Reflective Journal #6

 Dear Formative and Summative Assessments

     As a Kindergarten teacher, I've learned that teaches is as much about listening and watching ad it is about speaking and instructing. Every moment I spend with my students such as circle time, literacy centers, or even during recess, is a moment filled with information. More often than not, it's formative and summative assessments that help me truly hear what my students are tying to say about their learning. My outlook on assessments has changed. Assessments aren't just paperwork, test scores, or end-of-unit checklists, they are a window into what my students understand, where they struggle, and how I can meet them where they are.

     Formative assessments are the GPS to my teaching. Without the formative assessments, I would be guessing about whether or not a lesson worked. With formative assessments, I can see the route my students are taking in real time. Slavin (2020) compares a teacher without a clear objective to a wilderness guide without a map. That comparison stuck with me. I may have the best intentions, the most exciting activities, or the most decorative anchor charts, but without gathering data from my students along the way, I'm not guiding anyone. All in all, I'm just hoping that my students know their way through the wilderness. 

     In my classroom, formative assessments come in many forms such as GKIDS observational checklist for English Language Arts and Math, anecdotal notes, oral retells, and even the students' facial expressions when they're trying to decode a new word. These small pieces of evidence add up. They show me whether students are developing phonemic awareness, understanding story elements, or grasping the idea of composing numbers in math. 

     One of the most powerful tools I use weekly is the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) Weekly Assessments. Each week, students are introduces to new phonics patters. Through short assessments, I check their ability to decode and encode using those patterns. These quick, targeted check-ins help me determine who's ready for enrichment and who needs reteaching in small groups. It's precise, practical and incredibly informative.

     For my Kindergarten students, formative assessments are less about pressure and more about practice. They help students understand that learning is a process. I use tools like STAR Early Literacy to give a snapshot of where my readers are, but that data is also paired with classroom evidence. I believe that students should see assessments as something that supports them, not something that judges and categorize them. When I give them timely, supportive feedback, they're more motivated to try again and take risks.

     Formative assessments are the heartsick of my daily instructions. Summative assessments, on the other hand, help me pause and reflect on the bigger picture. In Kindergarten, I use summative tools like the Georgia Kindergarten Math Independent Learning Plans (ILP), GKIDS, and STAR Early Literacy to measure overall content mastery. These tools are incredibly useful, but only when used alongside consistent formative practices.

     Slavin (2020) explains that assessment should be closely aligned with instructional objectives. That means for me, to not wait until the end of a unit to figure out whiter myself students understood the material. Instead, I embed frequent checks into my lessons, like developmentally appropriate exit tickets, partner discussions, sentence stems, or matching games, to see what they know and what needs to be re-taught,

     This balance between formative and summative assessments is what I believe keeps my classroom running smoothly. If a student doesn't perform well on a summative task, I already have the formative data to show where the breakdown occurred, and I can build a plan to reteach those concepts. It has also helped me manage my classroom time more wisely. I don't feel like I'm racing through lessons just to reach the test. I use formative data to adjust pacing, differentiate instruction, and build confidence so that summative assessments become opportunities for students to show off what they've learned, not surprises.

     One of the biggest shifts I feel like would shift my teaching is if I plan backward. Which would be me starting with the big picture goals and work my way toward daily objectives. Slavin (2020) calls this "backwards planning", and it will change the way I write my lessons.

     For example, if my long term objective is for students to identify story elements, I would start with an overall goal goal like "Students will understand the characters, settings, and major events of a fictional story." From there, I would break it down into specific, measurable objectives like "Given a story read aloud, students will be able to name at least two characters and one setting with 80% accuracy." That thing of clear, focuses objectives that guides both instruction and assessment. 

     Slavin (2020) explains that good objectives follow a condition-performance-criterion model. This framework helps me be more intentional. It will keep me focused on the goal, help me measure progress, and reminds me to think about how students will show their understanding.

