Observation 2

I. Observation II
Planning
II. Grade:
First
III. Students:
IV. Setting
First grade class
Same- age (7 year olds) classroom, 24 students, 1 head teacher.
V. Pre- Observation:
Observations were conducted on November 7th, 2016. This observation is to examine
the planning process. In order for me to prepare, I read The Guide to First Grade ( Shira
Ackerman, MA).
VI. Data:
The morning starts with the students write in their journals. They can write about
anything. The students have to be doing something, they cant just sit there. This is the
time when the teacher gets organized and keeps up with her emails and gets ready for the
day. After that, they go into a different classroom and have morning meeting. The
teacher puts the daily schedule on the board for everyone to see. There is a set schedule
but the teacher doesnt go by it. The students get a homework folder at the beginning of
the week with worksheets and turn it in on Fridays. The teacher has an emergency
substitute plans in case of need of a substitute. The teacher has monthly lesson plans.
They are using Fundations. They use level reading groups. Their science curriculum is
changing because the standard of science is changing. They do writing workshop
literacy.
VII. Analysis:
There are two first grade classes so the two teachers have one set lesson plans for the
entire month. The teacher doesnt believe in homework so each student has a homework
folder they get in the beginning of the week. This includes spelling words to study the
week for the spelling test on Friday, a project that might have been assigned, and a math
worksheet. The teacher says it helps her and the students that the schedule is on the
board so they can keep track of it.
VIII. Recommendations:

I recommend the two first grade teachers to work more together. The students need more
time to practice writing. I recommend they do more activities with writing and reading
so they can practice it and get better at it. It states, First grade is a crucial year for
building reading skills. In 1st grade students begin to define themselves as what kind of
readers they are ( Shira Ackerman, Ma). In other words, first grade is the start of
building up writing and reading skills. If they dont have the core skills for writing and
reading in first grade, it will be hard to catch up.
IX. Post- Observation:
It was overall a good time to observe the planning process of the first grade.
X. Citations:
The Guide To 1st Grade | Parents | Scholastic.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://
www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/collection/what-to-expect-grade/guideto-1st-grade