Katie Matz

Dr. Schmidt

SED412

April 24, 2023

Unit Plan Reflection

When I first started thinking about this unit, I had no idea where I wanted to start. I talked

with Dr. Mozzone and I learned that she has a set packet she likes to use when doing the poetry

unit with her tenth grade. She gave me the packet to use, but I talked with her and made some

adjustments. I added in various poems, including the spoken word poem “Somewhere in

America”, various Amanda Gorman works, and other poems to make sure I was including

diverse voices in the packet that also tied in with social justice. Amanda Gorman is a prime

example of activism and power against the norms of our society. I think that my identity as a

white, woman made me more aware of the need to include diverse voices that touched on social

justice and promoted change. The packet also includes diverse voices other than Gorman like

Rhiannon McGavin, Belissa Escobedo, Zariya Allen, Wang Ping, Sandra Cisneros, Tarfia

Faizullah, Alberto Rios, and Nikki Giovani. However, I do understand the poems Dr. Mozzone

included more of the “classics” like Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeares, etc. I think

that the uniqueness of this packet is that it includes the typical poets, while also including other

distinct and impactful voices.

When it comes to feedback, my first day of the unit I had Dr. Capetola came and

observed me teaching. She is the principal of Great Valley, so I definitely valued her opinion. Dr.

Capetola wrote me feedback that expressed how much she enjoyed my lesson and the way

“Students were writing, thinking, analyzing, and reading through the entire period.” I will
include the note below. I also anticipate hearing feedback from Dr. Mozzone throughout this unit

as well. I am lucky enough to have the chance to listen to Dr. Mozzone’s feedback after all of my

lessons. She has been very helpful in communicating and talking through ideas and lessons with

me. Although my unit is not over yet, I do think I would change my intro lesson to use all of the

same poems, or have the students rotate to view the other poems. I think if they had the same

poems, or viewed more of the poems, then the discussion might have been able to even take

another step deeper, as they could all participate in discussing each poem, rather than a select

few. However, I do think that overall the lesson went fairly well for an intro lesson.

In reflecting on some of the ideas to keep in mind with this unit, I tried my best to

consider each of the factors. When it comes to the writing process, I knew that with a poetry unit

I needed to have the students writing daily. Their routine always begins with a daily lens.

However, I also included in this unit multiple opportunities throughout the pages for students to

write their own poems. Although reading poetry is important, I think that allowing students to

write their own poems takes their knowledge of concepts like figurative language, rhyme, and

types of poems to a deeper level. By practicing what they are learning, it engraves these

definitions and ideas even deeper into their minds, plus it makes learning poetry more fun!

Students love the chance to write their own poems.

When it comes to assessment, I knew that I did not want to do typical quizzes or a unit

test for this unit. One of the main reasons was because their keystone is coming up and they will

be tested using a traditional test then, so I did not want to put them through it multiple times. I

also felt like I could assess their learning of these terms and ideals simply by reading their poetry

examples they create themselves, and by looking through their annotations of the poems.

Another informal assessment would be the discussions we will be having about the poems. They
also had the chance to write their own poetry to display what they learned. I also included a

jeopardy review, which will also be able to assess how much they have retained in this unit,

along with the kahoot that actually shows me their individual comprehension. My main goal was

for them to understand how diverse poetry can be and the many ways it can be constructed,

which I think was attained without a formal, traditional assessment.

Some other reflections I had while teaching this unit was the ability to be flexible. As we

were working through the packet, I realized that their attention was drifting off and we had been

doing poem labeling for maybe too long. I realized I needed to pivot and change it up a little. I

wanted them to be able to interact with each other instead of us working as an entire class like

we had been doing. Therefore, the next day I had them completing poetry writing practice in

their packet, but allowed them to move seats and sit with their friends. In order to make sure they

still completed the work and stayed on task, I assured them that I would be checking their poems

on Monday. I was a bit concerned they would be too loud, as they are usually a rowdy group,

however, they surprised me by speaking softly and focusing on their work. I think just simply

having their friends next to them made writing poetry a little better. I think that this was a great

lesson to me as a teacher planning a unit. No matter how much we plan, our plans do change and

we have to adjust to our students’ needs.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience of getting to create a unit plan from almost scratch and

include different elements that allowed all my students to feel seen. I also loved getting the

chance to hear the poetry they wrote. It gave them the ability to share some of their own

experiences and personality through their poetry. I also feel incredibly lucky to have Dr.

Mozzone to bounce ideas off of and ask questions if I am unsure of an activity or direction to
take the lesson in. However, much of this unit plan was me figuring out what works and what

doesn’t, and making the necessary adjustments.