Dylan Mcleod Tuning Protocol 1

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By: Dylan McLeod

Course Instructor: Dr. Bryan Matera


Fall 2021
Table of Contents:

1. Context for Learning…………………………………...………….. 3-4

2. Educational Themes……………………………………………………. 5

3. Classroom Practices………………………………………………. 6-14

4. Three Connected Lessons……………………………….... 15-34

5. Signed Permission Slips…………………………………………... 35

6. Videotaped Lesson Segments………………………………. 36

7. Video Self-Analysis……………………………………………... 37-40

8. High, Middle, and Low Student Work…………... 41-42

9. Data Collecting Instruments…………………………... 43-44

10. Overall Reflection………………………………………………………. 45


Context for Learning:

Ms. Stoffel’s
Kindergarten Class
19 Students
Elton Hills Elementary
Rochester, MN
Context for Learning:

For the first six weeks, I was in a kindergarten class at Elton Hills Elementary located in Rochester,
MN. Elton Hills is one of sixteen elementary schools in Rochester and is located in the northwest part of
the city. It is home to over 480 K-5 students and is characterized as a Title 1 school. A school is eligible to
be a Title 1 school if at least 40% of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch, which happens to be the
case at Elton Hills. The school is in the shape of a rectangle and has 4 sections of kindergarten, 4 sections
of first grade, two sections of second grade, and three sections of third, fourth, and fifth grade. All of the
teachers and staff are amazing and incredibly helpful. Elton Hills is a very welcoming school and everyone
there is there for the right reasons. It truly is such a happy place. There are two building administrators
there who are awesome as well. They are both incredibly responsive when it comes to helping with
behaviors and have helped me learn so much just by allowing me to experience different things at the
school. They value each individual at the school and went out of their way to ensure I felt welcomed into
the school from day one. They know everyone’s name and genuinely care about how you are doing.
Mental health is very important to them and that is something that you don’t always find with
administrators. If I ever have the opportunity to teach at Elton Hills, I would be more than happy to.

In the class I student taught in, there were nineteen students, nine girls and ten boys. The gender
in the class was split pretty evenly, and there were many different ethnic backgrounds that were
represented which was super awesome to experience. Of the nineteen students, six were Caucasian, one
was American Indian, two were Hispanic, two were Asian, four were African American, and four were
Multi-Ethnic. Having a diverse class was super fun. I was able to learn about cultures that differed from my
own, from both parents and students. Kindergarten is a fun age because they are very open-minded and
are new to school so they truly are friends with everyone. Sometimes when students get older, their
parents beliefs and ideas get pushed onto them, but that does not happen as much when the students
are younger. It was so awesome to see so many students play together that might not be friends if school
did not place them together.

My class had three students that were receiving Special Education services that were on IEPs, and
a few others who were in the process of getting tested. At the time when my placement concluded, there
were not any gifted students.

The classroom I was in (photos on the previous page) was a great learning environment for
kindergarteners to be in. The classroom had a restroom inside it which was super helpful. There was a
rainbow carpet in front of the interactive whiteboard that the students sat at during instruction and while
working, and there were a few tables around the room if students chose to not sit on the floor. There was
a kitchen that students could play with in one corner of the room, a bunch of shelves full of toys, and
super cool bookshelves. There was also a peace corner in the classroom where students could visit if they
needed to take a break away from the group.
Educational Themes:

The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.

There are certain skills that students need to be able to learn and practice socially in order
to be successful academically. It is also really important that students have the opportunity at
school to socialize with each other and with their teacher in order to enhance their
communication and cooperation skills. Educational theorists have stated in the past just how
important play is for children, which is why I think that at least some time throughout the school
day should be set aside for socialization. In the kindergarten class I was in, we had a play time at
the end of the day where students could play with their friends, as well as make new ones.

How children learn is as important as what they learn; process and content go hand in hand.

It is really important that teachers are aware of how their students learn as individuals
before giving instruction so that they can ensure that no ones time will be wasted and the
students will be able to follow along and learn the information that is being taught. If students
are not able to learn the way that teacher is expecting them to, but the teacher is not willing to
change, things may get challenging. It is important to differentiate instruction as best as possible
given the circumstances of the classroom in order to see progress from all students. In a
classroom with a positive community feeling, the students will all know that they are worthy and
are right where they are supposed to be. By tailoring instruction to benefit all students, all will
feel welcome.

