Self-Evaluation of Classroom Instruction

Student Name: Abigail Lutjelusche Lab Section: 003

Date: 2/12/2024
Lesson Observed: The History of FFA

Competency Reflection Notes

Connecting with Students
Were you ready for instruction?

Did you:

· know your content?

· use familiar analogies?

Yes. I knew my content well and was prepared for
· practice what you asked students to do? instruction – I had print outs of the reading so that we
wouldn’t have to mess with each student downloading an
· prepare varied instruction at an appropriate level? electronic version. I incorporated two levels of Bloom’s –
varied instruction.
Did you help the students engage in the
content?
Did you: In my lesson plan – yes – I did this through a review
· gain student interest and attention before beginning bellringer of the content that we had gone over the day
(contextual set)? prior.
· pause when attention was interrupted?
There were no interruptions during my demonstration
· maintain students' attention?
Students were attentive.
Processing Content (Designing/Delivering Instruction)
Essential Question
Did you use an essential question or bell ringer to establish
the focus of the lesson? Did you:
The EQ focused the lesson.
· know the language of the learners?
· USE the question through the lesson to gain feedback Questions were used throughout to gain feedback on
from students? where students were through the process/directions.

· use clear and concise language? Language was established.

Objectives presented
Did you state/present the lesson objectives? Did you:
· communicate a clear objective, using verbs, for what
students should be able to do at the end of the lesson?
· assess/summarize with students based on the objective?
Student Engagement in Learning
Did you clearly define the activity and excite the learner to
engage in the learning process?
· could students connect to the learning?
· did you activate students’ thinking and encourage
students to do the work of learning?
Yes – I shared the objectives with the class. In my ideal
classroom, I will have a board for both EQs and objectives
to be displayed throughout the entire day.
Summary was well-achieved through the use my timeline
and questions, formative assessments, etc. throughout
Students were somewhat able to connect to the learning.
Some ideas that I have for the future are – including
asking students about what events have shaped their
lives, inviting an (older) community member who was in
FFA to discuss their experience, and a potential
roleplaying connection
Timeline was useful for engagement.
Summary/Closure
Did you summarize all key elements of the lesson? Did
you:
· assess/summarize with students based on the objective?
Engaging & Adjusting to Students (Facilitating Learning)
Yes – Assessed identify 5 key events as students taught
each other in AB each teach
(Would) assess interpret through student discussion in
TPS

Checking for understanding

Did you confirm students knew essential concepts from the
lesson? Did they:

· use questions to confirm learning?

Yes – used questions throughout, asked students to share
· solicit specific feedback to help students self-assess? out in TPS, exit bellringer would elicit feedback students
can use to self-assess.
· can students reproduce what was taught?
Smooth transitions
Did you plan and implement transitions within the lesson to Yes – planned transitions between learning activities.
connect within and between ideas? Transitions connected objectives.
Instructional adjustments
Did you adjust to instructional disruptions? Did you:

· adjust to student behavior?

No instructional adjustments were needed in lab.
· vary timing/methods in relation to student understanding?
Questioning
Did you use questions to effectively check for
understanding and encourage students to think? Yes, used lots of questions. TPS incorporates more, too.
Reflection Summary (~250 words, with specific references to reflection notes)
Using the space below and your reflection notes above, please reflect on:
1. What went well?
2. How did the teaching methods used positively or negatively impact instructional outcomes?
3. What changes will you make based on this reflection of your teaching?

