Elementary Education

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.

1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clip(s)? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[

Lesson #1 is shown in the videos. ]

2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment

Refer to scenes in the video clip(s) where you provided a positive learning environment.
a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?
[ I demonstrated respect for and rapport with students by using their names when I call on
them (Part one, 0:22), listening carefully when they answer a question or read a passage
(Part one, 2:16), responding to their thoughts (Part one, 0:45), and smiling with them when
they bring up an interesting issue (Part one, 4:15). I challenged students to engage in
learning by asking open-ended questions, giving appropriate wait time, and building off what
students said to support their developing understanding (Part two, 0:30-1:30). ]
3. Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your responses to the prompts.
a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy
strategy and requisite skills.
[ My instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy strategy and
requisite skills by first activating their background knowledge of the kind of content we would
be studying (Part one, 0:18). Next, by showing them how to identify the theme, topic, and
pattern of events in a story (Part one, 4:40). Then I demonstrated how to compare and
contrast the story elements between different stories (Part two, 2:40). I invited students to be
active participants throughout the lesson by reading (Part one, 2:10), answering questions
(Part two, 0:05), and writing (Part two, 3:20). ]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[ The students had already been learning how to identify the topic and theme of a story.
My instruction built on that knowledge by asking them to analyze different story elements for
common features (Part two, 2:30). ]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your explanations.
a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
apply the essential literacy strategy using requisite skills to comprehend OR compose
text.

Copyright 2014 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

1 of 2 | 6 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V3_0914
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.

Elementary Education
Task 2: Instruction Commentary

[ I elicited student responses by pausing after making a statement or asking a question to

give them time to think about it (Part two, 0:38). I built on student responses by asking
follow-up questions that continued the conversation and helped elicit further student
responses (Part two, 0:20). ]
b. Explain how you modeled the essential literacy strategy and supported students as they
practiced and applied the strategy in a meaning-based context.
[ I modeled the strategy by showing students my thinking while I practiced the skills of
identifying the topic and theme of a text (Part one, 4:40) and of comparing and contrasting
different texts to each other (Part two, 2:40). I supported the students in using their skills at
comparing and contrasting by helping them identify the topics and themes before we began
comparing them (Part two, 0:05). ]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) in your responses to the prompts.
a. What changes would you make to your instructionfor the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challengeto better support student learning of
the central focus (e.g., missed opportunities)?
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support, such as students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students.
[ I will try to use more inflection in my tone of voice so that it is not so monotonous, and I
will let more of my enthusiasm show in my facial expression by smiling more. In watching
the video, I also noticed that a couple of times the group would start to excitedly discuss
something, and then I would try to talk over them to get them back to the main idea that I
wanted to be focusing on (Part one, 4:34). In the future, I will pay more attention to what the
students are saying in these slightly chaotic moments and see if there is an angle that I can
use to get them back on the path without just shutting down their conversation; I will try to
redirect rather than control the discussion. ]
b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[ Using more inflection in my tone of voice and letting more of my enthusiasm for the
content show would improve student learning by helping the engagement level of the
students in my group. If the teacher is excited about the subject, then the students have a
model to copy to show that theyre excited about it, too. It will be more fun for everyone if the
teacher doesnt sound as if he was bored.
This change is supported by social learning theory because the students will be able to
see that their teacher thinks the learning is fun and engaging, and hopefully mimic that
themselves. It is also supported by behaviorism, because smiling and showing enthusiasm
for the material is a form of positive reward. Using more facial gestures will also allow me to
give more negative reinforcement by, for example, not giving a smile to let a student know
that they need to change their behavior. ]

Copyright 2014 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

2 of 2 | 6 pages maximum
All rights reserved.
V3_0914
The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.