1. Student Teaching In-Field Experiences and Checklist
UGA English Education Spring 2021
Purpose of the Checklist:This checklist is based on GAPSC and INTASC standards for English Education. Its main purpose is to ensure that you will use a
variety of strategies while teaching, important fora number of reasons:
1. To meet the needs of the diverse group of learnersthat will characterize your classroom, no matter what your particular setting.
2. To expand students’ conceptions of how one learns;specifically, that there are many ways and reasons to read, to write, to talk, to inquire, to create.
3. To enhance learning: Considering a topic, concept, or skill from a variety of angles or through a numberof strategies increases both the conceptual and
operational knowledge of the lesson in question. For instance, learning about Robert Frost from his poetry itself, through literary criticism, and through a look
at his contemporaries should yield an understanding of the poet, his works, and his place in literaryhistory. However, opportunities for an expanded
understanding of Frost are available in other ways,additional to, not necessarily in place of, the traditional methods: integration in units not directly related to
Frost; model writing; readers’ theater; podcasts of readings; memorization; reader response strategies and discussion; wiki study, etc.
4. To keep your teaching lively, for you as well as for your students.
5. To meet INTASC and GAPSC standards and enrich your program portfolio.
Instructions:
1. To facilitate planning, use the following checklist throughout your placement. Write the date, where used (class period, level of students, etc.), thestrategy
used, and the standards it addresses.
2. One lesson may accomplish several objectives and thus be listed in more than one category. However, there should be no fewer than 10 lessons represented
on this list.
3. The checklist should continually be posted in Google Documents (shared with Dr. Kajder and your PLC leader) and must be completed by the end of your
student teaching placement in April.
4. The checklist should be included as a page in your digital portfolio for this semester.
2. Focus Date Strategy Context Used
Grouping for Instruction
Large group Jan. 7 Kahoot is a popular digital tool that I
used multiple times throughout my
semester of student teaching.
All tenth grade honor students had just read the first few chapters
of A Tale of Two Cities. To refresh them of the important
characters and details they had learned the night before, I had the
class as a whole play a competitive and digital reading quiz.
Small group Feb. 19 I utilized what I dubbed the “Loose
Ends” activity in which I had students
work in small groups to literally tie
together connections that Charles
Dickens had made between the three
segments in A Tale of Two Cities
.
Students were beginning the end of Dickens’ famousnovel, so I
wanted them to be thinking as active and critical readers. To do
this, I put them into small groups and had them compete against
one another in a race as to who could solve the puzzle I
formulated for them out of yarn and plot points/essentialideas.
Individual Feb. 26 I chose to have students use the
digital tool Quizizz as a way of
assessing their abilities in an
independent but low-stakes manner.
As students made their way through A Tale of TwoCities, they
were instructed to be paying close attention to what aspects of the
novel could be connected to the different themes the class was
identifying during the school period. To ensure students were able
to do this task, I provided a digital quiz to test their skills. Each
student took said quiz individually before being able to look at the
feedback they received once they had completed it.
Discussion
Whole class Feb. 6 Students were given access to a
padlet link in which they were
instructed to take a moment and
share if they thought it was justice or
revenge that the aristocrat Foulon was
murdered. After they had a moment
This strategy was used in my 1(A) class as students were reaching
a pivotal part of theA Tale of Two Citiestheme of justice v. revenge.
One of the aristocrats who was starving the peasantsaround him
was murdered by the revolutionary mobs. Students were then
prompted to discuss as a class whether it was justice or revenge
that Foulon, the aristocrat, was killed so brutally.
3. to reflect, the class discussed, based
on the padlet responses, what their
reasoning was.
Small group Jan. 8 I had a list of broad topics projected
on the board. As a class, we went
through what each broad topic was
and briefly discussed how to select a
narrow topic. After doing this, I had
the students group with their
neighbors for five minutes to develop
a list of different narrow topics they
could research.
This strategy was used in my 2(B) class for my 10th grade honors
students as they began their research journey. The class was
beginning to brainstorm topics they could research and write on.
Individual conference with student Feb. 7 Students were released with about
twenty-five minutes left in class to
work on either their Annotated
Bibliography or their Research Cards.
During this time, I walked up and
down the aisles checking in and
seeing how students were doing.
This strategy was used in all three of my classesfor my tenth
grade honor students while they were in the midst of their
research journey. On this day, students were meant to be using
time in class to finish their Annotated Bibliographies before
moving on to their Research Cards.
Using Written and Visual Literacy
Use writing, speaking and observing as
major modes of inquiry, reflection and
expression.
Mar. 31 I required my various groups of
students to give oral presentations.
After completing the entirety of the novel Nightand tracking a
set theme throughout it, students were instructed to give a
presentation defining what theme statement they constructed and
how their assigned theme developed throughout the novel. In this
manner, they were prompted to verbally reflect on what they had
learned thus far.
