Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

Elementary Education Program

Pre-Observation Form
Directions: This form is to be completed prior to every lesson that will be observed by the mentor
teacher or university supervisor. It is to be submitted no later than 3 business days prior to the actual
observation along with your lesson plans.

Name: Esther Yoo

Date: 11/23/16

1. What is the topic of your lesson?

The topic of the lesson is on Thanksgiving Day.
2. Why are you teaching this lesson? What is your rationale for teaching it?
This social studies lesson is a part of a holiday unit that I had been planning for in
my social studies methods course. Also, the students celebrated Thanksgiving
day last week, so I wanted the students to have a discussion about their
experiences with this national holiday and to talk about the cultural differences in
how Thanksgiving is celebrated in America.
3. What is your Teaching Behavior Focus? Why did you choose this?
I will focus on meeting needs of learners. I chose this teaching behavior focus
because my lesson focuses more on student engagement through discussions. I
chose this behavior focus because I wanted the students to have time to
incorporate their personal interests and experiences into the lesson. This is an
effective strategy to engage students and also encourage cultural appreciation.
4. Why did you design your instruction in this lesson the way that you did? Why did
you choose this way of teaching the lesson (e.g., Was the idea from a methods
course? From your mentor teacher? Another source?)
I designed my instruction in this lesson to be more heavily focused on discussion
because I wanted students to hear each others perspectives on how
Thanksgiving is celebrated around the United States. I wanted students to be
exposed to multiple perspectives. Which is an important component to a social
studies lesson.
5. As you are thinking through this lesson, what do you believe will be the most
challenging part of this lesson for you when you teach it? Why?
I think the most challenging part of the lesson is making sure all students feel
included, because I am sure not all of the students celebrate Thanksgiving.
Although Thanksgiving is considered a national holiday, some students are
immigrants to the United States and may not have any experience with the US
holiday. However, I hope that the students will still make a connection by sharing
about what they are thankful for and gain more knowledge about the purpose in
celebrating Thanksgiving whether they celebrate it or not.
6. How will you know if your learning outcomes for the students are met
successfully?
I will know the learning outcomes were met successfully when the students are

able to share their experiences about celebrating Thanksgiving in their exit

tickets. The exit tickets are designed so that all students would share about their
personal experiences or imagined experiences about celebrating Thanksgiving. T
7. How will your classroom management support the learning outcomes?
The classroom management skills I will use will include: turn and talk,
appropriate wait time, direct instruction, and verbal and nonverbal cues. The
students will have the opportunity to share with partners to talk about their
experiences with Thanksgiving and also to compare and contrast each others
experiences. Also, the teacher will facilitate discussions that will help students
learn more about the purpose and traditions for this holiday.
8. List 1-3 areas which you would like for your observer to pay particular attention.
Why do you want your observer to focus on these areas?
I would like the observer to pay careful attention to how I address the students
cultural differences in how they celebrate Thanksgiving. I want to make sure all
students feel included and appreciated, even if they dont have any personal
experiences.
9. Is there anything else you would like your observer to know before the
observation?
N/A