Elementary Education Program

Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Formal Observation Reflection

Directions: Complete the reflection questions and submit your response to your observer prior to
having a post-conference to discuss the observation. If a conference is held immediately after the
observation, you will submit your responses to the observer the following day via email.

Name: Hannah Weyher Date: December 4th, 2019

1. How effective were your instructional strategies? What changes would you make in your
instructional approaches if you taught this lesson again? Why?

We were very efficient with our time during the lesson. If would have allowed the students to
spend more time on the family tree and given them a starting outline rather than them starting from
scratch. I would approach discuss more about the students’ families too and have them reflect on their
families values as well. I would have them go home and collect information from their family and
come in the next day ready to share a few things they value.

2. Compare how students actually responded to the lesson verses the way you anticipated they would
respond. Explain how you scaffolded or extended students’ thinking.

We scaffolded the students thinking by using the questions in the book to promote student-to-student
discourse. We engaged them in a think-pair-share and briefly responding with a “pinky-partner”. This
went very well I thought because the students were being asked specific, guided questions that allowed
them to create a simple answer. They got very involved and everyone was wanting to share their
answers and culture with the class.

3. Describe how you assessed whether your students achieved the objective of the lesson. Was this
effective? If not, what would you change about your assessment?

We assessed the students by monitoring their conversations during the pinky-partners and think-pair-
share to see if they demonstrated knowledge on the concepts we have been discussing through the read
aloud. This was important to see if students understood what different parts of culture were or if they
needed more knowledge on it. We also had them create a family tree which was part of the assessment
in that students needed to reflect on their lives and have discussions with other students. The
assessment for the family tree was not based upon accuracy it was directed towards seeing if the
students put effort into the activity and the conversations they had. Many students were discussing
their siblings, parents, great-grandparents which engaged them into discussions we were hoping they
would have.

4. How effectively did you motivate your students, set and enforce expectations, and handle
transitions? Would you change anything and if so, why?

Our students were motivated because of the subject we were discussing so that was not an issue
engaging them. I would implement more expectations during the read aloud because since the students
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

were very excited about the topic, they kept having side conversations about various topics of their
culture. This was great they were extremely interested in what we were discussing but, it was difficult
to keep the read aloud going since we kept having to shut down conversations. I would set an
expectation that students show a thumb up if they are interested or enjoy a various part of culture we
are reading so they can still feel that they are actively engaged but, are not disrupting the read aloud.

5. Did you make modifications to your lesson plan during the lesson? If so, what were they and what
motivated these changes?

We did not make any modifications.

6. How did you meet your Teaching Behavior Focus? If you did not meet it, what would help you to
meet it next time?

Our Teaching Behavior Focus was having students being engaged in the content which I would say we
met that focus. Our students were very engaged during the read aloud with the interactive reading and
images displayed. We could extend this more by having students partner up and compare cultures with
a Venn Diagram to have them not only get to know their peers’ cultures more in depth but, create a
more powerful student-to-student discourse scenario.