ED 321 Self-Assessment 4 (Observed)

Planning and Preparation (AEA: Conceptualization, DiagnosisWTS: 1,7DISP: Respect Responsibility)

The lesson objective was given to me by my cooperating teacher: mastering onestep equations with integers. From this objective, I extrapolated somewhat, since I knew
that every student was, at this point, at least working on one-step equations, while many
were even working on objectives beyond that. As a result, I knew that many students
would need to be challenged, while others might not be able to perform at as high a level.
This led me to incorporate an activity that students could perform at their own
developmental level in mathematics, which was to create an equation in which the
variable was equal to -9. The only other rule in this activity was that the equation
students wrote had to have at least one step to solve. While I encouraged students to
challenge themselves and to create equations with more than one step, if they felt able,
very few students in the first session did so. They simply did one-step equations, which
they then passed to their table-partners. Their table-partners then solved the equation on
the back side of the original paper. This activity creating an equation and then solving
it, and, if necessary, working with your partner to make sure that the variable was equal
to -9 allowed me to assess students on both being able to solve a one-step equation and
on being able to create a one-step equation, the latter of which demanded a higher level
of interaction with the material and a higher level of thinking.

Before getting into the activity, I led a review session about how to add/subtract,
multiply, and divide with integers in order to solve one-step equations with variables.
This was based on my objective that students be able to (at a minimum) add and subtract
in one-step equations to solve for variables, and meant to ensure that all students would
be able to comfortably participate in the equation-creation activity.

Classroom Environment (AEA: Coordination, Integrative InteractionWTS: 2,3,5DISP: Respect,

Responsibility)

Because this was not only my observed lesson, but also the lesson in which I
completed my discipline assessment for ED-321 (which required that we either address a
discipline issue or analyze how we could have done so more effectively), I had both my
field supervisor and a camera in the room. I anticipated that students might behave oddly
in front of the camera, so I gave them a brief window of time in which they could goof
off while the camera was rolling. The students in this class are generally well-behaved,
but I didnt want to take that for granted. By anticipating distraction or anxiety about the
camera, I was able to take a proactive stance and to prevent any need for reactive
discipline in the class. While its difficult to prove that their good behavior was the result
of being given permission to blow off some steam before the lesson, I feel strongly that
the small acknowledgement of the cameras presence did make a difference, because they
were especially well-behaved.

Instruction (AEA: Communication, Coordination, Diagnosis, Integrative InteractionWTS: 2,3,4,5,6,7DISP:

Respect Responsibility),

Assessment (AEA: Diagnosis, Integrative InteractionWTS: 8,9DISP: Respect,

Reflection), Professional

Responsibilities (AEA: Communication, Integrative InteractionWTS: 10DISP:

Collaboration, Communication)

I analyzed the students work after conducting the equation-creation activity, and
feel as though many of them could have challenged themselves more. Based on feedback
from my cooperating teacher and my field supervisor, however, I realized that during the
activity, I could have walked around the classroom more, and that this might have
prompted the students to ask questions more freely if theyd needed or to think more
deeply about the work involved in their equations. Fortunately, they did all meet my
objective, though, creating one-step equations in which the variable was equal to -9.
This activity met the lesson objectives by requiring students to really understand
how equations work and what is needed to make them fit together a certain way, and the
assessment was embedded into the activity. I really liked the way the activity worked in
relation to the lesson, but next time I use an activity in the class, I will definitely walk
around the room more to give students better opportunities to ask questions or raise their
thoughts with me.

Professional Responsibilities (AEA: Communication, Integrative InteractionWTS: 10DISP:

Collaboration, Communication)

Fortunately, I was able to perform this lesson a second time immediately after receiving
feedback from my cooperating teacher and my field supervisor from the first run-through. I took
their two main points of advice (writing the equation requirements on the SmartBoard and

walking around the room while students worked on their equations), and they really made a big
difference. In the second class, though the students had never been involved with a lesson from
me, I saw students really challenging themselves, and they shared their ideas and questions with
me more freely when I was in and amongst them during the activity. The discussion, too, was
much livelier with the second group. Whether this was because the camera and my field
supervisor were missing from the equation, I cant be sure, but the lesson definitely went much
better the second time around, after I was able to apply the feedback and suggestions Id gotten
from my cooperating teacher and my field supervisor.