Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Elementary Education Program

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: Elise Saenger-Heyl Date: November 10, 2017

1. To what extent were learning outcomes appropriate and achievable to your students?
My learning outcomes were appropriate and achievable as students were able to
successfully converse about the history of the North Carolina Constitution. As students
read and discovered new information, they could converse in small group and whole-
group, looking at new ideas of taxation and government structure, and seeing how
these affect a constitution. Students were also able to see how history affects a legal
document, and the changes that came out of that.
2. How effective were your instructional strategies? What changes would you make in
your instructional approaches if you taught this lesson again? Why?
My instructional strategies were effective in taking a complex topic and allowing
students to engage with the material. Using a jigsaw reading gave support to those for
whom reading is not a strength and gave the opportunity to engage for students who
were able to easily read and understand. Involving movement with the tableau activity
gave students a chance to summarize their understanding and engage with the
material.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of your oral and written communication with students.
(Consider how well you communicated learning objectives, clarity of directions, use of standard English, quality of
questions and effectiveness of discussion techniques.)
I was able to communicate with all students by circulating around the room during the
jigsaw activity. This allowed me to see progress and provide probing questions to
those needing more assistance. I gave instructions orally and provided them in written
form on a PowerPoint. This allowed for more success with a complicated activity such
as a tableau. I also engaged students in small group discussions during the jigsaw and
in whole-group discussions to summarize the jigsaw.
4. Evaluate the level of student engagement in your lesson . (Consider how you presented the
content/skills, the activities and assignments for students, grouping of students, and structure and pacing of the
lesson.)
The majority of students were engaged with the lesson. Most students found at least
one part of the lesson, either with reading, taking notes, discussing, or with the tableau
movement activity. These activities were helpful in providing a variety of different ways
to gain conceptual understanding. Some students were less engaged or had difficulty
working with their group during the jigsaw. For these students, more support was
needed to help them begin to engage, either through their peers or through probing
questions.
5. How effectively did you use instructional materials, resources, and/or technology?
Technology was used throughout to provide instructions and information. A PowerPoint
was presented throughout the lesson to provide information and avoid confusion. The
PowerPoint also laid out learning outcomes and specific instructions. Other resources
used included a written article on the history of the North Carolina Constitution, a
 graphic organizer to help students organize thinking, and a paper on which students
could record thinking on the warm-up activity.
6. To what extent were your assessment strategies effective? What changes would you
make in your assessment approach if you taught this lesson again? Why?
My assessment strategies were effective, as students were able to engage in
conversation about history and its effects of government, and therefore the
constitution. This was aided by the assessment of probing questions. Graphic
organizer responses were also effective in gauging student understanding. I would
include another summary assessment, likely a writing opportunity, in which students
could think about how history changed the constitution to reinforce these connections.
7. To what extent was your feedback to students accurate, substantive, constructive,
specific, and/or timely?
Feedback to students was given in a timely manner, as I was able to circulate around
the room as students were working. I was also able to give feedback during the whole-
group discussion occurring after the jigsaw. Feedback included probing questions,
specific comments on historical implications, and discussions of effects of
amendments to the constitution.
8. To what extent did the classroom management and environment contribute to student
learning? (Consider your classroom procedures, your use of physical space, and the students conduct.)
Classroom management was vital to ensuring the success of the lesson. Students
were placed in groups specifically to ensure mixed abilities and personalities that
would work well together. Most groups were successful, and those that were not just
required additional support from peers or from myself.
9. Did you make modifications to your lesson plan during the lesson? If so, what were
they and what motivated these changes?
I made one modification to my lesson plan. After the student did the jigsaw read of the
article for the history of the NC constitution, I used the PowerPoint to record what they
shared out, so that it would be accessible to the whole class. Using this to record their
thoughts, I was able to use their language so that the information displayed to their
classmates came directly from the students themselves. This proved to them the
importance of their jigsaw activity and projecting it for the whole class made it
accessible for all students.
10. Was your Teaching Behavior Focus goal met?
My teaching behavior of providing higher order questioning was met during the
discussion with students after the jigsaw activity, and throughout the small group work
during the jigsaw activity. As we came across new topics and ideas that required
analysis to understand, I brought it up to the whole class to discuss. This led to
discussions about different events in history related to North Carolina government.