Razia Balqees

Entry # 3
Teacher Interview
1. How often do you write the lesson plans?
The lesson plans are written on weekly basis (objectives that are to be taught in the month
are decided during the 3 hour monthly planning). There is a 3 hour planning every 1st
Tuesday of the month. I plan the lesson for the day in the morning while the students are
in planning.
2. What types of materials do you need available when you plan lessons?

Curriculum guide/pacing guide.

Lucy Calkins Unit of Study

The other ELA Teacher & facilitator (if available)

3. In what ways do you plan to accommodate individual differences in the classroom?

Each student has their own needs. For example, the ESL students have a completely
different lesson plan than the rest of the class.
4. What are some of your instructional challenges as a teacher?

Differentiation there is a spectrum of levels in my from from K-5

There is never one lesson going oneach child needs a specific plan.

5. What have been some of your instructional successes as a teacher?

Leveling assessments

Timing of mini lessons

6. What do you consider essential characteristics for successful teaching?

Compassion

Understanding

Flexibility

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7. How often do you students receive writing, social studies, science instruction?

Social Studies 25 min

Science 1 hr

Writing 1 hr

8. Are you satisfied with the amount fo time that you currently allot for writing?
Yes, because writing is incorporated in other lessons as well.

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Reflection
Describe: What did I observe?
The teacher answered any types of questions I had even if it was a repeated question she still
answered it. I observed great enthusiasm she had toward her job. When I was asking questions
about how she manages her classroom, I noticed she had a lot of accommodations depending on
the adjustments she had to make for her lessons.
Analyze: What do I think (opinions, thoughts, comments, questions) about what Ive
observed?
I absolutely agree with differentiation challenges; our class had a wide variety of learning
spectrum and differentiating can be hard at times. It can be tough to try to fulfill every students
need especially ESL students. The ESL students didnt speak any English; these kids need fulltime attention in order for them to learn effectively from each lesson. There isnt enough time
that can be spent on just one group; the whole group needs the teachers attention. Some students
get left behind because there isnt enough time and the teacher needs to move on. There is too
much to teach and not enough time to allow the kids to fully grasp the concepts of the
curriculum. Leveling assessment can be very challenging; there are students of many levels in
the classroom and developing activities that will fulfill each students need can get very tough.
Appraise: How did this observation influence me as a future teacher?
I would definitely want to be an organized teacher and be able to pull out lesson plans in case of
emergency. My teacher planned the months lesson plan in the 3 hour lesson plan, which is great.
The 3 hour planning is so effective and allows the teacher to get so much of planning done
compared to daily lesson planning. Using the time when the students are in Specials can be a

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great way to utilize your time to gather material for the day (if the Specials are in the beginning
of the day). My teacher also kept notes on each student (especially the trouble makers) and she
used an app called mClass to keep up with the records of the students, which is a great way to
keep track of what adjustments need to be done with each student.