Literacy Lesson Observation, Reflection, & Recommendations

Location: Tuckahoe Elementary School Date: March 19, 2018

Grade Level: 3

Topic or Focus of Lesson: Ship Wreck (highest two sections of reading groups)

Homework:
Reading / L.A. 1. Read 2. Reading Log
Math: Fractions Test Tomorrow
Science: Simple Machines Test FRIDAY.

Objectives: What objectives were apparent in the lesson? If there was a lesson plan
available, did the objectives in the plan match the ones you observed being taught?

Yes, here are some of the ways the teacher met objective set in the lesson plan.
Authors Purpose – “give me proof” “What does this evidence tell you?”
Used vocabulary - “amused” about penguins wearing sweaters, lets me know that its
entertain. Another student comment was entertainment and gave examples.
There is not just one example if it is the authors purpose, he does this through the whole
book and the teacher did a good job explaining there is one main purpose.

Teaching: What did you see the teacher do? What teaching techniques were used? Pay
attention to materials, grouping options, instructional strategies, pacing…

“Go on a text hunt for words with suffixes.” Student: What is that again? Teacher: “You
tell me.” Students recorded a few examples on a sticky note. Students went right into the
text and got to work. Teacher was still watching all of the other students in the room
while working with her group. Most important part: let each student answer. Teacher
discusses feelings with students.

Students: What were the students doing? How were they engaged in the learning? Were
they engaged in the learning? Any off-task behaviors?

Students had a good balance of raising their hands and being able to ask questions with
the teacher as they silently read. It was a very managed.
Students at their desks in the last rotation got off topic. Some people were staring in
space.

Interesting observations: What did you see that was interesting, unusual, surprising…?
  Students have been using texts that correspond with what they are learning in
other subjects. The have been learning about lifecycles and got to read “Monarch
Butterfly,” then when they were learning about important figures they read
another nonfiction book by National Geographic Kids “Rosa Parks.”

 The classroom rules listed were a classroom 34’s Bill of Rights- just loved that!

 There was good classroom layout, kids were about to spread out and be in their
own spaces.

 They work in a reading notebook with sections at each rotation. They record at
read to self what book they are working in and how much they read.

 At small group they record new words and their definitions, they are also
encouraged to record new words at their desk or at home.

Questions you have after the lesson about the teacher, teaching techniques, students,
content of the lesson, literacy learning, literacy instruction, etc. What did you leave the
lesson reflecting on, wondering about, etc.?

After the lesson I had a lot of questions about the literacy notebooks the students were
using. She brought these notebooks to their school.

Positives: List two positive things (related to literacy learning) you observed from each:

Teacher Students

1. Did not need to look at any lesson Students were all involved at table.
plans. She was a natural working Each of them were searching in the
with them and covering all types of text.
things they were learning. It was
not just a lesson on a
comprehension skill. There was
grammar, spelling, reading all in
there.

2. Teacher has the routine very clearly
established. Each student knows at
the timer to switch and what to
switch to.
Students around the room were
working on a writing about a picture
on the board. The picture on the board
was of two dogs, one with silly string
covering his nose.
Students were writing really creative
stories with the pictures. Giving the
dogs names and characters.
Support: List two areas in which you could assist or support the teacher with the
instruction of the lesson in Ideas 1 and 2 below. For Ideas 3, 4, and 5, list support
specific to the standards listed in the idea. Include the specific standard # you would
be assisting the teacher with, a description of your suggestion, and cite a resource
the teacher could use (this could be a textbook, article, website, video, book or any
other resource that could enhance or extend their lesson). Even if the lesson is
absolutely wonderful, consider what adaptations for individual literacy needs (both
high and low) might be made, what extensions could follow, etc.

Support:
Idea 1: ILA standard #
Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea

Idea: Celebrating Ourselves As Writers

Book: BECOMING A LITERACY ELADER
Suggestion: Celebrating writing while letting other students read it is a great way to get
students excited. Hanging writing in the room or hallways is a great way to create
anticipation in students. The text supports the idea of reading wall sign ups and school
wide reads. As a leader/coach in the classroom I would like to ask the teacher what she
sees working best in her class while giving examples listed in the texts. To start this
discussion I would recommend activities that foster writing creativity and ways to take
reading and writing outside of their notebooks.

Reasoning: While the students rotate to the group table to work with their teacher during
guided reading they are doing a lot of writing at their desks. The students write during
one rotation about a picture on the board, writing and using descriptive language the best
they can. At another rotation students did read to self, working on their book and then
using their reading log to record what they read, and how far. At the end of the week the
teacher goes into the folders and looks over what they have done for the week. I do not
believe that is enough to make students feel like writers and sharing opportunities are
being missed for other students to learn from each other.

