Running head: SO 2 REFLECTION 1

Lauren Clark

Angela Hooser

EDE 4940

14th March, 2017

Supervisor Observation 2 Reflection

For my second supervisor observation, I continued to teach unit 11 in math. This part of

the unit focused on the standard: MAFS.1.NBT.3.5-Given a two-digit number, mentally find 10

more or 10 less than the number, without having to count; explain the reasoning used. I taught

this objective to build upon my students knowledge of place value and comparing numbers. I

also wanted them to start being able to use mental math to figure out what 10 more or 10 less

than a number is and this lesson helped them begin to practice that skill.

The essential question I had was How can you find 10 more or 10 less than a given

number? To have the students work on this question, I gave them the freedom to use strategies

they learned in previous lessons to answer an independent practice question focused on finding

10 less than a given number, an opportunity to work on finding 10 more than a given number

through a fun math game with a partner, and a chance to show what they knew with an

independent exit ticket.

Something that I would have done differently in this lesson was to encourage the use of

hands-on manipulatives more. I told the students that they could use any strategy they wanted

(16:32), but failed to give them the opportunity to use tools that they are familiar with. Yes, the

students could show their thinking and use drawings to help them, but this does not help students

who are kinesthetic learners. I feel as though if they knew they could use tools such as pop

cubes, number lines, and 120 charts, I would have set them up for success because they know
SO 2 REFLECTION 2

how to use these strategies, they probably just did not realize they could use them in this

moment.

Something that surprised me about this lesson was the independent exit ticket at the end.

Throughout the whole lesson, the students were able to find 10 more or 10 less than a number.

For instance, during calendar math we practiced skip counting forward and backwards by 10

from the days date together (03:46), during the independent practice the students practiced

finding 10 less than a given number and we went over the problem together using a students

work (27:10), and during the game the students worked together to find 10 more than a given

number (29:19). After all of this practice, when it came time for the exit ticket I was sure that the

students would be able to complete it with little to no problems.

Though, only four students got all of the problems right, while only a few understood

some of the problems a little bit and the rest did not understand it at all. Therefore, I feel as

though my activities and teaching methods were not very effective. I think my original plan of

giving students the freedom to use whatever strategy they wanted backfired because they were

not able to do the same thing for the independent activity. If I were to do this lesson over again, I

would be more explicit and go through each strategy the students could use (mental strategies,

drawing/quick pic strategies, and hands-on strategies with manipulatives) one by one together as

a class so then they could understand how to apply the one that works best for them more

effectively and efficiently when it comes time to work on these types of problems on their own.