Jennifer Powell

Lesson Analysis: Week 2

EDUC 540

Lesson Plan Analysis

Upon observing my mentor teacher instruct her two Honors US History classes, I can
confidently say that my mentor is exceeding expectations of Danielson’s four domains and the
components provided on the analysis and reflection rubric. I believe that there is a little wiggle
room when analyzing the expectations of a classroom due to the fact that my mentor and her
classes are completely virtual at Julia R Masterman. In a way, I believe that the virtual aspect
makes the job harder, specifically when it comes to domain 2, classroom environment, and
domain 3, instruction. My mentor and other virtual/hybrid teachers are facing similar obstacles
such as establishing a culture for learning and keeping the students engaged and discussing,
along with a plethora of other road blocks. The school I am observing at is filled with students
who thrive on academics which means attendance and behavior hasn’t been on the radar for a
majority of the students, but I am under the impression that it is a different story for other
schools whose students may not be as academically inclined. It will be insightful to read my
other classmates' analysis and reflection so that I can get a better understanding of what others
are experiencing in a universally difficult time.
While taking notes of my observation for each domain, I realized that without even
referring to Danielson’s key points per domain, I was observing them first hand and making
note of them. For D1, my mentor displayed a cohesive lesson plan that begins with a warm-up,
lecturing, class activity, and an exit ticket. It was easy to see that the students were able to
maneuver the flow of class, which in my eyes was a testament to D2, classroom environment.
We do not get to see how our mentor teachers establish classroom expectations in the beginning
of the year, but it was clear to me that my mentor established her classroom expectations a long
time ago and now the students are part of the classroom climate. Students continued to comply
with D2 by demonstrating rule following, such as logging into class on time and keeping their
cameras on (unless there is a technical issue that they had previously discussed with my
mentor). Another correlation between D1 and D2 that I observed was between the chosen
activity and the respect within the classroom. The students were tasked with completing a chart
regarding foreign policy terms and when I went into the breakout rooms to observe the students,
they were showcasing respect towards one another. Something I enjoy seeing is how each
domain correlates and enhances one another. In addition to those select observations, my
mentor teacher listed learning goals on her first slide of the presentation so that the students
could better prepare for their learning experience. When my mentor and I reflected the lesson at
the end of the day, we concluded that the learning goals were successfully met for both Honors
US History classes.
The lesson that I observed started off with immediate engagement within the virtual
classroom by my mentor posing a simulation for the students to get their gears turning.
“One day, in the lunchroom, you notice a huge circle of students and a lot of yelling and
screaming. Some of the words are “Fight, Fight” Of course, you hop on one of the lunchroom
benches to get a better look. You see two students in the middle, threatening each other. One is a
good friend, the other is a friend, but you are currently really mad at them because they owe you
money. What do you do?” Students were then given a few options to choose from and they
anonymously posted their reaction on a Jamboard for the class to view. This was fantastic in the
sense that it got the students excited and prepared for the lesson - Foreign Policy Terms - in a
way that they could relate. Even more so, the warm-up in this lesson was exemplary of domain
3, instruction, specifically in terms of using questioning and discussion techniques and engaging
students in learning. As the lesson continued, my mentor assigned an in class activity for the
students to complete in order for both my mentor teacher and students to evaluate their
understanding of foregin policy. By doing so, my mentor was able to catch a few common
misunderstandings and correct them immediately. This was yet another example from domain
3, using assessment in instruction. If I were to teach the same lesson as my mentor teacher, two
things I would absolutely keep are the warm-up and the in class activity. However, one thing I
would change would be how the in class activity was completed. In my mentor’s lesson, she
placed the students into breakout rooms on zoom to complete the chart. I would have had the
class work as a group to figure out what term went where on the chart while I screenshared. I
possibly could have kept the chart color coded per foreign policy term and made it visually easy
to read. By doing it as a full class activity, it may have sparked more group discussion and team
work.
To conclude the analysis of my mentor's lesson plan, I am inclined to say she met or
exceeded many expectations of the components that build a strong and effective lesson. I have
observed my mentor gracefully taking feedback from the students in order to influence
instruction, although not in this specific lesson. My mentor checks in on the students from time
to time with a questionnaire regarding what they like about the class and what they would like to
see less of (in terms of group work, individual work, chapter reading, projects, etc). This is
imperative, in my opinion, to a virtual learning setting in order to keep the students engaged
and learning when engagement virtually is an obstacle. Within the lesson I observed, I spoke
with my mentor about personal goals for the lesson and she was able to list and reflect those
with me and she stated that her goals were met by the end of the lesson. Lastly, I would like to
note that my mentor teacher effortlessly displays key components from domain 4, professional
responsibility. My mentor reflects her lesson after every class with me, she maintains accurate
records with her attendance and grades by having a hard copy along with her digital copy,
communicates with families when students slip through the cracks with missing assignments,
participates in the professional community among her colleagues, and shows professionalism
every time she logs into her virtual classroom with acceptable appearance and language.