Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Minor Placement Work Sample:
Table of Contents
Section 1: Planning for Instruction Unit Description 3
Common Core State Standards
4
Classroom Demographics 5
Communication with Family
7
Teacher Road Map
8
Student Road Map
10
Work Sample Lessons
Lesson 1: Medieval History
11
Lesson 2: The Prologue 1
16
Lesson 3: The Prologue 2
24
Lesson 4: The Prologue 3
29
Lesson 5: Performance Task Research
32
Lesson 6: The Pardoner’s Tale 1
36
Lesson 7: The Pardoner’s Tale 2
41
Lesson 8: Performance Task PowerPoint
48
Lesson 9: The Wife of Bath’s Tale 1
51
Lesson 10: The Wife of Bath’s Tale 2
57
Lesson 11: Nun’s Priest’s Tale 1
61
Lesson 12: Nun’s Priest’s Tale 2
65
Bauer 1
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 2: Establishing Classroom Climate
School Policies
70
Classroom Policies
71
Classroom Management/Democratic Practices
73
Management Strategies
74
Teaching Competency Essay #1
76
Section 3: Engaging Students in Planned Learning Activities
Assessment Unit Plan
78
Performance Task Essay
86
Scoring Guide/Rubric
88
Assessment Strategies
90
Teaching Competency Essay #2
91
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
Pre-Test and Post-Test
92
Pre/Post Test Graph
96
Student Analysis in Relation to Performance Task
98
Student Analysis Standards Graph
101
Section 5: Exhibiting Professional Behavior
Teaching Competency Essay #3
105
Analysis of Video Recording
107
Unit Self-Reflection
109
112
Section 6: Resources
Works Cited
Bauer 2
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 1: Planning for Instruction
• Unit Description
My work sample will cover twelve lessons in a Medieval literature unit on Geoffrey
Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales for English 12. The textbook is McDougal Littell’s The
Language of Literature: British Literature (2006). Unit One is over the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval
Periods (449-1485). Unit One: Part 2 “Reflections of Everyday Life” begins with a brief study
on Geoffery Chaucer as an author. We will then begin The Canterbury Tales starting with “The
Prologue” and reading three of the tales including, “The Pardoner’s Tale” and the “Wife of
Bath’s Tale,” and “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.”
The expected outcomes of this unit are:
1. Students will be able to generalize the continuing development of the English language,
specifically Middle English.
2. Students will be able to define and demonstrate understanding of key types of Medieval
writing: narrative poems, moral tales, and allegories, and analyze the elements thereof:
characterization, ironic tone, frame story, use of narrator, etc.
3. Students will be able to make predictions to enrich understanding and appreciation of a
narrative poem.
4. Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to selections
from The Canterbury Tales.
5. Students will be able to create and present a short research presentation about a Medieval
Period topic of their choice.
(Bloom’s Taxonomy: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Creation)
Bauer 3
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 1: Planning for Instruction
• Common Core State Standards
For English Language Arts Grades 11-12
Anchor Standards for
Reading: Literature
11-12.RL.3.
Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to
develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story
is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are
introduced and developed).
Anchor Standards for
Reading: Literature
11-12.RL.6
Anchor Standards for
Speaking & Listening
11-12.SL.5
Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires
distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio,
visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add
interest.
Bauer 4
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 1: Planning for Instruction
• Demographics
I. Community Environmental Factors
Creswell, Oregon is a city in the Willamette Valley of Lane County. The median income
level is $40,702 (2009) compared to the state average of $48,457. The unemployment rate for
Creswell is 8.8% compared to the state unemployment rate of 9.2%. In 2010, Creswell had a
crime rate 23% higher than national average, the majority of which seems to be property
crimes, specifically thefts and burglaries. There does not appear to be any significant problems
with illegal drug use or gang-related activities. Creswell is a predominately Caucasian
community with 86% of its population classified as White, 8.6% classified as Hispanic, 3.1% as
Multiracial and less than one percentage each of American Indian, Asian, Black, and Pacific
Islander. About 15.3% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line,
including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
II. School Environmental Factors
Creswell High School contains 15 traditional classrooms as well as a music room,
wood-shop, greenhouse, garden, two science labs, a special education resource room, three
computer labs, two gymnasiums, a library, a commons, and a stage all centrally located around
an outdoor courtyard. The High School has competitive football, soccer, volleyball, basketball,
and track teams as well as Orchestral Band and Choir. Extracurricular clubs include Key Club,
H.O.P.E. Club, Peace Club, ASB, Drama Club, and Anime Club.
III. Classroom Environmental Factors
The second period English 12 class is a smaller class of 19 students, all of which are
seniors expecting to graduate this spring. There are twice as many males as females, two IEP
Bauer 5
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
students, two EL learners, and one German foreign exchange student. The class is
predominantly white with three students identifying as Spanish speaking Hispanics.
Creswell High School
Classroom Demographics
Demographics
Address
330- Neiblock Ln.
Creswell, OR 97426
District
Creswell School District
Grades
9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Students
380
Teachers
17
9th Grade
104
10th Grade
99
11th Grade
103
12th Grade
72
Total Students
19
Males
13
Females
6
Individualized
Education Plans (IEP)
2
English Language
Learners (ELL)
2
Talented and Gifted
(TAG)
0
504 Plans
0
Special Needs
0
Free/Reduced Lunch
(School-wide) 67%
Bauer 6
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 1: Planning for Instruction
• Communication With Families
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Hello. My name is Maura Bauer. I am a graduate student at Northwest Christian University. I
will be working with Mr. Boatman as a student teacher in your student’s classroom until
November. I will be in the classroom every day, Monday through Friday for the first three
periods.
As a student teacher I will be helping Mr. Boatman in the classroom, as well as teaching
lessons to the class. In October I will teach the English 12 class for approximately two weeks. I
will be working closely with Mr. Boatman and he will be supervising each lesson that I teach,
and making sure that they meet the curriculum requirements.
We will be covering a unit of Geoffery Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales culminating in a short
research and Powerpoint presentation over a Medieval topic of the students’ choice.
I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with your students, and I know that
we will have a great time together!
Sincerely,
Maura Bauer
Bauer 7
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 1: Planning for Instruction
• Teacher Road Map
Lesson Objectives
Teaching
Strategies
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
1. Students will be able to assess their existing knowledge
regarding Medieval literature (e.g., The Canterbury Tales).
2. Students will be able to identify significant events and
1
details of Medieval culture.
3. Students will be able to summarize information about
the Medieval period by reading in small groups
Prior Knowledge
Guided Discussion
Objectives
Self Assessment
Cooperative Learning
Guided Instruction
Recall
Summarize
Assess
Identify
1. Students will be able to define and evaluate a narrative
poem.
2. Students will be able to identify the ironic tone of
2
Chaucer’s literary work.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate and analyze the
author’s use of characterization.
Prediction
Note-Taking/Cueing
Character Analysis
Graphic Organizer
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Predict
Define
Summarize
Demonstrate
Identify
Analyze
Evaluate
1. Students will be able to evaluate a narrative poem,
2. Students will be able to identify the ironic tone of
3
Chaucer’s literary work.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate and analyze the
author’s use of characterization.
Quiz/Assessment
Prediction
Character Analysis
Graphic Organizer
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Recall
Summarize
Demonstrate
Identify
Analyze
Evaluate
Predict
1. Students will be able to evaluate a narrative poem,
2. Students will be able to identify the ironic tone of
4
Chaucer’s literary work.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate and analyze the
author’s use of characterization.
Prediction
Character Analysis
Graphic Organizer
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Music/Video
Summarize
Demonstrate
Identify
Analyze
Evaluate
Predict
KWL (Variation)
Graphic Organizer
Hands on/Active
Participation
Recall
Question
Evaluate
Collect
Independent Reading
Note Taking/Cueing
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Cooperative Groups
Graphic Organizer
Describe
Define
Discuss
Practice
Analyze
Predict
5
1. Students will be able to select a Medieval topic for their
performance task presentations.
2. Students will be able to brainstorm possible research
questions about their topic.
3. Students will be able to begin researching their topic
using web and print media.
1. Students will be able to define and analyze a moral tale
that provides insight into life during the Middle Ages.
2. Students will be able to make predictions to enrich
6
understanding and appreciation of a narrative poem.
3. Students will be able to identify aspects of Medieval life
during Chaucer’s time.
Bauer 8
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson Objectives
7
1. Students will be able to discuss their predictions
regarding The Pardoner’s Tale.
2. Students will be able to explain how to create a
presentation in PowerPoint 2010.
3. Students will begin to outline their presentation using a
graphic organizer.
8
1. Students will be able to start to create a presentation
using PowerPoint 2010.
2. Students will be able to reorganize their research.
3. Students will be able to begin to design a simple and
professional PowerPoint presentation.
9
1. Students will be able to analyze the author’s use of a
narrator to tell a story.
2. Students will be able to relate the significance of
Medieval events and culture to the narrative poem.
3. Students will be able to generalize the continuing
development of the English language.
Teaching
Strategies
Quiz/Assessment
Guided Discussion
Review
Video
Modeling
Hands on/Active
Participation
Graphic Organizer
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Recall
Review
Discuss
Distinguish
Plan
Recall
Practice
Reorganize
Create
Design
Audio/Visual
Note taking/cueing
Review/Summarize
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Recall
Define
Write
Summarize
Analyze
1. Students will be able to analyze the author’s use of a
narrator to tell a story.
2. Students will be able to identify how the use of a frame
10
story affects plot.
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of
Medieval events and culture to the narrative poem.
Prediction
Character Analysis
Graphic Organizer
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Recall
Summarize
Relate
Contrast
Evaluate
1. Students will be able to define mock-epic narrative
poem.
2. Students will be able to summarize and analyze the
11
mock-epic characteristics of a narrative poem.
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of
Medieval events and culture to the narrative poem.
Prediction
Note-Taking/Cueing
Character Analysis
Read Aloud
Guided Discussion
Define
Summarize
Relate
Analyze
1. Students will be able to summarize and understand the
literal meaning of a narrative poem
2. Students will be able to analyze the mock-epic
12
characteristics of a narrative poem
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of
Medieval events and culture to the narrative poem
Review/Summarize
Cooperative Groups
Reading
Comprehension
Questions
Guided Discussion
Recall
Summarize
Analyze
Relate
Interpret
(Bloom’s Taxonomy: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Creation)
Bauer 9
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 1: Planning for Instruction
• Student Road Map
Lesson
Medieval History
Textbook Reading
Assignments
Medieval History Background pp. 22-26
1. Pre-Unit Objectives
2. 10 Important Facts
Author Study pp. 107-110
Preparing to Read p 111
The Prologue pp. 112-136
1. Notes
2. Character Chart
3. Topic Brainstorming
Mon 15-Tues 16
The Prologue
Wed 17-Fri 19
Research Day
Mon 22
Pardoner’s Tale
1. Research Medieval Topic
2. Main Idea Organizer
Life and Times of Chaucer pp. 139-140
The Pardoner’s Tale pp. 142-151
Review PowerPoint 2010
1. Notes
2. Prediction Page
3. Presentation Planning
Organizer
Creating presentations in computer lab.
Only class day to work on this!
1. Work on Presentation
The Wife of Bath’s Tale pp. 154
Middle English Handout
Performance Evaluation: Knights handout
1. Work on Presentation
Photocopied handouts
Turn in Wednesday
1. Main Idea Organizer
2. Email presentation
Tues 23-Wed 24
Computer Lab
Thurs 25
Wife of Bath’s Tale
Fri 26-Mon 29
Nun’s Priest’s Tale
Tues 30-Wed 31
Presentations
1. Post-Unit Objectives
Thurs 1. Mon 5,
Tues 6
Bauer 10
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 1: Medieval History
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Monday, October 15 & Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Informational Text 11-12.RI.2. Determine two or more
themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text,
including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex analysis;
provide an objective summary of the text.
2. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.1b Work with peers to promote
civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and
establish individual roles as needed.
Focus Statement:
Introduce students to biographical information about Geoffery Chaucer and historical
background of the Medieval Period.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to assess their existing knowledge regarding Medieval literature (e.g.,
The Canterbury Tales).
2. Students will be able to identify significant events and details of Medieval culture.
3. Students will be able to summarize information about the Medieval period by reading in
small groups of 3-4.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Unit Objectives Rating Sheet (pre-assessment)
3. Student Road Map
4. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Board Warm-up:
Think/Pair/Share Activity: (5-10 minutes)
What is a pilgrimage? What are some sacred places that have attracted pilgrims for
centuries? What are some reasons people might undertake a pilgrimage?
Step by Step procedures:
1. Classroom expectations:
Bauer 11
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
a. Inform students that all classroom rules and procedures are still in effect while I am
teaching.
2. Pre-Test Unit Objectives (5 minutes)
a. Hand out copy of Unit Objectives Rating Sheet
b. Read through objectives together and have students rate their pre-knowledge
c. Collect student objectives to evaluate and hand back later
4. Cooperative Learning Groups (15-20 minutes)
a. Read “Medieval History Background” pp. 22-26
b. Write down 10 most important facts from the text
c. Give students 15-20 minutes to complete task
d. When the time is up, ask groups to stop working and take turns sharing what they have
written
5. Class Discussion (10 min)
a. As groups share, list the information on the board
b. Add any important information they might have missed
Closure:
Remind the class that The Canterbury Tales, is a collection of stories about a group of travelers
on a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, England. Tomorrow we still start reading “The
Prologue” which introduces us to the pilgrims. After The Prologue, several of the pilgrims tell
a story that reveals more about their character, we will be reading three of these stories.
Assessment:
Before:
I am using the warm-Up question to tap student’s prior knowledge about pilgrimages. I am
using the Unit Objectives Rating Sheet so student’s can gauge what they already know and are
already capable of doing before the unit begins. By rating their preexisting knowledge of
Medieval literature, students will have meet the first lesson objective.
During:
After the class has read the Medieval History Background pages in their textbook and looked
for main ideas and important events, we will regroup as a class and share what our groups
wrote down. I will also be walking around the classroom during the group time to observe
each group, making sure that they are on task. If each groups demonstrates the ability to work
well together and find main ideas from the text, they will have meet the CCSS standards for
the lesson as well as lesson objectives #1 and #2.
After:
I chose not to include a post assessment for this lesson because the unit objectives and CCSS
have been addressed and evaluated in the before and during assessments.
Reflection:
Student Success:
Bauer 12
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
10/15 I closely monitored the students during their silent reading, and all students were task
and taking notes in both periods.
10/16 I combined watching from the front of the class with walking around visiting each
group. A few students were simply copying down answers from other students without doing
the reading, and most groups weren’t working together cooperatively. It makes me wonder
about the benefit to letting them choose their own groups at this age, would they be more
likely to work together? Or would they never be on topic and just mess around?
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I used maps, the textbook, and the whiteboard so there was both audio and visual
presentation. I used independent reading as well as a pre-assessment. The students worked in
Cooperative learning groups and we came together for guided class discussion.
Differentiation:
I read one page aloud to the students, and they read several pages silently on their own. When
placed in cooperative learning groups, struggling readers will have a chance to benefit from
the stronger readers in their groups. Students will be able to collaborate on the content to
create lists of important facts and main ideas.
Implications for Future Teaching:
(10/15/12) I wasn’t aware that my mentor teacher had not finished the previous unit and had
only allotted half the period for my lesson. I had prepared for an entire class period, so most
of my lesson had to be cut in half and will need to be used tomorrow. I didn’t use the warm-up
activity because he already provided one related to the previous unit. I started off with walking
through the unit objectives and having students assess their existing knowledge and
experience. Because we only had minutes of class left, I didn’t feel there was enough time to
put the students into groups and get any work done, so I had them begin to read silently and
look for their 10 important facts on their own. I informed them that we’d finish this in groups
tomorrow. Their writing assignments from the previous unit are due tomorrow and my
mentor teacher has reserved the first 15-20 minutes of class for peer-editing. My goal for
tomorrow is to finish the first lesson.
(10/16) I used the warm-up question to open class today. After we peer-editing our papers
from the previous unit, I put the students in groups to complete their reading and listing of
key historical facts. I’m getting worried about finishing the unit in time. I’m going to have to
look over everything again tonight and figure out where to assign some reading homework.
Bauer 13
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Name ________________________________
Learning Objectives for Medieval Unit
This unit will include readings from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, including,“The
Prologue,””The Pardoner’s Tale,” “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” and, “The Nuns’ Priest’s Tale.”
Learning Objective 1
Students will be able to generalize the continuing development of the English language,
specifically Middle English.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Learning Objective 2
Students will be able to define and demonstrate understanding of key types of Medieval
writing: narrative poems, moral tales, and allegories, and analyze the elements thereof:
characterization, ironic tone, frame story, use of narrator, etc.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Bauer 14
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Learning Objective 3
Students will be able to make predictions to enrich understanding and appreciation of a
narrative poem.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Learning Objective 4
Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to selections
from The Canterbury Tales.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Learning Objective 5
Students will be able to compose and present a short research presentation about a Medieval
Period topic of their choice.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Bauer 15
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 2: The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue (part 1)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
3. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.1b. Work with peers to promote
civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and
establish individual roles as needed.
Focus Statement:
Start reading The Prologue, identifying Chaucer’s ironic tone and use of characterization of
the pilgrims.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to define and evaluate a narrative poem.
2. Students will be able to identify the ironic tone of Chaucer’s literary work.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate and analyze the author’s use of characterization.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Character Chart handout (hole-punched)
3. Laptop, projector, internet access
4. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Board Warm-up:
Anticipation/Prediction:
How you do expect Medieval Literature to be different from Anglo-Saxon? Why?
Step by Step procedures:
1. Author Study p107-110
a. Read about Geoffery Chaucer’s life and significant achievements
Bauer 16
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
b. Remind them about Thomas a Becket’s death and the popularity of his shrine in
Canterbury
2. Literary Term Definitions
a. Write terms and definitions on board for students to copy into their notes from
“Preparing to Read” p111:
1. Tone- expresses the writer’s attitude toward the work’s subject or characters
2. Ironic tone - author understates criticisms or says the opposite of what he really
thinks (sarcasm: the use of irony to mock or convey contempt)
3. Characterization - the means by which a writer develops a character’s personality
a. direct characterization - direct statements about who the characters are
b. indirect characterization - reveal a character’s personality through his
actions, thoughts, and words.
