Assignment Content

Visit an upper level elementary classroom.

Part 1: Preconference

Meet with the teacher about an upcoming reading lesson you’ll observe and discuss the following:

Classroom demographics/set-up

Skills to be addressed and strategies planned

Planned assessments

Part 2: Observation

Observe a reading lesson.

Take notes on the following:

Whether you observed a whole-group, small-group lesson, or one-on-one instruction

Reading and writing instructional strategies that the teacher used

Assessments used

Differentiation strategies

Engagement strategies

Part 3: Postconference

Meet with the teacher after observing the reading lesson. Be prepared to ask him/her questions about the lesson, including:

Why specific strategies were used (what prior knowledge the students had)

How the teacher assessed learning during the lesson

What the teacher plans to do as a result of information gained from assessments

How the teacher uses research and professional practice to make use of current digital tools to support student learning

Any questions you have about what you observed

Write a 350- to 700-word reflection on your experience. Describe the following:

Classroom demographics and set-up of classroom space

Whether you observed a whole-group, small-group lesson, or one-on-one instruction

Reading and writing instructional strategies that the teacher used

Assessments used

Differentiation strategies, including technology

Engagement strategies, including technology

What you would do differently