McDaniel College Deaf (Bilingual) Education Program

Practicum Reflection Journal
(for all observations and activities)

       Date:     10/5/18                Time    8:30­9:00                 Number of hours     30 minutes
      School Kendall Demonstration Elementary School
Category (check all that apply):          Age 0­5          ✓  K­Gr. 2          ✓  Gr. 3­5            Middle        __ High 

        ✓  Reg class            __ Res. Life              
  ✓ Special Needs            __ Mainstream               Support Services  

      ___Other: ___________________

Conceptual Framework Used for this Reflection: (check all that apply)

✓  K = Knowledge   
✓  D = Diversity  
✓ AB = Attitudes & Behaviors (Dispositions) 
     ✓  R = Reflection  
✓  C = Communication   
____T = Technology

Description (Technical Level) – The classroom consists of 5 third to fifth grade

students. The teacher shared the classroom dynamics: The class is flex class, best fitting the
students’ needs, and the students are at Question-Answer Strategy (QAR) graded 0-6 reading
level. The students’ needs vary from regulating emotions/ impulsive and expanding American
Sign Language (ASL) vocabularies. Two students A and B have arrived from Saudi Arabia and
Mexico without any knowledge of ASL. Students C and D needs support to work on regulating
their emotions in order to reduce the impulsive behavior of throwing things, hitting classmates,
running away, and saying improper things. Student E demonstrated global developmentally
delayed in the areas of communication/ language, reading, and mathematics. The teacher is deaf
and she uses American Sign Language (ASL) as the primary language of communication. There
are two one-one-teacher aides working with students C and D. The teacher aides use ASL as
primary language of communication. The class will be observed throughout the day including
seven different content of instruction.
Middle school students did not attend HOD as they went on a field trip. All of the
observed students played four corner outside with other students, except for student D. Student D
spent his time at the cafeteria with train sets. He sat in front of a bin with trains and held a train
ramp, feeling the wooden tracks. His one-one teacher aide explained that student D had held the 
same train ramp for 10 minutes as he needs to meet his sensory needs (R) (AB) (D). The student 
switched the train ramp for another train ramp with a different design and held it for 20 minutes. 
When the lights flashed off and on, the teacher aide prompted Student D to clean up by 
demonstrating putting some of the train sets in the bin and the student put down the train ramp in
the bin (K). As the students gathered in the designed spot to meet the teacher, the teacher shared 
that the students will have a surprise activity (C). 

To be continued on Reflection #11.

Analysis (Contextual Level) – As the older, bigger middle school students are not
around, the younger students seemed to demonstrate more confidence with playing four corner
activity by being assertive (R) (D).

Critical Reflection (Dialectical Level) –   Hands On Deck (HOD) has demonstrated 

its effectiveness as it provided students the time and opportunity to release outside stress by 
interacting with peers, which creates opportunities for a smooth transition to class structure (R) 
(AB). However I wonder if the activities provided such as kickball, volleyball, four corner, 
Frisbee, soccer and basketball would change throughout year. Sometimes, when the students get 
tired of routinely activities, they would lose focus, act out and then the benefits of HOD might 
lose its purpose. For example Frisbee could turn something into an ultimate Frisbee to create 
more challenging cooperative between the team players. Additionally instead of soccer, the 
students could be introduced to a similar and new concept—crab soccer. As the basic sports 
change into something new, it would enhance students’ problem­solving skills as they are 
learning new rules, game strategies and how to work with others (R) (D). When I return to work 
on Tuesday, I will share the ideas with others (R).