4. (review) Narrative Poem - tells a story, has the same elements of a story: setting,
characters, plot, point of view
2. Guided Instruction
b. Read Aloud from “The Prologue” pp. 112-120
1. Hand out characterization chart
2. Read out the first two stanzas setting up the story and answering the questions
on the handout.
iii.Character Analysis (continue 10+2)
2. Read aloud the character descriptions while making predications about the
characters and analyzing the irony and characterization that Chaucer uses to
describe them. Fill in the information on the Character Chart on key characters
as you read.
b. The Knight (lines 35-80)
ii. When you think of a medieval knight, what you imagine? Does this
Knight meet that expectation? Does the narrator think well of him? (fill
that information into the handout)
c. The Squire (lines 81-102)
ii. What do you picture when you think of a squire? What is a squire? Does
he meet that expectation? Does Chaucer think well of him? (chart
information)
d. The Nun (lines 122-166)
ii. What do you expect a nun to be like? Does this nun meet those
expectations? How does the author use irony to describe her? (chart
information)
Closure:
Remind students to put their Character Charts in a safe place because we will need them
tomorrow.
Bauer 17
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Assessment:
Before:
The warm-up question assessed student’s knowledge of Medieval literature themes and
content.
During:
Our entire lesson today will be analyzing the reading as a class. I will be asking clarifying
questions and calling on individual students to participate in completing the Character Chart.
I will routinely stop and check for understanding, asking for student feedback in regards to
their comprehension.
After:
In my closure I will conduct an informal assessment asking students to give me a thumbs up if
they are able to define ironic tone and understand the examples we talked about on our
Character Chart.
Reflection:
Student Success:
In the warmup question I evaluated students current knowledge of Medieval literature. Most
students expected Medieval literature to be less religious than Anglo-Saxon literature. Several
expected the themes to be darker and more depressing. During the character analysis portion
of the class, students seemed engaged and interested in the material. They were volunteering
information about their expectations of what the characters should look like and be, and did a
good job paying attention to their physical descriptions and making connections to their
character traits. I was very pleased with how engaged the class was. The graphic organizer
worked well for them to write down the important information they needed to remember as
well as keeping them involved and interactive during the lesson. It was a nice change to the
usual feeling that they are zoned out and bored.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I read aloud the author study and The Prologue to the class. I called on students as well as
those with raised hands to make sure everyone was involved and participating. I let the
students take the lead as much as possible in summarizing the reading, only asking leading
questions when they needed a little extra support.
Differentiation:
I created a graphic organizer so that students who struggle to follow along with only class
discussion, will have an active role in their learning. The worksheet also organizes the
information we discuss so that students can visually see their expectations next to the reality
side by side. Above and below the chart I’ve listed the main points of The Prologue as
questions for students to fill out. The graphic organizer works as class notes, an active reading
tool, and a way for every student to participate and be involved in the class.
Bauer 18
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Classroom Management/Professional Development Goals:
(2f) In establishing classroom climate, monitors student conduct, and take appropriate action when
misbehavior occurs.
I had to call several students out by name when they were side-talking, it seems to be a
constant problem that several of the boy like to talk to each other from across the room. Today
I was ready to transition from the warmup to the reading and asked the students to take out
their books and open them up. Several boys thought this would be a great time to start a
conversation and continued it long after I was ready to start the lesson. I stood there waiting
with what I hope was an unhappy “teacher face” and waited until I had their attention. One
saw me first and stopped talking, when the other finally saw me he could tell that I’d been
waiting for him and he immediately said “oh, sorry” and we got right to work. I think it was
more effective than calling him out asking him to stop talking because this sent the message
that he was interfering with my time, as opposed to me trying to interfere with his. I will
probably try that tactic again next time and see if it is still effective and if it takes less time for
him to notice and stop talking.
Literacy:
The graphic organizer tackles several literacy strategies in one. It addresses pre-reading
predicting, giving the reader a purpose in their reading, and summarizing or paraphrasing the
reading. These strategies will also be modeled as we complete this handout as a class, giving
students to opportunity to participate and be actively involved in the process of active reading.
Bauer 19
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Answer Key The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue
What time of year does the story begin?
April (Spring)
Where does the story begin?
Tabbard Inn. Southwark, London
Where are they all headed?
Shrine of Thomas a Becket, Canterbury Cathedral
What tone does Chaucer use?
Ironic tone
Pilgrim
Expectations
Chaucer’s Description
Character Analysis
Knight
Shining Armor, White
horse, handsome,
brave, romantic
Clothes are worn and
stained, bearing modest
Noble, loyal, honorable,
generous, humble, warhero (Crusader)
Squire
Young, small, servant
boy.
Strong, beautiful, curly
hair, clothes embroidered
with flowers
Courtly-love (music, art,
writing, riding) dutiful to
his father, but more
concerned with
appearances
Nun
Plain clothes, vows of
poverty, chastity,
simplicity, silence.
Isolated, serving,
humble
Beautiful, dainty features,
neatly dressed, “love
conquers all” jewelry,
imitates the royal court
Wants to be a lady of
court and high
standing, wears tokens
of courtly love
Monk
Studious, serious,
plain clothes, hunched
over scrolls
Handsome, loves hunting,
fat, bald, well dressed
Lives like a lord, not a
monk, hunting is an
expensive hobby of the
noble class
Friar
Kindly, vow of
poverty, takes care of
poor, sick, preaches to
the community, brings
relief
Pleasant, well-spoken, likeable, friends with rich
landowners and
innkeepers, dresses richly
despite his vow of poverty
Doesn’t just neglect his
spiritual duties, he
abuses them for his
profit. Ignores the poor
and impregnates young
women
Bauer 20
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Pilgrim
Expectations
Chaucer’s Description
Character Analysis
Wife of
Bath
Divorced woman
would be poor,
powerless, shunned by
heavily religious
community and
church
Wears costly clothes, has
taken multiple religious
pilgrimages (3 Jerusalem)
all 5 marriages were in the
church
Seems independent,
powerful, wealthy,
confident, experienced,
bit of a “man-eater”
Parson
Financially
comfortable (middle
class) have office
hours in a local
church, family man
Poor, well-studied, walks
long distances to visit his
people, takes care of the
poor and is kind to sinful
men
Believes a priest must be
an example of purity,
kind and dedicated to
his congregation, gentle
and patient
Summoner
Serious minded,
strong, intimidating,
dedicated to his job,
probably devout
Red, bumpy face. Black,
scabby brows, thin beard.
Drinks a lot and yells the
only Latin he knows,
always looking for a bribe
Uses his job for the
church to get money
from people, and cares
more about partying and
riches than justice
Pardoner
Very religious, holy
appearance, high
position in church,
very serious and
authoritative
Gentle, beautiful singer.
Long, greasy yellow hair,
bulging eyes, goat voice, no
beard, (shiftiness &
androgyny) , cheats people
out of money
Sermonizes on greed to
con people into giving
him money. Greedy,
deceptive, despicable,
What does he propose to the pilgrims? A story-telling contest. Each traveler tells 2 tales on the way
there and on the way back.
What will the "winner" receive? A free feast paid for by the other travelers
How will the host benefit from this contest? Money from the travelers, good recommendation,
return guests
How does the host affect the nature of the journey? He changes a religious road trip into a storytelling contest. This causes the travelers interact more than they might have on their own.
Bauer 21
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue (pp. 112-136)
What time of year does the story begin?
Where does the story begin?
Where are they all headed?
What tone does Chaucer use?
Pilgrim
Expectations
Chaucer’s Description
Character Analysis
Knight
Squire
Nun
Monk
Friar
Bauer 22
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Pilgrim
Expectations
Chaucer’s Description
Character Analysis
Wife of
Bath
Parson
Summoner
Pardoner
What does the host propose to the pilgrims?
What will the "winner" receive?
How will the host benefit from this contest?
How does the host affect the nature of the journey?
Bauer 23
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 3: The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue (part 2)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Thursday, October 18, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
3. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.1b. Work with peers to promote
civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and
establish individual roles as needed.
Focus Statement:
Continue reading The Prologue, continuing to identify Chaucer’s ironic tone and use of
characterization of the pilgrims. Introduce the research presentation topics.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to evaluate the narrative poem, The Canterbury Tales.
2. Students will be able to identify the ironic tone of Chaucer’s literary work.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate and analyze the author’s use of characterization.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Character Chart handout (hole-punched)
3. Research Presentation Topics handout (hole-punched)
4. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Board Warm-up:
Quiz: (10 minutes)
1. What time of year does the story begin?
2. Where does the story begin?
3. Where are they all headed?
4. Name 2 pilgrims we have met so far.
Step by Step procedures:
Bauer 24
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
1. Review/Summarize yesterday’s lesson (5 minutes)
a. Call on students to give a summary of what we read and discussed yesterday
2. Character Analysis
a. Read aloud the character descriptions while making predications about the characters
and analyzing the irony and characterization that Chaucer uses to describe them. Fill in
the information on the Character Chart on key characters as you read.
i. The Monk (lines 169-211)
1. Expectations of a Monk? What irony does the author use (how does he say the
opposite of how he feels?)
ii. The Friar (lines 212-279)
1. Expectations of a Friar? What does the author feel about him? What irony do you
see?
iii. Ironic tone: the narrator introduces the Nun, Monk, and Friar characters as an
outstanding example of his/her type, while at the same time pointing out things in
their actions and character which show them to be flawed or corrupt. The obvious
difference in what SHOULD be and what IS is the author’s ironic tone and it
gradually increases with the introduction of each character.
iv. The Wife of Bath (lines 455 -486) See p169 for picture of Bath
v. What contradictions/irony does the author use to describe her? 5 times divorcee, but
frequent mentions of her Sunday (church attire) been on many pilgrimages (3 times
to Jerusalem) all her marriages were church weddings.
vi. Fill out information on the pilgrim chart
b. The Parson (lines 487-538)
i. A Parson is the pastor of a local church. What do we expect from a pastor’s
character? What is this Pastor’s character like?
3. Introduce Performance task: Research Presentation (last 10 min)
a. Look at the list of possible topics and ask students to begin thinking about a possible
topic for them to research. Inform them that they are free to choose their own topic as
long as it is approved. Only 2 people will be allowed to choose the same topic per class.
Students will need to choose a topic and begin brainstorming research questions about
it tomorrow towards the end of class.
Closure:
Remind students their Beowulf comparison essays are due tomorrow and ask them to return
their textbooks to the shelves.
Assessment:
Before:
There will be a 4 question quiz at the beginning of class over the key points from yesterday’s
lesson.
Bauer 25
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
During:
Students will continue reading The Prologue and completing the Character Charts as a class.
Our entire lesson today will be analyzing the reading as a class. I will be asking clarifying
questions and calling on individual students to participate in completing the Character Chart.
I will routinely stop and check for understanding, asking for student feedback in regards to
their comprehension.
After:
I have chosen not to have a post-lesson assessment because the closure for the lesson is to
introduce the performance task and possible presentation topics. I will be explaining this the
last few minutes of class and I want the groups to have a reasonable amount of time during
class to finish the reading.
Reflection:
Student Success:
The students did well on the quizzes, they seemed to retain what we read and discussed
yesterday and were ready to get right to work today. They were engaged in class discussion and
participated in completing the Character Chart. At the end of class when I passed out the
handout about the research topic, they were very enthusiastic and asked several questions
about when it was due. I asked them to begin thinking about their research topics and they
started raising hands and reserving topics already.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I once again read aloud and stopped frequently to summarize, clarify and ask leading
questions to get the students thinking about the type of character each pilgrim was. I don’t
want to do this every time, but this story doesn’t lend itself well to group or individual work
because the content and references are so unfamiliar. I’d be concerned that students wouldn’t
get much out of it without quite a bit of support and explanation.
Differentiation:
I had to adjust the lesson plans today because of time constraints. I didn’t want to move along
at such a fast pace that students weren’t following along and didn’t have time to finish. I
waited until students were finished writing before moving on and as a result, we didn’t have
time to read the Parson, so I’ll have to include that in tomorrow’s lesson. I had wanted to show
a youtube music video about the Canterbury Tales for fun, but I realized we’ll never have
enough time if I wait until the end. I’ll try and show it tomorrow at the beginning of class.
Classroom Management/Professional Development Goals:
(2f) In establishing classroom climate, monitors student conduct, and take appropriate action when
misbehavior occurs.
I had a difficult time getting 1st period started because it is Homecoming Spirit Week and my
mentor teacher arrived in full scuba gear with the school counselor taking pictures. This made
it a little difficult to focus on the quiz on the board. I just let it happen and when it was over I
Bauer 26
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
refocused attention back on the quiz and started the allotted time over. I had the same
problem today in 2nd period with several of the same boys deciding to have their own
conversation across the room while I was trying to teach. I tried waiting, like yesterday, but it
didn’t seem to work today, as soon as one would stop, another would start. I had to start asking
students by name to please stop talking and listen.
Bauer 27
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Canterbury Tales: Research Presentation Topics
You will be creating a short (approximately 10 slides) multimedia presentation (PowerPoint)
about a Medieval topic that is relevant to some aspect of The Canterbury Tales. The Medieval
lifestyle, government, social structure, gender roles, and religion were all significant to
Chaucer’s tone and the development and choice of his characters. You will be responsible for
presenting your research to the class in a short presentation. We will only spend a few days
working in class, so it will be necessary to do some work on your own time. Some possible
topics are listed below. You may use one of the suggestions or choose one of your one, but it
must be approved. Only two people will be allowed to use the same topic per class.
Possible Research Topics:
1. Feudalism or the Medieval social structure
2. The structure and design of Medieval castles (Motte and Bailey design)
3. Chivalry, Courtly Love, Knights
4. The Crusades, The 100 Years War, or the Norman invasion
5. Plagues and diseases (Black Death)
6. Women’s roles in society
7. Practices of the Catholic Church (selling of indulgences, relics, etc.)
8. Medieval Warfare (weapons and battle tactics)
9. Religious pilgrimages in Medieval times
10. Medieval Justice (Ecclesiastical Courts)
Bauer 28
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 4: The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue (part 3)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Friday, October 19, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
3. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.1b. Work with peers to promote
civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and
establish individual roles as needed.
Focus Statement:
Finish reading The Prologue, continuing to identify Chaucer’s ironic tone and use of
characterization of the pilgrims.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to evaluate the narrative poem, The Canterbury Tales.
2. Students will be able to identify the ironic tone of Chaucer’s literary work.
3. Students will be able to demonstrate and analyze the author’s use of characterization.
4. Students will begin brainstorming about possible research questions.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Character Chart handout (hole-punched)
3. Laptop, projector, internet access
4. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Warm-up:
Canterbury Tales music video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vBa5nN_JyPk&list=FLRW9ZGDfhPAQnUK9nkYzjjw&index=1&feature=plpp_video&safe=
active
Step by Step procedures:
1. Review/Summarize yesterday’s lesson (5 minutes)
Bauer 29
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
a. Call on students to give a summary of what we read and discussed yesterday
2. Character Analysis
a. Read aloud the character descriptions while making predications about the characters
and analyzing the irony and characterization that Chaucer uses to describe them. Fill in
the information on the Character Chart on key characters as you read.
b. The Summoner (lines 641-688)
i. A summoner was someone who brought people accused of breaking Church law to
a church-led court. He worked for the Church bringing justice.
ii. What would you expect someone with that position to be like? What kind of a
person should they be?
c. The Pardoner (lines 689-734)
i. A pardoner was someone who traveled around and granted forgiveness. It was
only supposed to be given to those truly repentant, but many became corrupt and
sold forgiveness in exchange for money, it escalated into a serious issue in the
Catholic church called “indulgences” where people could give money to the
church and receive a certificate granting them forgiveness and a quicker journey
to heaven after death.
d. The Host and the contest (lines 735-856)
i. Narrator claims he’s writing these stories word-for-word, and he’s sorry if anyone
is offended by the content
ii. The Host flatters the travelers and proposes a game/contest. Each tells 2 stories on
the way to Canterbury and 2 on the return trip. The host will judge and the
winner receives a free feast paid for by the other travelers.
iii.They all go to bed and the next day set off on their journey.
3. Collect student’s completed Characterization Charts. Allow extra time for students who
were absent or didn’t have time to complete in class.
Closure:
Summarize the information in the Prologue and let students know that we’ll be reading three
stories from the contest told by the Pardoner, the Wife of Bath, and the Nun’s Priest. Inform
students that they will be doing research Monday on their Medieval topic here in class so they
need to have an idea of their topic by then.
Assessment:
Before:
I will have an informal group assessment by asking volunteers to summarize what we have
read the last two days. I will be looking for the setting, plot, and characters of the poem.
During:
Because this is our third class period using the graphic organizer to analyze characters, I will
be asking the students to take the lead. I’ll ask for volunteers to read today and for the class to
Bauer 30
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
prompt each other about what we are looking for, what we’ve observed, and what we can
deduce from it.
After:
I will be collecting the Character Charts to evaluate how well students followed along with the
class discussion and understood the concepts of predicting, summarizing, and analyzing.
Reflection:
Student Success:
There was a large difference between 1st and 2nd periods today. First period was engaged and
open to discussion, while 2nd period was quieter and more focused on completing the
Characterization Chart. When giving summaries and explaining the text, a few of the students
were pushing the pace of the class by asking about the next question on the handout. We did
finish the Charts and I collected them. I was pleased with the result, all students in 2nd period
scored a 90% or higher, but there are still a few that haven’t been turned in yet.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I opened class with a music video today to help summarize the plot of the story using an
alternative method, incorporating graphics and music. I let the discussion be more student led
today and let the Chart completion be more individual than group. I continued to read aloud
the text because it can be very difficult, especially for those on IEPs and the EL learners. I
continued to use guided discussion to help predict, summarize and analyze the text.
