Reflective Teaching Journal

Riley Lathrop

Date of Lesson: June 13th, 2019 Unit: Unit 2 “My Relationships”

Lesson Taught: Unit 2, Lesson 3
Overview of the class (content and pedagogy)
● I began with clapping patterns for the class to repeat
● Next, we performed a shake down with our arms, legs, and entire bodies
● Students wrote “How are you today?” followed with “Today I’m _______” and filled in
the blank
● We practiced our circle dance in the front space in the classroom (in, out, high, low,
fast, slow, over, under)
● We played our level in space game in which the class creates a pattern of high/low
level with their bodies in space around the circle
● I wrote the order of the body parts the class had chosen in the previous class on the
board. We read and moved the body parts as a class.
● Next, students all took a seat on the floor to the side, and five at a time students
came up and read/moved the body part list
● Students sat down and answered the reflection question: “I am happy in class when
_______”
● We ended in a circle and we sang “head, shoulders, knees, and toes”

Pre-Class Reflection
1. What will I offer to my students today?
Today, I will offer guidance and patience to students through their assessment. I will offer
my observations of students and encouragement to vocalize each vocabulary word with
confidence.
2. What am I most looking forward to for class today?
I am looking forward to seeing students read and move their body parts in small groups. I
am looking forward to this because students in this class have not been offered an
opportunity every single day to all demonstrate their knowledge in a smaller group setting.
a. What am I most concerned about? (Do I need a strategy for this concern?)
Today, I am most concerned about how students will behave when it is not their turn to
read and move their body parts up in the front of class. I will ask students to sit down and
be quiet, gives strikes to students if I need to, and receive their attention and be sure they
are quiet before the students who are performing speak. I also need to approach class
knowing that there may be background noise during the performances of the assessment,
and it is unrealistic for students to be perfectly quiet the entire time.
3. What am I most curious about class today?
I am curious about how students will respond to our high/low pattern game since we have
performed this game before, and each day the game goes a different way. One day may be
focused and successful, and the next day students may be less engaged with the game.
4. What is a positive affirmation I can give myself today to guide myself in teaching
with passion and success?

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Teaching is fulfilling if I focus on the positive outcomes of each day.
5. Additional Thoughts

Post-Class Reflection

1. What went well? Why?

● An aspect of class today that was particularly interesting and successful came from
the reflections students wrote. Today, students answered the question “I am happy
in class when _____.” Here, when prompted by the translator, students wrote more
than one word, or more than one answer. This shows growth from previous classes
in which students have written minimal answers to questions regarding reflection. I
gave more time to this at the end of class, and consciously set time aside so students
had more time to write. Students are also routined to answer the questions and
place them on the teacher desk when they are completed. Today was also the first
day I handed out photocopies of the reflections rather than having students write
the question down from the board. This also allowed students more time to answer
rather than just copy the question. I noticed students were confused when I told
them to write more, or ask what else they could write. After their confusion on their
faces and body language, they were able to figure out how to write more than one
word, and many students gave multiple answers to why they are happy in class. I
was persistent in asking students to write more even when they told me they were
completed. Because I asked students to write more than they thought they should or
could, students possibly revealed answers within their own selves they would not
have thought of if reflection time was brief. Especially at their age, students need
often more time to process their thoughts since they are busy and have shorter
attention spans. Knowing the attention span of second graders, I still only set ten
minutes aside for the reflection answering. This could be their first opening into
being able to reflect through longer journaling exercises. Developmental
progression is important through movement and also through writing. Beginning
with shorter answers to questions could be a first step to self-reflection being a part
of student experience and learning.

b. When were the students most engaged? Why?

● Students, like most days, were most engaged in the portions of class that involved
singing. During “head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” students were singing much
louder than some other songs we have sung since this song is the one we have
practiced the most. I see growth in students and their confidence in vocalizing
English words through rhythm and song. In the first week, students would mumble
the words, and more so “mark” the movement by lighting moving their bodies
around. Now that we have practiced, students are moving with confidence. I see this
through students touching their heads, knees, and all body parts with a more bound
flow. I also see students looking at one another less for reassurance. Students are
also projecting their voices louder. I think in the future, I will have students sing the

