which I am very disappointed in. We were focusing on
discussion of lyrics and form of the piece, so I had about half of the direct instruction
being 2’s for student responses. In response to their discussion, I had lots of
comments that sounded like a “cheerleader,” (3A) but will strive to use upgraded
language.

3. Were my students doing lots of 2’s the entire time? Were they on task?
I think my students were on task! This was my first time with the students at Forest Park
and chose a very extroverted and personal lesson plan (talking about emotion and lyrics
and form in the song) which was too strong. That is something I should have reserved for
a later practicum if the choir had earned my trust and confidence.

4. Did I talk too much between every 2 and back to a 1?

I talked WAY TOO MUCH! Ugh. I was nervous and with being on zoom and I was
trying to “fill up” the quietness by talking. Instead, I should have confirmed they
heard/understood what I said and went on with the lesson plan and had more student
involvement.

5. What kind of 3’s did I use in this clip? Do I need to improve my use of 3’s and if
so, in what way?
As I said in question 2, I had a lot of “Cheerleader” responses to their answers to the
discussion. When discussing the lyrics, they would share what they interpreted as the
meaning and I said “yeah, really good,” “oh yes, I love your thinking,” “totally.” I NEED
to use upgraded behavior and follow their thoughts with more thought provoking, age-
appropriate questions.

6. Were there any DI errors in this script?

Getting off script was my biggest errors. I had lots of 1’s, not enough 2’s, and too many
cheerleading 3’s.

7. Did I turn any 1o’s into a 1a?

I tried my best to do this! Despite needing to upgrade my language, I did not write any
1o’s and did not go off script with any 1o’s during the lesson plan. I did pretty well with
this!
 8. What was the ‘pattern’ of the best ‘chunk’ in this teaching sequence? (For
example, 1a, 2p, 1a, 1d, 2v, 1o, 1a , 2p, 3sra)
Sadly, I felt as if I did not have as many effective chunks as I had hoped for. It was very
strange teaching on zoom without physically being in the room and feeling the vibe or
energy. It was difficult for me to see if they weren’t responding because they were shy, or
because of technical difficulties. I think I had their most attention during warmups where
I 1d, 2p, 3a; 1d, 2p, 3a.

9. To summarize, what were the strengths of my Direct Instruction Model in this

lesson?
understanding the use of indirect and direct instruction, knowing the numbers and their
letter names

10. To summarize, what were the weaknesses of my Direct Instruction Model in this
lesson?
Effectively using the instruction and adapting incase the lesson plan is “going south”

11. What are my next steps?

I need to become more fluent in effective use and combine that with my understanding.
I’'s like learning a language- if you can read Spanish really well, but speak it poorly, you
have a lot of work to do!