Name: Click or tap here to enter text. Date of Reflection: 2026
TFE 800.42 Interactive Field Experiences in Planning Learning: Part 2
A well-planned lesson solves many of the problems a teacher faces before they enter a classroom.
Intentionally crafted activities that scaffold student learning to meet standards can help ensure students
progress throughout the year. Well-chosen, differentiated activities provide a teacher with the ability to
teach all students effectively and keep them on-task. Also, a lesson plan with prepared time-
management paired with a range of activities can help a teacher with classroom management as many
behavior issues in the classroom stem from boredom. As you spend time observing these classrooms
during this field experience, pay special attention to how the teachers carry out their lesson plans. What
evidence do you see that teachers planned for instruction, developed the lesson sequentially, delivered
instruction that met student needs, and provided time for practice with provided specific feedback? In
your reflection, refer back to previous coursework to connect what you saw in the classroom with what
you learned about planning instruction.
Please download these reflection questions before you visit a school and use them to guide your
notetaking and observations. After you have completed and verified five clock hours of classroom time at
a TEA approved school, please complete this reflection fully and completely. Your 5 hours of classroom
time requires one reflection. If you visited multiple teachers or multiple classes during your five hours,
your single reflection should reference all the teachers and classes.
Once completed, please upload this reflection to the Planning Learning Reflection Submission page in
TFE 800.42
Reflection Questions:
1. In TCR 401: Understanding Rigor, you learned about Costa’s Three Levels of Questioning – Text
Explicit questions, Text Implicit questions, and Experience-based questions. Describe the
different types of questing strategies you observed the teacher(s) use. At which of Costa’s Three
Levels were most of the questions? Give specific examples. What would you do differently in the
lesson you observed to include more rigorous and engaging questions?
During my five hours of observation across [Ms. Smith's 5th-grade ELA class] and [Mr.
Jones's 8th-grade History class], I noted a variety of questioning strategies. The teachers
used a mix of direct questions, prompting, and probing to engage students.
The majority of the questions I observed fell into Costa's Level One (Text Explicit) ,
which are literal, "right there" questions. For example, in the ELA class, after reading a
passage from Holes, Ms. Smith asked, "What is Stanley's last name?" and "What is the
name of the camp?" In the History class, Mr. Jones frequently asked questions like,
"What year did the Civil War begin?" or "Who was the President of the Confederacy?"
These questions were effective for checking basic comprehension and recall.
There were some instances of Costa's Level Two (Text Implicit) questions, which
require students to analyze and infer. For example, Mr. Jones asked, "Why do you think
, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the war?" This required
students to connect evidence from the text and draw a conclusion. Ms. Smith also asked,
"Why might the author have chosen to start the book with a description of the desert?"
which prompted students to infer the author's purpose.
I observed very few Costa's Level Three (Experience-based) questions, which go
beyond the text to connect to the world, other subjects, and students' own experiences.
What I would do differently: To elevate the rigor and engagement in the lessons I
observed, I would intentionally plan for more Level Two and Level Three questions. For
instance, after confirming the factual details about the Civil War, I would pose a Level
Three question like, "Based on what we've learned about the causes and effects of the
Civil War, what do you think are some of the most significant challenges a country faces
after a major conflict like this? Can you make a connection to a modern event you're
aware of?" In the ELA lesson, instead of simply asking about the character's name, I
would build upon it by asking, "How does Stanley's last name being 'Yelnats'
foreshadow his role or challenges in the story? (Level Two) and then, "Have you ever felt
like your family's history or name affected your own identity or how others perceived
you? (Level Three). This would push students to think more deeply, make connections,
and engage in a more meaningful discussion.
2. Describe the openings for two or three lessons or activities you observed. How did the teacher
grab students’ attention early and help them know what to anticipate in the lesson? How
effective was their method and why?
Lesson 1 (Ms. Smith - 5th Grade ELA): Ms. Smith opened her lesson on similes and
metaphors by placing a basket of random objects on each group’s table. She said, "In a
moment, you're going to choose an object and describe it to your partner, but you
cannot say what it is. For example, if I choose this rock, I might say, 'It is as hard as a
stone,' but that's not very creative, is it?" This activity was a highly effective hook. The
unexpected "mystery object" immediately sparked curiosity and engagement. It
activated prior knowledge about descriptive language in a fun, low-stakes way. After a
few minutes, she transitioned by saying, "Great job! What you were just doing is the
heart of our lesson today: using creative comparisons to make our writing more vivid.
These are called similes and metaphors, and we're going to learn how to use them in
our own writing." This effectively set the stage by connecting a fun activity to the explicit
learning objective.
Lesson 2 (Mr. Jones - 8th Grade History): Mr. Jones began his class on Reconstruction
by projecting a powerful photograph of a formerly enslaved family from 1865. He asked
students to spend 2 minutes writing down everything they noticed in the photo and
what questions it raised for them. This method was moderately effective. It quickly
TFE 800.42 Interactive Field Experiences in Planning Learning: Part 2
A well-planned lesson solves many of the problems a teacher faces before they enter a classroom.