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song without me singing with them. This way they can gain even more confidence in
their own abilities and leadership skills.
C. What was my best teaching moment? Why?
● Today, I noticed that Mei, who is generally enthusiastic about singing, moving, etc,
was not standing up and moving during our shake down, and she was sitting rather
upset looking at her desk. Rather than tell her to stand up, or shout at her to stand
up and move with us, I over exaggerated my movement and was more silly when I
moved next to her with my own movement, which encouraged her to join into our
class shake down. This was an important moment because often I jump to saying
something as “Mei, stand up,” which a demand that may not make her feel
comfortable or genuinely wanting to stand up. This was a way I shifted to positive
affirmation rather than negative reinforcement to change student behavior. If the
class was smaller, I could have asked Mei about her feelings and what may be wrong
today, however I focused on cheering her up and having her join into our movement.
I was surprised that Mei was not moving during our shakedown, and I also notice
that since she sits closer to the front I noticed her easier. Often students in the back,
when everyone is standing up, are difficult to see. I do move locations in the room,
however this reminded me to move locations even more frequently. I can stand in
the back of the room as much as I could stand in the front. This would help students
learn to adapt their focus in different places. Also, standing in the front of the room
is what students are most used to. Because of this, it may be easiest to receive
attention while in the front of the room. On the other hand, students may be so used
to having the teacher stand in front of the room that their attention is tired out.
2. What were challenges that arose?
a. What did I do in the moment to adapt (or not) to the challenge?
b. What is a strategy that could help adapt to this challenge in the future?
● One challenge today that arose was that the words “eyes” and “ears” sound the same
when students vocalize them, and they are also interchangeable when students
point to those two body parts. I think in the next class, I will break down the letters
in each word and have students pronounce the differences between the words. I can
also quiz students on the difference by pronouncing it for students and having
smaller groups of students point to the body part I say. In the moment when I
noticed this, I did not have students do any writing or vocalizing of the words
because I knew I wanted to reflect upon how to have them practice it. When these
two words come up, students often have nervous looks on their faces or stare at me
for help. I did not feel I should focus on these two words, because today students
were growing confidence in vocalizing their other vocabulary words and I wanted to
focus on their successes in these words.
● A challenge today was when I put the words up on the board, students tended to
want to only read the word, and it took much encouragement for them to actually
move those body parts. Most students would read the word, and then only move the
body part when prompted. Speaking and moving simultaneously was a challenge for
students. To adapt, I showed students an example of not moving the body part while
saying the word as well as an example of saying the word and moving that body part
fully. I over exaggerated the movement of the body part, and told them through my
body to move the body part largely rather than in a smaller way. This was effective

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during each individual word. If students were reading the word “head,” I could get
students to move their head largely while they said head, however then the next
word they reverted back to moving in a small way and vocalizing the words softly.
When they were vocalizing the words softly, I could not tell who was saying the
word correctly since the rest of the class was also talking often during the
assessments. I asked students to project through signaling to my mouth to project,
and some students would project their voices for only one word, and then return to
softer voices for the next word.
When were students least engaged? Why?
● Students were least engaged today during the high/low pattern making around the
circle. Students were acting silly today and it took many tries to create the pattern
around the circle. I incentivized them with trying to move quickly around the circle,
but this led to students actually moving more slowly. Students were least engaged
during this I believe possibly because this was an exercise we have repeated, and
students took advantage of thinking they did not need to still practice it. Most of the
time, this game excites students. Today, it did bring smiles and joy even if students
were not as engaged with the goal. To adapt, I am adding middle level into the mix.
Today, I was going to add middle level for students however students showed me
they were not ready to add in middle level.

3. How did students respond to each piece of the lesson? (verbally and nonverbally)
● Clapping patterns: most students were excited for the clapping patterns and
responded with loud, confident voices when I gave them patterns to repeat. I would
have patterns such as clapping one two three, clapping one touching my head for
two three, tapping my head one two and touching my shoulders three four, moving
my arms up in the air one two, etc.
● Shakedown: Angaa is one student who often will intentionally keep counting past
the number I gave to students for each body part. For example, if I gave students
“arm one two three four,” Angaa will count to ten loudly. To adapt I have gone over
to his desk and watched him more closely which generally has him repeating what I
am doing. Today also one girl named Mei was less enthusiastic about the shakedown
and seemed sad about it, so I encouraged her to join in. The rest of the students
would for the most part be standing and repeating my movements, however some
were sitting and did not want to stand to repeat my movement.
● How are you today? In books: many students, without the options of “good, fine, or
bad” on the board would write “Today I’m _____” and not fill in the blank, however
tell me they were finished. This makes me reflect on how copying from the board is
ingrained into students. I asked students to write in how they felt and some students
could spell “good” from memory or from looking back into their books.
● During the circle dance, students were engaged strongly. Students have grown to
know the pattern. The one challenge here is that when we go “in” to the circle, many
students slam into the people across from them, roll onto the floor, or hit others
beside them. I have had students go slowly into the center which has helped some
students, however some students do not move slowly.
● High/low pattern game: Students today were mostly talking, not listening, or
running away from the circle. I simply began the pattern rather than spending much