Idea 2: ILA standard #

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea

Idea: Demonstrating Close Reading

Book: Read, Write, Lead – Reading and Writing Priorities
Suggestion: Work with the teacher on implementing analytic reading in guided reading.
Reasoning: The teacher gave the students the book and told them the title before they
began reading. Instead of modeling how she wanted them to read she had them begin
reading right away. They did a lot of great things in text after they were finished reading
but this would have given students a great model of what to be thinking about while they
read beforehand. Slowing down and reading a page, explaining what words stuck out,
what the reader can now predict, etc. is a great way to practice a variety of skills.

Idea 3: ILA standard # 5.1

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea
3.1 The student will use effective communication skills in group activities. a) Listen
attentively by making eye contact, facing the speaker, asking questions, and
summarizing what is said. b) Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other
group members. c) Explain what has been learned. d) Use language appropriate for
context. e) Increase listening and speaking vocabularies.

-Asking and responding to group members questions. This is a part of the standard they
were working on that was not obvious in my observation. Self-determining learners
(examples on pg. 308 of RWL) are able to apply knowledge to different content and in
new contexts. Questions that were asked could have been set up to have more student-
centered discussion. As a coach I would model the use of this giving myself time to walk
around the classroom and observe the other students.
-The students have a vocabulary section where they also could have come up with
definitions if given the opportunity to.

Idea 4: ILA standard # 5.2

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea
e) Identify the author’s purpose.
 (example)
A few students gave inaccurate answers for authors purpose in the second group. It was
clear the lesson had been taught before but there were no visuals for students who were
getting confused. There was also not enough support for students who did not have an
answer, those students who did not participate may not have any idea what was being
talked about. A visual like this could have been just what they needed to recollect the
three reasons authors choose to write. Teachers can find good resources like this one all
over the internet! Using visuals to meet another learning style is always a good idea.

Idea 5: ILA standard # 5.3

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea

Literacy Notebooks: The notebook students are using are new as of this semester. The
teacher made them by hand and is working to teach other teachers how to use them and
make them. As a specialist in the school I would be very interested in data since
beginning these notebooks. Students have a chance to use notebooks for any vocabulary
they learn and any strategies they see modeled. Ideally this goes across the curriculum to
other content subjects. I would want data tracking students next year. I also would be
curious what is stopping other teachers? Are there concerns or are they hesitant to
change?

Vertical teams meeting about standards being met will be a good way to continue
improvements for the future of literacy notebooks. To support teachers having this
conversation I would use vertical teams, looking to hear some justication on both sides.

ILA Standards linked to this assignment:

 5.1: Design the physical environment to optimize students’ use of traditional
print, digital, and online resources in reading and writing instruction.
 5.2: Design a social environment that is low risk and includes choice, motivation,
and scaffolded support to optimize students’ opportunities for learning to read and
write.
 5.3: Use routines to support reading and writing instruction (e.g., time allocation,
transitions from one activity to another; discussions, and peer feedback).

Lastly, I would use all of the positive things that I saw the teacher do as a part of
the conversation. I would use self-reflection to avoid pointing out small things
she knows could have gone better or usually go better. I would ask for her tools
and resources for the activities I thought went really well.
 Literacy Lesson Observation, Reflection, & Recommendations
Location: Greenwood Elementary School Date: March 13, 2018

Grade Level: 5

Topic or Focus of Lesson: Parts of a Story

Objectives: What objectives were apparent in the lesson? If there was a lesson plan
available, did the objectives in the plan match the ones you observed being taught?

The objectives/work that was done after their reading at their seats was not even
mentioned during the read aloud. If it was just a read aloud and not shared reading there
still could have been a little more direction guiding them to the work they were about to
do at their desks.
Objective: students are learning about important American figures and spent a great deal
of time learning about influential African Americans during black history month.
Objective: worksheet touched on parts of a story: main idea, supporting details, setting,
time, characters.

Teaching: What did you see the teacher do? What teaching techniques were used? Pay
attention to materials, grouping options, instructional strategies, pacing…

Book: “Henrys Freedom Box”

By: Ellen Levine
Brought all of the students to the carpet first to read the story. Did not ask and predicting
questions or give any sort of book walk.
Teacher did stop and ask the students how the story made them feel when the teacher
read the page about the slave being separated from their family.
She did not change inflection of her voice during reading speech and thoughts of
characters. She seemed in a rush to finish and not observant of students varying levels of
engagement.

Students: What were the students doing? How were they engaged in the learning? Were
they engaged in the learning? Any off-task behaviors?

Students were very engaged, they intently paid attention to the teacher. One student had
their head in their hands and was dismissed back to their seat. Turned out the book was a
little to emotional for him, so sweet.
Interesting observations: What did you see that was interesting, unusual, surprising…?

