Name: Zachary Rhodanz

I Observation-Getting to Know You

Alternative Ways I Got to Know My 2 Students- Describe what you learned about each child
in the alternative ways other than observations.

II LOG Format
CHILD Day of the WEEK Content: Strengths and/or Additional Thoughts:
with DATE Weaknesses (i.e.: observed learning style,
(chose 1 or 2 days per Name the content area and state S/E). You may now add
week to ensure only what you observed (hear some personal interpretation
observation of each and see) here.
content
Student 1 1/29 LA - Phonics (Short Vowels) The hesitation with complex
 Content: Introduction to words suggests a need for
short vowel sounds. more visual aids and phonics
 Strengths: Identifies short games to build confidence. Is
vowels in isolation
the request for
accurately.
 Weaknesses: Struggles
demonstrations an indication
with blending sounds to of a visual learning
form words. preference?

1/29 Science - Basic Needs of Engagement with hands-on

Plants aspects was high, yet focus
 Content: Exploring the waned during explanations.
roles of sunlight, water, Would visual storyboards or
and soil in plant growth. time-lapse videos of plant
 Strengths: Correctly growth cater to visual
identifies the three basic learning needs and sustain
needs of plants. attention?
 Weaknesses: Difficulty
understanding diverse
plant requirements.

Student 2 1/29 LA - Phonics (Short Vowels) The student's enthusiasm for

 Content: Focused on
identifying and using
short vowel sounds in
words.
 Strengths: Shows
eagerness to participate
participation is clear.
Interactive games
emphasizing vowel sounds
could help solidify
understanding while keeping
lessons engaging.
 and attempts to blend
sounds.
 Weaknesses:
Occasionally
mispronounces vowel
sounds, indicating
confusion.

1/29 Science - Basic Needs of Considering the student's

Plants active engagement,
 Content: Introduction integrating a small classroom
to how plants use garden project could provide
sunlight, water, and soil practical experience and
to grow. deepen understanding of
 Strengths: plant needs.
Demonstrates
understanding through
correct identification
and enthusiastic
participation in
discussions.
 Weaknesses: Shows
some difficulty in
applying this knowledge
to different types of
plants.

Student 1 2/5 LA - Reading Comprehension Struggle with abstract

(Main Idea) concepts suggests a need for
 Content: Identifying concrete examples. Graphic
the main idea in short organizers might help.
stories.
 Strengths: Can discuss
the main character
and setting
confidently.
 Weaknesses: Struggles
to determine the
story's main idea
independently.

2/5 Science - Weather Patterns Interest in personal weather

 Content: Describing experiences is high. Personal
and recording weather journals could make
different weather learning more relatable.
conditions.
  Strengths:
Enthusiastically shares
observations of
weather changes.
 Weaknesses: Difficulty
connecting weather
types to their
characteristics.
Student 2 2/5 LA - Reading Comprehension Vibrant engagement in
(Main Idea) storytelling sessions. Visual
 Content: Exploring aids, such as story maps,
the main idea through could reinforce
picture books. understanding of main ideas
 Strengths: Actively and details.
predicts story
outcomes and
discusses characters'
actions.
 Weaknesses: Needs
prompting to identify
supporting details for
the main idea.

2/5 Science - Weather Patterns Fascination with cloud

 Content: Observing shapes and types evident.
cloud formations and Interactive cloud
predicting weather. identification guides could
 Strengths: Shows encourage more confident
curiosity in learning weather predictions.
about clouds and their
types.
 Weaknesses: Hesitates
to make predictions
about weather based
on clouds.

Student 1 2/12 LA - Writing (Sentence Demonstrates a natural flair

Structure) for storytelling but tends to
 Content: Focusing on rush, overlooking
constructing complete punctuation. Incorporating
sentences with a sentence construction games
subject and predicate. that emphasize punctuation
 Strengths: Exhibits could be beneficial.
creativity in sentence Highlighting the importance
content. of taking time to review
 Weaknesses: work might encourage a
 Occasionally omits more meticulous approach to
punctuation, leading writing.
to run-on sentences.

2/12 Science - Animal Habitats Engages well with direct

 Content: Exploring matching activities but
various animal appears less confident in
habitats and their reasoning exercises.
importance. Implementing a "habitat
 Strengths: Accurately detective" activity, where
identifies animals and students infer habitat needs
their corresponding based on animal
habitats. characteristics, might bolster
 Weaknesses: Shows understanding and
hesitation when asked confidence.
to explain why certain
animals live in specific
habitats.