     Reflecting on my teaching practices from last year, my use of authentic and performance-based assessments has grown from August-May. Instead of just checking comprehension with multiple choose questions, I look for real-world ways for students to demonstrate learning. If we read the Three Little Pigs, students might retell the story with puppets or create a digital story map in Google Slides. These tasks are engaging, manful, and developmentally appropriate. 

     Slavin (2020) explains that portfolio and performance assessments allow students to show understanding in ways that traditional tests may now. This is especially important in younger learners, where expression takes may forms. A lot of students don't write sentences until February, but they can draw detailed pictures, orally explain, or act out a scene. These performances give me a rich, nuanced insight into student thinking.

     Grading in my classroom isn't about letters or scores. It is about understanding where each child is developmentally and helping them move forward. I use a combination of GKIDS, UFLI Weekly Phonics Assessments, STAR Early Literacy, and Georgia Kindergarten Math ILP. These tools give me a holistic view of each student's growth. According to Slavin (2020), criterion-referenced-assessments, which measure students against fixed standards rather than other students, are ideal for elementary classrooms. That's exactly how I approach grading. I want to know "Can this child meet the standard? What support do they need to grow?" I also rely on work samples, student observations, and conversations with families to form a complete picture of student learning.

     Formative and summative assessments have helped me learn to listen more closely, plan more intentionally, and teach more responsively. It has helped me recognize when to reteach, when to celebrate, and when to slow down. Incorporating formative and summative assessments the right way will help me help my students grow, not just academically, but as learners who take risks, reflect, and persist. I will continue to lean on formative and summative assessments. Because in the end, assessment isn't just about what my students know, it is about what I do next as their teacher.

References

Slavin, R.E (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice 13th ed.). Pearson Education.

Reflective Journal Entry #5

 Dear Effective Classroom Management

     As I prepare to begin my second year of teaching, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on what worked in my first year, and where I wanted to grow. Classroom management was one of the areas that I struggled with, particularly at the beginning of the year, was classroom management. I entered the classroom optimistic. I was ready to teach and connect with my students, but enthusiasm alone wasn't enough to maintain structure, especially with a class full of energetic four and five- year olds. 

     One of my most challenging experiences was with a student who frequently disturbed the classroom. At first, I thought he was just having a rough start, especially with this being his first time in school, but as the weeks went by, his behavior escalated. He was yelling out, becoming physically aggressive when redirected, and a danger to other students. I felt very overwhelmed and unsure of how to help him while maintaining order for the rest of the class. Eventually, I went through the steps to get the student support and classified as SPED with Tier 3 behavioral needs. With those accommodations in place, it helped us better understand his challenges and implement more targeted interventions, but it also forced me to reflect on my own skills as a classroom manager. 

     This chapter helped me see that managing a classroom isn't something your born knowing, it's a skill that can be developed through research-based strategies and reflection (Charles, Senter & Charles, 2014; Jones & Jones, 2016). Slavin (2020) emphasized that creating an effective learning environment is about more than preventing misbehavior. It includes maintaining student engagement, using instructional time wisely, and setting clear expectations. One of the biggest lessons from the text was the difference between allocated time and engaged time. Allocated time is the total time set aside for learning, but engaged time, (also known as time on task),  is the time students are actually involved in learning (Slavin, 2020). I often lost time to transitions and off task behavior, I now understand that increasing engaged time through clear routines and engaging instruction is essential for classroom success (Slavin, 2020).

     This chapter also made it clear how interruptions and mismanagement of routine procedures can disrupt learning. Whether it's unexpected announcements or a student walking in late, even small distractions can reduce attention (Slavin, 2020). I plan to implement some of the suggestions from the text, like placing a "Do Not Disturb" sign on my classroom door. This simple change can be very big in helping protect instructional time and reduce distractions. 