Knowing the families of the children we teach and intentionally working with them as partners is
essential to each child’s growth--academically, culturally, and developmentally.

I am a firm believer in the importance of building relationships not only with students, but
with their families as well. It is important to build a relationship with each family right from the
beginning of the school year and build the relationship up positively throughout the year. If you
make an effort to get to know the students in your care beyond the surface level stuff, the
amount of trust you can build will be exponential. It is also important to visit with their parents at
conferences and drop-off/pick-up to show the you care about them as well. If you only contact a
parent when their child misbehaves, they might not think too highly of you as the teacher. I think
Rochester Public Schools does a great job at allowing time to build relationships by having
individual conferences with each student and their family before the school year starts. This
allows the teacher and family time to get to know each other without the distraction of other
students and allows for the school year to start smoothly.
Classroom Practices:
Why Morning Meeting?
In the kindergarten class I was in, we start each morning with a morning meeting.

Not only does this help set a routine in the classroom, but it also builds a sense of

community between each student and the teacher/s as well. The students know each

morning that when they come in, the day will begin with a morning meeting so there are

no surprises as to what will happen first. This is good for students who may feel anxious at

school and in new situations. During the morning meeting, students have the

opportunity to conversate with each other, greet each other, and learn about each other.

It is very important that the teacher allows for this to happen, especially right from the

beginning of the school year, in order to build a sense of community and trust within the

classroom.

In the classroom I was in, our morning meeting started with a song that was titled

“Spread a Little Sunshine,” which was created by Jack Hartmann. It is a song that

immediately puts whoever is listening to it in a good mood. Even through the masks, you

can tell that everyone is smiling while they sing and dance to the song. Having a happy

and uplifting song to start the day allows everyone to leave any negative energy at the

door and come into the classroom with an open and free mindset.

Once we all sing the song together, we take time to greet each other, go over the

calendar and daily schedule, sing a shape song and a counting song, and then we have

the students make their own patterns with different shapes. The students are all super

engaged during the meeting and have a good time learning and growing together.

**morning meeting slides can be found on pages 8-11**


Today is _______________ October _______, 2021
Go Over
Daily Schedule
Finish the Pattern:
Classroom Practices:
Why Class Rules?
Having a list of rules that your students will follow is an important thing to do to

ensure that there is structure and order within the classroom. Rules can ensure that

everyone is being safe, feeling respected, and is cared for. I think that is important to sit

down with the students in your class during the first week of school to create rules that

are followable together. Not only will allowing them to create the rules build a strong

sense of community in the classroom, but the students will feel like they have a voice and

that their voice is being heard when they say a rule and then they see it on a poster

hanging up in the room.

If there are no rules in a classroom, chaos will ensue and the teacher will struggle to

regain control of the class. From my experience, students enjoy sharing out the rules that

the believe are important and find it fun to create poster with the rules on it.

When we did this activity in the class I was student teaching in, we had the

students all partner up with someone around them. We asked them to come up with as

many rules as they could in their partnership given 3 minutes. We then called on groups

to share out their rules. I typed up a giant list of rules and projected it onto the board so

everyone could see the rules that we came up with as a class. Once everyone shared out

their most important rules, we voted on the top four that we agreed could be followed.

Once we found our four rules, I wrote them onto a piece of paper and once the students

promised to follow the rules, they got to sign their name on the poster.

**the class rules we created are on the next page**


Classroom Practices:

Why Interactive Modeling?

Interactive modeling is fast and allows students to pick up on information super


quick. It is direct and gets straight to the point of what the teacher is expecting the
students to do. When I was student teaching, my CT would use interactive modeling
almost daily. There was a document camera that connected to the projector and she
would use it to show the students exactly what they would be working on and how she
wanted the assignment completed before she sent them off to work on their own. By
doing this, keeping directions short, sweet, and to the point, she was able to gain the
students attention which ended up eliminating questions during work time. Interactive
modeling allowed my CT and I the ability to practice using the gradual release of
responsibility with the students. One time we made a book that had different colors
written on each page. My CT went through the whole book and showed everyone what to
do. She then had the students do three pages with her, and then she had them finish the
book on their own.

