Descriptive Writing Review...

Thank you to Loretta in OH, NBCT

*********************

Qualities of Descriptive Writing
Descriptive writing is a retelling of what happened in a classroom and situation.
This kind of writing should allow the reader to visualize and understand what the
teacher is describing.  It “sets the scene” for the assessors.

Description is called for when the entry prompt uses verbs like state, list,
describe, or uses what or which as the interrogatory opening words.  For example:

  “What are the relevant features of your teaching setting that
  influenced your selection of this assessment/prompt and these
  students?”

Teachers need to specifically make the connection between their thinking and their writing.
Often, you can tell that they have made certain professional decisions but they don’t describe
their thinking in their written commentary.

When a candidate is asked to describe, his/her response should meet these criteria:

  *  accurate and precise enumeration and/or explanation

  *  clear and logical ordering of the elements or features of the event,
      person, concept, or strategy described; and

  *  inclusion of supporting features or elements that would allow
      and outsider to “see” whatever is described.

There will be some overlap in descriptive  and analytical writing.  There is no need to try to make distinct separations between the two--but candidates can do this if they prefer.  The assessors are neutral to it and the writing style does not affect the score.

The richer the description -- the more there will be
to analyze.  If you don’t have enough detail in you descriptive commentary, you will not be able to thoroughly analyze the teaching situation.

When entries ask for rationale -- it is part analysis and part descriptive.

Suggestion: Ask someone that isn't in education (or not in your area) to read an entry.  Ask them to jot down
when they don't fully understand what happened in the lesson.  Ask them to note where activities are not clearly understood and more detail is needed.

Thinking Involved in Descriptive Writing

- knowing what you are describing -- giving details and thorough explanations
- observable
-  order and sequence (must be logical)
-  concrete
-  retelling
-  painting a picture for someone who doesn’t know you or your practice
-  what’s the best way to describe it
-  think about who the audience is...it will determine how fully you describe
-  don’t assume that people will understand -- think about what will most know and
   what is local terminology, programs, methods, etc.
 

Questions to Improve Descriptive Writing

-  Tell me more about...

-  What is the activity based on?  Why did you choose to do this activity?

-  Describe what happened prior to this activity.

-  What resources did you use and why?

-  Was the activity interdisciplinary?

-  What are the key concepts?

-  Can you tell more about the student(s)?

-  How many were in the group?  Think about the group dynamics.

-  What were your expectations and how did the students know?

-  What were your goals?

-  Why did you choose this unit?  Was it required?

-  Have you answered the questions?

-  Have you clearly explained the activity and resources used so that a person who doesn’t
   know you or your practice would clearly understand what happened?

-  How did you assess if the goal had been met?

-  What are the number, ages, and grades of the students in the class?

-  Can you provide information about the context of this class relevant to the activities or
    instructional sequence being featured in this entry?  What are the relevant features of
    this class (the range of abilities of the students, the special needs students, the
    personality of this class) that influenced the selection of this activity or instructional
    sequence?

-  What particular instructional challenges are represented by the class chosen for this
    entry?

-  How do you goals support and facilitate your students’ understanding of the concept
    being studied?

-  What were the major activities you and your students engaged in ?  How were the
    activities sequenced and organized to build on students’ interests, prior knowledge,
    and to develop understandings as the entire sequence unfolded?

-  What challenges are inherent in teaching this concept to the class?  How is your
    instruction designed to meet these challenges?

-  How did you adapt for individual differences?

-  Did you discuss the students strengths, needs, and interests?  How does this impact
    your instructional decisions?

-  Could you elaborate on that?
 
 

Reflective Writing Review...

Loretta in OH, NBCT

************************
Qualities of Reflective Writing

Reflection, a particular kind of analysis, always suggests self-analysis, or consideration of practice.  Reflection includes written consideration of what a teacher will do next time -- based on his/her analysis of what happened and why it happened that way.  Reflection addresses future instruction.  The goal is for the teacher to pull together their own rich connections about what they did and the outcome.

Reflection is called for when the entry prompt asks the teacher to consider the successes of their lessons, and what they would do differently and why.

When the teacher is asked to reflect, his/her response should meet these criteria:

 * The subject of the analysis should be available to the reader (e.g. the student
    work, the videotape).  If such an artifact is not available, a clear description
    of what is being reflected upon must be given prior to the analysis; and
 
 *  The focus of his/her writing is not on what  happened (descriptive) or
       on why   happened (analytical), but rather how it will influence
    future instruction.

Questions to Improve Reflective Writing

*  What did you learn from your teaching with these students?

*  What decisions did you make about future instruction based on this lesson?
     Why did you make those decisions?   What does this show about your practice?

*  Where do you think assessors will best see your reflection?

*  What went well?  What did it look like (evidence)?

*  What didn’t go well?  How did you know?

*  What would you do differently the next time?  Why?

*  What did you learn about yourself as a teacher?  * This type of response is richer
    than “what went wrong or right”.

*  How could you incorporate suggestions given by parents, teachers and students,
    into the lesson in the future?  How might this improve the instruction?

*  What role did the students play in reflecting on the lesson?

*  What does each student’s work suggest about next steps for your instruction?

*  After reviewing student responses to the instructional activities/prompts, what would
    you do differently, if anything, in the instructional activities / prompts or in the
    instructional sequence if you use it again?  Why?

*  Did you give concrete / specific examples?