     Slavin (2020) also highlighted how student misbehavior is often reinforced, especially by teacher or peer attention. Looking back, I can see how I might have been unintentionally reinforcing my students outbursts. Even though he was receiving redirection from me, we was still receiving attention, and it was more attention than his peers who were behaving appropriately. When I scolded him or have frequent reminders, I was feeding the behavior instead of reducing it. Slavin explains that attention, even negative attention, can reinforce disruptive behaviors.

     Understanding  this has helped shift my perspective for next year. Rather than focusing on punishment, I needed to change what behaviors I was reinforcing. Slavin (2020) describes how Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can offer a school wide framework for improving behavior. At my school, we have monthly PBIS parties and weekly PBIS treats that we give students. I reward students PBIS points based off if their behaviors follow our school behavior expectation goals (Responsible, On-task, Aware of self and others, and respectful). By consistently reinforcing appropriate behaviors and establishing clear expectations, students are most likely to succeed. After my student's classification, my para and I developed a  plan that included specific praise, token rewards, and visual cues. Over time, we saw improvements, and not because we were punishing less, but because we were reinforcing more of the right things.

     Slavin also emphasizes that engaging instruction is one of the best ways to increase time on  tasks nd reduce misbehavior. At first, I leaned too heavily on independent seat work, thinking it would help maintain calm. In reality, this often led to more off-task behavior. Slavin (2020) recommends fast- paced, interactive lessons with frequent student participation. This year, I plan on integrating more movement, hands-on leaning, and choices in how students show what they've learned. Keeping students engaged is one of the best ways to manage behavior proactively.

     Another powerful takeaway from the chapter was the recommendation to use behavior modification techniques in a structured and defocused way. Salving 92020) explains that targeting one specific, observable, and frequent behavior tag a time increases the chances of success. In my situation, I tried got tackle too many behaviors at once like calling out, refusal to work and physical aggression, which overwhelmed both me and the students. Now, I understand that starting with a single behavior, like reminding in their seat during instruction, would have allowed us to be more consistent with reinforcement and to build success gradually.

     In understanding how serious behavior problems are distributed, Slavin (2020) provides important context. Boys, especially those form low income background, or unstable family environments, are more likely to face behavioral challenges. That my student's situation exactly. He was dealing with instability at home, had low academic achievement, and frequently missed school. Recognizing the external factors infusing his behavior helped me move from frustration to empathy. And rather than labeling his as a "problem", I began to see him as a child in need of support, structure, and consistency. 

     Slavin (2020) also explains that schools can't address these issues alone, student's with severe behavior problems often require a team effacer such as involving families, administrators, and  specialists. Once we brought in more support for my student, things improved. It showed me that classroom management wasn't just about having the perfect strategy, that it was about knowing when to ask for help and involving others.

     One of the most helpful reminders was the importance of the first few weeks of school. During that time, teachers set the tone, teach expectations and establish routines. I rushed through this last year because I was just so eager to start teaching content. This year, I'm taking my time. I plan to spend the first few weeks explicitly teaching routines and practicing them with my students. I also want to co-create behavior expectations with my class, so they feel ownership and accountability. Slavin (2020) emphasizes that consistency and clarity are key, and this is the foundation I want to lay early on.

   In closing, this chapter on effective learning environments gave me both practical tools and a fresh mindset. I now see classroom management not as something to get through, but as something to invest in. It creates the conditions for learning to happen. Going into my second year, I feel better equipped to build a structured, caring, and engaging classroom where all students, including those with behavioral challenges, can grow. My goal is to use time wisely, engage with my students in a meaningful way, and respond to behavior thoughtfully and with empathy. With these tools and a commitment to continuous improvement, I believe this year can be even better than the last.

References

Charles, C.M., & Senter, G.W. (2004) Building Classroom Discipline (8th ed.). Pearson.

Slavin, R.E (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice 13th ed.). Pearson Education.