Differentiation:
While preparing this lesson I realized the need to be tactful when discussing Chaucer’s
criticisms of the church, because there may be several students who are Catholic and I don’t
want the lesson to come across as insulting anyone’s religion or culture. I opened the class
with a music video today which did a good job of summarizing the major plot of the Prologue
and allowed the students to hear a sample of spoken Middle English. It incorporated music
and multiple methods of presentation
Implications for Future Teaching:
If I ever teach this unit again, I would spend much more time on the prologue, I would look at
all the characters in more detail. My mentor teacher admitted that he would spend much more
time on The Prologue and he would choose to teach this unit differently. Unfortunately I have
a very strict timeframe from the time I was able to start teaching the work sample to the time it
is due, so I had to push through the Prologue in three days. My mentor teacher says he finds
the Prologue to be the most interesting, but I personally find the individual stories to be more
so. Hopefully the students will also.
Bauer 31
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 5: Performance Task Research
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Monday, October 22, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading Informational Text 11-12.RI.7 Integrate and evaluate
multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
2. National Educational Technology Standards ET.3 Research and Information Fluency:
Students select and apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, validate, and use information.
a. ET.3.A Plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b. ET.3.B Locate, organize and use information ethically from a variety of sources and
media.
c. ET.3.C Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the
appropriateness to specific tasks.
Focus Statement:
Students will choose a research topic, brainstorm five possible questions about that topic and
begin research using web and print media available in class.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to select a Medieval topic for their performance task presentations.
2. Students will be able to brainstorm possible research questions about their topic.
3. Students will be able to begin researching their topic using web and print media.
Materials:
1. Brainstorming handout
2. Computers on wheels (C.O.W.) from library
3. Selection of books on Medieval history
4. Student materials (pen, notebook, paper)
Warm-up:
Pass out the Brainstorming handout and model it on the board using a sample Medieval topic.
Step by Step procedures:
1. Remind students to document their sources using MLA format, if they need a reminder, use
the OWL at Purdue site. Write http://owl.english.purdue.edu on the board for reference.
Bauer 32
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
2. Allow students to begin brainstorming, check in with each student individually. They need
to choose an appropriate topic, write their existing knowledge about that topic and 5
possible research questions.
3. Once each student has completing their Brainstorming page, have them begin their
research using the laptops and books available in class. Continually check in with students
on their progress, making sure they are on the right track and using legitimate sites and
resources.
Closure:
Five minutes before the end of class, get students’ attention and remind them that they will
need to finish their research on their own. They will need to have their research done by
THURSDAY the 25th because we will be in the computer lab working on creating our
PowerPoints that day. They will need to choose three of five questions they researched to
include in their presentations. Have them log out of laptops and return to the C.O.W.
Assessment:
Before:
The student’s pre-assessment for their research topic in included in the Brainstorming
handout. It is a variation of KWL. Students will write what they already know about the topic
and then list five questions that they want to learn about the topic.
During:
I will be checking in with each student individually to make sure they have selected an
appropriate topic, have completed the brainstorming handout and are focusing their research
by useful appropriate and legitimate sources.
After:
After the lesson closure I will ask students to repeat when their research is due, how they
need to cite their sources, and how many of their research questions they need to include in
their presentations.
Reflection:
Student Success:
Second period was much more productive and on task than first period. There were quite a bit
of side conversations in first period. There were a lot of students late and absent, so they won’t
have the benefit of having dedicated class research time.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I gave instructions at the beginning of the period and asked if anyone had any questions. After
those were answered, I let the students work independently on their topic brainstorming and
walked around checking in with each student to make sure they were on track. I frequently
checked in with the students who had difficulty staying focused and distracting their
Bauer 33
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
neighbors. I used a lot of redirection to individual student’s attention back on their research
and topic brainstorming.
Differentiation:
I checked in with each individual student and discussed their topic and research focus. I also
read each student’s brainstorming questions. I was able to provide extra support and help with
brainstorming for students who were having a difficult time thinking of research questions. I
was also available to answer individual questions about the research, topics, and PowerPoint.
NET*S:
Today we utilized all three benchmarks under NET*S standard number three: Research and
Information Fluency: Students select and apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, validate, and
use information. Students used the brainstorming page as a strategy to guide their inquiry.
Having specific questions about their topic helped to focus their research. Both web and print
media were made available in class for the students and reminded them about using credible
sources (not Wikipedia or forums). They were also continually reminded to cite all their
sources for inclusion in the bibliography slide at the end of their presentation.
Implications for Future Teaching:
My mentor teacher has an extensive collection of books about Medieval topics and was going
to bring them today, but he forgot them at home. He pulled some from the school library
during first period, but it limited the amount of available sources. In the future I would
personally gather and bring the necessary materials. As a result of today, my mentor teacher
would like to find more class time for the students to research at school, but I’m not sure
where I’m going to find that. I offered to cut the Canterbury Tales down from three to two to
provide more time to go into them in depth, but he preferred we cover more tales. I’m not
sure where I’m going to find the time to include all this in the next week and a half.
Classroom Management/Professional Development Goals:
(2f) In establishing classroom climate, monitors student conduct, and take appropriate action when
misbehavior occurs.
I used redirection when students were off task, and I monitored student progress by working
the room. My mentor teacher and I tolerate different levels of side conversations. When having
classroom work days, I am fine with a small level of conversation as long as I see students
making progress on the assignment, if the conversation becomes disruptive and is pulling
other students off task I will end it. My mentor teacher was disciplining students from behind
his desk while I was working the room. I don’t know if this was out of habit or because he
thought I didn’t have control of the classroom. I personally never felt that I lost control of the
room.
Bauer 34
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Research Topic Brainstorming
The topic I have selected for my research presentation is:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What do you already know about this topic? Use the space below to record any information
which may deal with your topic.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Think of five compelling questions about your topic. What do you want to know? These
questions will help you focus your research.
Question #1:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Question #2:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Question #3:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Question #4:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Question #5:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Bauer 35
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 6: The Canterbury Tales: Pardoner’s Tale (part 1)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Focus Statement:
Begin reading The Pardoner’s Tale, examining a Medieval moral tale and making predictions
using foreshadowing from the text.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to define and analyze a moral tale that provides insight into life
during the Middle Ages.
2. Students will be able to make predictions to enrich understanding and appreciation of a
narrative poem.
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to the
narrative poem.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Predictions Page (hole punched)
3. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Warm-Up:
1. On the board write: Radix malorum est cupiditas (money is the root of all evil)
a. Where this phrase is from and what does it mean? Do you agree? Why?
b. Discuss student responses
Step by Step procedures:
2. Literary Terms from “Preparing to Read” p141 (5 min)
Bauer 36
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
a. Moral Tale: a story that teaches a lesson about good and evil or about what is right and
wrong in human behavior. (aka exemplum: example or model, esp. a moralizing or
illustrative story)
b. Review purpose of predictions in active reading
c. Review foreshadowing, a warning or indication of a future event
d. Review personification, giving human characteristics to something not human
3. Reading Predictions (30 min)
a. Remind students: In the 1300’s, clergymen called pardoners were licensed by the Pope to
preach and collect money for specific goals, such as building a church. They would also
grant indulgences - documents saying people were forgiven for their sins. In theory,
indulgences were to be granted only to people who showed true repentance, however
unethical pardoners exploited the system for their own profit. They sold indulgences
instead of giving them to the deserving and threatened eternal damnation to anyone
who refused to pay. This practice became so corrupt that it was one of the major reasons
behind the Reformation.
b. Read Aloud from “The Pardoner’s Prologue & Tale” pp. 142-143
i. Hand out Predictions Page and begin reading the text as a class.
ii. Use Guided Discussion questions to help students summarize the narrative elements
(characters, setting, plot)
c. Cooperative Learning for “The Pardoner’s Tale” pp. 144-151)
i. Using the Predictions handout to stop and think about what is going to happen, the
evaluate if you were right or not. Don’t cheat and look ahead, it’s not about being
right, it’s about thinking about the story.
Closure:
Assign the remaining Pardoner’s Tale as homework. Ask students to continue to fill out the
Predictions page as they go along. I will collect it tomorrow and we’ll discuss the result of the
story. There will probably be a QUIZ over the reading.
Assessment:
Before:
I will use a warm-up to activate student thinking about greed and the love of money. We will
have a class discussion to review the literary terms needed for this lesson and I’ll be asking
students to recall the setting of The Canterbury Tales from The Prologue and the character
and profession of the Pardoner.
During:
I will be using student participation and observation to assess understanding. After each
prediction, I will ask students show a thumbs up if they understand where we are and what we
are doing.
After:
Bauer 37
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
At the end of the lesson I will ask for one last thumbs up if students feel they are capable of
finishing this story and the Predications Page on their own. If there are adequate positive
responses I will assign the rest of the story for homework.
Reflection:
Student Success:
First period worked very well together in pairs to read, discuss, and predict the content. I
checked in with each group continuously to monitor their progress and asked probing
questions when they needed extra support in clarifying the reading material. Second period
didn’t work quite as well, some students were working independently and others were getting
distracted, but all the groups made it at least halfway through the story. A few pairs completely
finished.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I used a critical thinking question as a warm-up, We reviewed literary terms such as moral
tale, foreshadowing, predicting, and personification. I read aloud the first section of the text
and modeled how to use the graphic organizer. Then
Differentiation:
We reviewed the character and role of the Pardoner and then worked in cooperative pairs. I let
the students choose their own partners to see if they would be more interactive and
participate. Being allowed to choose friends helped the students feel more comfortable with
each other and be more vocal.
Implications for Future Teaching:
In first period I asked looked at the wrong schedule and had students begin packing up too
early. Once they had put their materials away, they wanted to pack-up and stand around the
room talking. Both my mentor and my supervisor suggested that I have a stronger closing to
summarize the lesson, prepare them for tomorrow, or discuss how they felt about the work
today. I implemented this in second period and it went much smoother.
Literacy Skills:
Our whole lesson today focused on the use of predicting while reading. Before we started the
literature, we discussed why predicting was important in reading and that the emphasis wasn’t
on being right all the time, but interacting with the text and having a personal experience with
it. The graphic organizer I created for this lesson required students to intentionally stop
frequently throughout the text, summarize what they had just read and use foreshadowing
clues to predict what would happen next.
Bauer 38
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Canterbury Tales: The Pardoner’s Tale (Key)
Lines
What I Predict Will Happen
What Actually Happened
Read
1-57
What will the Pardoner’s story be
about?
Greed, He admits in his prologue
that his sermon/stories are always
about greed because that’s how he
makes his money
58-81
What will happen if the rioters run
into Death?
They will die. To “find” Death, the
human personification of it, is to
find death itself - to die.
82-107
What role will their drinking play in
their future?
When people drink they impair
their judgement - ability to make
intelligent choices. They become too
bold, too brave, lack caution
108-148
Who do you think the old man really
is? Do you trust him?
Possibly Death? He is very old,
speaks about wanting death, all
covered, wrapped up except his very
white face. If he’s Death, he’s out to
trick them.
149-166
What will the rioters find under the
tree?
They are looking for Death, so they
will probably find “death” or their
own destruction underneath the
tree.
167-235
What will the youngest man bring back
from town for the other two men?
He will become greedy like the
other two men, or realize that they
are going to betray him
236-279
What will happen to the youngest man
when he returns from town?
They will all die, and truly find
“Death” underneath the tree, they
will find what they were looking for,
but not what they thought they were
looking for.
Bauer 39
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Canterbury Tales: The Pardoner’s Tale
Lines
What I Predict Will Happen
What Actually Happened
1st: Read
lines 1-57
2nd: Predict
What will the Pardoner’s story be
about?
3rd: Summarize after the story
Read
58-81
(page 144)
What will happen if the rioters find
Death?
Read
82-107
What role will their drinking play in
their future?
108-148
Who do you think the old man really
is? Do you trust him?
149-166
What will the rioters find under the
tree?
167-235
Will the youngest man stay faithful to
his companions, even though they’ve
plotted to kill him?
236-279
What will happen to all the men when
the youngest returns from town with
the food and supplies?
Bauer 40
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 7: The Canterbury Tales: Pardoner’s Tale (part 2)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Wednesday 24, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening 11-12.SL.1a Come to discussions
prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to
stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas
2. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital
media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to
enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Focus Statement:
Discuss last night’s reading of The Pardoner’s Tale. Give students brief PowerPoint tutorial for
their presentations.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to discuss their predictions regarding The Pardoner’s Tale.
2. Students will be able to explain how to create a presentation in PowerPoint 2010
3. Students will begin to outline their presentation using a graphic organizer
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Predictions Page
3. Laptop, projector, internet access
4. PowerPoint 2010
5. 10 Effective PowerPoint Tips handout
6. PowerPoint Planning Sheet
7. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Board Warm-Up:
Quiz:
1. What do they expect to find under the tree?
2. What do they really find under the tree?
3. What happens to the rioters?
4. What is the moral of the Pardoner’s story?
Bauer 41
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Step by Step procedures:
1. The Pardoner’s Tale pp. 147-151 (Review Predictions Page - Class Discussion)
a. What was the Pardoner’s story about? What did it warn against? Greed
i. Why was this ironic? Because the Pardoner is primarily concerned about accruing wealth,
even by dishonest means, but he preaches against greed to get money and satisfy his greed.
He himself possess all the vices that he preaches against and seems to take pride in his
corruption
b. What is ironic about the men seeking Death in order to kill it? If you find death, that
means you’re dead.
c. What role does their drinking play? It makes their behavior and decisions erratic, causes
them to feel braver than they should and behave stupider than they should. It’s their love for
drinking that kills the oldest two in the end, the wine was poisoned.
d. Who you do think the old man really is? What clues does the text give? The man is
incredibly old, his face is pale and white (deathly pallor), he saw death and lived, says he left him
under the tree.
e. After the Pardoner finishes his story, what does he start to do? Launches into a sermon,
offers to let the other travelers pay to see his relics
i. Why? Perhaps, like a professional actor, the Pardoner enjoys the challenge of telling his tale
so convincingly that he tricks his audience into belief, even after he has explained to them his
corrupt nature. Or perhaps he takes delight in showing the audience how his routine works,
as an actor might enjoy showing people backstage
ii. Discussion about relics:
1. A relic was an item which was believed to be an authentic physical part of a
religious figure, such as a saint, the Virgin Mary, or even Jesus. Relics could range
from the impressive, such as the forefinger or St Benedict or part of the cross on
which Jesus was crucified, a phial of Christ’s blood or one of Jesus’ baby teeth.
2. So popular was the trade in relics, that a counterfeit industry grew during this
period, with desperate vendors resorting to robbing graves for human bones,
which they could pass off as the remains of a saint. Many relics which were
greatly venerated in Europe had been brought from the Holy Land by those who
had visited there on Crusade. These relics were to be especially revered, as they
had come from Jesus’s birthplace and were often strongly associated with the
Holy Family.
3. Many people in the Middle Ages believed that relics were invested with heavenly
powers and that to be close to a relic, or even better, to touch one, would provide
a person with spiritual blessings, divine protection and even a cure from illness.
4. In a world which could seem so uncertain, with wars, disease and incurable
illnesses, religious people often sought the protection which they believed a
religious relic could offer. Someone who bought a relic would often carry it on
their person, to be accessible at all times.
2. Collect Predictions Pages
Bauer 42
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
3. Show “Pardoner’s Tale” animation from Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CS8a9FNhkxw&list=PLy3srbElsEUdDJBlCxpgo60rpaydb4_Nn&index=5&feature=plpp_v
ideo
4. Handout PowerPoint 2010 tutorial pages
a. Using laptop and projector, walk through basics of creating a PowerPoint
b. Hand out 10 Effective Tips of PowerPoint handout and briefly go over 10 tips
5. Hand out Powerpoint planning sheets and if there is any time left, have students begin to
plan out their presentation. Tell students to consider the planning sheet as a rough draft
and they will need to turn it in with their presentations.
Closure:
Remind students that we will be in the computer lab tomorrow working on our PowerPoint
presentations. They need to bring their research with them.
Assessment:
Before:
I will be giving the class a 4 question quiz over the reading homework and collecting.
During:
I will be collecting the students’ Prediction Pages and leading a class discussion about the
story read yesterday.
After:
I will be asking the class review questions regarding the material covered on PowerPoint 2010
and creating effective slideshow presentations.
Reflection:
Student Success:
Several of the students choose not to finish the story as homework. Even though I clearly
stated yesterday that they were expected to finish the story and handout on their own, a
majority of the class came in with unfinished handouts and did not finish the story. Only a few
students were able to participate in the discussion about the story. Based on my observations
on this class, this seems to be common.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I used a quiz as formal assessment, guided class discussion to summarize and analyze the
literature. I showed an animated version of the story to reach different learning styles such a
visual and auditory learners. I used the projector to model creating a slideshow in PowerPoint
2010 and demonstrate effective and professional slideshows.
Differentiation:
I found a short video that illustrated the story to give students another chance at
understanding the story. A few students seemed to have difficulty understanding the reading,
Bauer 43
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
so also discussed it and then watched the video. I allowed students who had not finished their
predictions chart to complete them during the video since there seemed to be a
misunderstanding about when they were due. I took time out of class to review how to use
PowerPoint 2010 for those students who either were unfamiliar or out of practice with the
program. We also discussed and I modeled how to create an effective and professional
presentation as opposed to cluttered, flashy, and visually unappealing presentations.
Classroom Management/Professional Development Goals:
(2f) In establishing classroom climate, monitors student conduct, and take appropriate action when
misbehavior occurs.
My mentor teacher was gone today and we had a substitute. I had complete control of the first
three periods, but the students behaved they same as they would with just a substitute. They
came into class and tried to sit where-ever they wanted instead of their assigned seats. They
also tried to push other classroom rules such as wearing hats. I felt that they were testing me
every step of the way and I had to wait until they finished talking, asked specific students to
stop talking and loudly ask the entire class to settle down and stop talking a few separate
times.
Bauer 44
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
10 Effective PowerPoint Tips
Here are ten tips to help you add a little zing! to your next presentation. They are, of course, far from
comprehensive, but they’re a start.
1. Write a script.
A little planning goes a long way. Most presentations are written in PowerPoint (or some other
presentation package) without any sort of rhyme or reason.You should know what you intend to say and
then figure out how to visualize it. Make sure you write out or at least outline your presentation before
trying to put together slides.
