Criteria I: Development of New Learning

Criteria I: Development of New Learning (How the teacher developed new learning and what was learned)

The teacher developed new learning by:

1. Reading the following texts that helped facilitate new learning;
2. Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners (The SIOP Model) by Echevarria et al.
3. 8 Active Learning Strategies and Examples by Raydys
4. Nine Strategies for Reaching All Learners in English Language Arts by Mansaray
5. Lesson Planning by SMU.
6. Observing a teacher’s class to see how she tailors activities to meet students’ instructional needs.

What the teacher learned;

• Through the SIOP model, I learned effective strategies for lesson preparation.
• I learned ways to plan effective classroom that establish active learning for all students
• I learned the importance of enhancing diversity in the classroom through effective planning
• I learned how to use the Readers and Writers Workshop as a lesson planning strategy
• I learned several strategies to enhance active learning in my classroom
• I learned how to develop a lesson that differentiate
• I learned how to use; Reciprocal questioning, the pause procedure and peer teaching techniques as routine lesson planning strategies to ensure active learning

Criteria II: Impact on Practice (How the teacher’s practice is different)

• The Readers and Writers Workshop instructional model has helped to create lesson plans that ensure creative, supportive and collaborative learning
• With reciprocal questioning, where I encourage learners to take roles in creating content on a specific reading, it has encouraged open dialogues by the learners being involved in implementing the lesson plan by taking the role of a teacher
• The pause procedure, which involves taking strategic pauses in the lesson, has helped in the understanding of teaching materials. For every 10 minutes of instruction, I encourage pauses of around 2 minutes to help students review what they have learned.
• Peer teaching in my lesson plans has helped create active learning; some of the strategies used include role play and reading buddies, which have helped boost essential skills and behaviors that include learner interactions and accountability.

Criteria III: Impact on Students (How student performance/learning has improved as a result of changes in the teacher’s practice)

• The Readers and Writers model of lesson planning has been essential, especially for ELT learners since it has allowed individualized instruction. It involved 3 stages; the mini lesson, guided and independent practice, and reflection. The first stage has allowed to assess prior knowledge, the guided instruction has helped to provide one-on-one support to every learner, and finally, reflection has helped to ascertain what learners have learned
• Reciprocal qustioning has helped every learner to gain confidence in participating in classroom instruction
• The pause procedure has helped learners to review their understanding of class content. Whenever they have not understood something, they are able to point it ot, which helps me to act on it immediately
• Peer teaching has assisted my learners to take responsibility of learning. Through peer teaching activities, they feel that they are part of the lesson planning and its execution