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:Erika Stancil Date:12/10

1. To what extent were learning outcomes appropriate and achievable to your students?
My learning out comes were very achievable with my students. We reviewed the
concepts each day to ensure the students remembered and kept using the new terms
they were taught.
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. I was teaching about 40 children, which
allowed for a more diverse conversation to happen as there were many more students
adding their thinking, but this also meant each individual student got less time to speak
up. If I taught this lesson again I would have used different materials on the last day for
the children, it would have been nice if they would have been able to bring their
instruments home.
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 effective with my oral and written communication. My students had written
directions as well as the oral directions I provided in the beginning of the lesson and
reminded periodically. The quality of questions could have been deeper, I had so many
questions I had planned on asking the questions but there is only so many we could
get to with all of the students wanting to share for each individual question.
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.)
While I did have some students who were off task, a majority of the students were
engaged and actively participating. I tried to make the material relatable, such as using
a book about children making a lemonade stand or a shark tank video of children
making a drip drop product to catch ice cream dripping off a cone.
5. How effectively did you use instructional materials, resources, and/or technology?
I tried to use the Smartboard as a visual at all times to follow along with the oral
language I was using. When I was going over definitions, I thought it would be helpful
to have the definitions on the board. Sometimes students may not hear what was said,
or space off for a minute. Allowing students to read and hear the same sentence gives
a better chance that the definition maybe remembered easier.
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 informal and insightful. While I assessed my students
grasp of the knowledge during discussions, the written responses provided written
proof of how the students were doing. If I were to change anything I would have had
 more written assessments, so the students could demonstrate how much they learned
without the help of a partner, or listening to what other students in the class said.

7. To what extent was your feedback to students accurate, substantive, constructive,

specific, and/or timely?
I addressed all of the students ideas and comments immediately after the students
spoke. I looked over the students work at the end of the lesson, and thought through
what the students wrote. Some students forgot to answer each question, or
misunderstood what was being asked of them, so after point out the error the students
immediately fixed it.
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.)
My classroom management kept my students on task, which allowed the lesson to
flow at a timely manner. My students understood that for each question they needed to
raise their hand, and not to speak over someone else. This allowed for everyone who
wanted to speak up they have the chance over the course of the lesson to participate.
9. Did you make modifications to your lesson plan during the lesson? If so, what were
they and what motivated these changes?
I changed the timing over small things through the course of the lesson. As I was
teaching two classes at once, some areas needed to be shorted and none of the
extended work for those who were done early was able to be accomplished.
10. Was your Teaching Behavior Focus goal met?
Yes, my teaching behavior focus was met.