And make sure your script follows good storytelling conventions: give it a beginning, middle, and end;
have a clear arc that builds towards some sort of climax; make your audience appreciate each slide but
be anxious to find out what’s next; and when possible, always leave ‘em wanting more.
2. One thing at a time, please.
At any given moment, what should be on the screen is the thing you’re talking about. Our audience will
almost instantly read every slide as soon as it’s displayed; if you have the next four points you plan to
make up there, they’ll be three steps ahead of you, waiting for you to catch up rather than listening with
interest to the point you’re making.
Plan your presentation so just one new point is displayed at any given moment. Bullet points can be
revealed one at a time as you reach them. Charts can be put on the next slide to be referenced when you
get to the data the chart displays. Your job as presenter is to control the flow of information so that you
and your audience stay in sync.
3. No paragraphs.
Where most presentations fail is that their authors, convinced they are producing some kind of standalone document, put everything they want to say onto their slides, in great big chunky blocks of text.
Congratulations. You’ve just killed a roomful of people. Cause of death: terminal boredom poisoning.
Your slides are the illustrations for your presentation, not the presentation itself. They should underline
and reinforce what you’re saying as you give your presentation — save the paragraphs of text for your
script. Don’t put it on the screen – and for goodness’ sake, if you do for some reason put it on the
screen, don’t stand with your back to your audience and read it from the screen!
4. Pay attention to design.
PowerPoint and other presentation packages offer all sorts of ways to add visual “flash” to your slides:
fades, swipes, flashing text, and other annoyances are all too easy to insert with a few mouse clicks.
Avoid the temptation to dress up your pages with cheesy effects and focus instead on simple design
basics:
•
Use a sans serif font for body text. Sans serifs like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri tend to be the
easiest to read on screens.
Bauer 45
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
•
•
•
•
Use decorative fonts only for slide headers, and then only if they’re easy to read. Decorative
fonts are hard to read and should be reserved only for large headlines at the top of the page.
Better yet, stick to a classy serif font like Georgia or Baskerville.
Put dark text on a light background. Again, this is easiest to read. If you must use a dark
background – make sure your text is quite light (white, cream, light grey, or pastels) and maybe
bump the font size up two or three notches.
Align text left or right. Centered text is harder to read and looks amateurish. Line up all your
text to a right-hand or left-hand baseline – it will look better and be easier to follow.
Avoid clutter. A headline, a few bullet points, maybe an image – anything more than that and
you risk losing your audience as they sort it all out.
5. Use Images That Are Relevant and Appropriate
Absolutely do not use PowerPoint’s built-in clipart - they’ve become tired, used-up clichés, and I
hopefully don’t need to tell you to avoid tired, used-up clichés in your presentations. By now, the entire
concept of clipart has about run its course – it just doesn’t feel fresh and new anymore.
6. Think outside the screen.
Remember, the slides on the screen are only part of the presentation – and not the main part. Even
though you’re liable to be presenting in a darkened room, give some thought to your own presentation
manner – how you hold yourself, what you wear, how you move around the room. You are the focus
when you’re presenting, no matter how interesting your slides are.
7. Have a hook.
Like the best writing, the best presentations hook their audiences early and then reel them in. Open
with something surprising or intriguing, something that will get your audience to sit up and take notice.
8. Ask questions.
Questions arouse interest, pique curiosity, and engage audiences. So ask a lot of them. Build tension by
posing a question and letting your audience stew a moment before moving to the next slide with the
answer. Quiz their knowledge and then show them how little they know. If appropriate, engage in a little
question-and-answer with your audience, with you asking the questions.
9. Modulate, modulate, modulate.
Especially when you’ve done a presentation before, it can be easy to fall into a drone, going on and on
and on and on and on with only minimal changes to your inflection. Always speak as if you were
speaking to a friend, not as if you are reading off of index cards (even if you are). If keeping up a lively
and personable tone of voice is difficult for you when presenting, do a couple of practice run-throughs.
10. Break the rules.
As with everything else, there are times when each of these rules – or any other rule you know – won’t
apply. If you know there’s a good reason to break a rule, go ahead and do it. Rule breaking is perfectly
acceptable behavior – it’s ignoring the rules or breaking them because you just don’t know any better
that leads to shoddy, boring presentations that lead to boredom, depression, psychopathic breaks, and
eventually death. And you don’t want that, do you?
Bauer 46
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Power Point Planning Sheet
Name: ____________________________________
Bauer 47
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 8: Performance Task: PowerPoint Creation
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital
media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to
enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
2. National Educational Technology Standards ET2 Communication and Collaboration:
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively,
across the global community, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning
of others.
a. ET.2.A Interact and collaborate with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of
digital environments and media.
b. ET.2.B Effectively communicate and publish to multiple audiences using a variety of
media and formats.
Focus Statement:
To begin working on our performance task presentations in the computer lab.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Students will be able to start to create a presentation using PowerPoint 2010.
2. Students will be able to reorganize their research information into a PowerPoint
presentation.
3. Students will be able to begin to design a simple and professional PowerPoint presentation
using the 10 Effective Tips they were provided.
Materials:
1. Computer Lab
2. 10 Effective PowerPoint Tips handout
3. PowerPoint Planning Sheet
4. Student research
Warm-up:
Students will meet in the library where I will hand out the planning sheets and 10 Effective
Tips handout.
Step by Step procedures:
Bauer 48
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
1. Have the computer lab computers turned on and ready to log into when students arrive.
2. When students arrive, have them log into their computers and take out their research
information.
3. Hand out 10 Effective Tips worksheet to everyone, inform students that presentation
planning sheets are available on the table in the middle of the room.
4. Have students open PowerPoint 2010 and begin creating slides and inserting their research.
5. Monitor individual students and be available to offer support and answer questions.
Closure:
At five minutes before the end of class, have students repeat when the presentation is due
(Wednesday, October 31) and make sure they all save their presentations and log out of their
computers.
Assessment:
Before:
I will be looking to see if students have brought their research with them and have completed
more research on their own since class on Monday.
During:
I will be looking to see if students are creating slides and inserting research information inside
of talking to other classmates and wasting time.
After:
I will be checking with each student to make sure they have at least 3 slides created and have
saved their presentations to work on in their own time.
Reflection:
Student Success:
I informed the students that I wanted to see at least three completed slides by the end of the
period and I did. A few students even finished their presentations. Because of absences, the
students were all at different levels of progress. Some students hadn’t selected a topic yet,
while others had barely started their research. Because there was internet access on the
computers, all students were able to make some progress. I very pleased with the amount of
focus and work that both periods did today.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I started off the class with stating my expectations for the period; that each student would
complete at least three slides. Then I let the students begin creating their presentations and
finishing their research. Using hands on/active participation with individual monitoring to
make sure students were on task and making progress. Students brought their research and
Brainstorming graphic organizers with them to help structure their presentations.
Bauer 49
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Differentiation:
Because many students need support in a variety of individual areas, I reserved the computer
lab for an entire class period to be available to students individually. Today I was able to walk
around and check in with each student helping with research support, PowerPoint technical
questions, and design suggestions.
NET*S:
Today we addressed the National Educational Technology Standards 2A, 2B: Communication
and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work
collaboratively, across the global community, to support individual learning and contribute to the
learning of others, (a) interact and collaborate with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of
digital environments and media, (b) effectively communicate and publish to multiple audiences using a
variety of media and formats. Students independently worked on creating multi-media
presentations to share with the class.
Classroom Management:
I clearly stated the expectations for the day before class started and closely monitored the
student’s progress. I was very pleased with how focused and on task both classes were. All
students made good progress on either their research, their presentations, or both. Some
students finished a rough draft of their presentations. I didn’t have to redirect and students in
either period. The atmosphere was positive, relaxed, and productive.
Bauer 50
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 9: The Canterbury Tales: Wife of Bath (part 1)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Friday, October 26, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 20
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Focus Statement:
To discuss the expectations of knightly chivalry, examine the progression of the English
language from Old English to Middle English and to begin reading The Wife of Bath’s Tale.
Lesson Objectives:
1. Analyze the author’s use of a narrator to tell a story
2. Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to the
narrative poem.
3. Students will be able to generalize the continuing development of the English language,
specifically Middle English.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Middle English handout
3. Laptop, internet, audio speakers
4. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Warm-up:
“What is the thing that women most desire?” (in relationships)
Step by Step procedures:
1. Hand out Development of English Language handout.
a. Read through it together. Look at the runic/Old English alphabet
b. Look at Wife’s Prologue, looking for words we recognize in Middle English
c. Listen to the audio file http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/noa/
audio.htm
Bauer 51
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
2. Preparing to Read p154
a. Build Background (on board for notes)
i. Romance: adventure tale of knights, where chivalry is emphasized
ii. Chivalry: the medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code
1. Knights were members of the noble class socially as bearers of arms,
economically as owners of horse and armor, and officially through religiousoriented ceremony. While some were knighted on the battlefield, most spent long
years as a squire, practicing the art of war while serving his master. After the
Crusades, knights continued to show their prowess and skills in medieval
tournaments.
b. Focus Your Reading p154
i. Review what a narrator is, review elements of a narrative poem
ii. Discuss a Frame story: a story that serves as the frame/structure for another story
within it
3. Wife of Bath Prologue p 155
a. Review who the Wife of Bath is and what we know about her from The Prologue.
b. Inform students there’s quite a bit cut out before this about the Wife’s story. That the
Wife has had five husbands would not have seemed remarkable in Chaucer’s time. A
woman who had any property found it difficult to remain single. What is remarkable, is
her success in controlling her husbands. She has a history of marrying older, wealthy
men that she can control. She also has a high degree of education which was unusual.
In this time, women were considered vastly inferior and received no schooling beyond
basic Bible studies and domestic training.
4. Wife of Bath’s Tale pp. 156 (Read together as a class, predicting, summarizing and analyzing
the narrative elements of the story)
a. (1-10) The Pardoner interrupts her, afraid that his upcoming marriage will be like her
stories. The Wife asks him to wait until she tells her story before he judges what
marriage is really like.
b. (31-56)
i. Setting: where and when does this story take place? Ancient days long ago when
King Arthur ruled. When Britain was full of magic, before the Church cleaned the
country of elves and fairies.
ii. Narrator: The Wife of Bath
iii. Tone: she feels friars do more harm than good, and they break their vows of chastity
c. (57-64) Knight - is a “lusty liver” he likes beautiful women, raped a woman. Does this
match the requirements of a chivalrous knight?
i. Between the Wife’s descriptions of friars and this knight, how does she view men?
d. (65-74) The law demands death, but the queen and her ladies beg for mercy. Does this
surprise you? Why?
Bauer 52
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
e. (75-88) The Queen spares the knight’s life on what condition? Why do you think the
queen wanted him to answer that question? Do you think he will be able to answer it?
How long does he have to find an answer?
f. (89-100) He can’t find a consistent answer
g. (101-110) Women want superficial things, to be spoilt, treated well and flattered (do you
agree?)
h. (111-127) Women want freedom, to be considered intelligent and capable and good. Why
would this have been important in the Wife’s time? Does she believe that women can
keep a secret? She tells a story to prove her point.
i. (128-158) King Midas had what bizarre affliction? Donkey ears. He told his wife and did
she keep the secret? She told a lake/pond/water.
j. (159-180) The knight despairs because his time is up, he heads back to the queen. He
stumbles across a group of ladies dancing in the woods and when he enters, they
disappear and only an old, ugly woman is there.
i. Common theme in romantic tales (hints of magic, The Hobbit, is the old woman
trustworthy?)
k. (181-198) The knight confides in the woman and she agrees to tell him the answer in
exchange for doing whatever she tells him to do.
i. Would you make the deal? Even to spare your life? Do you think the knight should
trust her? What do you think she’ll ask for?
l. (199-221) The Knight returns to the queen and gives his answer. What answer does he
give? Do you agree that’s what women want? What about women in the Medieval
period? Would modern women give a different answer?
m.(222-233) What request does the old, ugly woman make of the knight?
n. (234-248) How does the knight respond to her request? Does his behavior line up to his
knightly code? How is he behaving?
Closure:
Summarize the plot of The Wife of Bath’s Tale as we read today. Remind students to be
working on their presentations which are due next week on Wednesday, Oct 31 along with
their brainstorming page.
Assessment:
Before:
I have chosen a critical thinking question that pertains to the plot and theme of The Wife of
Bath’s Tale, but I have no formal assessment.
During:
I’ll be using guided discussion questions to evaluate the class’ previous knowledge of narrator,
frame story, chivalry, and knightly conduct. I’ll be asking leading questions to evaluate the
class’ understanding of the setting, characters, and plot of the story.
After:
Bauer 53
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
I’ll be asking for students to summarize the plot of the story so far and to relate what we’ve
learned about the Wife of Bath’s views about men, and what we’ve learned about the Knight’s
character.
Reflection:
Student Success:
The students were able to see and hear examples of Old English and Middle English with side
by side comparisons of a modern translation. They tried pronouncing words in Old and
Middle English, attempted writing their names in Anglo-Saxon runes and located words that
looked similar to modern spellings. Both periods were focused on the text instead of side
conversations and we were able to have good class discussions about what was happening in
the story and differentiate between the character’s views and the narrator’s views. They were
also able to relate the themes of the text (women’s independence and power) to the reality of
life for women in the Middle Ages.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I provided a handout of Middle English for visual representation as we listened to an audio
sample. I read aloud from the text, and because it was a narrative, I used voices and
expressions to keep interest and attention. We had guided class discussion to analyze the story
and I summarized at the end of the lesson.
Differentiation:
Of all the stories we covered in this unit, I felt this story was the best for classroom
discussion. The topics of women versus men and gentlemanly conduct and behavior were
appropriate for a senior class. I didn’t provide a graphic organizer to help students follow
along, because I wanted to focus to be on verbal interaction and discussion.
Literacy:
We predicted what we thought the story would be about based on what we knew about the
narrator. We reviewed literary terms such as narrator and frame story. We read aloud and
stopped frequently to summarize and analyze the story elements and characters.
Bauer 54
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Development of the English language
Beowulf Manuscript
Anglo-Saxon Runes
Old English
Beowulf lines 1 to 11, approximately AD 900
Hwæt! Wē Gār-Dena
in geārdagum,
þēodcyninga
þrym gefrūnon,
hū ðā æþelingas
ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scēfing
sceaþena þrēatum,
monegum mǣgþum,
meodosetla oftēah,
egsode eorlas.
Syððan ǣrest wearð
fēasceaft funden,
hē þæs frōfre gebād,
wēox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þāh,
oðþæt him ǣghwylc
þāra ymbsittendra
ofer hronrāde
hȳran scolde,
gomban gyldan.
Þæt wæs gōd cyning!
Modern Translation
Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings
won!
Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,
from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore,
awing the earls. Since erst he lay
friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him:
for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve,
till before him the folk, both far and near,
who house by the whale-path, heard his
mandate,
gave him gifts: a good king he!
Bauer 55
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Middle English: 1150-1500
- Latin, Danish, Old Norse, and Norman French fed the growing English language. After the
Norman Conquest in 1066, England’s new aristocracy spoke French. Well-educated people
needed to know 3 languages: French for the nobility and courts; Latin for church business;
and English to communicate with the majority of the common people.
- French had a strong influence on English and increased the English vocabulary by 10,000
words. Today, almost half of Modern English’s vocabulary comes from Latin and French.
Middle English
from The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
1 "Experience, though noon auctoritee
Were in this world, were right ynogh to me
To speke of wo that is in mariage;
For, lordynges, sith I twelf yeer was of age,
5
Thonked be God, that is eterne on lyve,
Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve For I so ofte have ywedded bee And alle were worthy men in hir degree.
But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is,
10
That sith that Crist ne wente nevere but onis
To weddyng in the Cane of Galilee,
That by the same ensample, taughte he me,
That I ne sholde wedded be but ones.
Herkne eek, lo, which a sharpe word for the nones,
15
Biside a welle Jhesus, God and Man,
Spak in repreeve of the Samaritan.
"Thou hast yhad fyve housbondes," quod he,
"And thilke man the which that hath now thee
Is noght thyn housbonde;" thus seyde he certeyn.
20
What that he mente ther by, I kan nat seyn;
But that I axe, why that the fifthe man
Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?
How manye myghte she have in mariage?
Yet herde I nevere tellen in myn age
25
Upon this nombre diffinicioun.
Men may devyne, and glosen up and doun,
But wel I woot, expres, withoute lye,
God bad us for to wexe and multiplye;
That gentil text kan I wel understonde.
Modern Translation
Experience, though no authority
Were in this world, were good enough for me,
To speak of woe that is in all marriage;
For, masters, since I was twelve years of age,
Thanks be to God Who is for aye alive,
Of husbands at church door have I had five;
For men so many times have wedded me;
And all were worthy men in their degree.
But someone told me not so long ago
That since Our Lord, save once, would never go
To wedding (that at Cana in Galilee),
Thus, by this same example, showed He me
I never should have married more than once.
Lo and behold! What sharp words, for the nonce,
Beside a well Lord Jesus, God and man,
Spoke in reproving the Samaritan:
'For thou hast had five husbands,' thus said He,
'And he whom thou hast now to be with thee
Is not thine husband.' Thus He said that day,
But what He meant thereby I cannot say;
And I would ask now why that same fifth man
Was not husband to the Samaritan?
How many might she have, then, in marriage?
For I have never heard, in all my age,
Clear exposition of this number shown,
Though men may guess and argue up and down.
But well I know and say, and do not lie,
God bade us to increase and multiply;
That worthy text can I well understand.
Bauer 56
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 10: The Canterbury Tales: Wife of Bath (part 2)
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Monday, October 29, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 19
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Focus Statement:
Finish reading, summarizing, and analyzing “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.”
Lesson Objectives:
1. Analyze the author’s use of a narrator to tell a story
2. Identify how the use of a frame story affects plot
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to the
narrative poem.
Materials:
1. McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature: British Literature (2006)
2. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Board Warm-up:
Was the queen’s punishment appropriate for the knight’s crime? Explain.
