10/30/14 Lesson Reflection

This lesson, I was observed by Liz during third period of my Earth Systems Science class. This
lesson we were reviewing prior material as well as building new material on top of the material the
students have already learned and been introduced to. This lesson I was introducing Experimental
Design and applying it to the content they had already been learning in their unit; the properties of
water. With this lesson, because I was not present when the prior knowledge had been presented, I
thought it was very appropriate to use a pre-assessment. As my pre-assessment, I gave the students a
concept map depicting the process used during the Scientific Method. Students were to complete the
concept map, and then as a class we evaluated their achievement. This indicated what I needed to
review and what the students could easily recall. This pre-assessment was key, as I could not have
introduced Experimental Design if the students were not sound and experienced with the Scientific
Method.
I thought my lesson went pretty well with my main concern being classroom management. I was
very pleased how my classroom behaved. I hope I am commanding respect by giving them respect. I
really enjoyed the lab the kids were participating in that lesson, however I would do it differently when
done again. I had the students pick one out of three experiments exploring the properties of water. To
better manage the classroom and the pace of the experiment, I would reduce the number of
experiments to one, but incorporate more than one property of water in the experiment they were to
conduct. The students were aware of the expectations for the lab as I repeated them several times, and
had a student repeat them back to me after I was finished.
When I am in my own classroom I will be able to display and discuss all the objectives and
standards. I was not comfortable with discussing the 21st Century objectives or literacy objectives

because they are not familiar with these, as they are only shown their content objective for the day.
When I am able to move into my own classroom those objectives will be part of our daily routine!
I realized in this lesson that I need to make myself cards listing my lesson plan with my essential
questions! I had such good essential questions posed in my lesson plan, and I just got so caught up in the
lesson and pacing the experiment, that I completely forgot to ask my questions. Liz suggested I write
them down on index cards, and that is exactly what I am going to do. I want to ask those, I need to ask
those, and the cards will be visual and direct reminders of what I need to ask them.
Overall, with the feedback I was given I am confident I am on the right track and am doing good
things in my classroom that benefit my students in their academic process. I have things that I need to
work on, but that will be the case for the rest of my teaching career!