STUDENT TEACHER EVALUATION

Student Teacher: Delia Barrientos

School/Cooperating Teacher/Grade Level/Room: JFK Elementary School/ Amy
Wallace/ Grade K
Supervisor: Dr. Lauren Delisio
Observation 2: February 16, 2017

Summary of Pre-visit Conference/Goals for this lesson:

Take notes on student work. Meeting with students is not enough! Taking notes
on their progress, their struggles and successes with an activity is helpful in
catering instruction to fit their needs. This lesson incorporates that aspect. I want
the notes to be meaningful and specific to the skills they need to work on or have
mastered.
Including all students. In small groups, sometimes students can get over excited
or one can overpower another child. The small group allows for the teacher to
more easily analyze how students are doing and to give individual attention. I
want to be able to balance the involvement of all students and to ensure that all
are equally given attention.

Student Teacher Reflection:

After observing quite a few guided reading lessons, I thought I would give it a try
on my own. I worked with a group of three students that are currently reading at an A
level. In this lesson, students reviewed CVC cards as well as previewed and read a level
A text.
With a lot of activities going on in the classroom at the time of the lesson, we
completed guided reading in a different location than the students were used to. This
disruption in routine made it difficult for my students to maintain their focus throughout.
We began with CVC cards, where the students and I would sound out each individual
sound. Once the word was sounded out, the students would say what word was written on
the card. Due to their distraction, students had a bit of a difficult time with this. One
student in particular who was acting silly was not paying attention to the sounds and
frequently called out words that were different from the ones on the card. After asking
him to repeat and to try the sounds again, he often was able to correct himself. Another
student, who was seated right next to him, was more focused in the beginning of the
lesson and fed off of his silliness towards the middle. She was able to get through the
CVC cards without a problem and was confident to share her answers. The other student
seated at the table was more distracted with the location change and had a difficult time
focusing on the cards. I had gotten the students to refocus by saying, if youre ready, put
your hands on your head and other motions to which they responded.
When it was time to move on to the guided reading portion of the lesson, the
group talked about our prior knowledge. We looked at the title, Fun in All Seasons, and
the picture to discuss each season and what we do in each one. Each student was eager to
offer up an answer about activities they participate in each season. This allowed students
to pull on their background knowledge when looking at the pictures inside the story
during our picture walk and when it was time for them to read independently. Before
giving them their books, we reviewed the expectations- lay your book flat on the table,
use your pointer finger to help you read. Setting the expectations helped students as they
read and even more so, assisted me as the teacher evaluate where they are in the book and
what assistance they might need. While they read independently, some were still
distracted. One student was looking at her classmate to see what he was reading in order
to help her read the book. I paid attention to distracted individuals while keeping my eye
on the other students at the table. After students read through once, they were asked to
read another time (they are used to reading guided reading books twice). Upon finishing,
they were allowed to go back to their centers.
Overall, I thought the lesson went fairly well. Minus the distractions, the lesson
was well structured. Students had done a good job building up prior knowledge and were
definitely equipped to read the book. I also felt as though I was able to include all
students in the lesson despite the distractions. The major change I would make to this
lesson would be to continue the guided reading at the original table. This way, I could
focus more on the reading skills of each student as opposed to their behavior. This is
something I will absolutely do in the following lessons!

Supervisor Observations:
Today you taught a small group, guided reading lesson. While the class was
working in their centers, you called three students over to a small table and began
by reviewing some C-V-C words that were prepared on laminated cards (did, sun,
hip, rap, etc.). When some of the students had difficulty with a few of the ending
sounds, you reminded them to sound out each individual sound.
You were working at a different table with the students than what they were used
to, and this seemed to throw them off a bit. To get them to refocus you said, If
youre ready, put your hands on your head. In your lap. The students responded.
Next, you led the students through a book introduction, to get them excited about
the new text as well as to prepare them for some of the key concepts and words
they would encounter. You explained that today they would be working with a
new book and read the title together: Fun for all Seasons. You activated their
prior knowledge by asking the students, Whats a Season? Then, you proceeded
to ask some follow up questions to help the students to identify the four seasons,
as well as some activities that might correspond with each season, effectively
preparing them for some words they might encounter in the text. (e.g., What do
you guys do in fall? and What happens in the winter?)
After the book introduction, you handed the books out to each student, setting the
expectations for what the students should do when they received their copies of
the book: I am going to give you a book, put it right down on the table in front of
you. We are going to look at the pictures together, so don't skip ahead. Don't read
the words yet we are just looking at the pictures.
You led the students through a picture walk, asking more questions to prepare
them to read the text (e.g., What are they doing in this picture? What season do
you think it is? and What is that tool the girl is using in the picture to pick up
the leaves? Yes- it's a rake!)
After the picture walk, you instructed the students to begin reading, reminding
them to use their special reading powers their pointer powers! (i.e., Using
 their pointer finger to point to each word as they read it aloud.) First, you led them
through a choral read, explaining, We are going to read it together using our
pointer powers!
After the choral read, you asked each student to take turns reading aloud and
listened in to each student, reminding them to use their pointer powers, to use the
picture cues, and to check to see if there were enough words to say what you
think it says. They were relying almost too much on the picture cues, as well as
each other one student in particular was repeating whatever her neighbor was
reading. You reminded the students to use their pointer powers. After your lesson,
we discussed how the students distractibility was likely due to the change in
seating, as well as the fact that it was a half-day and their schedule was different.
Once the group was finished, you collected data on each individual students
reading habits.

Danielson Power Components

Planning and Preparation:
1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes
Clear alignment between objectives, standards, and assessment
1e: Designing Coherent Instruction
Thoughtfully planned learning groups
Structured lesson plan
Learning activities are matched to instructional outcomes.
Clear directions and procedures specific to the lesson activities

Lessons that support instructional outcomes and reflect important concepts

Classroom Environment
2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
The teachers response to a students incorrect response respects the students
dignity.
Talk between teacher and students and among students is uniformly respectfu

Instruction
3c: Engaging Students in Learning
The pacing of the lesson provides students the time needed to be intellectually
engaged.
Most students are intellectually engaged in the lesson.

3d: Using Assessment in Instruction

The teacher elicits evidence of student understanding during the lesson
Students are invited to assess their own work and make improvements.
Feedback includes specific and timely guidance for at least groups of students.
 Recommendations:

For the student who was having a hard time focusing, I would give him something
like a fidget toy
I would have reviewed the blends, as well as CVC words that were used in the
text, because many of the words had beginning blend sounds (play, skate, swim,
sled) and that seemed to be where many of the students had trouble.
When you noticed that a lot of the students were struggling, it might have been
beneficial to stop the individual reading and lead the students through an echo
read.

Danielson Framework