Why Positive Teacher Language?

Using positive language as a teacher is important even when times may not be the
easiest. Students learn so much better when they feel welcome and wanted in a
classroom. I think that teachers should use positive feedback whenever possible and
always approach situations with caution and grace. Students can feel when teachers are
upset and/or angry at them and that can really be damaging to someones self-esteem,
especially a developing child. In my class during the first 6 weeks of school, we had a
really challenging student in our class that took so much energy out of my CT and the
support staff in the school and we struggled with making things feel more normal for the
other students in the class while this particular student was causing so much trouble. We
finally realized that this student could sense that my CT was getting upset because of
their behavior and purposely acted up because she wanted to make my CT more upset.
We finally realized that if she could not tell anyone was upset with her, she would not act
out as much. Using positive language and emotions help make the classroom a happier
place.
Classroom Practices:

Why Academic Choice?

Students learn the best when they are able to choose how they want to work.
Academic choice is important because it allows students who do not learn the same way
as their classmates to take charge of their own education and find a way to work on
things that works for them. I think that students can also learn things from one another
through academic choice which is super important when building social skills. Students
may see a peer try something that is unfamiliar to them and may want to inquire with
that student as to how they can attempt that learning style too. In kindergarten, we had
choice time every day before the students went home. The students could choose a toy to
play with during this time, most of which had an educational component. The students
not only were able to learn how to play things that were new to them, but were also able
to meet new students and play together to build strong relationships and form new
friendships.
Why Collaborative Problem Solving?

Working in groups is a beneficial way for anyone to gain information and


knowledge that they may be lacking when working independently. More brains working
together typically creates a positive outcome. Since every student in a class is different
and unique in their own ways, they will each have something different to contribute in a
group setting. Putting students in a group with others where everyone can contribute the
skills that they are good at, and learn from others at skills they are still working on,
teaches students the positives of collaboration. In the kindergarten class I was in, the
students would work together in small groups during their literacy centers each day. The
students enjoyed working with their classmates and had fun bouncing ideas off each
other, but in my own class I would create the groups a bit differently than my CT did. My
CT created the groups randomly before the school year even started because we were just
trying to prepare for the first day of school. In my own classroom, I would use the ideas
that I learned in the book, Collective Student Efficacy, to create my groups. I would rotate
groups often and have different groups for different activities. I would create some groups
based on academic level, some randomly, and some with the help of the students so that
they feel like their voice is being heard as well. I feel like having students work together
can really add value to the overall classroom community.
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 1
Three Connected Lessons: Day 2
Three Connected Lessons: Day 2
Three Connected Lessons: Day 2
Three Connected Lessons: Day 2
Three Connected Lessons: Day 2
Three Connected Lessons: Day 2
Three Connected Lessons: Day 3
Three Connected Lessons: Day 3
Three Connected Lessons: Day 3
Three Connected Lessons: Day 3
Three Connected Lessons: Day 3
Three Connected Lessons: Day 3
Signed Permission Slips:
An example of the permission slip used is shown below.
Click on the link to view the signed permission slips that I
received. Note that 1 out of 19 students was unable to be
videotaped. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_YL2FRplydk3AmRBruUMi-iT4BByYueL/view?usp=sharing
Videotaped Lessons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn-Di4U_q6
Video Self-Analysis:
Video Self-Analysis:

Self-Evaluation (part two):

1. What are some of your personal idiosyncrasies? What can you do about
them?

One of my personal idiosyncrasies is I get super nervous when other teachers and/or
building administration come in and observe me teaching a lesson. I get told repeatedly
that I am doing good and teaching lessons that are memorable and engaging, but I
struggle to find confidence in myself and I feel uncomfortable at times accepting positive
feedback. I need to believe in myself more and ask for help when I feel like I need it. It is
important to be a confident adult, so I need to do what I can to make myself more
optimistic and open to positive criticism. I also say things like “Are you ready?” and “Raise
your hand!” too much, so I can work on either saying other things or nothing at all.

2. What did you do at the start of each lesson to set the mood or climate for
learning? Looking back, would you do anything differently, and if yes, what,
why and how?