Reflective Journal Entry #4

 Dear Direct and Student Centered Instruction

     As I reflect on this module about creating effective lessons for my young learners, I've gained amazing insights into the role and purpose of direct instruction and student-centered approaches in the classroom. As a first-year teacher preparing to enter my second year, I'm reflecting on my last year of teaching and searching for areas of growth. This past school year has taught me so much about behavior support, pacing my instruction, and time management.However, I know I do have so much to improve on. These two chapters, (The Direct Instruction Lesson and Student-Centered and Constructivist Approaches to Instruction), helped me connect some of the struggles and successes I have experienced this past year. After reading these two chapters, I feel as if I have more tools in my toolkit to give to my students to use and to work toward my goal of being an effective teacher who can meet the diverse needs of all of my students.

     Direct instruction, is a highly structured, teacher-led approach. Slavin (2020) describes direct instruction as a teaching approach that emphasizes teacher control of most classroom events and the presentation of structured lessons. In my own classroom, I have relied on this model when I need to introduce foundational content, which is heavy in kindergarten as the foundational grade. For example, during whole-group phonics instruction, we would go over our learning targets for the day, then I would demonstrate segmenting and blending, and then have students participate inchoral reading before practicing independently. This kind of explicit instruction is ideal when all students must master a well-defined body of information or skill (Dean et at., 2012; Dick, Carey & Carey, 2015; Frontier & Rickabaugh, 2014).

     As I go into my second year of teaching, I plan to take in the importance of establishing a positive mental set at the beginning of each lesson. Students need to be ready to learn mentally and emotionally. Emmer and Evertson (2012) stress the importance of starting lessons promptly and with energy to set the tone for purposeful and meaningful learning. I have found that using engaging hooks that tie to my student's everyday lives, helps spark student interest. One example I tried this year was the importance of writing things in order by making peanut butter jelly sandwiches.The lesson became instantly more engaging for my students because they could relate to the real-life context and were excited about writing their "how-to" text (informational). This small shift helped me understand the power of making content relevant and interesting from the very beginning. 

     Another aspect of direct instruction that really spoke to me was the importance of reviewing prior knowledge before presenting new material. At the start of the year, I didn't do this consistently, and I sometimes fell short in assuming that my students remembered everything from the previous lessons. As the year progressed, I realized that starting with a brief review using Kahoot really helped the students recall knowledge and feel more confident. For example, before going into new sight words, we would spend a couple of minutes reviewing previously learned words using Kahoot. This increased my student's engagement and helped bridge the gap between prior knowledge and new content. 

     I have faced many challenges last year. One of my biggest challenges with direct instruction was assuming that my students were understanding the lesson because they seemed to be paying attention. These chapters reminded me howusing critical learning probes are important. Slavin (2020) describes critical learning probes as alternating among new information, discussion, and questions to assess comprehension of major concepts. I relied heavily on "Thumbs up if you understand?", and now thinking back on it, I don't know if the responses were honest or useful. Students often believe that if they have listened intently to an interesting lecture, they know the material presented (Slavin, 2020). I now understand the use of using response cards, and total participation techniques to gather real-time data on my students' learning, and I plan on integrating more of these strategies to avoid misunderstandings or learning gaps before moving on.

     Another key concept has been wait time. Slavin (2020) describes this as the length of time you wait for a student to answer a question before giving the answer or going on to another student. Borich (2017) emphasizes that waiting at least three seconds after asking a question gives students better learning results than giving up rapidly. Being so classroom management focused, I have often not given my students enough time to think. When I did pause, I noticed more thoughtful responses, especially from my shy students. This upcoming year, I plan to use popsicle sticks with the names of my students, dry-erase boards for quick checks, and small group sharing for meaningful connections.

