School Experience

Reflection Journal
EDUC 250-Educational Psychology
NAME: Titus Luckhaupt

DATE: 3/16/16

SCHOOL: Summit Academy

TEACHER: Mrs. Fulkerson

GRADE LEVEL: Kindergarten

GENERAL EDUCATION: ___X__

SPECIAL EDUCATION:____X___
(Check one)

Once placement is established, you will participate weekly in a 20 hour school experience at an
assigned cooperating school. This journal is a way of keeping track of your experiences for
purposes of developing into a professional teacher.
To fulfill the 20 hour school experience requirement of this course, you will write answers to the
chapter prompt provided. In addition to responding to the topic, please also write a brief
reflection of something that impressed you about your experience of the particular week.
Use this Word document to type your responses and reflection to each prompt. Please use your
discretion and answer the questions when you think you have observed something relevant to the
question. You need to answer half of the questions for each of the two times that the journal is
submitted for grading.
This school experience journal will be handed in two times on dates listed in the calendar of the
syllabus. There 50 possible points for handing in each of the two journal assignments by the
due date. That is a total of 100 points for the entire school experience.
Text: Ormrod, Jeanne Ellis with Brent Jones. Essentials of Educational Psychology: Big
Ideas to Guide Effective Teaching, 4e, with eText. Boston: Pearson, 2015.
Chapter 2-Learning, Cognition, and Memory
In Chapter 2 of the text, reread sections on how to encourage storage of information in long-term
memory, especially p. 29-33.
Design a way to enhance long term memory for students with whom you are working or tutoring.
Explain what information you are trying to get them to retain in long term memory. Then
describe the specific steps you are taking to achieve that goal.
Response:
I was trying to get two students to remember the vowels and the sounds they make. I mainly had
them write each vowel in the sand with their finger while saying, A says ah. We repeated this

through the all the vowels. This incorporated many different senses which in return led to the
mastery of their vowels.

Reflection:
This method worked out so well. I was so impressed with how quickly the students were able to
catch onto the sounds of the vowels and Id definitely repeat this method if the opportunity
presented itself.
Chapter 3-Learning in Context
In Chapter 3, we discussed the differences among positive reinforcement, negative
reinforcement, presentation punishment, and removal punishment. Each of these types is briefly
described on p. 63 of the text.
During your work with the student(s) in tutoring or Response to Intervention (RTI) settings,
think of a time when you needed to apply some form of positive or negative reinforcement or
punishment. From the ones described in Chapter 3, explain two different examples when you
used some type of reinforcement or punishment. Be specific by naming the type you employed
as well as in your description of it.
Response:
I used a system of good behavior stickers to reinforce good behavior. Basically, if the students
exemplified good behavior during the tutoring session they would get one good behavior sticker,
the accumulation of 5 good behavior stickers would lead to one piece of candy. I would say this
is positive reinforcement because Im reinforcing their desired behavior with something positive.
Another thing I would use to reinforce their good work is, I would have some older students
come in and ask what they were doing. The students would demonstrate their new found
knowledge (in this case the learning of vowels) and the older students would praise them because
theyre working so hard. I tried to keep the focus on their hard work. I also believe this is
positive reinforcement.

Reflection:
These methods of behavior controlling worked out really well. At first I didnt incorporate them
into the daily routine and we had a little trouble but as soon as I established a rewarding system
they loved the work and completed their tasks with minimal issues.

Chapter 4-Complex Cognitive Processes

Self-regulation is the process of taking control of and evaluating ones own learning and
behavior. It is an important skill for learners to internalize. Reread some sections of Chapter 4,
especially p. 111-115.
Explain two teaching strategies that you used while tutoring or working with the student(s)
which would promote self-regulated behavior in the student(s).
Response:
Sometimes at the beginning of the day I would have the students use self-regulation by asking
them a series of questions they answered yesterday. This would have them evaluate their own
recent learning. Whenever a student wouldnt get a good behavior sticker I would have them
reflect on what past behaviors led to their not getting that sticker. This is another example of selfregulation.

Reflection:
Chapter 5- Cognitive Development
Chapter 5 examines cognitive development and intelligence. Think about your interactions with
the student(s) in the grade level of your placement. Think about the teaching strategies you used
during tutoring or working with the student(s).
Explain whether or not the teaching strategies that you employed encouraged development of
logical thinking abilities. You may want to reread p. 153-157 in your textbook.
Identify types of activities that are enhancing intellectual development. What activities did you
use that exemplify ways of addressing multiple intelligences? You may want to revisit multiple
intelligences on p. 162 in your text.
Response:
My teaching did encourage logical thinking abilities. I would always show the children real life
logical applications to their learning of vowels. I would tell them what words you can hear that
certain word in. For example, A says ah in Apple.
I used several multiple intelligences in my teaching.
Linguistic intelligence- vowel learning.
Intrapersonal intelligence- controlling their own behavior through the good behavior stickers.
Interpersonal intelligence - Realizing that the other older students were proud of their hard work.
Reflection:
I think I used both logical thinking abilities and multiple intelligence to the best of my abilities.
Maybe I could focus more on these areas but honestly it seemed to work well with what I did.