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time getting everyone into the circle. This helped students join into being engaged
slowly, yet the students who were waiting in the circle were occupied
● Reading/moving body parts in groups: Students had trouble positioning themselves
to stand and face the board. Students were facing all different directions within their
group, or unable to all face the board in a spread out, organized way. I had to help
most students face the direction everyone was facing when performing the
assessment. Students responded to this assessment with both confidence and
hesitancy. Students also had a different relationship with different words. Students
tended to know shoulders because it is a longer word. Students were mixing up
words that were similar in visual appearance such as hand/head, and eyes/ears
● Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes: Some students would sing this song using
Indonesian body parts which I let occur, and then encouraged them to sing it again. I
would have them teach me the Indonesian version in a future class, so they can
know that teaching the teacher is important as well.
● Reflections: “I am happy in class when _____________” (question and answer in
Indonesian)
Mei: I like English, body parts, drawing, coloring
Kusuma: I like studying and drawing
April: I like studying and drawing
Bagus: I like body parts, counting in English
Ayu: I like drawing, coloring
Sukma: I like drawing, coloring
Mingita: play, study, singing with friends also moving together with Riley and Thao
Pande: I like play with the teachers and they teach me English
Angaa: I like studying and drawing
Bima: Drawing and studying is fun
Dwi: I like coloring, yoga, body parts
Mita: I like when I studying and playing
Theo: I like play football and drawing
Putu: I like drawing, football, and yoga
Ola: learn with friends, playing, and singing
Chasya: learn with friends and playing
Rapa: I like to be in class
Kiki: I like yoga, English, body parts, football
Widi: I like learn English, cycling, jumping, tennis, and I like running
● These reflections are more detailed than past reflections, and the past reflection of
this same question. Drawing is a common thread within this class for something that
brings happiness or as their favorite part of the day. I can also see students are most
engaged when they are drawing or coloring. Students who have difficulty
controlling their gross motor skills can perform their fine motor skills strongly in
this class.
4. What is the relationship between the content and pedagogy of the original lesson
plan and what actually occurred? Why?
How was modifying the original lesson plan content and/or pedagogy effective (or
ineffective) and why?
● I did want to include an introduction to “my” and “your” today, however the

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assessment for students took a long time to complete, so we spent the majority of
class moving and reading body parts. This was effective because students were not
rushed to move each body part. Each student was able to have the time to answer
each reading of each word. The lesson remained close to the lesson plan, since I had
less activities for students to complete today, and more of a focus on depth within
the activities.
● My goal was for students to memorize the movement phrase of 14 movements. I
quickly realized this was unrealistic. I need to add a tune or singing for students to
memorize a phrase of such length. Instead, I switched my focus to have students do
each individual movement and vocalization. Students were going to have words
slowly eliminated from the board, however students were not showing me they
could memorize words that were erased without having them to read or see. This
switch was effective because students practiced something closer to their level and
ability.
5. How did students progress towards their student learning outcome? What evidence
do I have?
● Students were assessed in small groups of being able to say and do the movement. I
have video recording of each group performing each word/body part. I want to
create a song to the tune of head, shoulders, knees, and toes that assesses body parts
but is a song for everyone to sing rather than just reciting words.
6. Were there any moments that were a big surprise? (teaching methods or student
response)
● Today, I was surprised with how students were so persistent on reading the body
part, and there was an overarching hesitancy to move that body part. Students
seemed more comfortable in reading body parts rather than moving the body part,
but also I know this is because movement and speaking is difficult for their level and
ability. I was surprised with how I was encouraging students in a positive way to
move the body part with confidence. I was able to make them more comfortable to
explore their movement, since I saw students were nervous.
7. How did I provide feedback to students?
How did I differentiate for students? (special need, level/ability, etc.)
How effective or ineffective was the feedback?
● The main source of feedback for this class today was during the group performances
of the reading of the words. I prompted students by saying the beginning of the
word, or beginning to move that body part. I think I could have given more feedback
to students and positive reinforcement after their performances, because I was
eager for the next group to come up so I caught myself sending students back to
their seats with a quick “good job” rather than further feedback. Feedback is vital for
students, and positive reinforcement can help students build confidence in their
own abilities to learn and grow within class.
8. How did I create or reinforce a safe learning environment for students?
● Today I was sure that the students sitting were quiet (as quiet as possible) before
the other students would perform. I did this because it is important for students to
know they need to respect their classmates as much as they respect the teacher. I
asked students to look at their classmates, so the classmates performing knew they

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were valued and had the attention of the class.
9. What was my own inner attitude and energy towards coming into class today?
(nervous, excited, tired, stressed, etc) And, How did/could it affect students and
teaching ?
● Today, I was excited to teach and made sure to reflect and breathe before coming to
class. This helped me see the positive behavior in class rather than focusing on the
negative behavior only. This could have affected students in a positive way, because
I was more focused on rewarding good behavior rather than punishing bad
behavior.
10. How did I apply what I learned in my previous class to today?
a. How did it impact my teaching?
b. How did it impact student learning/engagement?
● Today, I thought students could memorize the movement patterns of all body parts
in the order they had created the previous class. However, I had to shift this plan to
adapt to students on this particular day. I used what I had learned, however altering
my plan was ultimately most effective for student learning because they still
received the same practice with words, and I learned from this that I need to create
a group song for body parts in order for students to memorize them.
11. How will I use the information I learned in class today to guide tomorrow’s class?
● I need to introduce the writing and reading of the words from our circle dance as a
class. I will make a poster listing all of our movements we do, so students can begin
to read it and also visualize the dance. I could also have students draw each element
of our circle dance to assess understanding of our movement concepts.
● I want to have students perform the circle dance without me singing with them
● Now that students have knowledge of some movement concepts, I need to find ways
for students to begin to create movement as a class, or begin to identify movement
concepts in peers.
● I want to teach basic movements to students such as marching, jumping, and
possibly locomotor movement such as skipping and galloping to help students
control locomotor movement.
12. Additional Thoughts