1st Observation

 My 1st observation was a reading comprehension lesson using Enemy Pie. My class consisted of two students both rising 4th graders. Both of these students have reading comprehension goals on a 2nd grade level.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Lesson Topic:  Reading Comprehension                                                                 Date: 7/7/25

 

 

Taught: Recall Key Ideas and Details. Students use evidence from the text to support their answers. Revisits parts of the story to use text and illustrations to support thinking. 

 

What went well: The lesson had a nice flow. We started with the read aloud. Then, I asked the students some key idea and detail questions. We went back into the story using a flipchart of the story,  to help answer some of the questions. We made a class chart of; what the dad did to help his son get rid of his enemy, what the boy's job was, and what the boy did with his enemy (Jeremy) that day. The students filled out the graphic organizer with the enemy pie 'recipe'. The students were able to connect the story to their own lives. They also discussed how getting to know someone can change your perspective of them. The enrichment activity included choice. The students could either; write a story about a time they turned an 'enemy' into a friend OR how they would use the 'enemy pie' strategy in real-life. 

 

What did not go as planned: We had issues with some other students who were supposed to join but did not.  I did not included a behavior goal. My resource teacher mind thought this was supposed to be a goal for like staying on-task, or blurting out, like an undesirable behavior. 

 

How to change for subsequent lessons: I will put the students' learning goals in the lesson and match the criteria for assessment so that it goes with it. There needs to be criteria that shows mastery of the goal. I could also provide a range for early finishers by having students with lower ability draw a picture. I could have also allowed for a wider range for students to show their thinking using sentence starters or drawing a picture. 

Comments from university supervisor:  For the observation of the lesson itself, Mrs. Hensley stated the following: 

• Did not use an assessment that aligns with a behaviorally stated objective for the lesson because no behaviorally-stated objective was given. It seems like the boy (I wasn’t sure of the students’ names), would have a higher criterion than the girl would have (which would be given in the lesson plan). She seemed to be a little lower in ability than he was.  

• I enjoyed this lesson. Good use of wait time and having students explain why they were thinking that way. I really think that YouTube read along was a great tool. Your questions really encourage higher level thinking. 

For comments on the lesson plan, Mrs. Hensley stated the following comments; · 

* No goals or objectives given. Do all the students have the same goal or do they have different criteria? (Suggestion: Given a graphic organizer about Enemy Pie showing places for character, setting, problem, sequence, ending and lesson, the student will be able to correctly complete 5 out of the 7 places.)

* No criteria given. (Using the sample goal above, the criteria would be completing 5 out of 7 places correctly).

* Evidence- based practices – no references cited (You mention 5 things, but no article or website was cited)

* #7 Enrichment – what will students who finish early. – you had them write a story. You can also have the students with lower ability draw pictures.

* #8 individual differences – specific differences – Student A will be working with sentence strips. Student B will be drawing his own picture of enemy pie. Student C will be using sentence starters.