Chapter 6-Motivation and Affect

Review the characteristics of learners exhibiting mastery goals and students demonstrating
performance goals on p. 202. Be mindful that students who have mastery goals desire to acquire
additional knowledge or learn new skill for the sake of learning. Students who exhibit
performance goals wish to demonstrate high ability and make a good impression.
How would you categorize many of the students in terms of goals (mastery or performance) in
the tutoring or RTI setting that you regularly visit? What caused you to reach this conclusion?
How might you encourage students to engage in mastery goals?
Did you see any signs of anxiety or other forms of affect in students in the tutoring or RTI setting
of your school experience? Revisit p. 217 and explain your response.
Response:
I think the students I tutored mainly set performance goals. They were focused on completing to
material. Even though I think they were almost learning for the sake of learning a new skill at
times due to some of the questions they asked. I really could encourage the students to enter into
mastery goal setting by asking investigational questions. This would possibly get them to apply
theirselves to the material in general.
Reflection:
I think I couldve done a better job at trying to get them to learn for more than just finishing the
material. They asked some great and encouraging questions at times that made me think they
could possibly be trying to learn more and I tried to capitalize on those instances when provided.

Chapter 7-Personal, Social, and Moral Development

Think about the concept sense of self and its implications for teaching and learning. Review
the developmental trends on p. 245 in your textbook. Did you see indications of sense of self
affecting learning of the student(s) with whom you worked? Explain.
What effect did perspective taking have on the teaching and learning environment? Reread p.
255 in your textbook to understand developmental trends.
If you observed aggressive behavior, explain the type of aggressive behavior that you witnessed.
See textbook p. 254-255 for an explanation.
Response:

Perspective taking is something I didnt have to work with to often while tutoring these students.
When Im trying to resolve conflicts I will use perspective taking and have the students put
themselves in the other persons shoes. I also did not observe aggressive behavior. The students
were very well behaved.
Reflection:
Im pretty glad I didnt observe aggressive behavior. There really was no need for me to
implement perspective taking either.

Chapter 8-Instructional Strategies

Many instructional strategies are summarized on p. 312 of your textbook. Describe two of the
ones you used for tutoring or RTI in your school placement. Be sure that you give a rationale for
the instructional strategies that you selected to use.
Response:
I helped the students master and review the basic skills needed to correctly identify and sound
out the vowels. I accomplished this mainly through direct instruction as well as cooperative
learning.
I also helped the students acquire effective strategies for interacting and working with others. I
made sure the students were learning this new material together so they could interact and ask
each other questions and not only me.
Reflection:
Both of the teaching strategies worked out very well and I would definitely use them again. I
really liked when the students were working together, it impressed me so much how well they
worked cooperatively and the classroom environment became closer as a result.

Chapter 9-Strategies for Creating an Effective Classroom Environment

Chapter 9 discusses many ways to enhance the classroom environment. What were some of the
ways that you helped to create an environment that was conducive to learning?
Explain which of the suggestions on p. 347 in your textbook for addressing undesirable
classroom behaviors you utilized in the tutoring or RTI setting of your school experience.
Response:
Often times I would ignore the behavior or address the students separately and privately
regarding their individual behavior.
Reflection:

This method was effective especially for k students. If you have to pull them aside and address a
problem the problem usually ceases immediately.
Chapter 10-Assessent Strategies
What types of assessments did you employ with the student(s)? Did you choose to use different
types of assessments? If you did use a variety of assessment tools, explain why different
assessments were necessary?
Response:
I mainly implemented performance assessments, especially at the end of a lesson. I would have
the students tell me where you could find the recently learned vowel in the world. I also issued a
summative assessment at the end of my tutoring to make sure they clearly understood and
learned the material.
Reflection:
This method worked out well. Like I said before, I was extremely impressed with how quickly
the students learned the material. They scored perfectly on their summative assessment which
was a clear indication of a job well done for all of us.
Final Reflection:
Take some time to think about your responses and reflections in this journal. Respond to the
following questions.
1) In terms of the major concepts presented in this class, how do you think your school
experience and reflections on it has helped prepare you for classroom responsibilities as a
teacher?
I think what I experienced in these tutoring sessions is such a really representation of
what Ill experience in an everyday classroom. Theres such a great responsibility taken
when you have to take a student and increase their knowledge. Its something that I will
never take lightly but its also something that is so rewarding. Its so neat to see the
concepts I learned in class come to life and impact my life and the way I teach in such an
important way. I really liked this assignment because its so practical and real world.
2) Briefly sum the impact that this school experience has had on your professional
aspirations. You will not be penalized for constructive criticism.
If anything this school experience has solidified my aspirations of becoming a teacher. I
love to work with the students and help them learn. Its so neat when I can even get to
know the students and relate to their lives. This student to teacher bond is yet another
aspect of teaching that is so important. Because students not only need help in school but
they need help in life in general. Its so neat that I can play a part in shaping the future
generations.