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: Ally Schulze Date: Nov 26th 2021

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

I believe my instructional strategies were very effective as I made sure that I knew students were
understanding the material and getting the main purpose of the lesson. If I were to teach this lesson
again, I would probably actually read more and ask less questions.

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.

Students responded to the lesson just as I thought they would. They seemed to have a good
understanding of the themes in the lesson. I would extend students’ thinking by making sure that they
can make personal connections to the text.

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?

I assessed weather my students achieved the objective of the lesson based on their responses to
questions in the full group discussion. I believe this was effective however, not every student gets to
answer questions so we can never be sure if every student really does understand. We could always
have students turn and talk with a partner to be sure every student is talking.

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

I feel as if I effectively motivated my students to participate by choosing an engaging lesson and

starting with a song to get them excited and moving. I feel as if I enforced the expectations for students
to respect one another well. I also only called on students quietly sitting on their bottoms which helps
to reinforce the students behavior.
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

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

I did not make any modifications during the lesson. I taught what I had planned which is usually not
the case. Everything just went very smoothly by the books.

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

I met my teaching behavior focus by being welcoming to students, using their names, checking for
their understanding of concepts, and providing students with positive feedback.