Reflection:

The learning goal that produced the most excited result was my LG5. By the end
of three sixty-minute class periods Dance 1a students show competency through a
written, and performance based assessments. Indicating their ability to identify spatial
planes in specific movements and define what flocking, shadowing and mirroring are
through written example. They will also demonstrate concepts taught in the unit in a sitespecific group choreographic project that must include all spatial elements taught in
class.
I absolutely loved watching my students show their site-specific group
choreographic project. I think there were a few reasons that made this learning goal so
successful. The first reason was the fact that I had clear expectations for how this project
would be graded. The students were handed the rubric I would use to evaluate them, and
they were given a worksheet to help guide them through the process. Another reason this
was a successful learning goal, was because the students were so excited about the
project. Their enthusiasm helped fuel their creativity. Before I told them what the project
was, I stated through out the entire unit that they needed to earn my trust before I could
let them do a project that takes a lot of responsibility and respect on their end. When I
finally told them that they had earned my trust, I think they were proud of themselves and
wanted to continue with those positive choices they had been making in class. Another
reason why this learning goal was achieved is because the students knew the
consequences if they didnt follow the instruction. They would lose points, and have to
create a solo in the classroom, instead of working with a group somewhere around the
school. I also allowed the students to choose a partner to work on the group project with.

I assigned partners to work together, which helped create a dynamic of students who felt
comfortable working with one another, but not too comfortable that they would just goof
around the entire time. Another factor that really helped the students be successful is the
amount of time I gave them. They had 90 minutes, and over the course of three days to
complete this project. I learned that this age and level can do the work, they just need
more time to process and explore before they can deliver the results Im looking for.
Though the amount of time allotted to this activity isnt realistic for all learning goals, it
was a great learning experience to me to better understand the population I was teaching.
Overall the main reason why this learning objective was successful was the clear
instruction, expectations and consequences.
A learning goal that was not as successful was-By the end of two sixty-minute
class periods Dance 1a students will explore the spatial planes in space- horizontal,
vertical, and sagittal through across the floor sequences and be able to identify specific
movement as they watch their peers improvise. This learning goal was a tough one. I
didnt have a lot of experience teaching spatial planes, and I that affected my confidence
and ability to clearly teach the concepts. With most dance concepts I am able to explain
the same thing in a lot of different ways. With this concept, it was new, and unfamiliar,
and I only had one way of explaining what the planes were. This one explanation didnt
benefit the variety of learners I had in my class. Another reason why this learning goal
didnt produce the results I had hoped for, had to do with the school scheduling. I was
teaching this learning goal on a crazy week of school. Field trips were happening,
assemblies shorten the schedule, and overall it felt like a lot of people were missing a lot
of the time, and I was running behind on teaching schedule. I had to teach what I thought

could take three days into two. This made instruction hard on my end because the content
was already difficult for the young minds to understand and I felt we didnt have an
opportunity to really explore what the concepts meant. Reflecting and comparing on
those lessons they feel superficial and uncreative.
As Ive completed the TWS Ive found the desire to learn more about special
education and including multi-cultural elements in my lessons. When I get a teaching job
I would love to develop a relationship with those teachers over the special education
program. I understand that there are so many disabilities that can affect students learning
and instead of becoming overwhelming discouraged with all the information out there, I
can rely more on my co-workers and their expertise on the subjects. By developing a
relationship with them I can better meet the needs of my students who have the more
severe disabilities. I truly believe that dance is for everyone, and I want all my students to
feel successful in my class, because success in movement can look like a lot of different
things. The other area that I would like to develop more is my understanding of
multicultural integration. I grew up in a culture where there wasnt a lot of diversity. By
learning more about the background of my students and their cultures I will be able to be
more sensitive to their needs. One way I can accomplish this is by reading articles on
different socio-economic families and their struggles, or perhaps a religious survey, or
attends the local festivals that celebrate the diversity we have here in the valley. I want to
become more aware of the differences between people so that I can truly celebrate the
individual in my classroom.