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OBSERVATION #5

Observation 5: Instruction

Emily Weigand

Raritan Valley Community College

Professor Kathryn Suk

December 11, 2021

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OBSERVATION #5

I. Observation #5

Instruction

II. Grade Level and Subject Area:

Pre-Kindergarten

III. Setting:

Classroom type is inclusive general education, in a private daycare setting which is

located in an urban area, with one teacher, one teacher’s aide and ten students; four

girls and six boys.

IV. Pre-Observation:

For this pre-observation, I sat down with my cooperating teacher and asked her some

questions based on the rubric for this specific observation report. My teacher said that

since she teaches in a private daycare setting, she does have to follow along with New

Jersey’s Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. However, she uses the Tools of

the Mind curriculum, which was chosen by the director of the school. When I asked

her if she has any tools she likes to use for her lessons, she said that she has a few

memberships to online resources where they have sample lessons and worksheets she

incorporates into her own lessons. My teacher also mentioned that she not only lesson

plans with her assistant teacher, but she also shares lessons with all of the other

preschool teachers in the same hallway as her. Every teacher in the school has to

submit their plans the Thursday before the week they are being used, and they are

submitted to the director of the program. My teacher said the biggest way Covid-19

changed the planning process is by making it so the students need to be socially

distanced to a degree. Even though it might not be a state requirement anymore, the
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director at the school kept the protocol in place to where students need to be spread

out. This obviously changes a lot of group activities and projects the teachers had

planned, and modifications are often needed. In addition, they need time built into the

schedule for cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing. This makes transitioning from one

lesson or activity to the next that much more difficult the teacher needs to take some

focus away from the class to clean surfaces and anything that was being used.

V. Data:

 The teacher had the class sit on the carpet, and mentioned that they were

going to review colors.

 She then split the class in half and had one group walk over to the table to join

the assistant teacher and the other group stayed on the carpet with her.

 On the carpet, students played a card game where they had a color on a card,

and they had to identify what color it was. Then, they would flip the card over

and ask who has that color. The student with the color just mentioned would

say that they have it, then flip their card over and ask who has that one.

 At the table, students had worksheets with a few different objects on them.

They went through each object and talked about what color it is supposed to

be, then colored it said color.

 After about ten minutes, the groups switched.

 After both groups got a turn at each station, the class joined back on the carpet

to read a book about colors.

VI. Analysis:
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OBSERVATION #5

This lesson was differentiated to meet the needs of all learners by having a teacher

sitting with the group assisting students the whole time. If clarification was needed or

someone was struggling with a concept, the teacher was right there to help. By having

the teacher very hands on with the lesson, it allowed for her to observe progress and

make mental notes of who needed what kind of further support. The book at the end

of the lesson was also a nice closing activity, and repeated information back to the

students that they heard earlier.

VII. Recommendations:

Being there to observe this lesson, I believe that it was executed very nicely, and I

would personally not change much. I did not notice any particular student struggling,

and the whole class seemed very involved in the card game. I think it was the perfect

balance of fun while still learning and reviewing material.

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OBSERVATION #5