Student 2 2/12 LA - Writing (Sentence Shows promise in initiating

Structure) thoughts but needs guidance
 Content: Constructing in developing them fully.
sentences focusing on Could benefit from peer
clarity and coherence. review sessions, where
 Strengths: Able to students exchange work and
start sentences suggest sentence completions
strongly with a clear or improvements, fostering a
subject. collaborative learning
 Weaknesses: Struggles environment and attention to
with maintaining sentence completion.
focus, leading to
incomplete sentences.

2/12 Science - Animal Habitats Displays a keen interest in

 Content: Studying the animal facts, which can be
relationship between harnessed to deepen
animals and their understanding of habitats.
natural habitats. Structuring lessons to
 Strengths: Shows include a "fact and fiction"
enthusiasm in group segment might help
discussions about distinguish between
exotic animals and entertaining anecdotes and
their homes. curriculum-relevant
 Weaknesses: information, maintaining
Occasionally gets focus on learning objectives.
sidetracked with
 unrelated facts or
anecdotes during
explanations.

Student 1 2/19 LA - Vocabulary (Synonyms Enthusiasm for vocabulary

and Antonyms) games is apparent,
 Content: Introduction suggesting an interactive and
to and practice with playful approach to learning
synonyms and new words might be
antonyms through effective. Might there be an
various activities. opportunity to use visual
 Strengths: Shows good aids, such as matching cards
recall of synonyms for or a word wall, to reinforce
commonly used words. the differences between
 Weaknesses: Confuses synonyms and antonyms?
antonyms with Encouraging the use of
synonyms during some newly learned words in daily
exercises. journal entries could also
help solidify understanding.
2/19 Science - Forces and Motion The disparity between hands-
 Content: Investigating on engagement and
how different types of verbal/written explanations
forces affect motion suggests a need for strategies
through experiments that bridge experiential
and demonstrations. learning with conceptual
 Strengths: Actively understanding. Could
participates in and structured reflection
accurately predicts sessions, where students are
outcomes of guided through the process
experiments of connecting practical
demonstrating force. experiences to scientific
 Weaknesses: Struggles concepts, enhance
to articulate the comprehension?
scientific principles
behind observations in
post-activity
discussions.

Student 2 2/19 LA - Vocabulary (Synonyms There's noticeable

and Antonyms) excitement about discovering
 Content: Engaging new words but some
with synonyms and reluctance to apply them,
antonyms, identifying especially antonyms, in
them in reading context. Incorporating a
materials, and "word explorer" segment into
creating lists. lessons, where students find
  Strengths: and present new synonyms
Demonstrates a strong and antonyms, could make
ability to generate vocabulary expansion more
extensive lists of dynamic and personally
synonyms. relevant. Would pairing
 Weaknesses: Hesitates vocabulary study with
when asked to use creative writing tasks help
antonyms in sentences, students feel more
indicating a less firm comfortable using antonyms
grasp. expressively?

2/19 Science - Forces and Motion The preference for practical

 Content: Exploring over theoretical learning
basic concepts of points to an experiential
forces and their effects learner. Integrating more
on motion with a focus real-life examples and
on real-life perhaps a class project that
applications. involves designing simple
 Strengths: Shows a machines could align well
keen interest in how with this learning style.
everyday objects can Encouraging students to
demonstrate principles explain the science behind
of force and motion. their creations might offer a
 Weaknesses: natural bridge to theoretical
Sometimes misses the understanding.
theoretical explanation
in favor of focusing on
the practical
demonstration.

Student 1 2/26 LA - Comprehension Student #1's eagerness to

(Inferencing) participate suggests a strong
 Content: Engaging interest in stories, yet there's
with stories to practice a gap in connecting narrative
inferencing skills, clues to inferences. Could
understanding targeted exercises that
characters' motives, scaffold the process of
and predicting finding textual evidence—
outcomes. perhaps through highlighting
 Strengths: Shows or note-taking strategies—
enthusiasm in help solidify these skills?
predicting story Incorporating more group
outcomes and engages work where students can
actively in group discuss their inferences
discussions. might also build confidence
 Weaknesses: and understanding.
 Sometimes finds it
challenging to support
predictions with
evidence from the text.

2/26 Science - Light and Shadows The hands-on approach to

 Content: Investigating learning about light and
the properties of light shadows captivates Student
and how it interacts #1. Perhaps introducing a
with objects to create daily shadow tracking
shadows. activity, where students
 Strengths: Actively document and discuss
experiments with shadow changes, could
objects and light bridge the gap between
sources to observe observation and
shadow formations. understanding the science
 Weaknesses: Has behind it. Visual aids or
difficulty explaining models showing the Earth's
why shadows change rotation relative to the sun
size and position might also help
throughout the day. conceptualize this
phenomenon.
Student 2 2/26 LA - Comprehension Student #2's creativity is a
(Inferencing) strength in making
 Content: Focused on inferences but may benefit
developing inferencing from more structured
skills through read- approaches to distinguish
alouds and interactive between imaginative guesses
reading sessions. and inferences firmly rooted
 Strengths: Able to in textual evidence. Peer-led
make creative and book clubs, where students
plausible inferences present and debate their
about story events. inferences, could encourage
 Weaknesses: deeper textual engagement
Sometimes relies on and analytical thinking.
imaginative leaps
rather than grounding
inferences in the text.