Use the processes of composing to
create various artifacts of oral, visual
and written literacy.
Jan. 28 Students were put into groups and
then assigned a specific suitor to write
from the perspective of. They were
This strategy was used in all of my 10th grade honorclasses.
Students had just finished reading through the chapters pertaining
to the love triangle between Lucie Manette and her suitors in A
4. then given a rubric specifying what
they needed to include in their love
letter. After given time to complete
this creative writing assignment, one
student from the group read it to the
class.
Tale of Two Cities
.
Use writing, visual images, and speaking
for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Jan. 5 Using the powerpoint I had
constructed for this unit, I relayed the
information on French and English
history that students would need to
understand the reasoning for Dickens
writing his novel as he did. The
information was listed as bullet points
that students had to read while
simultaneously listening to any
additional elaboration I included.
This strategy was used in my 2(B) class for my 10th grade honor
students to introduce them to the important historical context
behind the novel A Tale of Two Cities
.
Apply knowledge of language structure
and convention to creating and
critiquing print and non-print texts.
Mar. 29 Students were given access to a
physical script of Elie Wiesel’s Nobel
Prize speech.
After completing the entirety of the novel Night,students were
instructed to read and possibly listen to the speech author Elie
Wiesel gave after receiving the Nobel Prize for his writing and
activist endeavours. While reading, they had to assess key lines and
phrases before deciding why Wiesel included them in his chance to
speak publicly.
Focus Date Strategy Context Used
Reading Processes
Uses response strategies Jan. 27 I utilized the “Say Something”
strategy to prompt students into
verbal sharing with the class how they
responded to the text based on what
Students had just finished reading chapters containing an
important plot point in A Tale of Two Cities, so Ihad them go
around the room and share their reactions or thoughts on key
details.
5. they thought or felt at the time.
Uses interpretive strategies Mar. 12 Students were provided a series of
prompts that led them to question the
relevance behind specific words in the
text before discussing their
interpretations with the class.
“First They Came” is a text referencing the slow but steady take
over of the Nazis in Europe during World War II. Italso warns of
the dangers of staying silent against oppressors;however, it never
directly states these aspects, so my tenth grade students had to use
critical thinking to interpret who the author was referring to.
Uses analytic strategies Mar. 19 I developed a set of guided questions
to aid students in recognizing the
details they would need to research in
order to fully understand the piece of
literature they were reading.
In “No Man is an Island”, students had to answer a series of
research questions in order to fully understand the context of the
poem they were reading. They then had to ensure that they
understood what the poem meant as a whole based on their
research findings.
Provide students with opportunities to
select appropriate reading strategies that
aid in unpacking print and nonprint
texts.
Mar. 5 Students were provided an
Intentional Quote Guide that they
were expected to fill out by the end of
the novel.
As students read through A Tale of Two Cities, theywere guided
along by an intentional quote guide that ensured while they were
reading that they were evaluating the text in a variety of ways that
allowed them to select the appropriate quote for each column of
the guide. This guide was often referenced in class to aid in
comprehension and developing a fuller understanding of each
segment of reading.
Support developing or low performing
student readers in accessing and
comprehending text.
Jan. 11 An alternative copy of a modern
Dickens translation was provided to
students.
Students in my 10th grade class were provided a link to the
No-Fear version of A Tale of Two Citiesin the event that they
needed further explanation as to what the original text was stating.
Design and implement reading process
focused mini-lessons.
Jan. 6 Students were instructed to pull out
their copies of the novel as well as a
pen and sticky notes. Popcorn reading
was implemented for various students
to get a chance to read, but I paused
This strategy was used in my 2(B) class for my 10th grade honor
students to aid them in understanding Charles Dickens’s writing
style in A Tale of Two Cities
. The class was just beginning the novel.
They needed additional guidance in understanding the context and
setup for the story.
6. them at multiple places to analyze or
research words that were unfamiliar.
In this way, I was able to demonstrate
for students a method of experiencing
a new text.
Text Selection
Incorporates a variety of genres Mar. 22 Though most of the year students
were prompted to study novels, this
aspect was shifted for the day the
class studied this short story. “The
Man in the Well” is a short story that
explores ideas of responsibility to the
world and the importance of identity.
I initially assigned it for homework
before students came in the next day
prepared to answer a series of
questions about content and theme.
This strategy was utilized in all of my 10th gradeclasses. “The
Man in the Well” is a short story by Ira Sher that was used in class
to correlate with their reading of the novelNight.
Incorporate literature representing a
variety of cultures.
Mar. 10 I was able to pause throughout
Wiesel’s novel and briefly explain
different Hebrew words or
celebrations of the Jewish faith.
Night by Elie Wiesel was the novel I was required to teach on, but
it still managed to hold a variety of references toJewish culture
that I had to explain to my students. In this manner, I felt that they
were able to broaden their minds and opinions of varying
religions.