Step by Step procedures:
1. Wife of Bath’s Tale
a. Recap what happened yesterday in the story (have students give summary)
b. (lines 249-258) What was their wedding like? Why?
c. (259-273) The old woman calls the knight out on his rude and un-knightly behavior. She
asks what she’s done wrong and what she can do to fix it.
d. (274-279) What accusations does the knight make about his wife? (list on board)
i. old
ii. very plain (ugly)
iii.poor
Bauer 57
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
iv.low-bred
e. (280-300) She responds to his complaint about her being low-born. She claims gentility
(being high-class) doesn’t come from your ancestors, but from what? Your actions.
i. Draw feudal system class structure, explain qualities of high/low classes
f. (301-321) True gentility (like fire) shines brightly all the time - not just when people are
watching. (The old woman is redefining high-class to mean high character, not just
wealth and privilege)
i. How is the old woman putting the knight in his place?
ii. What is the irony of this man accusing her of being “low-class”? His actions at the
beginning of the tale are not worth is status/station. The old woman is low-class in
birth, but the knight is low-class in his actions.
g. (322-340) More discussion regarding character and manners
h. (353-366) Now she addresses the 2nd accusation he made against here: poverty.
i. Jesus choose to be poor. True poverty isn’t not having money, it’s being covetouswanting what you can’t have.
ii. How does this argument put the knight in his place? By raping the young woman, he
was exercising covetousness, he wanted something he didn’t have and couldn’t get in
a gentlemanly manner
i. (367-382) What’s a positive to being poor? There’s no fear of having everything taken
from you. No fear of loss or falling in status. Poverty brings humility (once again a
positive character trait that she possesses and he doesn’t).
j. (383-394) Now she addresses the 3rd accusation of being old and ugly.
i. How are gentlemen supposed to treat those with old age? With respect
ii. Has the knight been respectful to her? Another character fail on his part.
iii.The advantages of having an old and ugly wife? No fear of her cheating on you and
humiliating you.
k. (395-403) She offers the knight a choice. Does he want a wife who is old, ugly, and
faithful? Or a wife who is young, beautiful and makes a fool out of him with his friends?
i. (Predict: what choice do you think the knight will make? What choice would you
make?)
l. (404-411) What’s the knight’s answer? What has he learned about what women most
desire?)
m.(412-432) What does the wife turn into? Why? Has the knight changed from the
beginning of the poem?
n. (433-440) They live happily ever after and the Wife of Bath adds her own opinion that all
husbands be submissive and young and those who aren’t would die quickly. How does
her attitude conflict with the reality of life for Medieval women?
2. Performance Evaluation: Knight handout.
a. As a class, (or in pairs if time) rate the Knight from the story on each of the knightly
code criteria. Does he pass or fail as a proper chivalrous knight?
Bauer 58
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Closure:
Summarize the story, asking for student opinions (evaluations) about The Wife of Bath’s Tale.
Remind students that presentations are due on Wednesday at the beginning of class.
Assessment:
Before:
I have a critical thinking question that requires students to recall what we read yesterday and
evaluate the text.
During:
I’ll be asking leading questions to evaluate the class’ understanding of the setting, characters,
and plot of the story.
After:
We’ll be using the Performance Evaluation: Knight handout to discuss the character qualities
of the knight compared to the Medieval definition of chivalry and evaluate the students’
comprehension of the story and characters involved.
Reflection:
Student Success:
I was very pleased with the student participation and involvement in both periods. Students
were able to recall what we read yesterday and were ready to begin reading where we left off
yesterday. After we finished the story, the students were all actively involved in filling out the
Knight’s Evaluation handout. Both classes appeared interested in the topic and had positive
attitudes about the assignment, which we completed as a class.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I read aloud from the text, and because it was a narrative, I used voices and expressions to
keep interest and attention. We had guided class discussion to analyze the story and I
summarized at the end of the lesson. I provided a graphic organizer to evaluate and analyze a
main character from the story. I used guided instruction and discussion to keep students
involved, but on topic.
Differentiation:
I created a graphic organizer to use as an aide for students to evaluate the main character and
discuss his evolution over the text. I choose to use a handout because both classes participate
more if there is an assignment in front of them than if we were simply having a discussion.
Classroom Management:
I was so pleased with both classes attitude and involvement for yesterday and today’s lesson.
Students were once again focused on the text and discussion and I had very little side-talking
and distractions. I think it speaks to the importance of using material that students find
relevant and interesting.
Bauer 59
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Performance Evaluation: Knight
Knightly Code
Yes
No
N/A
To fear God and maintain His Church
To serve the liege lord in valor and faith
To protect the weak and defenseless
To give assistance to widows and orphans
To refrain from the deliberate giving of offense
To live by honor and for glory
To despise monetary reward
To fight for the welfare of all
To obey those placed in authority
To guard the honor of fellow knights
To refrain from and renounce unfairness, meanness and deceit
To keep faith
At all times to speak the truth
To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
To respect the honor of women
Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
Never to turn the back upon a foe
Pass ___________ Fail __________
Bauer 60
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 11: The Canterbury Tales: Nun’s Priest’s Tale part 1
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 19
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping point of
view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire,
sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices
regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the
action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Focus Statement:
To introduce the “mock-epic” and begin to read The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.
Lesson Objectives:
1. To define mock-epic narrative poem
2. To summarize and analyze the mock-epic characteristics of a narrative poem
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to the
narrative poem.
Materials:
1. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale handouts
2. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Pre-Activity:
Do dreams have significance and meaning? Can they predict the future?
Step by Step procedures:
1. Review Epic: long narrative poem about a hero and his deeds
2. Mock-Epic: Mock-heroic, mock-epic or hero-comic works are typically satires or parodies
that mock common Classical stereotypes of heroes and heroic literature. Typically, mockheroic works by either putting a fool in the role of the hero or by exaggerating the heroic
qualities to such a point that they become absurd.
a. The narrator mismatches noble words about heroes and romance to tell a barnyard
fable about a rooster. By doing so, he shows the silly side of heroic tales.
3. The priest riding with the Nun we read about in The Prologue, doesn’t have much of a
description. Right before he beings his tale, Chaucer describes him as riding an old cart
horse, he vows to be merry, and he is both “sweet” and “goodly.”
Bauer 61
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
a. The Monk finished his tale and the knight complains that he is tired of tragedies. The
host chooses the priest and asks him to tell a happy tale.
4. (Lines 1-26) There is a poor widow who has a farm. This is the setting of our tale.
a. (27-44) On her farm, there was a rooster, the perfect specimen of a rooster.
i. (39-44) use of heroic language to describe him, has supernatural ability in his voice
b. (45-61) Pertelote, his chicken love (girlfriend/wife)
c. (62-87) Chanticleer has a dream/nightmare about a mysterious beast (look at
descriptions in text and identify)
d. (88-99) What is Pertelote’s response to his dream? What kind of “man” does she want?
How does this contradict with The Wife of Bath’s Tale? What is the difference in
narrators?
e. (100-149) She thinks the dream was caused by gas? (Medieval belief in bodily humors)
i. One of the basic principles of medieval medicine was that of the four humors
(blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) of which a human body was composed.
The balance between these four was essential for the well-being of a person.
ii. They were produced by various organs in the body, and they had to be in balance for
a person to remain healthy. Too much phlegm in the body, for example, caused lung
problems; and the body tried to cough up the phlegm to restore a balance. The
balance of humours in humans could be achieved by diet, medicines, and by bloodletting. The four humours were also associated with the four seasons, black bileautumn, yellow bile-summer, phlegm-winter and blood-spring.
iii.This theory prevailed until the 19th century (late 1800’s when germ theory emerged)
f. (150-163) Chanticleer argues that there are writers with more authority than Cato who
believe dreams have significance.
i. The Cato was the most popular medieval schoolbook for teaching Latin, prized not
only as a Latin textbook, but as a moral compass. Cato was in common use as a Latin
teaching aid all the way to the 18th century, used by Benjamin Franklin. It was one of
the best-known books in the Middle Ages and was translated into many languages.
g. (164-242) He tells a story about a man who had a dream three times that his friend was
being murdered and his body hidden in a dung cart. He woke up to find out it was true.
h. (243-289) He tells another story about a man who had a dream he shouldn’t take a
journey by boat. He warned a friend who took the journey anyway and the boat sank.
i. (290-335) He gives still more examples including Biblical characters (Daniel, Joseph,
Pharaoh) and classic Greek example (Hector’s death by Achilles at Troy).
j. (337-369) He ends the argument and moves on to the more pleasant aspects of a
rooster’s life; breeding and feeding.
k. (370-396) A couple months past (May 3) when “fate” brings something dark and ominous
to Chanticleer. (foreshadowing)
l. (397-415) A fox who had been lurking about for three years, snuck into a bed of cabbages
and lies in wait to kill Chanticleer. (examples of epic, formal style).
Bauer 62
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
m.(416-434) Narrator gives a brief discussion about pre-destination versus free-will (was
Chanticleer fated for this day, or does he have control over his own destiny?)
n. (435-450) Narrator revisits the old argument about the fault of women in the Christian
faith. Eve’s part in the “fall” of mankind. He makes the point it is dangerous to listen to
your wife/women. (How is this significant to what we know about how women were
treated in the culture/time?) Narrator claims this is not his opinion, but the rooster’s.
Closure:
Summarize what we read today. Remind students that tomorrow we’ll be finishing up the
Nun’s Priest’s Tale and collecting the presentations. Be sure to either email it in by Wednesday
morning, or to bring it on a flash-drive to class.
Assessment:
Before:
I do not have a formal assessment because we are starting a new story today. I had students
answer a critical thinking question about the significance of dreams to connect the story to
personal experiences.
During:
I’ll be asking leading questions to evaluate the class’ understanding of the setting, characters,
and plot of the story.
After:
I’ll be asking for students to summarize the plot of the story so far and to relate what we’ve
learned about the main characters and the narrator’s mock-epic style.
Reflection:
Student Success:
The students in second period were much more engaged in summarizing and discussing the
test than first period. The first period students are often late, tired, and non-responsive. By the
end of the class period, however, they had woken up a little and were interacting and enjoying
the story.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
I read aloud from the text, and because it was a narrative, I used voices and expressions to
keep interest and attention. We had guided class discussion to analyze the story and I
summarized at the end of the lesson. I used guided instruction and discussion to keep
students involved, but on topic.
Differentiation:
The textbook only included two Canterbury Tales in addition to the Prologue, but my mentor
teacher wanted me to include at least one more story. I choose the Nun’s Priest’s Tale because
it was content appropriate and had a light-hearted tone which offered variety from the
Bauer 63
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
previous two tales. I found a modern translation that still contained many Middle English
expressions and words so that students would continue to get a sense of the Middle English
language, while still being able to understand the text. I made enough copies for each student
to use during class, but not to keep because I knew none of the students would want to keep a
copy of the text.
Bauer 64
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Lesson 12: The Canterbury Tales: Nun’s Priest’s Tale 2
Submitted by: Maura I. Bauer
Date: Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Grade Level: 12th
Number of Students: 19
Common Core State Standards:
1. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping
point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really
meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).
2. Anchor Standards for Reading: Literature 11-12.RL.3. Analyze the impact of the author’s
choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Focus Statement:
To finish The Nun’s Priest’s Tale and analyze the poem in small groups.
Lesson Objectives:
1. To summarize and understand the literal meaning of a narrative poem
2. To analyze the mock-epic characteristics of a narrative poem
3. Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to the
narrative poem
Materials:
1. The Nun’s Priest’s Tale handouts
2. Student materials: (textbook, binder, notebook, paper, pen)
Warm-up:
Review yesterday’s reading (summarize plot and characters)
Step by Step procedures:
1. Put students into small groups (3-4) to read the remainder of the poem.
a. After the groups have completed the poem, answer the questions at the end of the poem
on a separate sheet of paper. One paper per group. Work together as a group to answer
the questions. They have until 9:05 (1st period) and 10:00 (2nd period)
2. While students are reading and working together on the story, collect presentations and
mark off who turned has turned it in.
3. 10 minutes before class ends, while students are in small groups, have a class discussion
over the reading questions.
Bauer 65
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
4. Because it’s Halloween, hand out candy to students who have their presentations turned in
on time.
Closure:
Remind the students who are presenting tomorrow that they will need to come to class
prepared to present. Discuss grading criteria for the presentation.
Assessment:
Before:
We will be having a class discussion to summarize what we read yesterday.
During:
I will be monitoring cooperative groups to check for on task behavior and comprehension.
After:
We will be having a class discussion over the reading questions and I will be collecting the
cooperative learning group questions.
Reflection:
Student Success:
Both in first and second periods, students were able to recall what we read yesterday. I was
impressed with first period’s memory and the amount of details they were able to give. In both
periods students were working on their questions and most groups were reading the text and
not just looking for answers. First period did not finish the questions and second period
barely had time to finish. In first period we also ran out of class time to finish discussing the
answers. Only about half the students in both periods had their presentations finished on
time. Most of those emailed their presentations to my mentor teacher’s email. A few others
brought theirs on a jump-drive which my mentor teacher copied onto his computer while the
students were working in groups. I checked in with each student on their progress.
Teacher Instructional Strategies:
We had a class discussion to review yesterday’s reading and read over the reading questions
together before students were put into groups. I rotated through the groups checking their
progress and understanding, offering support to students who were struggling with the text or
the reading questions. I asked leading questions to help students figure out the answers on
their own with varied levels of scaffolding.
Differentiation:
Because so much of this unit was done as guided lecture or instruction, I wanted to have more
time for students to have hands-on active learning. This text is complicated and difficult and I
felt that students would have a hard time reading and understanding it on their own, so I put
them in groups of four. I was able to visit each group multiple times to offer specific support
Bauer 66
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
and help and see where each of the students were individually on their reading and
comprehension of the text.
Implications for Future Teaching:
First period did not have time to finish the reading questions and second period barely
finished. If I teach this lesson again, I’ll make sure to have enough copies of the story so
students can take the text and reading questions home to finish them. I was concerned about
the classes flying through the questions and having too much time at the end of class, but
students took the assignment seriously and took their time to finish.
Classroom Management:
I had my third evaluation today and my supervisor reminded me that I am still trying to talk
over the students when they are in groups, I need to make sure that I have their attention first
before I begin speaking. Getting the classes’ full attention is something I have struggled with
throughout my work sample. I have tried different techniques of waiting to speak until they
are quiet, calling out individual students who are having side conversations, and trying to get
the classes’ attention all at once. I really wanted to avoid shouting at the class to quiet down,
but it seems that is the technique they are familiar with and respond to the best. I would like
to see other practical strategies for this grade level. I feel that using noise-makers, chants, or
clapping would be very demeaning for high schoolers and not effective.
Literacy Strategies:
The handout of reading questions gave the students a purpose for reading, so they were able
to focus on the text and look for key ideas and information. The questions varied from literal
comprehension questions to more complicated summarizing and analyzing.
Bauer 67
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
Working TOGETHER with your small group, answer the following
questions in COMPLETE sentences. Be prepared to share your answers
with the class.
1. Who are Chanticleer and Pertelote?
2. Why is Chanticleer disturbed at the beginning of the story?
3. What is Pertelote’s advice to Chanticleer when he tells her his dream?
4.
a) How does the fox capture Chanticleer?
b) How does Chanticleer escape?
5. List three characteristics of Chanticleer that are realistic for a rooster.
6. List three characteristics of Chanticleer that are absurd to attribute to a rooster.
7. Which words or phrases in the description of Pertelote would be more suitable
for a noble lady than for a hen?
8. What is the moral of this tale? How seriously do you think the narrator takes this
tale? Explain.
Bauer 68
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale (Key)
1. Who are Chanticleer and Pertelote?
Chanticleer is the main rooster on a dairy farm owned by an old widow. He is
the most handsome rooster around, and has the ability to know the sun’s exact
position in the sky. He is more accurate than a church clock. Pertelote is
Chanticleer’s favorite chicken-wife. She is the most beautiful of all the chickens
in the barnyard.
2. Why is Chanticleer disturbed at the beginning of the story?
Chanticleer has a nightmare that he is attacked by a large, orange, hound-like
beast who tries to kill him. Chanticleer believes that dreams can predict the
future and he is worried about his dream coming true.
3. What is Pertelote’s advice to Chanticleer when he tells her his dream?
Pertelote does not believe that dreams have any significance. She believes he is having digestive
problems and needs to take a laxative or herbs to soothe his digestion and purge his system.
4. a) How does the fox capture Chanticleer?
The fox flatters Chanticleer and claims he only snuck into the barnyard to hear him sing.
Chanticleer falls for the flattery and closes his eyes to begin singing. When his eyes close,
the fox rushes in and grabs Chanticleer by the throat and runs off towards the woods.
b) How does Chanticleer escape?
As the fox is running towards the woods with Chanticleer in his mouth, and the entire barnyard
chasing them, Chanticleer appeals to the fox’s pride and suggests the fox turn around and taunt
those chasing him. The fox agrees and when he opens his mouth to shout that he won and
planned to eat the rooster, Chanticleer flies out of his mouth and up a tree to safety.
5. List three characteristics of Chanticleer that are realistic for a rooster.
Chanticleer’s physical appearance is normal of a French chicken/rooster with blue feet, red comb, and
golden brown feathers. He crows at the sun, has seven hens, and walks around the barnyard eating
corn and clucking.
6. List three characteristics of Chanticleer that are absurd to attribute to a rooster.
Roosters don’t have dreams or visions of the future (that we are aware of). Rooster’s are often dirty and
smelly, not comparable to flowers, gold, and castle battlements. Roosters do not look like “grim lions,” or
“regal, as a prince is in his hall.” Roosters do not study Cato and are not well versed in Greek
mythology and Scripture.
7. Which words or phrases in the description of Pertelote would be more suitable
for a noble lady than for a hen?
Pertelote is described as “courteous, discreet, and debonaire, companionable” she has the ability
to captivate and hold Chanticleer’s heart which is more likely for a beautiful noble lady than a
chicken. She desires a husband who is brave and not afraid of anything. She has an extensive
knowledge of medicine and herbs. Her advice that Chanticleer ignore his dream is compared
to the poor advice that Eve gave Adam to disobey God.
8. What is the moral of this tale? How seriously do you think the narrator takes this tale?
Explain.