2/26 Science - Light and Shadows The curiosity shown by

 Content: Exploring Student #2 indicates a strong
how light travels and foundation for scientific
creates shadows, inquiry. Building on this
including activities interest with more tangible
that allow examples of light reflection
manipulation of light and refraction, such as using
 sources and mirrors or lenses, might
observation of results. make these abstract concepts
 Strengths: more accessible.
Demonstrates Incorporating stories or
curiosity by asking demonstrations that feature
insightful questions these concepts in everyday
about how and why contexts could also enhance
shadows occur. understanding and retention.
 Weaknesses: Struggles
with abstract concepts
related to light, such
as reflection and
refraction.

Student 1 3/11 LA - Reading Fluency and Student #1's enjoyment in

Expression reading aloud is evident,
 Content: Practicing especially with texts they
reading fluency with feel confident about. Could
emphasis on integrating a wider variety of
expression and texts in a supportive, small
understanding group setting help build
punctuation's role in confidence and skills with
reading aloud. unfamiliar material?
 Strengths: Encouraging voluntary
Demonstrates a good participation in a 'reader's
pace and theater' could also enhance
understanding of fluency and expression in a
expression when fun, engaging way.
reading familiar texts.
 Weaknesses: Struggles
to maintain fluency
and expression with
unfamiliar or more
complex texts.

3/11 Science - Plant Life Cycles While Student #1 grasps the

 Content: Exploring life cycle conceptually,
the stages of plant life there's a gap in applying this
cycles, with a focus on knowledge linguistically.
flowering plants. Incorporating a vocabulary
 Strengths: Accurately journal specific to science
identifies and topics, where students can
sequences the stages of draw, write definitions, and
a plant's life cycle in use words in context, might
interactive activities. bridge this gap. Creating a
 Weaknesses: Shows classroom garden where
 some confusion in students can observe and
applying vocabulary document plant growth
related to the life cycle
stages could also provide a
stages in written work.practical, hands-on
reinforcement of these
concepts.
Student 2 3/11 LA - Reading Fluency and Student #2's eagerness to
Expression participate positively impacts
 Content: Focusing on their fluency development.
improving reading However, the rush to read
fluency and expression quickly may indicate a focus
through group reading on completion over
sessions and individual comprehension. Setting
practice. paced reading challenges,
 Strengths: Engages where the goal is to read with
enthusiastically with expressive clarity rather than
group reading speed, could encourage a
activities, showing more balanced approach.
notable improvement Pairing students for peer
in expression. reading sessions might also
 Weaknesses: provide opportunities for
Occasionally rushes feedback and reflection on
through reading, pacing and expression.
sacrificing expression
for speed.

3/11 Science - Plant Life Cycles Student #2's strong

 Content: Investigating engagement in practical
how seeds grow into activities offers an excellent
plants and the basis for deeper scientific
conditions necessary inquiry. Facilitating small
for each life cycle group discussions post-
stage. observation, possibly led by
 Strengths: Shows keen students themselves, could
interest in hands-on provide a comfortable
planting activities, platform for sharing thoughts
observing and and asking questions.
documenting growth. Linking each life cycle stage
 Weaknesses: Hesitates to a specific experiment or
to participate in observation task might also
discussions about the help solidify understanding
scientific reasoning and encourage more active
behind observed participation in the scientific
growth stages. discussion.

Student 1 3/18 LA - Informational Texts: Student #1 shows a clear

 Features and Comprehension grasp of the textual elements
 Content: Engaging designed to aid
with informational comprehension but may
texts to identify key benefit from targeted
features such as activities that highlight the
headings, captions, importance of non-textual
and glossaries, and information in understanding
understanding their content. Could incorporating
purpose. a scavenger hunt through
 Strengths: various informational texts,
Successfully identifies focusing specifically on
most features in texts captions and diagrams, help
and explains their emphasize their value?
purpose with minimal Additionally, modeling how
prompting. to integrate this information
 Weaknesses: into notes or summaries
Sometimes overlooks could reinforce their utility.
captions and
diagrams, focusing
mainly on the main
text.

