Elementary Education

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages may
include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions. These
pages do not count toward your page total.

1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[ Lesson 2 is shown in the video clips. The first clip runs for approximately 10 minutes and 20
seconds. The second clip runs for five minutes and one second exactly. In the first clip, I am
shown reviewing the previous day’s lesson with my students. Thereafter, we move into the
lesson for the day, and I introduce the story that I would be reading aloud, which was Little Red
Riding Hood by Nadia Fabris. As I read aloud, I paused frequently so that the students and I
could identify and discuss the essential elements of a narrative story as they appeared in the
narrative Little Red Riding Hood. In the second clip, I am shown assisting or providing support
to students as needed as they began to write their own narrative stories about a time that they
were tricked. ]
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.

a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?
[ As a teacher, I intentionally create a positive learning environment by demonstrating mutual
respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to my students in various ways in which they all
have varied needs and backgrounds. First and foremost, when speaking to my students, I am
sure to call them by their preferred name and make eye contact with them as they communicate
their questions, thoughts, and responses to me in the classroom. Clip 1 confirms this as I am
shown calling my students by their preferred names, making direct eye contact with them,
actively listening, and positively responding to their inputs in the class discussion. This is
confirmed from timestamps 0:32 to 0:59 (Clip 1). In this clip, I can also be seen actively listening
and even repeating student responses as they contribute to the class discussion and help to
identify essential elements of a narrative story as review. Additionally, in video clip 1 from
timestamp 0:07 to 0:51, I posed a question, and thereafter, I am shown actively listening to each
student’s responses and giving immediate feedback to their responses. Significantly, as
students respond, I positively say things like, “Yes!” when they are correct. Moreover, I also
asked an eliciting question as a student gave an incorrect response. This is shown in Clip 1 at
timestamp 0:21. I then ask another student to help her out instead of shaming her. Significantly,
these are all of the ways that I showed mutual respect for my students. Most importantly, I also
value each of my students’ voices and opinions. This is one way that I demonstrated rapport
with my students. At the start of clip 1, I ask the students for their opinion on the story that we
read the day prior. In this clip from timestamp 1:14 to 1:19 (Clip 1), I say, “… and wasn’t this
story interesting?” Not only does this show my rapport with my students but it strengthens that
rapport as I show interest in what interests them. I asked a genuine question to see if my
students continue to enjoy stories like The Three Little Super Pigs. I also demonstrate high
responsiveness to my students, which can be backed by Clip 2. In clip 2, I am shown closely
monitoring my students to see how well their narrative stories are coming along and giving

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 Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

direction when needed. In this way, again, I was demonstrating mutual respect for, rapport with,
and responsiveness to not just specific students but to all students. Furthermore, from
timestamp 1:36 to 2:15 in video clip 1, I challenged my students to engage in learning. Before I
began reading, I set a purpose for listening. As such, they weren’t just listening for enjoyment,
but they were listening for the essential elements of a narrative story. All of which are ways in
which I created a positive learning environment and challenged my students to engage in their
learning in this lesson. ]
3. Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy

strategy and related skills.
[ Because I wanted to strengthen my students’ abilities to compose exemplary narrative stories,
the essential literacy strategy, I engaged my students by having them actually listen to a
narrative story, Little Red Riding Hood, so that they could see the essential elements of a
narrative story actually being used, firsthand. As such, in video clip 1 from timestamp 1:36 to
2:15, I am shown setting that particular purpose for reading and listening for my students. In this
way, they were actively engaged as they were aware that as I was reading aloud, they should
have been listening out for essential elements of a narrative story. Important to note, being able
to identify the essential elements of a narrative story for later use in writing a narrative is a
related skill. Consequently, from timestamp 4:18 to 10:20 in Clip 1, I am shown reading aloud to
my students and pausing each time we come across an essential element of a narrative story.
Significantly, each time we come across an element, we identify which element it is and discuss
its importance as well as what it does to help us as readers and writers. Thus, when students
completed the pre-writing step of the writing process using their graphic organizers, they were
expected to include each of the essential elements of a narrative story with transition words
already being present. ]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[ Some of my students are economically disadvantaged and lack access to a surplus of books at
home. However, students have shown interest in fiction stories as well as American tales such
as The Three Little Pigs. Important to note, four of my students are ESOL and are still
immersing into American culture, which is why similar stories were included in the learning
segment. The day prior to this lesson, I introduced the essential elements of a narrative story.
On this day, we began instruction by reviewing those elements and how they were essential to
the story that we read the day before, The Three Little Super Pigs: Once Upon A Time, a twist
to a popular story in American culture that we once read, The Three Little Pigs. As such, in
video clip 1 from timestamps 0:00 to 1:36, I am shown reviewing those essential elements of a
narrative story and discussing the important role that those elements played in the story of The
Three Little Super Pigs: Once Upon A Time. In this way, I linked students recent prior academic
as well as personal and cultural learning experiences with new learning as we uncovered a
different story, Little Red Riding Hood, and looked for those same essential elements. ]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.
a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
apply the essential literacy strategy using related skills to comprehend OR compose text.

