Reflection Paper
Submitted by: Paola Sabido
Submitted to: Ms. Nilda Muschamp
Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Belize
EDUC4855 - PRE-DIRECTED TEACHING SEMINAR
May 9, 2025
Reflection Paper
The lesson I taught for my video was based on factorization by grouping. The students
had previous knowledge about how to find the greatest common factor between numbers. The
goal of this lesson was to have students be able to apply the method being taught, to factorize
algebraic expressions with four terms. In this reflection o will evaluate the lesson I did using the
video recording. I will touch on both the strengths and weaknesses of this lesson, and how I plan
to improve for future lessons.
I started the lesson by reviewing this knowledge. I noticed that students (around 30
seconds into the video) had a hard time recalling how to find the GCF, so I spent some time
reminding them of the different ways to find it. I spent too much time on the introduction of the
lesson. If I could have taught the lesson again, I would have saved time by listing the different
methods when first mentioning how to find the GCF, because I noticed students remembering
what to do (1:00) when I listed the different methods. I could have worked on one example on
the board to help students remember what to do. I could have also had students come up to the
board and show how they found the GCF, and I could have just chosen to do 2 examples to save
time. While I did spend too much time on the introduction, I felt as if the explanation was
needed, because it was important for them to understand it, to help them with the new topic.
Reviewing previous knowledge is important because it can help students recall words, concepts,
and procedures effortlessly and automatically when they need this material to solve problems or
to understand new material. (Rosenshine, 2012).
I think the explanations I provided in the development were well done, and the students
were able to understand how to use factorization by grouping. When I had one of the students go
up to the board to write down how to factorize an example, I could have been clearer in how I
wanted her to write the expression (19:02). She wrote each step of solving the example, even the
division of the terms by the GCF, which I did not expect her to do in the brackets (21:07).
Explaining how I wanted her to write out the expression took some time, and I think I confused
her a bit (21:17-22:06). While having a student write the work on the board took some time, I
think it was a good activity/strategy to do, because the student enjoyed having that responsibility
(19:05), and it made her more involved in the lesson (Harvard Graduate School of Education,
n.d). I was unable to fully accomplish all the activities I had planned for the development. I had
planned to have a few pairs present their solutions on the board, but I was only able to have one
student share their work (28:50), due to time. When working some examples, I had initially
planned to work the first one on my own, but I ended up asking for student input because I felt
that they understood how to factor out the GCF. Making this change helped students get a little
bit of extra practice before they worked on their own expressions. The changes I made in both
the introduction and development of the lesson show responsive teaching, as I was able to
modify my teaching based on the behaviors I observed from the students (Fountas and Pinnell
Literacy, 2022).
The objectives of this lesson were for students to: Identify common factors in algebraic
expressions involving four terms with 80% accuracy, apply the factorization by grouping method
to solve 4 out of 5 given expressions, and collaborate effectively with classmates to solve
problems using factorization by grouping. I was able to meet most of the objectives that I had for
this lesson. Students were able to identify common factors in algebraic expressions, as seen
throughout the lesson, when they answered my questions orally. The students were able to work
together to solve problems (28:30-30:20), and I made sure to pace the classroom to offer any
assistance, and to ensure students stayed on task and were working together. The second
objective was partially met, as I had planned for them to answer five problems in their pairs, but
due to time they were unable to complete all five. However, through their responses during the
lesson, and from the work I was able to see when walking around the classroom, I determined
that the students were able to apply the factorization by grouping method to solve given
expressions.
I think my classroom management was overall effective. The students were engaged in
the lesson, they were paying attention, and there was no big disruption during the lesson. The
loudness of my voice made it so all the students could hear me, and I was not shouting. I tried to
make the tone of my voice sound encouraging, which I think I was able to do, so that the
students felt comfortable sharing and participating in the lesson. Pacing the classroom also
allowed me to manage the classroom environment, to ensure all students were doing the work
they were supposed to do. It also allowed me to provide assistance where needed, and to identify
students who needed my help.
Throughout the lesson, there were multiple uses of informal assessment, including
questioning, student responses, and teacher observations. During the guided practice, students
demonstrated their understanding by being able to identify the GCFs of expressions and being
able to factor it out correctly. Although I did not use a formal quiz to assess learning, I evaluated
their understanding through the work they did on the board and through the pair work they did.
The exit ticket was given at the end of the class, and although it was not collected, the class
teacher collected the exit ticket the next day she had class with them, and I was informed that the
students did excellently.
There are several improvements/adjustments I will make for future lessons. Firstly, I will
ensure that I plan activities that can be done in the time frame I have, so I have better time
management. I will also provide clearer instructions when asking students to share their work on
the board, so that the students do exactly what I want them to do, and to avoid confusion. I would
also use pass the ball again when doing a recap, as the students enjoyed doing it (31:30). Overall,
I think the lesson when well, and the students grasped the information I was sharing with them.
The lesson was engaging, and I felt like I used a lot of praise to encourage the students, which
they appreciated. This was a fun experience, it helped me feel more confident about my abilities
and prepare for my internship and my future career in teaching.
Video Link: [Link]
6h/view?usp=sharing
References
Fountas and Pinnell Literacy. (2022, November 4). What is responsive teaching?. What is
Responsive Teaching? [Link]
Harvard Graduate School of Education. (n.d.). Capturing students’ contributions on the Board.
Capturing students’ contributions on the board.
[Link]
contributions-board
Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of Instruction.
[Link]