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DOMAIN 3: INSTRUCTION

3a. Communicating with Students

  • Expectations for learning

  • Directions and procedures

  • Explanations of content

  • Use of oral and written language

Students benefit greatly from established classroom procedures that engage them in the lesson content from the moment they step into the classroom. To exemplify this, I have found extraordinary success with the creation of assigned classroom duties as well as "Do Nows" at both the high school and elementary levels. Below is an example of a "Do Now" set of instructions to engage high school students in a 3-part gallery walk lesson. 

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3b. Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

  • Quality of questions

  • Discussion techniques

  • Student participation

With the assistance of guided questioning techniques, students can be aided across the "discovery threshold" in which they are able to connect their learning to critical thinking skills and deepen their understanding of content knowledge and make meaningful connections. Watch students depicted below cross the discovery threshold as they are challenged to deepen thinking through guided questioning, which eventually prompts a student-led, Socratic seminar discussion technique. Unit: Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation in The Nutcraker 

3c. Engaging students in learning

  • Activities and assignments

  • Student groups

  • Instructional materials and resources

  • Structure and pacing

The following lesson plan demonstrates my strive to utilize student grouping strategies, technology resources, and other hands-on activities to allow students to experience a "game day" review/study session to prepare for an upcoming unit test.

3d. Using Assessment in Instruction

  • Assessment criteria

  • Monitoring of student learning

  • Feedback to students

  • Student self-assessment and monitoring

Both formative and summative assessment can be used to aid individual student learning and progress, as well as to reflect on next-steps for instruction. Below I have provided a summative assessment performance rubric designed for high school students upon their completion of group choreography in a social justice unit. 

3e. Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness

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  • Lesson adjustment

  • Response to students

  • Persistence

An effective teacher must have the capacity to adapt lessons instantaneously in response to student need in order to support student learning. Below is an example of a reflection in which a lesson inadvertently incorporated kindergarten students learning about manners, which also served as a behavior management tool. 

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