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 Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

[ To promote thinking and help students apply the essential elements of narrative stories when
composing text which is an essential literacy strategy, at times, I had to elicit and build on
student responses. As such, in video clip 1 from timestamp 0:21 to 0:40, as we reviewed the
essential elements of a narrative story, a student gave an example of an element as opposed to
naming it. She said, “First, next...” I asked an eliciting question and promoted thinking by saying,
“Did she [the author] use “First” and “Next” or did she use what we call words like “First” and
“Next?”” I then asked another student to help her out, and she was able to identify the element,
which was transition words. Thereafter, from timestamp 4:20 to 5:12 (Clip 1), I am shown
embracing student responses after I asked the question, “So, what [elements] have they given
us so far of the five things [elements] that we’re looking for?” The male student responded, “To
not stop to talk to strangers.” However, I was looking for a specific element. I affirmed his
answer by saying, “Yes, her mother did tell her this, but what are they telling us in the story?” I
then called on another male student. He answered, “They’re telling us feelings.” I responded,
“Yes, they did give us feelings kind of like how the mom is feeling about Little Red Riding Hood
walking by herself, but I’m looking for one [an element] that starts with an “a.”” I then called on a
female student and she struggled to come up with an answer. Thereafter, I called on a male
student and he responded, “Action,” which was the answer that I was looking for. Significantly, I
asked several questions to elicit student responses and guide them towards the answer that I
was looking for specifically. Additionally, from timestamps 5:19 to 5:46 as well as 8:30 to 8:41
(Clip 1), I continued to read and pause as we came across essential elements included in
narrative stories. During these two specific times, my students struggled to determine which
element we discovered. As a result, I elicited responses from my students by guiding them
towards the correct element. For instance, at timestamp 5:19, we got to the transition word “By
and by,” which may have been difficult for second graders to recognize. I asked, “What is “By
and by?” One student responded, “A translating word!” I aided by saying, “A transit-…” The
students finished my statement by saying, “A transition word!” As such there were various
moments in which I elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking as we uncovered
elements that are imperative to include when composing narrative stories, using first, graphic
organizers. ]
b. Explain how you modeled the essential literacy strategy AND supported students as
they practiced or applied the strategy to comprehend OR compose text in a meaningful
context.
[ I modeled the essential elements of a narrative story by reading aloud the story Little Red
Riding Hood; as each element was embedded in the story. From timestamps 5:19 to 10:07 in
clip 1, I am shown reading the story aloud and pausing as we come across elements in the
story. At each pause, the students identified the specific element that we uncovered. The
students then had the opportunity to apply the elements of a narrative story to their writing using
their graphic organizers, and I supported students as needed. As such I monitored by means of
walking around the classroom to ensure that students were composing narratives that
recounted a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, included details to describe
actions, thoughts, and feelings, used temporal words to signal event order, and provided a
sense of closure [also referred to as essential elements of a narrative story]. More specifically,
in video clip 2 from timestamp 0:12 to 0:41, I am shown supporting a student by giving the
student more direction on how they were to compose their narrative. At 0:13, the student said,
“This is hard.” I then further explained by saying, “You’re telling me a story. You’re planning your
story on this sheet (which was the graphic organizer). This sheet is helping you organize what
you want to say. So, what happened first? What happened next? What happened last?”
Additionally, from timestamp 3:47 to 3:53 as well as from 4:15 to 4:28 in clip 2, I am shown
providing extra guidance on what the student’s closing should consist of as well as its purpose.
Significantly, at timestamp 3:47, I was looking over a student’s graphic organizer and I gave

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 Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

them direction by saying, “You need to wrap your story up right here. This is not where you add
more details, but you’re wrapping it (their story) up.” In this way, I supported students as they
practiced the essential literacy strategy which is composing a narrative. ]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.

a. What changes would you make to your instruction—for the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challenge—to better support student learning of
the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?

Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support, such as students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students.
[ There are two specific changes that I would make to my instruction. First, to explain, in video
clip 2 from timestamps 0:12 to 4:28, I am shown providing support to the students who
encompassed inaccuracies or exhibited confusion in their narrative writing. As such, in an effort
to help students better comprise a narrative piece, I would go back and have the students and I
participate in a shared writing activity on the topic or prompt of the day. In this way, the students
would be more knowledgeable as to how to comprise a narrative piece; as we would have done
so collectively. I would also change the format of the lesson to be more student or group-
centered. In video clip 1, I am shown teaching or reading majority of the time. I think it would
have been more beneficial for the students to take charge of their learning and read a short
story in groups to find the essential elements of a narrative together. This also would have made
it easier for students to incorporate those elements in their writing as students learn better from
each other. ]
b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[ I think the above changes would improve student learning as well as their ability to write
narrative pieces as it gives them other opportunities to practice narrative writing as well as
identifying the essential elements of a narrative in collective or group settings. Significantly,
Lucy Calkins once stated that writing needs to be taught like any other basic skill, with explicit
instruction and ample opportunity for practice. As such, incorporating a shared writing
experience into the lesson would give students yet, another opportunity to practice compiling a
narrative piece. In this way, during independent writing time, students would feel more
comfortable and be more equipped to produce a narrative piece. Additionally, according to
Thomas Gunning in his text Creating Literacy Instruction for all Students, “as the importance of
learning from others through scaffolding, discussion, cooperative learning, and consideration of
multiple perspectives has become apparent, it is clear that the focus must be on group
learning.” As such, by allowing students to take charge of their learning and work together in
groups to find essential elements of a narrative story, rich discussion and divine learning would
take place. Significantly, building a community of learners and placing students at the center of
it peaks student engagement and opportunities for learning by means of collaboration and
discussion. ]

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 Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

Clip 2, lesson 2, transcription of student-teacher interactions that is inaudible

0:09-0:10: “This is hard.”

0:14-0:15: “You’re telling me a story.”
0:25-0:42: “You’re planning your story on this sheet. This sheet is helping you organize what
you want to say. So, what happened first? What happened next? What happened last?”

3:47-3:52: “You need to wrap your story up right here. This is not where you add more
details, but you’re wrapping it up.”

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