Reflection 1

Instructional Planning & Delivery:

A teacher who values the academic growth of their students will always take the time to sit down and analyze any given instructional lesson framework. In my opinion, the number one question that crosses my mind when analyzing my given lesson plans is: what is the level of rigor that this given lesson objective is asking my students to engage in? Is it expecting too much from my students based on what they are capable of so far? Or is the expectation too low for what they are capable of achieving? A “quality” lesson plan has a “quality” lesson objective. In my opinion, a quality objective is one that challenges my students, creates higher-order thinking for them, is relevant to their experiences or other subject areas (cross-curricular), and requires my students to be responsible for their own learning. A method that I have learned in my education preparation classes is to use the S.M.A.R.T method when creating a lesson objective. This method not only ensures a good level of rigor for my students' learning, but it also gives my students the opportunity to prove themselves. 

When I took the time to analyze and study my given lesson plans for our grammar block, I realized that the lesson objectives were very vague. For example, in our compound sentences lesson, the objective was “We will learn how to identify compound sentences” (translated from Spanish to English). However, knowing my students and their capabilities, I knew right away they were able to achieve much more than “identifying”. This is when I also remembered that my students were creating their own fictional story during their writing block, where they had a lot of run-on or/and incomplete sentences. Having this in mind, I decided to change the lesson plan and increase the rigor by using the S.M.A.R.T method and use a cross-curricular approach to make the lesson more engaging and relevant while creating the opportunity for my students to be responsible for their learning process. The improved lesson objective went as follows:

“By the end of the lesson, students will be able to create a compound sentence by combining two simple sentences using a coordinating conjunction, and demonstrate this by identifying or revising at least one sentence in their own fictional story draft.”

The newly transformed objective is not only smart, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, nor it only increases the cognitive complexity of the task, but it ALSO connects with their writing workshop! What better way than to make the lesson more relevant and make my students more accountable for their learning? If the teacher is doing all of the talking, thinking, and problem-solving, students aren’t taking any responsibility and, much less, learning. But, if the student is exploring, explaining, and getting the opportunity to apply their knowledge, then they are taking the responsibility and most importantly, they are actively learning.

Reflection 2

Data-Driven Practices

As a student teacher, I have grown a lot in my ability to use both formal and informal assessments to monitor my students' progress. Although data tracking is a teacher skill I have yet to improve on, I have made great progress with the support of my cooperating teacher. At the beginning of the school year, I mostly relied on quiz or test scores, but over time, I have learned how to collect and interpret a wide range of data to get a clearer picture of student learning. Some of the important data we have collected for each student include: reading levels-fluency and comprehension, last year's Reading STAAR results, and beginning and end-of-year MAP scores. Because STAAR targets specific TEKS, we also maintain an Excel sheet that documents how students perform on those individual TEKS throughout the year, as reflected on weekly tests and quizzes. In addition, we gather scores from short constructed responses and take anecdotal notes during RTI/intervention time. All students are labeled according to "Does Not Meet," "Approaches," "Meets," or "Masters" based on many multiple measures such as STAAR, MAP, and TEKS-aligned data.

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Close collaboration with my mentor teacher and grade-level team has shown me how potent data analysis can be. We meet regularly during PLC to review student performance, find trends, and discuss which areas are in the most need. By comparing MAP data from last year's end-of-year results to this year's beginning-of-year scores, we are able to see growth in areas, as well as areas that require intervention. We make decisions together regarding which students need to be moved into Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention groups. As the year unfolds and we collect new data, we continue to adjust these placements based on students' progress and ongoing needs.

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The analysis of all this data has directly impacted how I plan and teach. I learned to differentiate my instruction by grouping students according to their reading levels, offering targeted support during small-group and intervention times. For instance, if the data shows that students are poorly comprehending a certain TEKS, I reteach the concept in small group, through guided practice and hands-on activities. Most recently, one of my students was moved down to tier 3 status and after working one-on-one with him, I came to the decision of using third grade level work during small group to start from zero with him. Other more informal measures like observations and student discussion let me see what students understand in the moment and make changes as I go. This has strengthened my ability to respond to the needs of my students, use data to guide instruction, and really support their growth in significant ways.

Reflection 3

Clinical Teaching Growths

One thing I am very proud of from my time in the EC–6 Teacher Preparation Program at UNT is the growth I have experienced in my ability to support students through intentional, research-based instructional practices. Throughout my coursework and especially during my Block B and C placements, I learned how to design lessons that genuinely meet students where they are. I’ve also grown confident in using data—both formal and informal—to guide my decisions and adjust instruction when students need more support or greater challenge. One moment that stood out early on was creating bilingual anchor charts and vocabulary supports in my placement classroom; seeing students light up when they could access content in both languages reminded me why I chose this profession.

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I am also incredibly proud of how much my oral communication has grown, especially through the evolution of my grammar lessons. When I think back to Block B, grammar was the only subject I had the chance to teach during my student observations. It was the space where I first found my voice as an educator, and it helped shape the teacher I am becoming. Now that I teach all subjects, grammar still holds a special place in my heart because it represents my earliest moments of confidence and connection with students. Over time, my grammar lessons have become more engaging, creative, and student-centered. A significant moment for me has been realizing how much my students enjoy these lessons—their excitement, their participation, and their eagerness to learn more truly moves my heart. Seeing that joy reminds me daily that teaching is not just about delivering content; it’s about creating meaningful, inclusive learning experiences that make students feel successful and inspired.

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