     I love using independent practice in my direct instructional practices. I also don't believe in busy work, as independent practice is an opportunity for students to apply what they have learned and for me to assess their levels of mastery naturally. During math lessons, I learned that If I provided guided practice before assigning independent tasks, then students were more successful and less likely to keep asking for clarification. Slavin (2020) also gives the example of students hearing a lesson on solving equations in algebra, students need an opportunity to work several equations on their own without interruptions, both to crystalize their new knowledge and to help them assess their knowledge. I plan to be brain, but meaningful to not overwhelm students and I plan to provide more feedback and walk around the room to check in with students and offer corrections.

    

     While direct instruction has so many strengths, especially in the age group I work in, I've also appreciated student-centered instruction. Constructivist approaches emphasize cooperative learning, questioning or inquiry strategies, and other metacognitive skills (Slavin,2020). At the beginning of my teaching journey, I was very hesitant about using open-ended tasks or cooperative learning because veteran teachers told me to be worried about behavior management and staying on track. However, I saw firsthand in my classroom how student-led projects and peer discussion helped my students take ownership of their learning and create real-life meaningful connections to their learning. 

     

     This is especially true in cooperative learning settings. In small groups, students can explain concepts to one another, ask questions, and engage in higher-order thinking. Programs such as Student-Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) are successful because they reward both group and individual effort and improvement (Slavin, 2020). In my classroom, students have worked in pairs to create posters about different community helpers. Watching them engage in books and videos (research), share ideas, and present their findings showed me how capable young learners are when given structure and autonomy.

     

     Another constructivist strategy I want to be more intentional with is scaffolding. Vygotsky's work reminds me that students need support as they work beyond their current ability. Based on Vygotksky's views, calls for teachers to assist students at critical points in their learning (Slavin, 2020). For example, during writing, I began introducing graphic organizers to students to help them organize their thoughts. This helped my new writers, and I want to expand support like this across all subjects.

     

     My main takeaway is that I need to practice and balance both direct and student-centered instruction. It is not an either-or choice. Direct instruction provided clarity and structure, especially at the start of a new unit or skill. Student-centered instruction builds critical thinking, and collaboration, and fosters a deeper understanding. As I go into my second year, my goal is to become more thoughtful and responsive in my lesson planning. These two chapters have also challenged me to think more deeply about why I'm teaching the way I am. I want to be the kind of teacher who uses research-based strategies to meet my students' needs. I want to create a classroom full of students who feel capable, curious, and engaged, whether it's me leading the instruction or them discovering it on their own.

References

Borich, G.D. (2020). Effective Teaching Methods: Research-Based Practice (6th ed.). Pearson 

Dick, W. O., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2005). The Systematic Design of Instruction (6th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

Everton, C. M., & Emmer, E.T. (2012). Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers (9th ed.). Pearson

Slavin, R.E (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice 13th ed.). Pearson Education.

Reflective Journal Entry #3

 Dear Cognitive Theories of Learning

     As I reflect on my first year teaching kindergarten, I realize how much I've grown. I haven't just grown in just classroom management or lesson planning, but in understanding how young children actually learn. Cognitive learning theories, the information processing model to be more particular, has given me a new insight into what happens inside my students minds as they explore letters, numbers, and the world around them. Reading about the Cognitive Theories of Learning has helped me realize that learning isn't just about what we teach but how we help students remember and apply it.

     One of the biggest takeaways from the cognitive theories of learning is the importance of attention. According to Slavin (2020), attention is a limited resource, like money, we only have so much of it to spend. I've most definitely seen this in my classroom. Working with 5 and 6-year olds, attention can shift in an instant. One moment they're listening to me reading a story, the next they are playing with the strings of someone else's tennis shoes. Slavin (2020), describes how sensory registers receive large amounts of information from each of the senses (sight, hearing, touch, small, taste) and hold it for a very short time. Unless the brain is told to pay attention, that information will be lost.