1. Overall, my lesson was successful and implementation of my plan in lab was smooth. One thing that I
feel I do a good job of is planning my lessons. Not only do I feel I do a good job of filling out my lesson
plan and being sure to include all the parts of a lesson, but I also do a good job of developing lesson
materials that support student learning—in this case, my Google Slides presentation. Another thing that
went well in this lesson was my incorporation of the timeline which increased student engagement. This
allowed students to be up and moving around. Further, it hopefully helped provide for learners in
another part of Kolb’s Learning Cycle. One final thing that I think went well throughout this lesson, and
that I mentioned throughout the above reflection, was my use of questioning. I can use questioning in a
variety of ways—as checks for understanding, as transitions, and as learning activities.
2. The teaching method of AB Each Teach positively impacted instruction in several ways. First, it helped
decrease the reading load for each of the students. Some students may have difficulty reading, so by
decreasing the overall amount of reading, students should have ample time to complete it. Further, by
decreasing the amount of reading, students will be able to think more deeply about their portion versus
trying to decode an in-depth article. Additionally, this method had the positive impact of students
teaching one another. Sometimes students get tired of learning from their teacher and may learn better
from peers. The method of Think-Pair-Share positively impacted instructional outcomes because it was
 used to ensure that every student was meeting the learning objective. In other words, by using think-
pair-share, I was able to assess if my objective of Interpret… was being met.
3. In future versions of this lesson, I will be sure to include a student connection of – “What events have
shaped your life?” This will help drive home the points of the impact of key events and what makes an
event key. Additionally, I may consider adding a portion where students role play/ put themselves in the
shoes of someone who was a part of each of my 5 key events. This potential addition also functions as
another “box” to use as a functional piece of the lesson—it can or cannot be used based on time
availability.
 Self-Evaluation of Classroom Instruction
Student Name: Abigail Lutjelusche
Date: 3/25/2024
Lesson Observed: The Importance of Animal Handling
Techniques
Competency
Connecting with Students
Were you ready for instruction?
Did you:
· know your content?
· use familiar analogies?
· practice what you asked students to do?
· prepare varied instruction at an appropriate level?
Did you help the students engage in the
content?
Did you:
· gain student interest and attention before beginning
(contextual set)?
· pause when attention was interrupted?
· maintain students' attention?
Processing Content (Designing/Delivering Instruction)
Essential Question
Did you use an essential question or bell ringer to establish
the focus of the lesson? Did you:
· know the language of the learners?
· USE the question through the lesson to gain feedback
from students?
· use clear and concise language?
Objectives presented
Did you state/present the lesson objectives? Did you:
· communicate a clear objective, using verbs, for what
students should be able to do at the end of the lesson?
· assess/summarize with students based on the objective?
Student Engagement in Learning
Did you clearly define the activity and excite the learner to
engage in the learning process?
· could students connect to the learning?
· did you activate students’ thinking and encourage
students to do the work of learning?
Lab Section: 001
Reflection Notes
Yes. I felt that I was thoroughly prepared for instruction in
advance of the lab. I read through the material that I
provided to students before hand. – I underlined key
information that I hoped the students would find & created
potential questions for the seminar. I used Bloom’s at 2
varying levels to meet students in an appropriate way. I
also practiced what I asked students to do by engaging in
discussion with them.
Yes, the students engaged in the content. I gained
students interest in the topic by asking them about past
experiences with animals (bellringer 1.) I also maintained
student interest by designing activities that required them
to actively participate. No major interruptions existed.
Yes, I utilized both an essential questions and bellringer to
establish the focus of the lesson. I also shared the lesson
objectives with the students, so that they would know what
our goals were for the day.
Yes, I used the language of the learners throughout the
lesson. I accomplished this by asking them to relate
content back to personal experiences and asking probing
questions.
Yes, I shared the objectives with students. During my
lesson, I stated that these were our goals for the day and
that by the end of class, we should be able to do these
things. Sharing objectives in this way helps make them
more applicable and useable for students.
Yes, students were connected to the learning by the
incorporation of sharing about their personal experiences.
By having students share experiences before doing the
reading and seminar, it helped remind students of the
relevance of this topic in their lives. Yes, all students were
motivated to think through discussion that engaged all
students.
Summary/Closure
Did you summarize all key elements of the lesson? Did
you:
· assess/summarize with students based on the objective?
Engaging & Adjusting to Students (Facilitating Learning)
Yes, I included a summary within my lesson—both after
each activity and as a summative review at the end of the
lesson. No formal (summative) assessments were
administered, but formative assessments were used
throughout in accordance with the lesson objectives.