It was interesting that some students raised their hands and waited to be called on, and
they were never heard. The students who shouted out what they through were heard and
able to talk with the teacher. I felt bad for the kids who were following the rules. While
the students who were shouting out were not doing anything wrong I think the teacher
could have been clearer on her preferred method of response.

Amazed at the variety of times the students finished their work.

Questions you have after the lesson about the teacher, teaching techniques, students,
content of the lesson, literacy learning, literacy instruction, etc. What did you leave the
lesson reflecting on, wondering about, etc.?

What was the point of the worksheet at their desk? What specific skill was this trying to
improve?
Do students get to choose if they can sit on the carpet? Or do they have to sit on the
carpet for shared reading.

Positives: List two positive things (related to literacy learning) you observed from each:

Teacher
Wrote above grade level words
1. pertaining to the text for the
students on the board.
As students worked at their desks
2. the teacher used proximity to
monitor and formative assess
completion.
Students
Students were engaged for the most
part and seemed to affected enough by
the story to feel some empathy for the
character and people during this time
period.
Students engaged with prediction
questions while making interesting
observations from the pictures and
title, based on what they have been
learning in history. (Assuming that is
where the knowledge is coming from
based on the work around the room.)

Support: List two areas in which you could assist or support the teacher with the
instruction of the lesson in Ideas 1 and 2 below. For Ideas 3, 4, and 5, list support
specific to the standards listed in the idea. Include the specific standard # you would
be assisting the teacher with, a description of your suggestion, and cite a resource
the teacher could use (this could be a textbook, article, website, video, book or any
other resource that could enhance or extend their lesson). Even if the lesson is
absolutely wonderful, consider what adaptations for individual literacy needs (both
high and low) might be made, what extensions could follow, etc.

Support:
Idea 1: ILA standard #
Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea

Incorporate more of what the students are working on in other content areas!! Students in
fifth are working so much on civil rights and history that there could have been a lot more
connection between the two. Slavery and the Civil War have a lot of texts to support
discussion and classroom debates. Debate SOL skills listed below.
Teacher support and adequate reading supports with buddy reading is another way to
work with students.

Idea 2: ILA standard #

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea

Bring in news reports to reading experiences. This is another way for students to see new
formats. Students should get the full support they need while at this level gaining
independence and team building skills. The teacher can check for understanding in ways
other than worksheets like the one given just skimming the surface of skills. Checks for
understanding can be accurate summaries, vocabulary check, mind maps (RWL pg. 130).
While putting students in front of the standards like the text states there will be more
meaningful learning experiences.

Idea 3: ILA standard # 5.1

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea: Becoming a Literacy Leader.

Teaming this teacher up with someone else who has new and interactive styles of
teaching but does not have examples of rich texts is a good way for a specialist to build
collaboration between master teachers.
Incorporate a “Contents of Literacy Notebooks” these notebooks will give current and
specific assessments set by the district. This is a good way to unify across the board.
When working on unifying teachers should meet regularly working from the end goal of
a rubric backwards.

Idea 4: ILA standard # 5.2

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea
 3.11 The student will write a short report. a) Construct questions about the topic. b)
Identify appropriate resources. c) Collect and organize information about the topic into
a short report. d) Understand the difference between plagiarism and using own words.

3. 11 – A
Exit Ticket: students are able to leave the room once they have asked a question about the
text read. This would be good way, even anonymously for students to practice a
comprehension strategy in a way other than the very basic worksheet given. If anything,
it is a way to increase how much students are writing. Producing their own text is
supported in all research!

This would be a time to follow Routmans suggestions on giving new ideas to improve
carefully. Just a small way to improve what is being done.

Idea 5: ILA standard # 5.3

Description of idea.
Resource the teacher can use to support this idea

3.11 The student will write a short report. a) Construct questions about the topic. b)
Identify appropriate resources. c) Collect and organize information about the topic into
a short report. d) Understand the difference between plagiarism and using own words.

Read Write Lead pg. 152

“Embrace the Reading/Writing Connection”
There was a HUGE chance to use the empathy students were feeling for Henry to write
beautifully about their feelings and thoughts. Not to mention the way the author used
descriptive writing to explain characteristics of each person. Writing a response to the
reading could have been a good way to include reaction, interpretations, observations,
etc.

ILA Standards linked to this assignment:

 5.1: Design the physical environment to optimize students’ use of traditional
print, digital, and online resources in reading and writing instruction.
 5.2: Design a social environment that is low risk and includes choice, motivation,
and scaffolded support to optimize students’ opportunities for learning to read and
write.
 5.3: Use routines to support reading and writing instruction (e.g., time allocation,
transitions from one activity to another; discussions, and peer feedback).