Half Hollow Hills School District

Building Formal Pre Observation

Id

Teacher

Building

Department Cert Type

3565 Courtney Freer West Hollow (053) ENL

Tenure Date Opened Observation Date Observer

Professional Tenured 10/18/2016

10/13/2016

Date Closed

Milton Strong 10/24/2016

Lesson Plan Content

Briefly describe the students in this class, including those with special needs? How have you used this information to plan for this lesson?
(Component 1b)
There are 22 students in this class.
There are 12 females and 10 males.
Of the students enrolled in this
particular class, 5 are English
Language Learners, 3 females and
two males. Of the five students,
one is a second-year Commanding
(Level 5) student, one student is
Expanding (Level 4), one is
Transitioning (Level 3), one is
Emerging (Level 2) and one is an
Entering student (Level 1) who is
new to the country and has been in
the U.S. less than six months. The
students are from many different
countries and speak many different
languages. They speak Spanish,
Haitian Creole, Urdu, and
Vietnamese, respectively.

Why are these goals suitable for this group of students? (Component 1c)
The goals for the lesson are
suitable for this group because they
support both district and state
expectations as well as standards.
Students will be using their
knowledge of the English language,
expanding their vocabulary, utilizing
the previously learned topic of
annotation. The outcomes are clear
& rigorous, and take into account
each childs specific learning style
and stage of language
development while making a strong
connection to the curriculum and
standards posed by both the
district as well as the State of New
York. It is imperative to the hold the
children accountable to a high
standard, but at the same time
support for each child in order to
provide for success at their ability
level.

How does this lesson support district priorities and state standards?
This lesson supports the district
priorities and state standards. It is
specifically geared toward a Literary
unit we have been working on
learning about the different types
of literary devices. This unit includes
literary devices such as, symbolism,
alliteration, hyperbole,
foreshadowing and
characterization. Students will
analyze the excerpt My Name
from the book which contains the
vignette, The House on Mango
Street by Sandra Cisneros in order

Half Hollow Hills School District

Page 1 of 2

to create their own name poem.

How do these goals relate to broader curriculum goals in the discipline as a whole or in other disciplines? (Component 1c)
One of our major focuses this
quarter has been centered on
literary devices. Upon the
completion of our first grammar
unit, we began a focus on literary
devices. Next, we read the excerpt
My Name like a reader. Then we
re-read the excerpt and began
instruction on how to annotate and
analyze literature. This is referred
to as, reading like a writer. We
took notes on the topic and taught
the students how to annotate and
take notes. We will continue the
unit with the short story, Thank You
Mam.

What difficulties do students typically experience in this area, and how do you plan to anticipate these difficulties? (Component 1a)
At this level, most of the ENL & some of the Gen. Ed children tend to have
a difficult time getting themselves started when it comes to independent work. This sometimes occurs even after we will model and provide
explicit instructions. Therefore, I have taken this into account when planning the lesson and plans to scaffold and give visual cues as well as
guidance to ensure understanding of the topic. In addition, I will allow for the use of translators for students who are new to the country.
Students will be working in groups in order to assist one another with technology as well as to share ideas. These groups will be homogenous
and tiered. The groups will be planned in advance. I will be working with the ENL group while Ms. Clark will be circulating and working with the
other groups, focusing her attention on the lowest tier group.
Lastly, student will be provided a list of character in order for students to more readily identify them in lessons. Students who need further support
are also welcome to use their annotated notes from the excerpt.

What instructional materials or other resources, if any, will you use? (Attach sample materials you will be using in the lesson.) (Component
1d)
To develop this lesson I used:
-PowerPoint Prepositions
-The Half Hollow Hills CSD Curriculum for ELA 6th grade
-my knowledge of literary devices
-note taking skills

If applicable, describe how the planning of this lesson reflects recommendations made during prior informal/formal observations and
professional conversations.
The planning of this lesson reflects
multiple conversations with
colleagues, specifically my coteacher, Ms. Marybeth Clark, and
administrators, to align with our
individual lessons to be more
rigorous and in tune with the NYS
Common Core Standards.

Teacher Comments
Teacher comments pertaining to observation setting. List any items you might want to call to the attention of the Administrator.
While teaching, I strive to teach the 4 pillars of ENL instruction which is listening, speaking, reading and writing of the English Language. However,
my lessons also center upon the journey and life lessons. This is interweaved with historical significance and ELA curriculum as it applies to their
other core classes and their daily lives. I have worked hard to create a comfortable and risk-free environment in which ENL students feel safe to
learn and make mistakes. I scaffold all of my lessons and review our overall ongoing ideas daily.

Observational Focus (optional):

Half Hollow Hills School District

Page 2 of 2