3/18 Science - The Water Cycle While conceptual knowledge

 Content: Exploring of the water cycle is strong,
the stages of the water applying this understanding
cycle, including to broader environmental
evaporation, concepts poses a challenge.
condensation, Interactive activities that
precipitation, and simulate the water cycle's
collection. effects, such as creating a
 Strengths: mini-ecosystem or using
Demonstrates digital simulations, could
understanding of each provide concrete examples of
stage through verbal these impacts. Encouraging
explanation and questions and reflections in a
sequence activities. science journal after these
 Weaknesses: Has activities may help deepen
difficulty connecting understanding.
the water cycle's
impact on weather and
climate in discussions.

Student 2 3/18 LA - Informational Texts: Student #2's enthusiasm for

Features and Comprehension new vocabulary is a strength
 Content: Learning to that can be leveraged to
navigate and improve comprehension of
 comprehend dense informational texts.
informational texts by Pairing glossary work with
identifying text summarization practice,
features. perhaps starting with
 Strengths: Shows keen summarizing single
interest in using paragraphs before moving to
glossaries to larger sections, could build
understand new this skill. Peer teaching
vocabulary. sessions, where students
 Weaknesses: Struggles explain newly learned words
to summarize main and concepts to each other,
ideas from sections might also reinforce
with dense comprehension and
information. summarization abilities.

3/18 Science - The Water Cycle Student #2’s ability to

 Content: Investigating engage with and understand
how water moves the water cycle through
through its cycle, using models suggests a strong
models and diagrams visual learning preference.
to aid understanding. Enhancing verbal
 Strengths: Excels in explanations with visual
hands-on model supports, such as cue cards
creation and can or diagrams they can
accurately label each reference during
stage of the cycle. explanations, might boost
 Weaknesses: Less confidence and clarity.
confident in explaining Additionally, incorporating
the process verbally storytelling elements, where
without visual aids. students narrate the journey
of a water droplet through
the cycle, could offer a
creative approach to
verbalizing their
understanding.
Student 1 3/27 LA - Narrative Writing: Student #1's creativity and
Crafting Stories ability to initiate stories are
 Content: Writing commendable. Introducing
narratives that include structured storyboards or
a clear beginning, graphic organizers might
middle, and end, with help plan out narratives more
emphasis on character completely, ensuring a more
development and plot satisfying conclusion. Peer
structure. review sessions focusing
 Strengths: Shows specifically on story endings
creative ideas for could also provide valuable
 stories and can start feedback and encourage
with engaging more thought-out
beginnings. conclusions.
 Weaknesses: Endings
tend to be abrupt or
lack resolution,
indicating difficulty
with concluding
narratives effectively.

3/27 Science - Habitats and While Student #1 can

Ecosystems identify and categorize
 Content: Exploring aspects of habitats and
various habitats and ecosystems, applying the
ecosystems, deeper concept of
understanding the interdependence requires
interdependence of further exploration. Using
organisms within real-life examples or
them. simulations that demonstrate
 Strengths: Accurately how changes in one part of
identifies different an ecosystem affect others
habitats and the could clarify this concept.
organisms that live in Group projects focusing on
them. creating and presenting on a
 Weaknesses: Struggles specific ecosystem might
with explaining the also encourage deeper
concept of understanding and
interdependence collaborative learning.
within ecosystems.

Student 2 3/27 LA - Narrative Writing: Student #2’s strength lies in

Crafting Stories their creativity and character
 Content: Students are development. Introducing
tasked with developing mini-lessons on plot
their own short stories, development and pacing
focusing on narrative could help enhance
structure and creative storytelling skills.
expression. Encouraging the use of
 Strengths: Vibrant detailed planning before
imagination evident in writing, perhaps through
story ideas; able to outlining or mapping key
develop complex plot points, might also aid in
characters. achieving a more balanced
 Weaknesses: Struggles narrative pace. Writing
with pacing, often workshops where students
rushing through the can share and receive
 story, which can lead feedback on their story drafts
to underdeveloped could further refine their
plots. narrative skills.

3/27 Science - Habitats and Student #2's enthusiasm for

Ecosystems ecosystems is a great
 Content: Investigating foundation for deeper
the characteristics of learning. Enhancing
various ecosystems accuracy and understanding
and the concept of might involve more targeted
biodiversity. research assignments where
 Strengths: students can explore one
Enthusiastically ecosystem in depth. This
participates in could be coupled with
discussions about creative presentation
different ecosystems formats, such as digital
and their importance. slideshows or posters,
 Weaknesses: allowing students to
Occasionally, factual consolidate and accurately
inaccuracies creep into share their findings.
oral presentations, Incorporating peer teaching
suggesting some elements, where students
confusion or explain their ecosystem to
misunderstanding. classmates, could also
reinforce learning and ensure
comprehension.