This tales warns against the dangers of pride and flattery. Chanticleer’s pride in his singing is what
leads to his falling victim to the fox’s flattery and capture. The fox’s pride is what allows Chanticleer to
convince him to boast about his success/victory and allows Chanticleer to escape. The narrator uses
animals to tell his tale, much like a fable. He also uses a mock-epic style which compares roosters and
chickens to lords and ladies. His tone suggests that he doesn’t take himself or his tale too seriously.
Bauer 69
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 2: Establishing Classroom Climate
• School Policies: Creswell High School handbook 2012-2013
1. Tardiness (CHS Handbook 2012-2013 pp. 12-13)
Tardiness seems to be a real problem, especially in first period senior classes. On one
occasion ten students walked into the first period classroom over ten minutes late in a large
group. Several students do not have a scheduled first period and are often tardy during
irregular schedule days such as; Advisory days which occur twice a month on Mondays,
Wednesday ASB assemblies, and assembly schedules.
2. Leaving Class (CHS Handbook 2012-2013 p 16)
The school has an unwritten policy that students are not allowed to leave the class
during the first and last 10 minutes of class. This is an effort promoted by the principal to
prevent students from wandering the halls during class time. The teachers seem to be united
in this and students seem to understand and comply with this policy.
3. Cell Phones/Texting/Internet on Cell Phone; Creswell Board Policy: JFCEB (CHS
Handbook 2012-2013 pp. 20-21)
The school has initiated a new technology policy this year as cell phones and mp3
players provide an escalating disturbance in the classroom. Students are still allowed to use
their phones and music in the transition time between classes and in the halls, but once class
starts it is required to be turned off and put away. Most students simply leave their phones on
silent, some still try to read and return messages quietly and unnoticed, but for the most part,
the policy appears to be effective.
4. Behavior Guidelines (CHS Handbook 2012-2013 pp.
CHS follows Positive Behavioral Supports and Assertive Discipline techniques. They
currently do not have an assistant principal, but have a Dean of Students instead. This is a
previous teacher who modeled effective discipline techniques and now handles detentions
and office referrals. He still teaches one period a day and fulfills many of the assistant
principal’s duties.
Bauer 70
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 2: Establishing Classroom Climate
• Classroom Policies
The following policies are found in the English 12A Fall 2012-2012 Syllabus as created by my
mentor teacher:
1. Behavior Expectations
High School students are young adults. As such, you should conduct yourselves as adults. This means
that students and parents should read the 2012-2013 CHS Student Handbook and follow the guidelines
within.
Students have been removed from class, either into the hallway or sent to the office for
inappropriate remarks and racial jokes. Another student has been asked to talk a walk in the
hallway to collect herself because she couldn’t stop giggling and disrupting class.
2. Homework and Late Work
Work is accepted up to one week late with a penalty of 50%. Late work is penalized because it is
important that you learn to complete tasks in a timely manner. Please not that there is no credit given
for rough drafts turned in late; those must be turned in when due. Extra credit is not generally given;
completing assigned work on time with good effort is the best way to pass this class.
A large percent of 1st period had difficulty turning in assignments on time. There is
very little out of class work, mostly writing projects. They are required to produce rough drafts
for peer edits and are allowed to email in their final assignments. Almost half of 1st period still
struggles turning work in on time. This makes it very difficult to have peer-editing days and
we’ve had to create new lesson plans on the spot because there were too many missing
assignments to implement the lesson that was planned.
3. Participation
Participation in this class, as in life, is not optional. Voluntary participation is welcome, but all students
must participate. You will be graded on participation!
Bauer 71
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Warm-ups are provided on a daily basis to get students awake and thinking in class.
They are often critical thinking questions pertaining to the day’s lesson. They are not often
asked to volunteer to read, but are required to participate in class discussions.
4. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is representing the work of another person as your own. Assignments containing
plagiarized material will be given a grade of F, and your parents will be contacted. You will NOT have
an opportunity to make up the assignment. Please read “Academic Honesty” in the student handbook!
There has not been a problem with plagiarism this year in our classes. There have been
problems with this group of students in the past and one the students in 2nd period was given
a failing grade for plagiarizing a paper from the internet last year. It is something to always be
aware of when assigning papers and writing assignments. There are websites for teachers such
as turnitin.com to help teachers catch plagiarism.
5. Cooperative Learning
Throughout the term, students will participate in group work, also known as cooperative learning. It is
the responsibility of every student to participate fully and to contribute to the final group product.
So far this year it has been difficult to provide a large amount of group work that
pertains to the reading because the language and content needs so much explanation and
scaffolding. We’ve provided group work for pre-writing planning and peer-editing. It is
something we’ve been aware of and try to do as much as possible, and it will become
increasingly easier as the literature moves towards more contemporary language and content.
Bauer 72
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 2: Establishing Classroom Climate
• Classroom Management/Democratic Practices
During my work sample I fully intend on maintaining the classroom rules and
expectations of my mentor teacher. There are certain class rules that he has created which I
plan to keep in place out of respect for his classroom. He prefers the students use blue or
black pen, nothing in pencil. Hats are required to be removed as soon as students enter class
and no energy drinks are allowed, although coffee is; no food is permitted. Headphones, music
players, and cell phones are to be turned off and stowed out of sight before the bell rings or
they can be confiscated for the remainder of the school day. Students were assigned a seating
chart the first week of school as a classroom management strategy due to side-talking and
disruptions.
Due to the amount of limit testing that I have observed on a daily basis, I am
anticipating several of the students to push boundaries with inappropriate remarks and racial
jokes. My intention is to set a tone from the beginning that this isn’t acceptable and I won’t
allow it to happen without consequences. Although I am much quieter and less assertive than
my mentor teacher, I plan to enforce the same limits and expectations that he has established.
The students frequently joke about wanting me to teach because I am “nicer” than my mentor
teacher, but I haven’t experienced any disrespect or noncompliance that would require me to
be more strict. I do prefer to show kindness and gentleness to the students when I teach, but I
am prepared and willing to be firm and assertive if necessary. I personally believe that
assertiveness has much more of an effect, if it used rarely, and shows the student that they
have crossed a significant line. Shouting and sounding disappointed and exasperated on a
regular basis might desensitize students so they are unable to distinguish between a teacher’s
normal outbursts and when they have truly crossed a line.
Bauer 73
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 2: Establishing Classroom Climate
• Management Strategies
Strategy &
Type
Description
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Check for
understanding
While reading literature texts
together, my mentor teacher
often stops and asks students to
repeat, summarize, and analyze
what has just been read to make
sure that students are engaged
and understanding the text. I
used this strategy as well and
found it very effective.
This is more effective than just
reading to the students and assuming
they are following along, also more
effective than assigning students to
sit and quietly read to themselves.
The response from the class varies
greatly from 1st period to 2nd. 1st
period students seem to have trouble
being awake and alert at 8:30am.
Students gave me positive feedback
that they appreciated when I used
this strategy.
Wait to speak
until students
are listening
My mentor teacher will
frequently have to stop and wait
for students to stop side talking
or joking around before he can
continue speaking.
My mentor teacher often had to stop
and pointedly look at the clock in
order for students to realize that he is
waiting. Several students, particularly
2nd period boys seem to enjoy
upsetting him and wasting time. He
often has to loudly reprimand them
in order to get control of the room. I
also tried to use this technique, but
often found that I was waiting while
students continued their
conversations unaware of me. I
regularly had to call students out
individually.
Bauer 74
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Strategy &
Type
Description
Evaluation of Effectiveness
Move students
seating
When a student has habit of
side-talking, disrupting
neighbors, or not paying
attention, my mentor teacher
will move them to another seat
away from the person they were
distracting.
This is effective during the class
period, but students often return to
their previous seat the next day. One
particular student in 1st period has
been moved several times in the first
few weeks of school, yet always
returns to the seat of his choice the
next day. I asked students on several
occasions if I needed to move them,
but never was required to.
Visual & Audio
note taking
When writing important points
on the board that students need
to include in their notes, my
mentor teacher writes them
loudly on the board and reads
them aloud slowly as he writes
them so that students can both
hear and see the important
points.
Several students are on IEPs or are
slower writers, so having the notes
written largely on the board for the
rest of class allows them to write at
their own speed. By speaking them
aloud, students who struggle with
reading the notes are able to write as
they listen. I also used this technique
because it was so effective.
One-on-one
conferences
If students are being very
disruptive my mentor teacher
will either ask them to stay and
talk with him after class or
immediately out in the hall,
depending on the level of
disruption.
If students don’t comply to his
requests to stop being rude,
disruptive, or inappropriate, he will
often ask them to stay after class. If
they try to argue about it, he will not
engage. After class, he uses a more
personal and serious tone telling
them how their behavior is negatively
affecting the classroom and 3 times
out of 4, student behavior has
changed. I also had to pull a few
students aside and individually ask
them to change their behavior. I had
no repeated behavior with this
technique.
Bauer 75
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 2: Establishing Classroom Climate
• Teaching Competency Essay #1
a. “Recognizes and acknowledges community culture and positive interactions”
b. “Uses classroom time effectively to provide maximum time for learning”
Creswell High School has the community culture of a small town that often doesn’t
care or see the point in academics. A frequent comment from students is, “It’s only Creswell,”
meaning the expectations are low and they don’t have to try hard. A large percentage of
students do not complete assignments, and absences and tardies are always an issue. This
attitude is pervasive throughout the town and is very discouraging to many of the teachers. I
did my best to be aware of this attitude while teaching my work sample. I set a level of high
expectation for class participation and quality of work. When giving an assignment, especially
the performance task, I showed students positive examples of what the assignment should
look like, and we addressed ways to make our presentations professional and effective. I also
intentionally related their assignments and curriculum to the real world. We often discussed
why we were learning this and what relevance it had to us today. I maintained the same level of
expectation for this small, rural school than I would for any other high school.
The classroom I taught in had a very different tone than I was used to. My mentor
teacher ‘s classroom management style was more loud and assertive than I was comfortable
emulating. When I began teaching I was intentionally respectful of each student, disciplining
students individually and privately for their actions instead of turning everything into a
classroom lecture. The students responded very positively to me and while there were issues
with side-conversations among a select group of students, I had no problems with disrespect
or any negative attitude from the students, even those whom I witnessed walking out of class
and being disrespectful earlier in the year.
In order to use classroom time effectively, I had each lesson prepared throughly before
class. I planned out the approximate amount of time each activity would take so that I would
Bauer 76
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
be able to complete the lesson within the 48 minute class period, and would not have a large
portion of extra time to fill at the end of class. I often had extra activities or supplemental
videos planned in the event there was extra time at the end of class.
Bauer 77
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 3: Engaging Students in Planned Learning Activities
• Assessment Unit Plan
I. Standards To Be Assessed
1. Anchor Standards for Writing 11-12.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a
problem; narrow or broaden inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on
the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
2. Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital
media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations
to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
II.Objectives To Be Met
1. Students will be able to choose an approved Medieval topic of their choice.
2. Students will be able to research questions about that topic they would like to have
answered using print and web media.
3. Students will be able to create a professional looking, organized, and visually
appealing PowerPoint, approximately 10 slides in length, containing their research
findings.
4. Students will be able to present their research and PowerPoints to the class using
professional and appropriate verbal and nonverbal skills.
III. Assessment of Prior Learning
As part of the pre-project planning, students are asked to choose a topic pertaining to
Medieval life and write down several facts they already know about it. Students will then
brainstorm five questions that they have about the topic. This Brainstorming Organizer will
help assess what they already know about the topic and what they want to learn. If a student is
Bauer 78
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
already very knowledgable about his/her topic, they will be asked to choose another one that is
less familiar to them. I will collect the Brainstorming Organizer and refer to it when assessing
their presentations to see if they were able to answer the questions they chose to research.
While some students might be able to perform the task independently, most will need
scaffolding support with the organization and presentation of their research. I will be setting
aside class time to specifically work on the Brainstorming Organizer. I am devoting an entire
class period to research and have reserved the C.O.W. (computers on wheels) for web
research, and my mentor teacher will supply a large selection of print materials about the
Middle Ages for students to use in class. I am setting aside class time to give students a basic
tutorial on using PowerPoint 2010. I will be demonstrating how to create slides, insert text and
graphics, and adjust animations and transitions. I am also providing a PowerPoint 2010 tutorial
handout with the same basic information so that students will have access to it on their own
time if they are absent or forget what is covered in class. There will also be an entire class
period devoted to working on the presentations in the computer lab.
Much of this project will be completed independently, which will allow each student to
work at his/her own pace. I have set aside specific class periods for research and presentations
so that I am available to students who need more support and have questions. I’ve also allotted
the entire week following the computer lab presentations day for students to complete the
project before it is due. Students who are faster workers and more familiar with the computer
and PowerPoint 2010 may finish within the class period. Other students will have access to the
school’s computer lab before and after school as well as lunch and free periods to complete
their presentations. Students who need extra support will be able to ask questions and get
help during this time.
IV. Continued Planning (Feedback Loop)
Some possible misconceptions that students may have regarding the performance task
could be about the quantity of research, the length of the presentation, and the professional
Bauer 79
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
tone of the PowerPoint and oral presentation. I will be clarifying these continually throughout
the three weeks of the work sample where we will be working on the research presentation
throughout.
The most important question I anticipate having to ask throughout the performance
task is about the students’ independent work and timeline. I’ve observed a large portion of the
class that chooses not to complete assignments outside of school and do not observe deadlines
and due dates. The performance task can be simplified down into four sub-tasks; choosing a
topic, researching questions or areas about that topic, creating a PowerPoint, and presenting
the research to the class. I will have due dates for each of these four sub-tasks and be able to
track which students are on schedule and which ones are falling behind.
Many of the students in this class do not seem to take their assignments or class work
seriously, they look for every excuse to make a joke or be inappropriate. I anticipate having to
repeatedly stress the professional tone required on the presentation. This task will help
prepare students for college and careers and needs to reflect those goals. Several students
seem easily overwhelmed by assignments and choose to either not complete them, or do a
minimal amount of work. I anticipate having to check their research and presentation progress
often, as well as encouraging them about their abilities. In regards to differentiation, my plan
is to check in with each student individually on on every step of the performance task. This
way I can informally assess if they are on track to meeting the objectives, and I will be able
give support and suggestions when needed. A few students are very reserved and quiet and
will not seek out help, so I plan to intentionally check in with them often to make sure they
are making adequate progress and meeting deadlines. I will also make sure each student has
access to a computer and PowerPoint in order to complete the task on their own.
In order to assess during the performance task process, I have created graphic
organizers to assist students with planning and simplifying their task. I have created a
Brainstorming Organizer to select their topic, assess prior knowledge, and focus their
research. I am also providing the class with a presentation planner to help them transfer their
Bauer 80
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
research onto PowerPoint slides. I will be looking at these graphic organizers at each step of
the process to assess if students are meeting deadlines, objectives and staying on task. These
organizers will be due when students turn in their final projects.
V. Assessment of Student Learning
I will assess the performance task using the various elements of the Common Core
Standards I choose to use. I will measure the Anchor Standard for Writing 11-12.W.7 with the
criteria of content, organization, citations, and writing mechanics. I will measure the Anchor
Standard for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.5 by looking at the presentation’s appearance,
such as use of text, slideshow layout, and use of graphics and animations. I will also evaluate
the students’ oral presentation by looking at their nonverbal skills such as, eye contact, body
language, and poise, and their verbal skills such as enthusiasm and elocution. I have created a
rubric containing all these criteria.
Bauer 81
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
The Canterbury Tales: Research Presentation Topics
You will be creating a short (approximately 10 slides) multimedia presentation (PowerPoint)
about a Medieval topic that is relevant to some aspect of The Canterbury Tales. The Medieval
lifestyle, government, social structure, gender roles, and religion were all significant to
Chaucer’s tone and the development and choice of his characters. You will be responsible for
presenting your research to the class in a short presentation. We will only spend a few days
working in class, so it will be necessary to do some work on your own time. Some possible
topics are listed below. You may use one of the suggestions or choose one of your one, but it
must be approved. Only two people will be allowed to use the same topic per class.
Possible Research Topics:
1. Feudalism or the Medieval social structure
2. The structure and design of Medieval castles (Motte and Bailey design)
3. Chivalry, Courtly Love, Knights
4. The Crusades, The 100 Years War, or the Norman invasion
5. Plagues and diseases (Black Death)
6. Women’s roles in society
7. Practices of the Catholic Church (selling of indulgences, relics, etc.)
8. Medieval Warfare (weapons and battle tactics)
9. Religious pilgrimages in Medieval times
10. Medieval Justice (Ecclesiastical Courts)
Bauer 82
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
10 Effective PowerPoint Tips
Here are ten tips to help you add a little zing! to your next presentation. They are, of course, far from
comprehensive, but they’re a start.
1. Write a script.
A little planning goes a long way. Most presentations are written in PowerPoint (or some other
presentation package) without any sort of rhyme or reason.You should know what you intend to say and
then figure out how to visualize it. Make sure you write out or at least outline your presentation before
trying to put together slides.
And make sure your script follows good storytelling conventions: give it a beginning, middle, and end;
have a clear arc that builds towards some sort of climax; make your audience appreciate each slide but
be anxious to find out what’s next; and when possible, always leave ‘em wanting more.
2. One thing at a time, please.
At any given moment, what should be on the screen is the thing you’re talking about. Our audience will
almost instantly read every slide as soon as it’s displayed; if you have the next four points you plan to
make up there, they’ll be three steps ahead of you, waiting for you to catch up rather than listening with
interest to the point you’re making.
Plan your presentation so just one new point is displayed at any given moment. Bullet points can be
revealed one at a time as you reach them. Charts can be put on the next slide to be referenced when you
get to the data the chart displays. Your job as presenter is to control the flow of information so that you
and your audience stay in sync.
3. No paragraphs.
Where most presentations fail is that their authors, convinced they are producing some kind of standalone document, put everything they want to say onto their slides, in great big chunky blocks of text.
Congratulations. You’ve just killed a roomful of people. Cause of death: terminal boredom poisoning.
