Lesson #2 Reflection

Planning

In planning for this lesson, I had to teach myself the content before I could teach it to the
students. I have not yet studied Shakespeare and this was my first time reading The Tempest, so I
the most important and helpful thing I did in preparation was to spend time analyzing the text
and reading several analytical papers about it online. In regards to the lesson plan itself, the most
helpful parts were the objectives and the procedures. With all of the information that I had
gathered about The Tempest Act 3, scene 1, the objectives helped me focus my thoughts and the
procedures helped organize them it into a cohesive, sequential plan. To get the students thinking
critically, I had planned a compare and contrast discussion/activity with a Venn diagram. Most of
the class had not read the text, but those who had some knowledge of the characters did give
responses indicative a process of higher-level thinking. One particular WV CCRS fits really well
into this lesson. The standard talks about analyzing an author’s choice concerning the text’s
structure and how it contributes to the overall meaning and aesthetic impact. This lesson is all
about how Shakespeare utilizes verse and prose, with focus on the former, to mark the
differences in his characters’ social class/status. The only things that I would change in the
planning process of this lesson would be to prepare better transitions and create more critical
thinking questions that can still be answered by those students who did not read the text.

Implementation

Overall, the implementation of this lesson went really well. The time frames worked out
as planned, the discussion was engaging, and the worksheet activity fell right into the students’
Zone of Proximal Development. Another point of implementation that went well was the way I
which I continuously move about the room. While leading discussion I moved back and forth
across the front of the room, as there is not much room to go around the desks. More
importantly, as they were working on their worksheets, I moved up and down the aisles, stopping
several times to squat down next to a desk and help answer questions or provide further
explanation. To improve the lesson, I need to prepare better transitions between topics and
activities, particularly when moving from the discussion about characters analysis to the
introduction of iambic pentameter. There are important connections between these topics that
could have made for a smooth transition, but instead the shift felt random and abrupt. I also
failed to close the lesson with any type of summary or reflection; instead, the class ended with
students handing in the worksheet and being reminded to read the next scene for homework. A
better lesson would have included a summary of what was learned and a reminder to apply that
knowledge while reading the rest of the play.

Clarity of Presentation

Throughout this majority of this lesson, my voice was clear and well heard. I sometimes
have a tendency to rush through a thought, speaking too quickly and forgetting to enunciate. That
is a problem I often have when I get excited or passionate about something; I describe it as my
thoughts moving fast than my mouth. Also, I did note a few times when I said pet phrases like
“you guys,” “so,” and “kinda,” which are also habits that I need to break. Bad habits aside, I
believe that my genuine interest in the content comes across in my tone and energy, and that is
an important part of making a lesson engaging for students.

Attention to Individual Difference

The only individual differences that I was made aware of prior to teaching this lesson
were for two students with 504 plans requiring instructions both written and verbal. Therefore, I
explained directions for the activity aloud and they were also provided on worksheet. In terms of
different learning styles, this lesson was very accommodating. The scansion process of marking
the stressed and unstressed syllables in a meter and the division of each iambic foot gave visual
learners a way to see the rhythm within the verses. The auditory/oral learners benefited from the
video as well as the activity we practiced verbalizing the meter as a class. Kinesthetic and tactile
learners were supported with the chest tapping technique introduced in the video as a way to
physically feel and count the meter within the verse. I was prepared to ask students who finished
early to write their own lines of verse using iambic pentameter, but the timing worked out so
well that everyone finished within a minute or two of the bell.

Focus on Relationships and Student Response

My previous field experiences were all in classes of less than twenty students, so one of
the biggest challenges for me in regards to forming relationships this time was getting past the
large class size (27). In my first lesson, the lack of connection between the students and myself
was evident. In this class, they do not get a lot of interaction or individual attention, so making
an early connection was difficult. However, with this lesson I felt that our relationship had
improved with our increased familiarity with each other. As the students were first entering the
classroom before the bell, and Mrs. Kerber was out in the hall, one of the girls asked if I was
teaching today. When I responded that I was, she surprised me by saying, “yes!” and making a
little fist pump gesture. The introduction felt relaxed and some students freely admitted to not
reading the entire scene. Yet, even those without sufficient knowledge of the text made an effort
during discussions. The relaxed intro moved into a more structured lesson in which the students
were respectful, attentive, engaged, and supportive. For the worksheet activity, they were
allowed to work individually or in pairs, with equal numbers doing both. The collaborative pairs
stayed on task and kept their voices low, and everyone seemed to feel comfortable asking me for
help when they needed it.

Planning and Implementing Higher Order Thinking Skills

This lesson was divided into two connected but separate parts: comparing and contrasting
the characters in the scene, and learning how to identify iambic pentameter with scansion. The
compare and contrast discussion gave students an opportunity to analyze characters’ use and
style of language as well as the structure of their speech. The iambic pentameter worksheet
challenged students to apply what they learned within the context of the play. This lesson and
topic is not particularly well suited for problem solving, experimentation, real-life context,
technology skills, or finding ethical implications. There could have been a good opportunity for
students to self-assess their worksheets and making necessary adjustments to their scansion, but a
43-minute period does not provide enough time.

Assessment Measures Student Learning

This lesson relied heavily on teacher-led discussion and class-wide activities. Therefore
much of the assessment was based on gauging student response. The diagnostic assessment was
in the form of basic reading comprehension questions (summarize the scene) and inquiring about
their level of familiarity with iambic pentameter. The formative assessment, also discussion
based, was measured by the class’s ability to complete the Venn diagram and how well they
were able to verbalize the meter during the choral readings. The summative assessment was the
worksheet in which they had to apply their understanding of iambic pentameter to complete the
scansion, and their understanding of the scene to identify the speakers. I provided students with
feedback through each level of assessment, and though it was genuine feedback, it may have
sounded somewhat generic. Better feedback would be more personal and specific rather than
using general statements like, “great point.” Based on the progression of the discussions, I think
the students learned a lot about the characters in this play and how Shakespeare strategically
structured each one’s use of language. Initially I could tell that most had not read the scene, but
as the discussion progressed, many of them began to make analytical comments and form
opinions about the characters and their speech. Based on the worksheets, I would say that they
learned what iambic pentameter is and how each speaker in the play uses it, but their ability to
use scansion could still use some work.