Incorporate a range of modes and
media.
Jan. 22 Students were provided a link to an
NPR article entitled “How Trump's
'Law And Order' Message Has
Shifted As He Seeks A 2nd Term”.
They were then given time to read
through the article and dwell over a
This strategy was used in my 1(A) and 2(A) 10th grade classes
after they explored the idea of oppression inA Tale of Two Cities
.
The article chosen was meant to have students question and
discuss whether the concept of Law and Order is oppressiveto
certain groups of individuals or not.
7. series of questions listed on the
board. After finishing reading, the
class discussed the listed questions as
a whole.
Provide students with an opportunity
for choice.
Feb. 23 I utilized the digital tool Mentimeter
to take an anonymous vote.
Students in all of my classes were provided a linkto a poll asking
what they wanted the format to their final Tale of Two Cities quiz
to be. They were given the options of multiple choice,varying
passages, or single response.
Focus Date Strategy Context Used
Provide students with skills and
opportunities to evaluate, analyze and
ethically use information and texts.
Jan. 11 I utilized a video showing students
how to go about accessing databases
before having them pull out their
chromebooks and follow along.
At the beginning of their research paper assignment,I introduced
students to the various academic databases that they would be able
to utilize while researching their topics.
Support students in purposeful,
self-selected independent reading.
Jan. 27 An annotated bibliography
assignment was developed to help
encourage students to read through
academic articles with purpose and
understanding.
Students were in the midst of reading various academicjournals
and articles based on the topic they were researching. To help
guide their direction, I assigned an annotated bibliography
assignment that ensured that the resources and texts students were
reading through and selecting were beneficial towards their
research. They were still able to choose what articles to read
through.
Composing Processes
Produce a variety of forms of written
discourse as models for student work.
Mar. 9 Two different paragraphs were
projected on the board. One
paragraph was labeled a strong
This strategy was used in my 1(A) class period for the usage of
my 10th grade honor students. At this point in the semester,
students were developing their final drafts of theirresearch paper.
8. paragraph and I had highlighted, as
well as annotated, the aspects of the
writing that made it strong. A weak
paragraph was provided as well,
highlighting aspects of writing
students should try to avoid in the
future.
This mini-lesson was prepared to aid them in recognizing what a
strong body paragraph looks like.
Implement responsive mini-lessons to
support student writers.
Mar. 1 Students were expected to develop
and share a hook for their
introduction to their rough draft by
the end of class after following
through the instructive powerpoint I
provided.
This strategy was used in the 2(B) class period for the usage of my
10th grade honor students. During this part of theunit, students
were meant to be beginning the rough draft for their research
paper assignment. I hosted a mini-lesson on how to develop a
rough draft and why it’s important.
Use a wide range of writing strategies to
engage students in generating meaning
and to communicate understanding.
Feb. 18 When students came in the door, I
had a prompt for a quick write posted
on the powerpoint on Love versus
Hate. Students were then given ten
minutes on the board to write on
where they had seen this theme in the
novel, and to write about which
seems more powerful in real life.
After the ten minutes were up,
students were allowed to share their
thoughts with the class.
This strategy was used in my 1(B) class period for my 10th grade
honor students. Students had been reading about the love of Lucie
Manette and Charles Darnay within A Tale of Two Cities
, as well the
hatred the antagonist has for all aristocrats in french society.
9. Create opportunities for students to
provide peer-feedback
Mar. 4 Students shared copies of their
research paper rough drafts through
Google Documents with a peer. The
class was then provided 15 minutes to
fill-out a worksheet about the
structure, language, and grammar of
their partner’s paper. This worksheet
was then given to the original writer
to inform them where they could
improve.
This strategy was used in the 1(A) class period for the benefit of
my 10th grade honor students. During this aspect of the unit,
research papers were being developed and needed an extra set of
eyes to aid in growing their writing skills.
Create opportunities for student writers
to engage an authentic audience
Jan. 28 Students read their love-letters out
loud and, based on a set of criteria I
developed, my mentor (who had no
role in instructing students on how to
develop said letters) selected which
one could be considered the most
authentic to Dickens text.
This strategy was used in all of my 10th grade honorclasses.
Students had just finished reading through the chapters pertaining
to the love triangle between Lucie Manette and her suitors in A
Tale of Two Cities
. Students were put into groups and then assigned
a specific suitor to write from the perspective of. They were then
given a rubric specifying what they needed to include in their love
letter. After given time to complete this creative writing
assignment, one student from the group read it to the class.
Support student writers who have
previously struggled to meet grade level
standards in writing.
Mar. 9 Students exchanged papers with one
another before silently reading
through and checking for any
grammar or organizational mistakes.
They also filled out a practice rubric
and gave their partners a hypothetical
grade based on how their rough
This strategy was used in all three of my tenth gradehonors
classes. At this time, students had just completed their rough
drafts for their Research Papers.
