Glows: Based on your self-assessment, what is one indicator of establishing a positive classroom environment that you clearly exhibited

Glows: Based on your self-assessment, what is one indicator of establishing a positive classroom environment that you clearly exhibited? Briefly describe how you reached this conclusion, referring, when possible, to specific events from the lesson.

Grows: Based on your self-assessment, what is one indicator of establishing a positive classroom environment that you need to prioritize for improvement. Briefly describe how you reached this conclusion, referring, when possible, to specific events from the lesson.

Glows

Based on your self-assessment, what is one indicator of effective instruction that you clearly exhibited? Briefly describe how you reached this conclusion, referring, when possible, to specific events from the lesson. [       ]

Grows

Based on your self-assessment, what is one indicator of effective instruction that you need to prioritize for improvement. Briefly describe how you reached this conclusion, referring, when possible, to specific events from the lesson. [      ]

Objective: Learning about Brazilian soccer starPelé as part of learning about Central American and South American geography. The choice was made because as Ms. Mite describes it, her class is soccer CRAZY, obsessed with playing with each other.

Observed: The day before the students had heard and discussed the Spanish version of a a wonderful illustrated book, Pelé King of Soccer / Pelé El rey del fútbol by Monica Brown. Today, Ms. Mite read the English text in the same book. Students discussed the book, stopping at several appropriate points along the way. At one point when the story described Pelé as a child playing on the street, Ms. Mite asked the students if they had experiences like that and many hands shot up—clearly this would be a whole wonderful area to explore in discussion and writing—about how they play in school and at home—including in the street, which has a long tradition in NYC as well as in Brazil.

In an adjustment of her original lesson plan, Ms. Mite invited her students to talk about what was interesting to them in the story, and what aspects of the story they wanted to explore. They generated a long list which she wrote down. Many of them drew directly from the text, while others went in directions we did not anticipate.  They asked many questions about Pelé’s family. Did the barefoot team have a coach? When the coach gave Pelé extra food to eat could he share the food with his father? Pelé is an inspiration to them—They wondered if he ever had someone who served as an inspiration to him? What famous people did he meet?

Ms. Mite asked, “I have a question for you: How can we find out the answers to these questions?”

She chose five topics and grouped the students together to explore these questions. The students sat in these groups using their laptops, which they shared, to research their questions. And, needless to say, one question led to another.

Finally, she had them close their computers and in order to calm them down she called them to gather on the rug. She promised that those who wanted more time could continue their exploration the next day.

“Glows and grows”

Glows—the teacher’s strengths:

· Your choices of the topic and the book were both very appealing to the students.

· Since soccer is the class’s great passion, using it as the basis for studying geography makes sense. This will not preclude your use of maps, learning about geographic features, culture, history, and other important topics including the environmental issues that are so pressing in Brazil. And focusing on Brazil will then allow you to compare it to other Central and South American countries. In fact, you have a responsibility to teach about these other topics—and they can always be connected back to your starting with Pelé.

· The class has a mixture of students who are newcomers and those who are at various levels of learning English. The use of Spanish first, to ensure understanding, gave all the students a good shot at understanding the English text.

· Choosing to read the book twice is another excellent strategy you employed for helping the students to get drawn into the story.

· You used the document camera to project the text, allowing the students to see both the text and pictures clearly. Often this doesn’t work as well as looking at the book directly, but in this case the camera was well-focused, the images were sharp, and the text was easy to read.

· The use of books with illustrations is very helpful to your students. The pictures help them understand the text and adds greatly to the appeal.

Grows—Future work to be explored, areas to develop.

· You left much that could be explored, which is a good thing. For example, your students could focus on the lively illustrations, and discuss how movement and internal thinking were woven into the images of events taking place. They could explore how to apply these artistic ideas to their own work.

· Your students are at an age when they are ready to learn how to read critically about current events. The related topics of equity in soccer between women’s and men’s professional teams would be appealing. And other news can help you study the history that led to current events. I recommend that students compare coverage in various newspapers. There is a wonderful website: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, which compares coverage from different outlets. Your students can handle this approach, and the internet makes it easy to gather the needed materials. https://fair.org/

· As a history resource, I highly recommend Juan González’s book Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America (2009, new edition 2022.)

· For teaching about geography and history, I suggest you make use of the quarterly magazine Rethinking Schools, where teachers write about curricula they have created, and share the resources they use, their processes, and some of the activities they develop that allow the students to do role plays to bring the stories to life.

· Emphasize the content at all times, and you can teach the skills as they are needed to carry out your studies.

· Just as one seeks first-hand experience in science, literature, and math, try to use your studies in the same way here, in teaching history and other aspects of social studies. In addition to looking at maps, learn to make maps. In addition to reading about soccer, connect this book to their actual playing that the kids do during recess. Cook the dishes from these countries. Invite in parents from the countries you are studying, and the others they come from, to tell you stories about their childhood experiences.

MY NOTES

1. Lesson Context

The lesson is situated within a larger unit of instruction on Global sports icons and their contribution to the game. Throughout the unit of study, students are primarily expected to learn of Pele, who he was, and his contribution to the sport and society. Students will be exposed to the map and sports in different countries. The objectives for the lessons that preceded the lesson include understanding what are the different types of sport and their rules. In addition, the impact that global icons have in their respective sports and to the world. Next, we can learn about another soccer icon such as Lionel Messi.

2. Knowledge of Students

My knowledge of students’ passion for soccer inspired my planning and preparation for the lesson. I watch the students play soccer every day during recess which made the lesson more relevant and interesting to the learners. I understand the students come from diverse cultural and language backgrounds and may have different experiences and interests. I use presentations and activities to accommodate to the difference in interests and abilities. I learned from prior conversations about their favorite sports and hobbies that my learner’s interest in including soccer and discussion of one well-known soccer idol would be an appropriate topic because most learners would be able to connect with me on a personal level.

3. Instructional Strategies and Planned Supports

I have planned appropriate instructional strategies and support for groups of students with specific learning needs. For example, I have provided visual aids such as using a projector to display the various skills of Pele. This will help the student grasp complex concepts such as dribbling, sprinting, and even penalty kicks. I have also divided the learners into groups that provide room for peer teaching, which will benefit students who learn best through social interaction.