FIFTH OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

DRAKE UNIVERSITY JIM MAYSE, STUDENT TEACHING SUPERVISOR STUDENT TEACHER: Lisa Myers MENTOR TEACHER: Annie Orsini DATE: 4/5/12 TIME: 10:55-11:25 BUILDING: Westridge Elementary

Lesson Objectives (as provided by the student teacher): Practice writing friendly letters. Use parts of a letter correctly (shared writing)
Grouping: Large Group, Small Group, Independent Study Teaching Model: Teaching presentation, Demonstration, Discussion, Question/Answer, Independent Study, Learning Centers Teaching Act: Introduction, Objectives, Input, Modeling, Comprehension check, Guided practice, Independent Practice, Review/Preview Efficient Use of Class Time/Task-Oriented Behavior: All students appeared to very task-oriented throughout most of the observation Clarity of Presentation: Very clear, Clear, Unclear to some, Unclear to many

ANECDOTAL RECORD: 10:58 Students re-entered the classroom from a rest room break. Thanks, students, for coming to the carpet so quietly. Miss Myers shared with students regarding a revision she had made concerning mailing their letters. Cooper was allowed to share her letter regarding losing a tooth. The student teacher pointed out that this was, indeed, a friendly letter. She stated, Excellent. Thank you. Using the chart tablet (students were seated on the carpet, and the student teacher was in the chair by the tablet), she visited with students about the heading, date, body, and closing. She put each on the example she had written on the tablet. She indicated they would take a look back at our letter (it had been read previously and was in a booklet, which she shared again). She allowed students to identify various parts of a letter, including p.s. Miss Myers informed students that this stood for post script, meaning they were adding something after their original writing. She then stated, Together, as a whole class, we are going to write a letter to first graders. Turn to your partners and visit about what you might like to include. After a few moments, she put her finger to her lips and said, Eyes up here. As students were sharing, she reminded them, Remember, we want to make it a friendly letter. She directed, Gavin, would you please sit on your bottom? She also directed a couple of students to move forward, closer to the group, and not under the chalk tray. As she listened to their ideas, Miss Myers wrote various student ideas on the chart tablet. {I noticed her eyes were checking on all students, as well as quickly glancing at the classroom clock}. The student teacher read their letter aloud. She asked, Is this a friendly letter? Does it have an opening, a body, and a closing? She quickly directed two boys to return to sit at their desks. She asked students, When should we mail our letters? How should we start our letters? End our letters? Remember, when you finish your letter, you may be writing another letter or other writing, but NOT coloring. 11:10 Students were dismissed to their desks to begin their writing. Miss Myers visited briefly with various individuals. She commented, Excuse me, this is a quiet activity. I shouldnt be hearing voices. She then thanked various individuals, by name, for getting started quietly. After a short amount of time, the student teacher stated, Okay, this sounds much better. As students were doing their work quietly, the student teacher checked in a cabinet and retrieved a notebook, which she carried with her. She rotated throughout the classroom, kneeling by 1

various students as she visited with them. She consistently whisper visited with students. She also checked visually with various individuals in the classroom. From time to time, Miss Myers would check with students and then record in the notebook she was carrying. 11:22 as she continued to do this, the observation concluded, and I left the classroom. SUPERVISORS COMMENTS: Lisa Very, very good observation this morning. I felt you handled the lesson exactly the way you would have had your mentor teacher been in the classroom with us. It appeared to me that you were very relaxed and in charge. You were polite with the students, and you did not allow them to get off task and/or to be a disruption to this lesson. On my way out of the building, I shared briefly with Annie that I was really impressed that I had noted a couple of students who were not doing as well as you would have wanted while they were on the carpet, and within a very short amount of time you had two boys take their seats. This was more than appropriate. Regardless of the boys incredulous looks, you nailed the right pair. As always, when you are doing something as appropriate as this, you also certainly continue to catch all other students attention. I certainly encourage you to keep up this type of accountability throughout your student teaching. I believe this will earn respect from all of your students as you continue teaching in this room. My other comments are similar to ones I have made in past observations you are doing a good job of checking the clock to make sure that you are timing your lesson the way you would want, you are doing a good job of using your eyes to check on various students as well as changing your proximity whenever it is appropriate, and you are modeling whisper talking and other such things which your students should also emulate as you continue. As I shared with you, the beginning of my morning was filled with several hectic moments, but your observation was like a breath of fresh air for me. I hope I did not appear too scattered throughout my time in your classroom. Thank you for a very fine observation. Keep up the good work, and I will see you again soon. Jim Mayse, Drake University Student Teaching Supervisor