Your slides are the illustrations for your presentation, not the presentation itself. They should underline
and reinforce what you’re saying as you give your presentation — save the paragraphs of text for your
script. Don’t put it on the screen – and for goodness’ sake, if you do for some reason put it on the
screen, don’t stand with your back to your audience and read it from the screen!
4. Pay attention to design.
PowerPoint and other presentation packages offer all sorts of ways to add visual “flash” to your slides:
fades, swipes, flashing text, and other annoyances are all too easy to insert with a few mouse clicks.
Avoid the temptation to dress up your pages with cheesy effects and focus instead on simple design
basics:
•
Use a sans serif font for body text. Sans serifs like Arial, Helvetica, or Calibri tend to be the
easiest to read on screens.
Bauer 83
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
•
•
•
•
Use decorative fonts only for slide headers, and then only if they’re easy to read. Decorative
fonts are hard to read and should be reserved only for large headlines at the top of the page.
Better yet, stick to a classy serif font like Georgia or Baskerville.
Put dark text on a light background. Again, this is easiest to read. If you must use a dark
background – make sure your text is quite light (white, cream, light grey, or pastels) and maybe
bump the font size up two or three notches.
Align text left or right. Centered text is harder to read and looks amateurish. Line up all your
text to a right-hand or left-hand baseline – it will look better and be easier to follow.
Avoid clutter. A headline, a few bullet points, maybe an image – anything more than that and
you risk losing your audience as they sort it all out.
5. Use Images That Are Relevant and Appropriate
Absolutely do not use PowerPoint’s built-in clipart - they’ve become tired, used-up clichés, and I
hopefully don’t need to tell you to avoid tired, used-up clichés in your presentations. By now, the entire
concept of clipart has about run its course – it just doesn’t feel fresh and new anymore.
6. Think outside the screen.
Remember, the slides on the screen are only part of the presentation – and not the main part. Even
though you’re liable to be presenting in a darkened room, give some thought to your own presentation
manner – how you hold yourself, what you wear, how you move around the room. You are the focus
when you’re presenting, no matter how interesting your slides are.
7. Have a hook.
Like the best writing, the best presentations hook their audiences early and then reel them in. Open
with something surprising or intriguing, something that will get your audience to sit up and take notice.
8. Ask questions.
Questions arouse interest, pique curiosity, and engage audiences. So ask a lot of them. Build tension by
posing a question and letting your audience stew a moment before moving to the next slide with the
answer. Quiz their knowledge and then show them how little they know. If appropriate, engage in a little
question-and-answer with your audience, with you asking the questions.
9. Modulate, modulate, modulate.
Especially when you’ve done a presentation before, it can be easy to fall into a drone, going on and on
and on and on and on with only minimal changes to your inflection. Always speak as if you were
speaking to a friend, not as if you are reading off of index cards (even if you are). If keeping up a lively
and personable tone of voice is difficult for you when presenting, do a couple of practice run-throughs.
10. Break the rules.
As with everything else, there are times when each of these rules – or any other rule you know – won’t
apply. If you know there’s a good reason to break a rule, go ahead and do it. Rule breaking is perfectly
acceptable behavior – it’s ignoring the rules or breaking them because you just don’t know any better
that leads to shoddy, boring presentations that lead to boredom, depression, psychopathic breaks, and
eventually death. And you don’t want that, do you?
Bauer 84
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Power Point Planning Sheet
Name: ____________________________________
Bauer 85
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 3: Engaging Students in Planned Learning Activities
• Performance Task Essay
For a Medieval Unit Performance Task, students were asked to create a short
(approximately 10 slides) multimedia presentation (PowerPoint) about a Medieval topic that
was relevant to some aspect of The Canterbury Tales. The Medieval lifestyle, government, social
structure, gender roles, and religion were all significant to Chaucer’s tone and the
development and choice of his characters. Students were responsible for presenting their
research to the class in a short presentation. We only had time to spend two days working in
class, so it was necessary for students to do some work on their own. Students were given a list
of possible topics, or were allowed to choose their own as long as it was approved. Some
possible research topics were: feudalism, castle design, chivalry, courtly love, knights, The
Crusades, The 100 Years War, The Norman Conquest, plagues and diseases such as the Black
Death, women’s roles in society, practices of the Catholic Church, Medieval warfare or
weapons, religious pilgrimages, or Medieval justice.
The Performance Task was introduced during Lesson Three. Students were given a
handout with a description of the task and a list of possible research topics. Lesson Five was
dedicated to brainstorming and research. Students were given a graphic organizer where they
stated their topic of choice, accessed their prior knowledge of the topic, and created five
questions about their topic to help focus their research and structure their presentation. After
students had completed their Topic Brainstorming page, they were given the remainder of the
class period to begin research. Books were brought in from the school library and my mentor
teacher’s personal collection and the C.O.W. (computer on wheels) was in the classroom so
each student had access to a laptop with internet access. Half of Lesson Seven was spent
reviewing how to use PowerPoint 2010 and discussing how to create a professional and
effective presentation. Students were given a graphic organizer to plan their presentations.
Lesson Eight was dedicated to working on the students’ PowerPoint presentations. I reserved
Bauer 86
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
one of the school’s computer labs and each student had access to a computer with PowerPoint
2010 software. We discussed how to continue working on their presentations outside of class
and students were given a week to finish their performance task on their own before it was
due. All presentations were due on Wednesday, October 31 and presentations began on
Thursday, November 1.
The results from the Performance Task were mixed. Some students greatly impressed
me with their level of preparedness going into the presentation. They had spent time creating
detailed notes, others had their information memorized and well organized. Unfortunately,
some students did the opposite of what they were instructed and simply stood in front of the
room reading off their slideshows. Taking nerves into consideration, many of these same
students who were unprepared for the presentation put an equally small amount of work into
their slideshows. Some students had one word bullet points, while others copied and pasted
whole paragraphs from website onto their slides.
I wish there had been surprising data regarding the performance tasks and the
individual students. I would have been thrilled if low performing students excelled in this task
because it allowed for more individual expression and creativity. Unfortunately, a large
percentage of the lower performing students simply did not turn a presentation in. At the time
my work sample was completed, approximately four of the 20 students did not turn their
performance tasks in, and one student had turned in a presentation, but did not show up to
present. I’m not sure if this is any revelatory indication of student challenges, because it has
been a consistent problem since the beginning of the year, and when speaking with other
teachers, it appears to be a school-wide problem. Many students regularly choose not to turn
in their assignments. Of the students who turned in their performance tasks, the higher
achieving students all did very well. There were a few average to low achieving students who
did very well with their research, presentation skills and followed the directions for how to
assemble a professional and clean looking presentation.
Bauer 87
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 3: Engaging Students in Planned Learning Activities
• Performance Task Rubric
Criteria
4 Exceeds
3 Meets
2 Approaching
1 Below
Anchor Standards for Writing 11-12.W.7
1. Content
2.
Organization
3. Citations
4. Writing
Mechanics
The content is written
clearly and concisely
with a logical
progression of ideas and
supporting information.
The content is written
with a logical
progression of ideas
and supporting
information.
The content is vague in
conveying a point of
view and does not
create a strong sense of
purpose.
The content lacks a
clear point of view
and logical sequence
of information.
Student presents
information in logical,
interesting sequence
which audience can
follow.
Student presents
information in logical
sequence which
audience can follow.
Audience has difficulty
following presentation
because student jumps
around.
Audience cannot
understand
presentation because
there is no sequence of
information.
Bibliography/works
cited list is properly
formatted and complete
(like a research paper).
Bibliography/works
cited list is complete,
but not properly
formatted (e.g. bulleted
list).
Bibliography/works
cited list is incomplete
(e.g. no citations for
images) or improperly
formatted (e.g. list of
URLs)
Student does not list
sources used for
research.
The text is written with
no errors in grammar,
capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling.
The text is clearly
written with little or no
editing required for
grammar, punctuation,
and spelling.
Spelling, punctuation,
and grammar errors
distract or impair
readability. (3 or more
errors)
Errors in spelling,
capitalization,
punctuation, usage
and grammar
repeatedly distract the
reader. (5 or more
errors)
Anchor Standards for Speaking & Listening 11-12.SL.5
5. Appearance
Text
Layout
The fonts are easy-toread and point size
varies appropriately for
headings and text. Text is
appropriate in length for
the target audience and
to the point.
Sometimes the fonts are
easy-to-read, but in a
few places the use of
fonts, italics, bold, long
paragraphs, color or
busy background
detracts and does not
enhance readability.
Overall readability is
difficult with lengthy
paragraphs, too many
different fonts, dark or
busy background,
overuse of bold or lack
of appropriate
indentations of text.
The text is extremely
difficult to read with
long blocks of text
and small point size
of fonts, contrasting
colors, poor use of
headings,
subheadings.
The layout is visually
pleasing and contributes
to the overall message
with appropriate use of
headings, subheadings
and white space.
The layout uses
horizontal and vertical
white space
appropriately.
The layout shows some
structure, but appears
cluttered and busy or
distracting with large
gaps of white space or
uses a distracting
background.
The layout is
cluttered, confusing,
and does not use
spacing, headings
and subheadings to
enhance the
readability
Bauer 88
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Criteria
Graphics,
Sound and/or
Animation
4 Exceeds
3 Meets
2 Approaching
1 Below
The graphics, sound and/
or animation assist in
presenting an overall
theme and enhance
understanding of
concept, ideas and
relationships.
The graphics, sound/
and or animation
visually depict material
and assist the audience
in understanding the
flow of information or
content.
Some of the graphics,
sounds, and/or
animations seem
unrelated to the topic/
theme and do not
enhance the overall
concepts.
Graphics do not
enhance
understanding of the
content, or are
distracting
decorations that
create a busy feeling
and detract from the
content.
No eye contact with
audience, as entire
report is read from
notes.
Displayed minimal eye
contact with audience,
while reading mostly
from the notes.
Consistent use of direct
eye contact with
audience, but still
returns to notes.
Holds attention of
entire audience with
the use of direct eye
contact, seldom
looking at notes.
No movement or
descriptive gestures.
Very little movement or
descriptive gestures.
Made movements or
gestures that enhances
articulation.
Movements seem fluid
and help the audience
visualize.
Tension and nervousness
is obvious; has trouble
recovering from
mistakes.
Displays mild tension;
has trouble recovering
from mistakes.
Makes minor
mistakes, but quickly
recovers from them;
displays little or no
tension.
Student displays
relaxed, selfconfident nature
about self, with no
mistakes.
Shows absolutely no
interest in topic
presented.
Shows some negativity
toward topic presented.
Occasionally shows
positive feelings about
topic.
Demonstrates a
strong, positive
feeling about topic
during entire
presentation.
Student mumbles,
incorrectly pronounces
terms, and speaks too
quietly for a majority of
students to hear.
Student’s voice is low.
Student incorrectly
pronounces terms.
Audience members
have difficulty hearing
presentation.
Student’s voice is
clear. Student
pronounces most
words correctly. Most
audience members can
hear presentation.
Student uses a clear
voice and correct,
precise pronunciation
of terms so that all
audience members
can hear
presentation.
6. Non Verbal Skills
Eye Contact
Body
Language
Poise
7. Verbal Skills
Enthusiasm
Elocution
Total of 28 Points Possible
Bauer 89
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 3: Engaging Students in Planned Learning Activities
• Assessment Strategies
Throughout this unit I used a variety of assessment strategies. I used quizzes the day
after a reading assignment to evaluate if students comprehended the assignment, but
realistically, the quizzes become more assessments of whether the students completed the
reading. Almost every day, I opened the class with a warm-up question that either activated
student’s prior knowledge about the topic we were going to cover, connected the lesson to
their personal life experiences, or asked them to critically evaluate an aspect of the literature
or characters. The primary goal of these warm-ups was to wake the students up and get them
thinking before we began the lesson.
I created several handouts and graphic organizers for students to fill out as we read the
literature. The purpose of these was not to give students busy work or have something to enter
into the grade-book, but to structure student participation so that all students were required
to interact with the text, think about the characters, and be involved in the discussion, even if
they didn’t feel comfortable speaking. The other primary method of assessment was
participation. English classes function best if the students are engaged and participating in
class discussions. I made a conscious effort to ask questions and reflections from all the
students, not just the ones who enjoy being active and participatory.
Bauer 90
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 3: Engaging Students in Planned Learning Activities
• Teaching Competency Essay #2
a. “Monitors the engagement of students in learning activities”
Student engagement in learning activities was one of my main priorities throughout
my work sample. The students in both classes expressed their opinion that they didn’t learn
much from literature class and were bored. I observed several class periods were students
passively sat and listened as the text was read aloud to them. Because of the complexity of
Old and Middle English text, it was impossible to completely avoid this, but I made a
conscious effort to involve the students in the lesson wherever possible.
When reading the literature to the students, I made sure to stop frequently and involve
the students in summarizing, analyzing, asking questions and making personal
observations. I had no desire to stand at the front of the classroom and simply read to them
all period. For three of the four stories we read in this unit, I created a graphic organizer or
handout for students to complete as we read. The purpose of this wasn’t to give the
students busy work, but to allow them to be actively involved in the text. These graphic
organizers required the students to predict, summarize, analyze, and evaluate the
characters, narrator, and plot of each story. These handouts had the dual function of
involving the students and reinforcing active reading strategies such as connecting,
predicting, visualizing, summarizing, and evaluating.
I monitored the students’ progress on these handouts during class time, and I collected
them once completed to evaluate how well students comprehended the literature. They
were also beneficial for the many absences we had. Students who had to make up missed
class periods were able to use the graphic organizers to understand the main ideas and key
points that were stressed during that story. Increased student involvement was one of the
most successful areas of my student teaching experience.
Bauer 91
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Pre/Post Test
The school where I am completing my practicum believes that students should be
actively involved in their own learning objectives. The school had already established a
practice of having students rate themselves on their mastery of the learning objectives before
and after the objectives have been taught. If students do not rate themselves at 3 or above (on
a scale of 1 to 4) in their post-assessment, they are to list what they are still unclear or
uncertain of. This list is referred to as their “learning gaps” and gives both the student and the
teacher an idea of content that may need to be re-covered or clarified.
In keeping with the established practices of the school, I created a list of the learning
objectives for the Medieval literature unit. The pre-test will consist of students rating
themselves on these learning objectives before we begin the unit. The post-test will consist of
the students rating themselves on the same learning objectives once the unit has been
completed. There is room for the pre and post assessments on the same page. Students will be
given this assessment on the first day of the unit and will keep it in their class binders until
the last day. I will then collect their assessments and evaluate which students feel they have
mastered the objectives, which have not, and what the listed learning gaps are.
While this type of assessment can be subjective, and runs the risk that students will
simply claim to have mastered objectives whether they truly have or not, the students are
familiar with this type of assessment and see it in all their classes. The school has created an
environment where students are comfortable with this type of assessment and based on my
observations, the majority of students take it seriously.
The feedback from this type of assessment is similar to that of a more formal test. If
only a few students have not mastered an objective, it is reasonable to deduce that either they
need more instruction individually, or were not engaged in their own learning. If a majority of
students have difficulty mastering a task, and there is a substantial list of learning gaps, then it
Bauer 92
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
can be reasoned the teacher may need to reevaluate either the content or presentation of the
unit.
I administered the pre-test on Monday, October 15 on the first day of the unit. I
collected the unit objectives, scored them, and handed them back out on Thursday, November
1 after we had completed the unit lessons. On both days we went over the objectives as a
class, and during the post-test we discussed the objectives and students gave verbal
demonstrations of their understanding and examples of lesson content which addressed each
objective. The data from both tests indicates that student learning did take place. The average
class score on the pre-test was 7.63 out of a possible 20 points. The average class score on the
post-test was 16.64 which shows an increase of 54% from the pre-test.
The data also shows that learning took place on each individual learning objective.
There was a 59% increase on learning objective #1, a 46% increase on learning objective #2, a
52% increase on learning objective #3, a 57% increase on learning objective #4, and a 59%
increase on learning objective #5. The unit objectives and data scores are included on the
following pages.
Bauer 93
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Name ________________________________
Learning Objectives for Medieval Unit
This unit will include readings from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, including,“The
Prologue,””The Pardoner’s Tale,” “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” and, “The Nuns’ Priest’s Tale.”
Learning Objective 1
Students will be able to generalize the continuing development of the English language,
specifically Middle English.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Learning Objective 2
Students will be able to define and demonstrate understanding of key types of Medieval
writing: narrative poems, moral tales, and allegories, and analyze the elements thereof:
characterization, ironic tone, frame story, use of narrator, etc.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Bauer 94
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Learning Objective 3
Students will be able to make predictions to enrich understanding and appreciation of a
narrative poem.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Learning Objective 4
Students will be able to relate the significance of Medieval events and culture to selections
from The Canterbury Tales.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Learning Objective 5
Students will be able to compose and present a short research presentation about a Medieval
Period topic of their choice.
My Knowledge of this Learning Objective, on a scale of 1-4:
Before unit:
1
2
3
4
After unit:
1
2
3
4
Learning Gaps:
Bauer 95
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Pre/Post Test graphs
Pre-Test
Post-Test
Comparison of Individual Student Scores
Individual Scores
20
19
20
20
20
17
15
15
15
15
7
10
9
8
7
15
14
13
11
10
20
7
15
15
9
6
15
10
9
6
5
9
7
5
5
5
0
0
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
Students
*Students A, D, M, P, R were absent the day of post-test.
Pre-Test
Post-Test
Whole Class Averaged Achievement on Individual Learning Objectives
4
Averaged Scores
3
2
3.32
3.18
1
1.79
1.29
3.32
1.58
3.46
3.29
1.42
1.42
0
Objective 1
Objective 2
Objective 3
Objective 4
Objective 5
Bauer 96
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Whole Class Comparison of Learning Objectives on 1-4 Rating Scale
Student
Objective 1
Pre
Post
Objective 2
Pre
Post
Objective 3
Pre
Post
Objective 4
Pre
Post
Objective 5
Pre
Post
*A
1
B
0
3
0
4
0
4
0
4
0
4
C
2
3
2
3
2
3
1
3
1
3
*D
2
E
1
2.5
2
2.5
2
2
2
2.5
2
2
F
1
3
2
3
1
3
2
3
1
3
G
0.5
4
2
4
2
4
1
4
1
4
H
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
3
4
I
2
4
3
4
3
4
1
4
1
4
J
1
2.5
2
2.5
1
3
1
3
1
3
K
2
3
1
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
L
1
3
2
3.5
1
2.5
1
2.5
1
3.5
*M
1
N
1
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
O
1
3.5
1
4
1
4
1
4
1
4
*P
1
Q
2
*R
1
S
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
5
AV.