Each lesson I taught began with the whole class coming together to sing a song
that was called “Spread a Little Sunshine.” This song was written and sung by Jack
Hartmann. We sang it every morning and by the second week of school, most of the
students knew pretty much all of the words and would all sing along together as soon as
it started playing. This song creates a positive climate in the classroom that is welcoming
and inclusive. After the song is over, the students all go around and greet one-another.
We, the teachers, try to make a point for the students to talk to different classmates each
day so that they are not always chatting with the same friends and are getting the
opportunity to meet everyone. Having something that the students all share in common
right at the beginning of the day allows them to build trust with each other and makes
communication easier and more comfortable. I think building a sense of community in
the classroom is a positive way to enhance the mood or climate, and I do not think that I
would do anything differently.
Video Self-Analysis:

Self-Evaluation (part two):

3. Analyze the questions you asked of your students during each lesson. What
do you notice in terms of the quality, levels, wait time, your responses to
students, and their responses to your questions?

I think that the questions I asked my students during each lesson were at the
appropriate grade level and were comprehensive for all. Every time I asked for a volunteer
to raise their hand and answer my question, I had multiple students willing to answer. I do
not think that students struggled to answer what I was asking and I think that I had an
appropriate amount of wait time between asking a question and calling on a student. I
really like to encourage students with positive feedback and by thanking them when they
answer a question. Not only does that prove to them that they are a valuable attribute to
our classroom, but it also makes them more confident when they know they are
answering things correctly.

4. How well did you involve all students in responding and participating? Were
there any equity issues?

I feel like I did a good job at calling on different students each time I asked for a
volunteer and was able to ensure every student got a turn eventually. One thing I did not
do enough that I am working on is letting everyone in the class express their opinions
when I ask something rather than just calling on 2-3 people. I will not necessarily have
every student share out, but I will have them turn and talk to a neighbor or use a
whiteboard to share their answer out that way. Giving everyone a voice during lessons will
create a stronger sense of community within the classroom.
Video Self-Analysis:

Self-Evaluation (part two):

5. With what skills development or dispositional progress during your student


teaching are you most pleased?

During my six week student teaching placement, I grew more than I could have
ever imagine both personally and professionally. I had the pleasure of working with many
awesome people and gained many new skills that I can now add to my teacher toolbox.
The skill that I am most pleased with, however, is my ability to go with the flow and avoid
getting upset at things that I have no control over. Many times throughout my placement,
things would happen that might not necessarily be considered “ideal,” and I watched as
teachers around me got so worked up about things that they had no control over. The
teachers would spend the whole day being upset and crabby because of one small thing
that happened and no matter how hard it was, I did not let their negative bother me. At
the end of the day, some things are out of our control so if we waste energy on trying to
change a situation, we are just setting ourselves up for future failure.

6. In what areas do you still see room for growth and improvement?

I had a really good time during my placement and like I stated above, I learned
more than I could have imagined. One thing that I did not get to experience that I think
would be beneficial in order to grow and improve as an educator is conferences. I had the
opportunity to sit in on the back to school Step in to Learning conferences where we got
to sit down and meet the students one family at a time, but I think it would also be nice to
sit it on beginning of the year conferences where conversations might not be as easy and
happy as the ones before school started were.
Student Work Analysis:

During my first six weeks, I was not there for any end-of-unit summative
assessments and I am unsure if they do anything like that in kindergarten at all. My CT did
many formative assessments, however, using whiteboards and post-it notes. Doing these
checks really helped ensure that students were learning throughout lessons that were
being taught. My favorite type of formative assessment is writing on post-it notes and
hanging them up around the room in certain categories that the teacher previously sets
up. Once the students have all placed their post-it notes where they belong, the teacher
then uses the “Post-It” app on his or her phone and can scan the post it notes all in and
can be then projected onto the whiteboard for all of the students to see up close and
personal. This is a super fun and engaging way to track student progress in any given
lesson.
The student work I have collected is from three different students: one high level
student, one middle level student, and one lower level student. These three students are
not necessarily the actual highest or lowest, but they are students that turned in every
assignment that was assigned to them throughout the time that I was teaching and
therefore are able to be compared.
The high level student is always paying attention in class, knows what is happening,
and can always help their peers, They have really nice handwriting and is awesome at
writing numbers and creating their own patterns. The middle level student is very smart
and is where they should be academically, but sometimes gets distracted by their friends
and misses key details during instruction. The lower level student knows what they
should be doing but simply just does not follow the directions at times. They are looking
into space while instruction is being given and they ask multiple questions once everyone
has been sent to work because they did not pay attention.
For all students, the thing to work on is just focusing more on academics in school.
This will come with being in school longer. The more the students are in the classroom
and have the opportunities to learn from their peers and the teacher, the more they will
be able to grow. Learning wil become fun and a routine for them, and will be something
they strive in.
Every student deserves an equal education opportunity. As a teacher, I am looking
forward to providing a nurturing space for learning to happen.
Student Work:
High Middle Low
Data Collecting Instruments:

My cooperating teacher did not use any data progress tools that I am aware of, at least
during the first six weeks of school. Below is a list of some that I have found online for
each category that I have either used before when I was in elementary school, or could
use someday in my own classroom.

Reading Based Data Progress Tool

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/414964553149237626/
https://bookriot.com/reading-logs-for-kids/

Writing Based Data Progress Tool

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Test-Data-Sheets-Bar-Graph-85117 https://sewagnerdatafolder.weebly.com/writing-based-data-progress-tools.html
6
Data Collecting Instruments:

Math Based Data Progress Tool

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/231583605808513576/ https://sewagnerdatafolder.weebly.com/math-based-data-progress-tools.html

Behavior Based Data Progress Tool

http://www.child-behavior-guide.com/ADHD-behavior-charts.html

https://sarahsnippets.com/individual-behavior-chart-freebies/
Overall Reflection:

During my six week placement, I learned more about myself than I ever thought could be
possible. Although I am still not as confident as I could be in myself, I feel more comfortable in
front of students and colleagues which is a big deal for me. I learned that if an opportunity
presented itself where I was in charge of my own classroom tomorrow, I would be able to handle
it. I learned so much during student teaching and I can say with certainty that I am ready for the
future. I have worked at School Age Child Care (SACC) for many years, but being in a classroom
full of students for 8 hours a day truly does not compare. At SACC, the students are either tired
because it is 6am and they got woken up too early, or tired because it is almost 6pm and they
have been at school too long and are ready to go home for the day. It is sometimes hard to
entertain them and some students are so tired that they choose to act out instead of listen. In the
classroom, however, the students are full of life and positive energy and truly lit a flame inside of
me that I was unaware burnt out.
I finally realized when I was student teaching that I was in the right place and my passion
for working with children and watching them learn new things has never been stronger. I had
these feelings while student teaching, but completing this tuning protocol has made reflect on
my experiences again and I can’t help but feel so grateful for the opportunities I have had and for
the people I have had the pleasure of meeting. I had the pleasure of taking skills that I learned in
my junior year courses and implementing them into the kindergarten classroom that I was in so
that was super fun, too.
While being in someone else’s classroom was very fun and an awesome experience, it also
helped me learn things that I would either change or not do at all in my own classroom someday.
I think as a pre-service teacher it is important to learn from someone who is experienced at what
you’re working towards, but sometimes I felt like if I tried something new or something that my
CT did not do first, I would be stepping on her toes and that made me feel uncomfortable. In my
next placement, I want to have a conversation with my new CT at the beginning about trying
new things so that we can open the door for optimism and positive communication from the
start. I do not think that my CT would have been upset with me if I tried something new, but it
was just the feeling of being in someone else’s space and wanting to try something different that
made me nervous. I need to come out of my shell when it comes to talking to people that could
potentially be my colleagues someday, and I think that with time that will happen.
Because my class went into a 2-week quarantine right when I was supposed to teach my
three day lesson, it did not go the way that I had hoped. I got to teach one day, and the other two
were taught remotely. If I could re-teach this lesson, I would look forward to it being in person
with the whole class participating. I think that in the class I was in, differentiating instruction is
not something we need to focus on because for the most part everyone is typically able to follow
along. I would also include more partner and group work, rather than all students working
individually. I might even try to make the worksheets more interactive and verbal, rather than
writing everything down. The worksheets were helpful with assessing to see how much the
students progressed throughout the week, but might not always be necessary.

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