TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.

1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[Clip 1 is from lesson 1 and clip 2 is from lesson 2. The first clip is to show how I demonstrate
rapport with one of my students as she explains to me how to find the main idea, shows how the
students are enjoying learning through a song about how to find the main idea, and, finally,
shows how I model the strategy and engage students in learning. Also in this clip, I demonstrate
how my students fulfill their leadership roles to help me as a completely blind teacher. The next
clip is me reading the excerpt from “Charlotte’s Web” in lesson 2 as I pull them into the lesson
through my animated voices of the characters, and at the end of the clip, I am guiding my
students through the process of how to find the main idea and supporting details of the text.]
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.

a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?
[At the very beginning of the first clip, I asked the student to tell me what it meant to find the
main idea. When she told me what she thought it was, I prompted her thinking further by asking
her what we use to find the main idea. When she stated that she could use her prior knowledge,
I prompted her to tell me more. She then told me that she would use the passage to help her
find the main idea. I used encouraging statements such as “you would use details from the
passage… very good! (Clip 1: 11 seconds to 43 seconds) I wanted to make sure that she knew
that her thoughts were valued and I praised her for that. She knew that she was in a safe
environment which gave her the confidence to share her thoughts freely. Another example of
this in Clip 1 is at 11 minutes and 35 seconds to 12 minutes and 24 seconds. I asked what
“flying colors” meant and one of my students told me what they thought it meant and I clarified
what she said by saying, “So what you are telling me is…”. This gave her confidence to make
the connection that it was an example of figurative language. I always love it when my students
make connections to other content they have learned, so I let her know how proud I was of her
for making that connection. Ensuring that students know that their thoughts are valued is the
best way to engage them in learning, because children learn best through talking out what they
are thinking.

Another way that rapport and respect are demonstrated among the students and myself is when
my student helper is writing on the smart board for me because I cannot see to do so. The other
students demonstrate patience with the scribe and me as we work together to write down what
is being shared by the other students during the guided practice session of the lesson. (Clip 2: 4
minutes and 49 seconds to 5 minutes and 30 seconds) As mentioned in the context for learning
document, this is a “Leader in Me” school and we focus greatly on helping the students become
leaders in their community. We accomplish this best by assigning leadership roles to give the
students a strong sense of purpose in the classroom. This student who is my “scribe” is very
proud of her leadership role and does it to the very best of her ability. I have had to work closely
with the students in my class to figure out what leadership roles I would personally need to
assign to accomplish the necessary tasks expected of me. As a blind teacher, I have had to
learn to accomplish tasks in a different way and figure out the way that is most efficient. This
also helps my students develop their collaboration and communication skills that they will use
forever.]
3. Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy

