1. How did learning deeply about your students’ assets and learning needs
a. inform and/or shape your lesson plan for the whole class?
Learning about my students gave me more information that shaped my lesson plan because It enabled me to know how to handle the students individually and during group work. I understood my student’s strengths, weaknesses and interests which gave me an insight on how to help achieve their academic success. In addition to that, I understood areas where they could possibly struggle to understand and constructed my lesson plan with much emphasis on such areas considering that it would not be easy for them to understand Spanish as most of them have never spoken the language. The more I knew about my students the better I taught them.
It also helped me incorporate ways in which I would handle different students in my lesson plan. For instance, getting to understand the focus students shed more on how I should handle them as they had unique needs from the rest of the students. This provided a comfortable platform for them to learn in a comfortable manner just like the rest of the students. It made me understand that they needed more help and attention due to the circumstances that they were facing and for them to feel comfortable to learn like the rest, I incorporated the manner in which I would handle them separately in the lesson plan.
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b. support student access to and engagement with the content?
Knowing my students helped me understand that they learn and understand on different levels. In addition to that, some students speak well and others are good in writhing. With this in mind, I incorporated different learning methods in the teaching plan such as audio visual and the writing of poems for all of them to express themselves in the best way possible. I also provided room for extra lessons for students who learnt a slow pace so as to have them all on the same level before moving to the next activity. This enabled all students to be able to access information and engage in the learning process.
2. Was your lesson plan sufficiently flexible to support all students’ learning, or did you need to incorporate specific instructional, in-the-moment adaptations for particular students? Why or why not?
My lesson plan was sufficient to support all the students in learning and I did not need to add specific instructions for particular students because I had included all students in the plan. I used different teaching techniques that I had in the lesson plan such as class activities, group work and teaching students that had different levels of incorporating information. It also considered students with different kinds of needs and incorporated the best ways to accommodate such children. The structure of teaching and the student’s learning activities provided a platform for all students to be included in the learning process and allowed them to use their skills to their own advantage.
The activities in the lesson plan helped me identify any misunderstandings and gauge the students’ level of understanding. Moreover, the activities provided a platform for them to build on their vocabulary, participate in the lesson as a way of Making them to feel inclusive. It is important to break the class monotony and this was done by me incorporating the activity of standing up and sitting down in the lesson plan. By allowing students to wrote a poem about themselves, it provided an opportunity for them to express themselves during the lesson in the best way possible.
My lesson plan included all types of students including those with special needs. I provided room for additional lessons for students who learnt at a slow pace and I could determine this through the short tests that I had incorporated in the plan. It also addressed the focus students whereby I outlined how I would handle the traumatic student in the lesson plan without incorporating other external means same to focus student 1 and 3 who had IEP and those students who were Spanish learners. Moreover, the teaching methods that I outlined in lesson plan provided students to learn in the best way that they could as it considered those that are good at speaking and those that are good at writing. I did not need to incorporate other instructions alongside the lesson plan.
3. How did your instructional approach support learning for the whole class and for each of the 3 focus students to achieve the content-specific learning goal(s)?
The instructional teaching approach ensured that my students were independent and strategic learners all through the lesson. By giving them instructions through the lesson plan, the students were able to follow the instructions in completing their tasks and achieving their goals. This is because the instructions made them to be focused and fully attentive in the class activities. This is because of the organized information in the plan that helped them understand and remember what they learnt, the instructions monitored and accessed their learning and it made them to practice on how to be independent through appropriate support that included modelling.
By the students learning through following instructions, they got the opportunity to transfer skills from one situation to another. It provided them with an opportunity to be independent and put to practice what they had learnt for instance drawing pictures using descriptions. Moreover, they had a chance to assess themselves and to reflect on what they had learnt. Instructions provided the students with an opportunity to engage in cooperative learning activities such as working in small groups to complete certain tasks. This allowed for all group members to contribute towards task completion activities and this provided an opportunity for students to understand each other’s learning ability. It also encourages students to take responsibility for their learning.
Teaching through instructions was beneficial to the three focus students because they will have an idea of what they are expected to do during the lessons. The focus students with emotional needs will be comfortable as he will have a chance to decide the best way possible that will enhance his learning by following instructions from the lesson plan. Such students need to be fully involved even though they do not learn with the same pace as the rest of the class.