     This year I have learned a lot of attention grabbers such as hand gestures, and dramatic pauses to signal that something important was coming. These strategies didn't just keep my students entertained and interested, they were activating their executive processes. These processes as Slavin (2020) describes, act like command to a persons brain: "Brain, pay close attention to incoming stimuli of this type; look carefully in long-term memory for relevant information and skills already in there; put the new stimuli, knowledge, and skills together to create new knowledge; and file that knowledge in a place where I can easily access it whenever I need it. Do it right now, and pretty much ignore everything else until you're done!" Next year I want to add more emotion to lessons to increase student engagement. Slavin (2020) points out that another way to gain attention is to increase the emotional content of material and that attention and emotion activate some of the same parts of the brain. This makes sense because its explains why students remember funny or exciting moments in lessons rather than plain facts. I'm planning on incorporating more puppets, music, and dramatic storytelling next school year to build upon this in my own teaching.

     Another important concept I learned is the working memory which can only hold 5 to 9 bits of information at one time (Slavin 2020). Early in the year, I was trying to go based on our school curriculum for teaching sight words, so I used to try to teach students 3-5 sight words in one day like the curriculum said. At the end of it, my students were frustrated and so was 1. Looking now, especially after reading about the limited capacity of the working memory, I now understand. Stuffing too much information in a young child's brain all at once is like overfilling a cup with water.

     Now, after that whole frustration period, I do take things slower. We learn about three words a week and sometimes it rolls over into the next week to build upon those words. I create songs for each song so that students can remember them, and we don't move on until they're ready. Slavin (2020) emphasizes the importance of reversal, and that one way to hold information in working memory is to think about it or say it over and over. I've also found that incorporating movement into rehearsal worked for my previous set of students.

     Understanding the different types of long-term memory has also changed the way I plan on teaching. Slavin (2020) explains that long-term memory consists of episodic, semantic, and procedural memory. I've always loved storytelling, and I now see why it's so effective. It taps into the episodic memory. When students "act it out" (act out a scene from a book) or write about what happened on the weekend, they're tying new content to personal experiences.

     I remember when I was teaching my students about community helpers, and instead of just reading the book series on its own, we eventually turned the classroom into a "mini town". Students dressed up at community helpers (firefighters, nurses, teachers, post men), and we even tied money into this lesson with the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. Students bought things using their money and they loved it. Even at the end of the year, they could tell me what each community helper does. Slavin (2020) told me that I can improve my students' retention of concepts and information by explicitly creating memorable events involving visual or auditory images. Next year, I plan to use more simulations and project based learning to strengthen these memory connections.

     Slavin (2020) also highlights the importance of schemata, which are networks of related ideas that guide our understanding and action. One activity that worked well this year was farm animals and classifying those animals for math and making picture word addition or subtraction problems. Then, I did it because they didn't know what farm animals were, but now I can see that it was helping my students build schema. They were organizing knowledge in a way that makes building on that knowledge easier and faster.  Next year, I do plan on using more Venn diagrams to organize my students knowledge and help them visually connect and categorize new information and ideas. This is so important in kindergarten where students are learning and developing the skills and abilities to this abstractly. These tools can help bridge the gap.

     Thinking historically, it's evident that instructional strategies have evolved over the last 200 years. There was once a time where classrooms required memorization and now today's classrooms focus on individualized learning. Some things haven't changed though. Students still need structure, encouragement, and human connection. What has changes has been our knowledge of the human brain and how it works. As a person who is just beginning my career, I can only imagine how veteran teachers have seen students change over the year.

     Going into my second year, I feel more confident and prepared, especially with a better understanding of how learning words. I now recognize that curriculum is supplemental and that pacing lessons to respect the limitations of working memory and the value of using emotional and sensory experiences to capture attention, and the power of helping students connect new information to what was already known. Kindergarten is a magical place where foundational skills are formed. By applying cognitive learning theories, my goal will be to create learning experiences where students aren't just memorizing concepts, but internalizing the concepts. I hope that next year, my students will be leaving the classroom understanding how to learn and loving it.

References

Slavin, R.E (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice 13th ed.). Pearson Education.