lOMoAR cPSD| 6861666
Identifies Growth Opportunities
MSCIN, Western Governors University
D629 – The Reflective Practitioner
Instructor: Chasity Dean-Anthony
Submission Date: 9/12/2026
Lesson Information:
Grade level: 5th
Subject: Mathematics
• Curriculum: Big Ideas Learning B.E.S.T. Standards for Math (Florida)
, lOMoAR cPSD| 6861666
• Lesson: Adding and subtracting decimals and using rounding to estimate if sums
and differences are reasonable (Chapter 3 Lesson 5)
A1: Discuss the decisions you made during planning, instruction, and assessment for this
lesson, focusing on the processes you used.
During the planning stage, I wanted to make sure that students at every level felt
included. From my experience teaching this lesson last year, I recall that many students found it
one of the "easier" ones. However, on the other end of the spectrum, I remembered how a few
students were still struggling with the mechanics of adding and subtracting whole numbers.
Given this gap in foundational knowledge, it was expected that some students would find the
lessons inherently challenging. Accounting for this, I planned the following:
• The usual gradual release model is the core of the lesson, teaching the concepts
and gradually removing scaffolding so students can gain independence with these
skills on their own. This catered to a majority of students in the class.
• I prepared a few "challenge questions" in multi-step word-problem form to make
sure that early finishers and high-achieving students remained engaged and busy.
• I planned to have a 10-15-minute small-group session with students who were not
yet confident with the material, where I could provide more individualized
scaffolding and re-teach the mechanics of addition and subtraction at a slower
pace and in greater depth. While I held this small group, I had a partner work
assignment prepared for the rest of the class.
Identifies Growth Opportunities
MSCIN, Western Governors University
D629 – The Reflective Practitioner
Instructor: Chasity Dean-Anthony
Submission Date: 9/12/2026
Lesson Information:
Grade level: 5th
Subject: Mathematics
• Curriculum: Big Ideas Learning B.E.S.T. Standards for Math (Florida)
, lOMoAR cPSD| 6861666
• Lesson: Adding and subtracting decimals and using rounding to estimate if sums
and differences are reasonable (Chapter 3 Lesson 5)
A1: Discuss the decisions you made during planning, instruction, and assessment for this
lesson, focusing on the processes you used.
During the planning stage, I wanted to make sure that students at every level felt
included. From my experience teaching this lesson last year, I recall that many students found it
one of the "easier" ones. However, on the other end of the spectrum, I remembered how a few
students were still struggling with the mechanics of adding and subtracting whole numbers.
Given this gap in foundational knowledge, it was expected that some students would find the
lessons inherently challenging. Accounting for this, I planned the following:
• The usual gradual release model is the core of the lesson, teaching the concepts
and gradually removing scaffolding so students can gain independence with these
skills on their own. This catered to a majority of students in the class.
• I prepared a few "challenge questions" in multi-step word-problem form to make
sure that early finishers and high-achieving students remained engaged and busy.
• I planned to have a 10-15-minute small-group session with students who were not
yet confident with the material, where I could provide more individualized
scaffolding and re-teach the mechanics of addition and subtraction at a slower
pace and in greater depth. While I held this small group, I had a partner work
assignment prepared for the rest of the class.
