Vocabulary Lesson Reflection

Vocabulary Lesson Video

When I first thought about the assignment of designing a 15 minute vocabulary lesson I knew I wanted to focus on the term American Dream. I thought this lesson would be a good opportunity to teach how the meaning of words can change when placed with other words. In order to do this I started the lesson by putting the word "Dream" on the board. Then I added "American" in front of it and we discussed the change. My lesson was discussion based which was a risk because the length depended on the amount of participation. In larger groups the discussion would be able to be more in depth.

Performance Criterion 2.2: Candidates use an understanding of diverse cultures and communities to design inclusive learning experiences. 

The lesson relates to this performance criterion because everyone could share their own personal experiences. It is important to realize that one person's dream is not the same as someone else's. The backgrounds that students come from have an impact on how they view themselves and how they formulate their own personal dreams. 

My goal for this lesson was to not end sentences with "and stuff". When watching the video and reading the feedback it was evident that I did not end a single sentence with "and stuff". In English vocabulary is very important, vocabulary can be related to structure of literary work and sentences, genres, themes, point of views, etc. When a certain term such as "American Dream" is an overarching theme of a novel it is important to make sure the students have a solid understanding of the term in order to understand and relate to the story. I think I was successful in teaching my lesson because on the exit slips students not only defined the American Dream in their own terms but they related it to their own experiences. The lesson was very discussion based, during this time I stayed in the front of the room. Although it is discussion based next time I could walk around more, this will help to ensure students are engaged. In discussion settings it is easy for student thoughts to wonder and they may become less engaged. With a larger group it will be important to control the discussion in a way to ensure it is not the same people speaking all the time.