1.29
3.18
1.79
3.32
1.58
3.32
1.42
3.29
1.42
3.46
2
2
2
3
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
3
1
2
1
2
3
1
1
1
3
2
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
* Students A, D, M, P, R were absent the day of post-test.
B=Lower Achieving Student, C=Average Student, S=Higher Achieving Student
Bauer 97
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Analysis of Three Students
Student S (Higher Achieving Student) is a Hispanic, 17 year old High School Senior.
He maintains a 3.8 GPA, is a member of the soccer team and president of the Associated
Student Body. He has a playful, energetic personality and a positive attitude. He is always
smiling and laughing, even when the situation is less than desirable. During classroom
lectures he sits quietly and listens. During class activities he works quietly and quickly and
often tries to keep his good friend next to him on task. He strives to go above and beyond,
while at at the same time not appearing to. He maintains the appearance of a popular athlete,
not that of a quiet and serious student.
Student S did very well on the performance task, with a grade of 95%. He complained
to me a few times on the days leading up to the presentations about how frustrated he was
with the assignment. His primary complaint was that the assignment was too vague and he was
concerned he wasn’t going to do a good job on it. He turned in his assignment by email the
night before it was due and arrived at class on Thursday ready to present. He had notecards
prepared with his research information. He had an “assistant” student to manage the slide
transitions on the laptop while he presented. His body language, eye contact, and poise were
comfortable, confident, and engaging. It was apparent that he was well-prepared and
rehearsed. His content was well organized and logical, and his citations were in proper MLA
format. He was marked down in mechanics because of a few spelling errors and a slight mark
down in appearance because the quality and relevance of his images.
Student S’s performance task was a reflection of his desire to go above and beyond. He
made sure to list more references than required and more slides than required. He also added
a slide which related his research topic to The Canterbury Tales. His frustration with the
“vagueness” of the performance task is also an indication of his desire to do well. He didn’t
Bauer 98
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
feel the expectations were clearly stated enough for him to know if he had meet, or exceeded
them.
Student C (Average Student) is a High School Senior. He is on the football team and
his social groups seems to be other senior, male athletes. He is not overly loud or disruptive,
but often mutters jokes and sarcastic remarks from the back of the room. He participates in
class discussions and usually has relevant and topical contributions. During class activities he
he takes his time to complete them and doesn’t seem to take them too seriously, but
understands the concepts quickly and insightfully. He enjoys making jokes about his work and
often has late assignments, but he does complete them and earns average scores.
Student C earned a 74% on his performance task. I was a little disappointed in the
quality of his presentation, because I know he is capable of much more. He chose an
interesting topic, but didn’t seem to put much effort into his research. His presentation was
scattered and unstructured. It appeared he copied and pasted random facts onto his slideshow
in paragraph form. During his presentation he simply read the information off his slides. He
included a slide of “Fun Facts” that contained information unrelated to his research topic. His
citations were not in MLA format and did not include URL’s or any way to check his sources.
Student C’s presentation and performance reflected his carefree attitude regarding
school. He seemed unconcerned about his performance or grade. I am not sure if this attitude
is how he truly feels about school, or simply the attitude he projects. Based upon my close
observations of him throughout my work sample, I know that he is capable of grades much
higher than he earns. I believe his grades are a reflection of his attitude towards school and
the lack of seriousness and effort he puts into his classwork.
Student B (Student Working at a Lower Level) is a female high school senior. She is a
new student this year who transferred in from another school. She is quiet and socially
awkward, often over-sharing personal stories that make the rest of the class feel
Bauer 99
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
uncomfortable. She wears the same sweatshirt every day, and frequently brings a blanket and
teddy bear with her to class. She often falls asleep during class claiming that she is always
tired. She is on an IEP for reading and writing and has been diagnosed as intellectually
disabled, but her classwork and participation indicate that she is comprehending the majority
of the curriculum content.
According to the rubric and grading criteria used for the rest of the class, Student B
earned a 65% on her performance task. The IEP on file is from her transcripts from Eugene 4J
and she has not had in IEP meeting yet at Creswell High School. The IEP does not address
classroom modifications, so it was difficult to know how to score her. Taking into account her
intellectual disability, I was generous on her content and organization scoring which raised
her to a 72% on her performance task. Her research was evident, although her points were
overly generalized and at times random. She only included two graphics in her presentation,
one of a kitten yawning, which was out of place on a slide about the symptoms of the Bubonic
Plague. She ignored the advice I gave during class and on a handout about avoiding flashy
transitions and she provided no sources. She also had several grammatical errors such as
spelling and capitalization, including failing to capitalize her own name. She appeared
confident and comfortable during her oral presentation, although she did use profanity which
was out of place and disruptive.
On both her pre and post tests, Student B rated herself a 4 out of 4 on her ability to
create a PowerPoint presentation about a Medieval Topic. I have noticed that she feels
confident about her abilities, but is not very self-aware. She is oblivious to the effect she has
on other students with her actions and comments. She tends to assume she is on the right
track and ignore directions. This was evident in her presentation. She either did not pay
attention, or ignored the instructions and demonstrations in class about pictures, transitions
and citing sources.
Bauer 100
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Graph of the Three Students/Standards
Average Student
4
4.0
4.0
Lower Student
4.0
Higher Student
4.0
4.0
3.7
3.7
3.0
2
2.0
3.0
3.0
2.0
3.0
3.5
3.0
Points Possible
3
4.04.0
3.7
2.0
1
1.0
0
Content
Citations
Organization
Mechanics Appearance Non-Verbal
Verbal
Student Scores on Rubric Criteria
Average Student
Lower Student
100
94.0
Higher Student
98.0
89.0
85.0
Percentage Possible
80
63.0
63.0
60
40
20
0
Standard 11-12.W.7
Standard 11-12.SL.5
Student’s Scores on Common Core State Standards
Bauer 101
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Higher Achieving Student Performance Task
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Bauer 102
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Average Achieving Student Performance Task
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Bauer 103
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 4: Evaluating Student Progress
• Lower Achieving Student Performance Task
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bauer 104
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 5: Exhibiting Professional Behavior
• Teaching Competency Essay #3
a. “Dependability”
b. “Fulfilled work schedule demands”
c. “Followed school policies and practices”
d. “Interacted constructively and respectfully with members of the school community”
From August 28 to November 9, I completed over 179 hours at Creswell High School.
During that time I maintained a schedule of 7:45 AM to 11:15 AM Monday through Friday,
and missed only one day due to illness. I punctually arrived each day at the same time as
the teachers and helped my mentor teacher prepare for his first three classes of the day. My
daily schedule included English 12 the first two periods of the day, and an Essential Skills
of Literacy class during third period. This class was created for students who failed to pass
the OAKS reading and writing tests required for graduation.
On Tuesdays I attended 7:45 AM staff meetings in the libraries. During these meetings
we discussed the Common Core Curriculum Standards initiative to incorporate literacy
and raise student achievement in reading informational text in all subjects. We also
reinforced school policies regarding ELT (extended learning time) scheduling and school
wide procedures such as not allowing students to leave the class ten minutes before or after
the bell.
During my student teaching at CHS, I followed all the established school policies that
are listed in the CHS Student Handbook 2012 as well as those discussed in the staff
meetings. I confiscated cell phones that were used during class and required students to
wait until ten minutes after the bell before they could leave the class to use the restroom or
retrieve anything from their lockers. It was not necessary for me to assign any student an
ELT during my time at CHS, but I follow the school’s policies of addressing classroom
management problems within the classroom and individually with the student.
Bauer 105
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
During my time at CHS it was necessary to interact with staff members other than my
mentor teacher. I established positive relationships with the counselor, librarian, secretary,
IT, and other teachers. I worked with the counselor to get information for my work sample
demographics, but also worked with her through my mentor teacher to discuss students
who were struggling with social relationships and personal matters that were affecting their
attendance and school performance. I worked with the secretaries in the main office to
report attendance, submit homework assignments for absent students, collect demographic
information for my work sample, and to send and receive information. I worked frequently
with the librarian to make copies, reserve the computer labs and COW (computer on
wheels), and check out books for student research on the performance task.
In addition to my regular schedule, on several occasions I attended additional events to
further my experience or support the school. I attended a PBS (positive behavioral
supports) team meeting and an evening open house September. In October I attended a
three hour training seminar at Lane ESD on the OAKS alternative writing assessment
scoring to help my third period Essential Skills of Literacy class prepare for their
alternative assessments. I also came in after school to discuss and plan my work sample and
assisted my mentor teacher on progress reports on a school records day. In an effort to
support the school and students, I attended soccer games, the football homecoming game,
and the fall band and choir concert. Throughout my time at Creswell High School I was
punctual, dependable, compliant, and an enthusiastic part of the staff.
Bauer 106
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 5: Exhibiting Professional Behavior
• Analysis of Video Recording
The lesson I recorded was Lesson 9: The Wife of Bath’s Tale (part 1) on Friday, October
26. I recorded the first period English 12 class and it was shocking to see on video just how
many students entered the room after class had begun. I knew that we had a problem with
first period tardies, but it was still shocking to watch them trickle in one by one. I had to hand
out the Middle English handout on several separate occasions.
When watching the video, I was surprised that my body language and voice seemed
more confident and comfortable than I actually felt. I made eye contact with the class and
individual students, even when I was reading. My tone of voice seemed relaxed and pleasant
and my hand gestures enhanced what I was talking about, which was a pleasant surprise
because I usually feel awkward and unsure about my hands when teaching.
I continually worked the room when talking, asking questions and making eye contact
with individual students. I didn’t stand behind the podium the entire class and was able to
interact much more with the students. At first I felt this was a positive, but as the class wore
on, I started to get annoyed at my movements and started yelling at the video to “stop
moving!” I still think it’s a positive to be mobile and interactive, but I need to stop at
appropriate times, such as when students are talking or I’m waiting for an answer to a
question.
When students answered questions, I repeated the student’s answer back so the entire
class could hear it. I didn’t realize I did this automatically, but I’m glad I do. I’d like to push
that further and repeat the questions that students ask which would benefit the entire class.
Instead of simply replying to that student’s question, it would be better to stop, get the entire
class’s attention and turn the question into a teaching moment in the lesson.
It’s always easier to find negatives about ourselves, and no one enjoys seeing or hearing
themselves recorded. But I tried to watch the video as if it was someone else other than myself
that I was evaluating. The first criticism I noticed was at the very beginning of class. After the
Bauer 107
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
bell rang I just began handing out papers instead of having a clear, defined beginning of class
moment. Something simple just as “good morning” would be enough to cue the students that
class has officially begun and it’s time to get started. What I would prefer to do, is follow that
directly with attendance and show that we are in “class-time” mode, but my mentor teacher
preferred to take role for me while I was teaching. In retrospect, this was more of a negative,
because it divided the authority of the class between the two of us instead of allowing me to be
the primary authority. He also would regularly chime in with comments, additional points, and
jokes, at times even interrupting me while teaching. I know this is a result of the student
teaching experience and would be instantly resolved when I have a classroom of my own.
Another observation I made was on the tone of the classroom. My teaching style was
very casual and conversational. While I prefer and more student interactive and discussion
based class, I think it can very easily cross the line into too casual. My tone of voice was much
more conversational than authoritative. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially for
seniors, I definitely need to work on seeming more authoritative when necessary. This tone
could be the direct cause of my frustrations with classroom management.
The third suggestion I would make for myself is to be more structured and clear about
the pace of the lesson and my expectations. When I ask students questions, it needs to be clear
that this is part of the lesson, just random conversation. When I hand something out, be loud
and clear about what it is and what we’re going to do with it. If we’re transitioning to another
activity, be loud and clear about what we’re doing and what the students are required to do.
Overall, I felt that my teaching style was pleasant, approachable and interactive.
However, I did come across as much sweeter and gentler than I am, or how I feel. I worry that
I do not project a friendly and approachable presence. Now that I know I do, perhaps too
much, I can crank up the authority and structure quite a bit without worrying about coming
across as mean or too rigid.
Bauer 108
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 5: Exhibiting Professional Behavior
• Unit Self-Reflection
I was very nervous when I began my student teaching experience at Creswell High
School. I was afraid it would be 2-3 months of being judged and offered constructive
criticisms, which are hard for me to not internalize and take personally. Going into this
experience I was far more intimated by working with a mentor teacher than I was about
working with the students. I had been teaching a mixed middle school class for four years at a
very small, private school and walked away from that experience feeling very frustrated and
burnt out. I knew that I was missing vital training in classroom management and curriculum
development and was looking forward to being in a “real” classroom setting. I was looking
forward to being a fly on the wall and observing, as I learn the best that way, but was very
apprehensive of teaching under the watchful eye of an experienced professional.
The first day of school I came home, made chocolate chip pancakes and sat on the
couch in shock for about an hour wondering how I was going to get through the next few
months. I had little to no experience with High School students and the level of profanity,
disrespect, and limit testing I witnessed the first two periods was overwhelming. As the weeks
progressed I soon got to know the students and came to enjoy each one for their individuality
and personalities. During the third week of my work sample, one of the students who
intimated me the most that first day of school brought me a latte and announced it was
because she “liked me.” At that moment I realized that no matter how intimidating or tough
students may seem, respect and personal interaction can do wonders. I witnessed this student
blatantly disrespect my mentor teacher and even walk out of class in anger, but I never
encountered any negative attitude or disrespect from her. I was so proud of how much she
began to participate in class and the quality of her performance task.
While this student serves as a success story, there were other students who taught me
that I still have so much to learn when it comes to classroom management. When I finished at
Bauer 109
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
the private school, I felt that my patience had run out and I spent the majority of the day
being frustrated, exasperated and disappointed in my students’ lack of effort and interest in
their own future. I was determined to learn positive classroom management strategies and to
discipline out of a plan of action, not a reaction. I didn’t feel that I grew as much in this area
as I hoped I would. My mentor teacher and I had very different personalities, and his
classroom management style was loud and at times aggressive. I couldn’t have attempted to
emulate this if I wanted to. I tried several different management strategies for a select group of
boys who enjoyed have their own conversations, at times across the room from each other,
even while I was teaching. I tried waiting, I tried calling them out individually, I still am not
sure of a more effective strategy that just shouting at them. I’m convinced there has to be one,
and I’m determined to keep trying.
Throughout my work sample I was never able to get over the fact that I was in someone
else’s classroom, teaching their curriculum, and maintaining their rules. I was never able to
feel comfortable enough to try activities that I knew my mentor teacher might not endorse. I
wasn’t as nervous or intimidated by having him in the room as I had anticipated, but the
moments when he had to step out to take care of administrative business or run an errand, I
felt myself noticeably relax and be more outgoing and fun with the students. Knowing that my
teacher was an expert in the content I was teaching added to my nervousness, because I was
only faintly familiar with it. I was often worried about making a mistake such as
mispronouncing an English word or giving an inaccurate interpretation of the text.
Overall, I felt that my work sample was a success. I noticed increased student
involvement and participation, but I was a little disappointed in the student’s post-unit
objectives. Many students rated themselves as 2 or 3 on objectives that I thought we had
covered sufficiently. The entire experience taught me the importance of being more clear,
structured, and repetitive than seems natural to me.
I learned that there is an element of acting required for teaching that I was not
prepared for. There is an authoritative air, a level of expectation that needs to be established
Bauer 110
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
from the beginning, which is when I feel the least authoritative. There is a balance between
playing the part of the teacher, and being genuine to your individual personality. My goal is to
continue working to find this balance for myself. I know that I come across as nicer and
sweeter than I often feel, perhaps to compensate for those times in the past when I was
disappointed in myself for reacting out of frustration or anger. I intend to continue to work on
creating a classroom management plan that fits my personality, while still being effective in
asserting my authority and clearly stating the expectations for the students. I am looking
forward to beginning my major placement in the first of the year.
Bauer 111
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Section 6: Resources
•Works Cited
Bloom’s Taxonomy Action Verbs. Accessed 9/24/12. http://www.clemson.edu/
assessment/
assessmentpractices/referencematerials/documents/Blooms
%20Taxonomy%20Action%20Verbs.pdf.
Bowler E., et al. Prentice Hall Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: The British Tradition.
(1999). Prentice-Hall, Inc. Saddle River, Jew Jersey.
Chaucer, Geoffery. The Canterbury Tales: Translated by Nevill Coghill. 1977. Penguin Books. New
York, NY.
Chin B.A., et al. Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice: British Literature. (2000). The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Westerville, OH.
Chin B.A., et al. Glencoe Literature: The Reader’s Choice: British Literature (2007). The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Columbus, OH.
City Data.com. Accessed 9/26/12. http://www.city-data.com/city/Creswell-Oregon.html.
Creswell High School Data. Accessed 9/24/12/.http://www.movoto.com/public-schools/ or/
creswell/high/410369000606-creswell-high-school/33390-nieblock-ln.html.
Creswell High School Handbook 2012-2013.
Bauer 112
Minor Placement: Second Authorization Practicum Work Sample
Creswell School District Report Card. Oregon Department of Education. Accessed
9/24/12.http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx.
Creswell School District Website. Accessed 9/26/12. http://www.creswell.k12.or.us/wp/crnt/
about-our-district/district-community/.
The Importance of Medieval Religious Relics. Accessed 10/10/12. http://suite101.com/article/
the-importance-of-medieval-religious-relics-a64836
McDougal Littell. The Language of Literature: British Literature. 2006. Houghton Mifflin.
Evanston, IL.
Medieval Life: Chivalry. Accessed 10/10/12 http://www.medieval-life.net/chivalry.html.
Oregon Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts - Grades 11-12. Oregon
Department of Education. Accessed 9/3/12. http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/
standards/sbd.aspx.
Web English Teacher. Accessed 9/18/12. http://www.webenglishteacher.com/chaucer.html.
Bauer 113