Elementary Education Program

Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

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: Mackenzie Gibbon Date: 11/19/19

1. How effective were your instructional strategies? What changes would you make in your
instructional approaches if you taught this lesson again? Why?

They were a little unsure of the idea of making a card for someone else. We should have explained
more about not to complain about who you are writing a letter to. We also should have explained more
about that they are writing to someone else. They were still confused when they go to their seat and
they had a paper with someone else’s name on it.

2. Compare how students actually responded to the lesson verses the way you anticipated they would
respond. Explain how you scaffolded or extended students’ thinking.

They were really excited after they got their letters after. I knew they would be excited, but two girls
who have been fighting a lot this year ended up hugging and it was cool to see how a singe assignment
could make such a big difference on there relationship.

3. Describe how you assessed whether your students achieved the objective of the lesson. Was this
effective? If not, what would you change about your assessment?

We looked at their cards to see if they were writing nice things and understanding how they were
making someone else feel. This was hard to assess since it wasn’t a specific yes or no answer, but the
class really understood the topic.

4. How effectively did you motivate your students, set and enforce expectations, and handle
transitions? Would you change anything and if so, why?

I would change enforcing not complaining about who they are writing a card to. We did bring this up
with the students, but we should have talked about it more. Some of them were still complaining when
they got back to their spot.

5. Did you make modifications to your lesson plan during the lesson? If so, what were they and what
motivated these changes?
We actually didn’t. The only thing we changed was there was a group of 2 that we had to make a group
of three because one student was absent.
 Elementary Education Program
Department of Teacher Education & Learning Sciences

6. How did you meet your Teaching Behavior Focus? If you did not meet it, what would help you to
meet it next time?

We met that because we were really focusing on kindness. The kids (except when they found out
who they were writing to) they were very kind to each other in their letters. They drew beautiful
pictures and thoughtful messages to each other.