Checking for understanding

Did you confirm students knew essential concepts from the
lesson? Did they:

· use questions to confirm learning? Yes, I confirmed that all students knew the essential
concepts from the lesson. I directed questions to each
· solicit specific feedback to help students self-assess? student individually and had groups share out to confirm
that all students were participating.
· can students reproduce what was taught?
Smooth transitions
Did you plan and implement transitions within the lesson to Yes, I planned a connection between my activities and
connect within and between ideas? objectives that helped to make the transition smooth.
Instructional adjustments There were no student behavior issues that arose in this
Did you adjust to instructional disruptions? Did you: lesson. I did have to work to adapt my lesson to
accommodate a student via Zoom. When using discussion
· adjust to student behavior? methods, this is harder, but we made it work. I also
learned from this and if I ever have to adjust going forward,
· vary timing/methods in relation to student understanding? I have a better understanding of how to do so.
Questioning Yes, the questions I used encouraged students to think.
Did you use questions to effectively check for Additionally, they were an applicable measure of student
understanding and encourage students to think? understanding.
Reflection Summary (~250 words, with specific references to reflection notes)
Using the space below and your reflection notes above, please reflect on:
1. What went well?
2. How did the teaching methods used positively or negatively impact instructional outcomes?
3. What changes will you make based on this reflection of your teaching?

1. One thing that went well during this lab was the foundation that I set for the Socratic seminar. When
using a discussion method that partially values student opinion, it is important to protect the opinions
and views of all students. Further, it is necessary to create an environment in which all students feel safe
and encouraged to share. I successfully did this through my inclusion of ‘ground rules’ for students to
follow. Additionally, I provided sentence starters for students to frame their ideas in an effective,
communicative way. Another thing that went well from this lab was my inclusion of a reflection/review
piece. When orchestrating discussion in classes, it is often easy to miss the review piece. However, this is
the piece that students often benefit from the most. As such, I made it a priority to include reflection,
and I feel that it added to the overall benefit of my lesson.
2. The teaching methods that I used aided in meeting the instructional outcomes that I curated for this
lesson. That said, with a class this size, I do not know if these methods are the ones that I would choose
every time. While I certainly see the value of discussion, it is hard to reach the full potential of a Socratic
seminar with so few people. I do think that I could consistently use snowball discussion in a class this
size. In fact, I think a smaller class size is more ideal for this method, as it prevents the students from
having to discuss the same question repeatedly and decreases the risk of students getting off topic.
3. If I were to implement this lesson in a real class, the first change that I would make has to do with the
pacing. In the future, I would frame this activity so that the reading and question writing takes place the
day before the Socratic seminar. Perhaps I will also incorporate a research component to this day. Then,
on the second day of the lesson, we would spend the whole time completing the seminar. This will allow
more focus on student questions and allow the discussion to dive deeper. I likely will keep the snowball
discussion component. Another change that I could make is diving deeper into the experiences that the
students share from their bellringers. I could connect potential “negative” experiences to the content
more so than I did in this lesson.
 Self-Evaluation of Classroom Instruction
Student Name: Abigail Lutjelusche
Date: 2/26/24
Lesson Observed: Color Changing Flowers
Competency
Connecting with Students
Were you ready for instruction?
Did you:
· know your content?
· use familiar analogies?
· practice what you asked students to do?
· prepare varied instruction at an appropriate level?
Did you help the students engage in the
content?
Did you:
· gain student interest and attention before beginning
(contextual set)?
· pause when attention was interrupted?
· maintain students' attention?
Processing Content (Designing/Delivering Instruction)
Essential Question
Did you use an essential question or bell ringer to establish
the focus of the lesson? Did you:
· know the language of the learners?
· USE the question through the lesson to gain feedback
from students?
· use clear and concise language?
Objectives presented
Did you state/present the lesson objectives? Did you:
· communicate a clear objective, using verbs, for what
students should be able to do at the end of the lesson?
· assess/summarize with students based on the objective?
Student Engagement in Learning
Did you clearly define the activity and excite the learner to
engage in the learning process?
· could students connect to the learning?
· did you activate students’ thinking and encourage
students to do the work of learning?
Lab Section: Dr. Husmann
Reflection Notes
Yes, I felt prepared for this lesson and was thoroughly
familiar with the content. I was able to connect the content
to experiences of the “students.” Rylie was able to make
the connection that a stem is kind of like a straw. I used
various levels of Bloom’s in preparing for instruction. The
students were able to move and sit.
Yes. I used a very clearly defined attention getter/ interest
approach at the beginning of my lesson. The intention here
was to focus students on the content and spark thought of
“Why?” in their head as we headed into the lab. I checked
in multiple times with students while they were working
and monitored their activity/ ability to stay on task.
I used both an essential question and bellringers to
establish the focus of the lesson. By including a bellringer
at the end of the lesson, I am able to formatively evaluate
the students and assess if they were able to answer the
essential question.
I used questions throughout. I also had students define
terms, such as hypothesis, in their own words to maintain
a common language. I also defined adhesion and
cohesion.
While I did ensure that students were meeting both
objectives in this lesson through formative questions and
their worksheet, I did not present the specific objective to
the students.
Yes. Students were given very clear directions of what
they were supposed to do throughout the lesson. In
addition to movement, students were also engaged
through answering questions and filling out their
worksheets. I connected the experiment to student
experiences with farming.
Summary/Closure
Did you summarize all key elements of the lesson? Did
you:
· assess/summarize with students based on the objective?
Engaging & Adjusting to Students (Facilitating Learning)
Yes. All the key points were brought together in a
summary at the end of the lesson. I did this through the
question, “How might this information be beneficial to us?”
and a TPS.
Student completion of the objective would be assessed
through their worksheet.

