I conducted an FSA Math Review lesson for my final CT Observation. The reason I conducted this lesson was because I had finished teaching all the 5th grade benchmarks for the school year and my students had two weeks to prepare for the FSA (FEAP 1a). Prior to this lesson, I gave the students a skill-based pre-assessment that covered all the math domains that were taught throughout the school year (FEAPs 4a & 4c). I used the data to figure out which domains most of my students had problems with. This information was extremely helpful in determining which lessons I would cover more extensively in the review. After grading the diagnostic assessment, I noticed most of my students were having difficulty with decimals. Prior to the lesson, I identified and printed math packets geared to re-teach certain concepts from the math textbook teacher resource website (FEAP 4d). I proceeded to review and re-teach the concepts most students were having trouble with, in the allotted time I had. After my lesson, I passed out sticky notes and had my students write down which area of math they felt they needed the most help with (FEAP 4c). I reviewed the notes while students were completing individual work and at the end of the lesson, I assigned each student a different homework assignment based on their self-assessment as well as what I thought they needed the most help with (FEAP 3j)). I used the packets I printed and worksheets to individualize their math practice based on their needs.
Analysis
During my lesson, I attempted to make an effort of individualizing the review, based on the content areas students struggled with the most. I felt as if the students responded very well to the fact that they were assigned specific homework based on their own lack of confidence in a certain area of our math review. Because this lesson was a review, the formality of it seemed less important. I was focused on trying to re-teach/review important fact the students may have forgotten since the beginning of the school year. A big part of the success of the lesson was seeing how it helped them throughout the rest of the review conducted throughout the week. It was satisfying to see just how much my students had learned from the beginning of my internship. The lesson was planned specifically for enrichment of content already taught and I feel I accomplished that. Each day of review I was able to assess student learning and I noticed the level of confidence had increased in my students. I intentionally taught how to solve problems using as many different strategies as I could to make sure each student remembered his/her own way of solving math problems with a conceptual understanding of why they performed the task that way (FEAP 2h). For a lesson such as a review, I am convinced the data determines the lesson, which is why assessment data is so imperative. I could not have individualized the lesson without the data.