strategy and related skills.
[The entire clip shows how I engage my students in learning the comprehension strategy of
determining the main idea and identifying supporting details. The instruction shown in the clip
from lesson 1 is demonstrating for students how to find the main idea and supporting details in
order to comprehend the passage to the best of their abilities. I have the students read along
with me to make sure that they are all mutually engaged with the activity. Students do not learn
to the best of their abilities if they are expected to sit by passively while the teacher talks at
them. The students need to actively be doing something to get the most out of the instruction.
After we have read the passage together as a group, I called on students to tell me what the
topic of the passage is, the main idea sentence, and three supporting details from the passage.
All the while I am acknowledging the hard work of all of my students as we go through the
process.]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[The passage that I used in the clip is about my guide dog which all of the students know a great
deal about. I figured this would be a great way to link prior knowledge, the training of my
guidedog, with new learning. Using a topic that the students are already extremely familiar with
to teach them the comprehension strategy of finding the main idea of a text was the very best
way to engage this particular group of students. The students also love to sing and move to
music, so I found a parity of a popular song to teach them the strategy of finding the main idea.
The first question the students asked me in this clip was whether they could sing along. I told
them that of course they could! I love to see my students have fun while they are learning and
they definitely seemed to have a lot of fun in this particular lesson. My students also love
animals in general, as well as a captivating story. This is why I chose an excerpt from
“Charlotte’s Web” to apply the comprehension strategy of finding the main idea in the second
clip from lesson 2. Knowing where your students’ interests lie is a huge part of good instruction.
Students were much more eager to learn with the particular instructional methods than they
would have been if the materials had not been selected with their prior knowledge and interests
in mind.]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.
a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
apply the essential literacy strategy using related skills to comprehend OR compose text.
[The clip that was refered to in prompt 2A, 11 seconds to 43 seconds of the first clip, was an
excellent example of encourageing a student to build on their thoughts and deepen their
learning. The student started out by telling me that you could find the main idea by using prior
knowledge. So that she would not get discouraged, I prompted her to think a little further by
saying “or?” Then, she was able to tell me that you were supposed to use the details from the
text to find the main idea of a text. Telling her that she was wrong in her first response would
have done two things. It would have shut her down and it would not have lead her to the next
response which was where I wanted her to go. Also, if I would have stated that she was wrong
in that she had to use prior knowledge to figure out the main idea, I would have been incorrect
in my response. A reader most definitely uses their prior knowledge to make connections and in
turn to figure out what the text is mostly about. That combined with the details in the text make
for a complete understanding of what has been read. In the first lesson, first clip, I asked guiding
questions to the students as I went through the modeling process to make certain that my
students were engaged at all times. When they told me the topic and main idea I would always
make sure that they knew that they could confirm that by looking back at the details offered in
the text. This was the same in the second lesson, second clip, when we were working with the
“Charlotte’s Web” excerpt. Modeling the process of reading the text, asking what it was mostly
about, and backing that up with details from the text was crucial for students to learn how to
apply the comprehension strategy of finding the main idea. Providing support and
encouragement for the students as they explored this process in a safe environment was how
they were able to learn to the best of their abilities.]
b. Explain how you modeled the essential literacy strategy AND supported students as
they practiced or applied the strategy to comprehend OR compose text in a meaningful
context.
[In the first lesson, first clip, I use the passage about my guide dog to model the strategy. I
modeled that we first read the passage, which I would stop reading occasionally to give them
the opportunity to fill in the words, so that I was certain that they were actually reading along
with me and fully engaged with the activity. After this, I began the think-aloud process to model
the comprehension strategy. First, I looked at the title to help me figure out the topic of the
passage. Then, I asked myself what the passage was mostly about, which I had the students
help me determine. After having my “scribe” write the topic and the main idea of the passage
down, I asked what details I could pull from the passage to support the main idea. Each student
gave me a detail, and the “scribe” recorded it on our graphic organizer. Even though I modeled
this strategy through a think-aloud, I still made sure that my students were as involved in the
process as possible. Even though I was thinking through the steps aloud, they still were
expected to help me to allow me to check for understanding as we went along.]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. What changes would you make to your instruction—for the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challenge—to better support student learning of
the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support, such as students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students.
[During the first lesson, first clip, when I had my scribe writing down the responses as they
came, I could have had a different student come up and write their own response on the graphic
organizer. Instead of helping the students so much during the second lesson, I feel that it would
have been a greater challenge for them to have been given the opportunity to try the strategy on
their own. I feel that it was modeled well enough in lesson 1, and I should have allowed the
students to find the main idea and supporting details for the “Charlotte’s Web” text in lesson 2. I
feel that this would have supplied a greater challenge for my gifted student as well as for the
entire class. I did the second lesson the way that I did because I knew that my struggling reader
needed greater support with reading and writing. Looking back on the instruction, however, I
should have allowed her peers to help her in a group activity, so she could have had an
opportunity to try the strategy completely on her own. I feel that this would have given her more
confidence with using this comprehension strategy.]
b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[Allowing each student to write down their own responses would have given them a stronger
sense of purpose and ownership within the lesson. I feel that this would have helped the
students to retain the information better. I have observed that these particular students learn
best by seeing and doing and this knowledge can be supported by my research of Howard
Gardener’s theory of multiple intellegences. Carrying out the instruction in this way would have
given the students a greater sense of confidence in using the strategy. I enjoy doing group
activities with them because it allows me to quickly check for understanding. However, I should
have let them work amongst themselves to deepen their understanding and grow their
confidence. I also feel that my gifted student would have gotten more of a challenge if I would
have let the students work together to find the main idea of the “Charlotte’s Web” text rather
than having so much support from me. The concept of constructiveism supports my reasoning
for having the students work together to complete this task. Constructiveism supports the idea
that children should be allowed to create their own meaning. I feel that I allow students to do this
a lot within this learning segment, but I feel that this method of instruction could have been
expanded upon through allowing the students to work together to determine the main idea and
identify supporting details with out so much assistance from me. This was definitely a “missed
opportunity” that I should have taken advantage of during my instruction.]