Checking for understanding

Did you confirm students knew essential concepts from the
lesson? Did they:

· use questions to confirm learning? Yes. I used lots of questions to check for understanding
throughout my lesson. I also feel like I did a good job of
· solicit specific feedback to help students self-assess? addressing these questions to specific students. This helps
to avoid a situation where a questions goes unanswered
· can students reproduce what was taught? because the students want someone else to answer.
Smooth transitions Yes. I planned for there to be a few transitions within my
Did you plan and implement transitions within the lesson to lesson. By planning in the “box” method, it helps the
connect within and between ideas? transition(s) to be seamless. I also notice that this method
makes the lesson seem more complete.
Instructional adjustments
Did you adjust to instructional disruptions? Did you:
There were no major disruptions to instruction. One thing
· adjust to student behavior? that I did have to adapt from my lesson plan to lab was the
amount of time that I allowed students to have at each
· vary timing/methods in relation to student understanding? flower coloring station.
Questioning Yes. I used lots of questions. I also think I did a good job of
Did you use questions to effectively check for allowing students enough wait time before asking for their
understanding and encourage students to think? responses on any given question.
Reflection Summary (~250 words, with specific references to reflection notes)
Using the space below and your reflection notes above, please reflect on:
1. What went well?
2. How did the teaching methods used positively or negatively impact instructional outcomes?
3. What changes will you make based on this reflection of your teaching?

1. One thing that went well during my lab lesson was the seamless nature of the lesson. All of the elements
of a lesson plan are very clearly evident in my lesson (plan) but to students in the class (and to me as a
teacher, even) it did not feel like I was going through each piece to “check a box.” I credit this
seamlessness to using Mr. Knoll’s method of planning in “boxes.” This also helps to ensure that if there
were a major disruption to instruction, I would have a clear starting point to re-orient the students.
Another thing that went well was my planning ability (first box on here.) I thought through the lesson
and how I saw it playing out as I was creating this lesson plan. Further, I considered other additions and
ways of completing the lesson in my planning process. This helped me to consider what activities would
be most beneficial to students.
2. By using the method of inquiry, I was really able to boost student engagement and interest in the lesson.
Further, this method created a tangible connection between the experiment and real-world for the
students. In other words, the students who had experience fertilizing a field or a houseplant had a solid
visual for the path that nutrient takes and by what mechanism it gets there.
3. Based on how this lesson went, I think I will incorporate some more information on adhesion and
cohesion into the lesson. I do have reference material (the last link) that includes a video and some
visuals, so I may begin here. While the content was there in my lesson today (I verbally communicated
it), including a visual or other explanation will help reinforce the idea and will certainly help my visual
learners.