Intentionally crafted activities that scaffold student learning to meet standards can help ensure students
progress throughout the year. Well-chosen, differentiated activities provide a teacher with the ability to
teach all students effectively and keep them on-task. Also, a lesson plan with prepared time-
management paired with a range of activities can help a teacher with classroom management as many
behavior issues in the classroom stem from boredom. As you spend time observing these classrooms
during this field experience, pay special attention to how the teachers carry out their lesson plans. What
evidence do you see that teachers planned for instruction, developed the lesson sequentially, delivered
instruction that met student needs, and provided time for practice with provided specific feedback? In
your reflection, refer back to previous coursework to connect what you saw in the classroom with what
you learned about planning instruction.
Please download these reflection questions before you visit a school and use them to guide your
notetaking and observations. After you have completed and verified five clock hours of classroom time at
a TEA approved school, please complete this reflection fully and completely. Your 5 hours of classroom
time requires one reflection. If you visited multiple teachers or multiple classes during your five hours,
your single reflection should reference all the teachers and classes.
Once completed, please upload this reflection to the Planning Learning Reflection Submission page in
TFE 800.42
Reflection Questions:
1. In TCR 401: Understanding Rigor, you learned about Costa’s Three Levels of Questioning – Text
Explicit questions, Text Implicit questions, and Experience-based questions. Describe the
different types of questing strategies you observed the teacher(s) use. At which of Costa’s Three
Levels were most of the questions? Give specific examples. What would you do differently in the
lesson you observed to include more rigorous and engaging questions?
During my five hours of observation across [Ms. Smith's 5th-grade ELA class] and [Mr.
Jones's 8th-grade History class], I noted a variety of questioning strategies. The teachers
used a mix of direct questions, prompting, and probing to engage students.
The majority of the questions I observed fell into Costa's Level One (Text Explicit) ,
which are literal, "right there" questions. For example, in the ELA class, after reading a
passage from Holes, Ms. Smith asked, "What is Stanley's last name?" and "What is the
name of the camp?" In the History class, Mr. Jones frequently asked questions like,
"What year did the Civil War begin?" or "Who was the President of the Confederacy?"
These questions were effective for checking basic comprehension and recall.
There were some instances of Costa's Level Two (Text Implicit) questions, which
require students to analyze and infer. For example, Mr. Jones asked, "Why do you think
, the Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the war?" This required
students to connect evidence from the text and draw a conclusion. Ms. Smith also asked,
"Why might the author have chosen to start the book with a description of the desert?"
which prompted students to infer the author's purpose.
I observed very few Costa's Level Three (Experience-based) questions, which go
beyond the text to connect to the world, other subjects, and students' own experiences.
What I would do differently: To elevate the rigor and engagement in the lessons I
observed, I would intentionally plan for more Level Two and Level Three questions. For
instance, after confirming the factual details about the Civil War, I would pose a Level
Three question like, "Based on what we've learned about the causes and effects of the
Civil War, what do you think are some of the most significant challenges a country faces
after a major conflict like this? Can you make a connection to a modern event you're
aware of?" In the ELA lesson, instead of simply asking about the character's name, I
would build upon it by asking, "How does Stanley's last name being 'Yelnats'
foreshadow his role or challenges in the story? (Level Two) and then, "Have you ever felt
like your family's history or name affected your own identity or how others perceived
you? (Level Three). This would push students to think more deeply, make connections,
and engage in a more meaningful discussion.
2. Describe the openings for two or three lessons or activities you observed. How did the teacher
grab students’ attention early and help them know what to anticipate in the lesson? How
effective was their method and why?
Lesson 1 (Ms. Smith - 5th Grade ELA): Ms. Smith opened her lesson on similes and
metaphors by placing a basket of random objects on each group’s table. She said, "In a
moment, you're going to choose an object and describe it to your partner, but you
cannot say what it is. For example, if I choose this rock, I might say, 'It is as hard as a
stone,' but that's not very creative, is it?" This activity was a highly effective hook. The
unexpected "mystery object" immediately sparked curiosity and engagement. It
activated prior knowledge about descriptive language in a fun, low-stakes way. After a
few minutes, she transitioned by saying, "Great job! What you were just doing is the
heart of our lesson today: using creative comparisons to make our writing more vivid.
These are called similes and metaphors, and we're going to learn how to use them in
our own writing." This effectively set the stage by connecting a fun activity to the explicit
learning objective.
Lesson 2 (Mr. Jones - 8th Grade History): Mr. Jones began his class on Reconstruction
by projecting a powerful photograph of a formerly enslaved family from 1865. He asked
students to spend 2 minutes writing down everything they noticed in the photo and
what questions it raised for them. This method was moderately effective. It quickly
