Algebra Tile Lesson Reflection free essay sample

Using concrete and realistic situations, the students were able to understand the concept and were now ready to learn about adding and subtracting integers using algebra tiles. This would eventually allow the students to be able to solve simple equations, with and without the algebra tiles. However, the students were able to learn how to add integers conceptually while using the tiles first. This becomes even more important when the students will be learning more complicated and multiple step equations, as their basic understanding of integers will be built upon with using manipulatives. The concept of adding and subtracting integers can be very difficult to grasp. The use of integer tiles provide a way for students to manipulate and utilize tangible objects that help them understand the potentially confusing procedure of adding and subtracting integers. Before using the tiles however, the students had to understand that the white tiles represented positive numbers, and the red tiles represented negative numbers. Then they were taught how to make pairs using one white and one red tile, which was accomplished during warm-up. Once the students were comfortable making pairs, problems were introduced. The students paired up the tiles and were able to distinguish between the matched up pairs and the remaining ones, therefore determining positive and negative answers. However, with the goals of teaching the addition of negative numbers, it was noticed that the students were not understanding the concept of having all the red tiles to determine a negative answer. The students would need additional practice with the usage of all red tiles while working with negative integers. When they have a full understanding of adding integers, the students would then learn about subtracting integers using tiles as well. However, before they would need to learn the two-stroke method where they must change the subtraction sign into an addition sign and change the sign of the second integer. Then they would proceed to adding the integers using the tiles. Everybody was participating in the lesson and seemed engaged. They were able to follow directions and be rewarded with student store money as the lesson proceeded. There were only a few students that were either off-task by playing with the tiles instead of participating. These students were probably bored due to their prior knowledge of this concept already. There was only one student who did not understanding the concept. He worked one-on-one with me, while the rest of the students created their own problems on the white boards. Other than that, there was an absence of any behavioral issues, which made the lesson go very smoothly. While the students were being assessed with problems on the board, there was not enough time to correct those problems. In the future, the timing of each component of the lesson would be more planned out. Self-Evaluation Working with RSP students for the first time, there were many challenges. The number of students on my caseload did not seem too overwhelming at first, but I found myself being spread out too thin. Between teaching two classes, an Advisory class, providing academic services to my RSP students and writing IEPs, it became an exhausting feat, where I am still trying to find balance. At times, there was a sense of doubt and defeat, and I believed that the needs of my students were not being fully met. Another challenge that I am facing is the fact that a lot of my students are not grouped together in one class. With only half of the students grouped by grade level, the other half is spread out between various teachers. Had the students been more closely grouped, I would be able to service them a lot easier. With the students being spread out across the school matrix, it is also difficult to keep track of their assignments, homework, tests, and quizzes. With many of the students receiving low grades, I am also up against different teachers with different grading styles as well. Although reminding the students about being more responsible with their assignments, I believe that they should not catered to, but instead taught to be self-advocates and fully responsible for their own work. In addition to performing well academically, some of the stronger competencies are evident in presenting effective directed lessons for the students. A powerful lesson is that of which accesses prior knowledge so that the students may make personal connections or become completely engaged from the beginning. When the students are engaged, there is more learning taking place with less behavioral issues as well. The concepts are also presented in a way that is memorable for the students, so that the information is retained. Furthermore, the lesson is then implemented with sufficient independent practice to reinforce the lessons. One area of professional growth would be in the area of enforcing the class rules, procedures, and consequences more clearly throughout the year. Even though I am a traveling teacher, my personal expectations of the students can be defined in any classroom. This can be accomplished with rules and procedures posted on a traveling poster that is carried with me at all times, or if there is a space available somewhere in the borrowed classroom, the rules can be posted. These rules and procedures should then be visited and revisited whenever needed. When this is accomplished, directed lessons should go more smoothly without time being wasted on managing behavior. When behavior management skills are more finely tuned and directed lessons are more creative, I foresee another five years of successful and rewarding teaching experiences in the field of Special Education. Whether I remain as a RSP teacher or go back to being a SDC teacher, my heart is definitely with those students with special needs. I believe that I am in the right career path and can see myself working with the middle school-aged students for a long time. Eventually, with a doctorate degree, I would like to pass on my wealth of knowledge to those beginning teachers at the university level. After all, teachers do best at what they do: teach!