Penn Mentor: Julia Agnew

Student Teacher: Clare Lee

11/9 Literacy Lesson

Lea Elementary

Notes:
Description of events: Commentary of events:
9:20 Teacher quickly prepping by hanging up Willingness to adapt, flexibility
posters in new space near coat cubbies Seems particularly well-organized
Thinking ahead to potential struggles like
distractions and sound

Students are calm and eager to participate

9:30 Teacher gathers group of students on floor
Sets expectations, mentioning whole body
listening Perhaps due to reminders re expectations with
Students all seated looking at teacher familiar language

Teacher shows students picture cards and models Clear, precise language
how to describe picture and make predictions

Colorful cards engagingfine for small group but a

Teacher presents new picture card and calls on little small. Could also use pictures from books or
students who describe and predict book covers.

Teacher paraphrases students for all to hear Effective way to engage all while reiterating
students comment for all to understand

Teacher What would we do? What will he do?

Kind and gentle voice

Redirects/refocuses student who is crawling away

with Eyes up here please and students responds
positively

Repeated use of this sequence and this

Teacher again uses What would we do? What connection to personal lives
will he do? prompt to help other students answer

Teacher introduces the term prediction Good use of routine procedure

Teacher urges students to use superpower finger

Children identify sight words

One student steps on anothers finger

Teacher regroups with a reminder about
expectations Not really reading but mouthing and following
along

Teacher and students read poster chorally

This is making sense of activity

Teacher connects poster to previously used

picture cards

Teacher tells students they make predictions Incorporation of age-appropriate, imaginative play
already!

Teacher asks students to use imaginary

magnifying glasses to look closely

Teacher asks students to make predictions from

cover

Teacher introduces book with important book parts

including author and illustrator This gentle reminder is effective

Refocuses student with Eyes up on me

Student raises hand to answer next question Returning to lesson objective

Teacher models looking closely on picture walk

Fluidly teaching this nonverbal, quiet sign to show

Urges students to use imaginary magnifying glass students are making a connection in the context of
to make predictions the lesson
Personal connections, sharing experiences and
background knowledge leads to stronger student-
Teacher uses (models) hand sign for I agree
teacher relationships

Student makes connection to own cat
9:45 Teacher regroups to read book
Students and teacher read chorally
Student makes connection to BrownBear
Students recalling predictions and confirming or
explaining predictions
Teacher repeats sequence of questions at each
page
Concludes read aloud by having students name
the animals and redefining prediction
Teacher tells students there will be a coloring
activity and students eagerly await, bouncing and In the future, teacher might check for
cheering
Teacher explains students will draw what animal
they predict theyll see and then asks if they
understand
10:00
Students completing pictures, requires prediction
Teacher urges students to expand on answer by
asking, What made you think it was a ?
Children looking at peers work and
complimenting, some completing work
Teacher uses one students work as an example
and then repeats sequence of questions with
Teacher might want to begin by specifying who will
be readingin future
Teacher should try to limit use of you guys
Great text-to-text connection, teacher might
expand on this and have student explain the
comparison
All students are involved, attentive, actively making
predictions
Teacher might ask students to explain why they
make such predictions, what clues they use to
make the prediction
Teacher might have had students name animals in
the order the appeared to practice
retelling/sequencing
Teacher should name learning objective
Ex. a special drawing activity to practice making
predictions
understanding by retelling direction orally with
students filling in blanks or asking students to retell
directions in order
Wondering if teacher will show completed pictures
Teacher might have students label drawings using
phonetic spelling when complete
Good repetition
Students seem to be losing energy and focus.
Teacher might want to change tone of voice, make
others work: What details made you think it was a
? What told you so?

Regroups with whole body listening reminder

this activity more gamelike, speeding up process

Students share how they know
This is a good connection but teacher might
Teacher refers to poster and picture clues
rephrase
Ex. After practicing making predictions with this
Teacher ask if reading books helped with activity story, you were able to do it so well independently.
and students are unsure how to respond

Debriefing session:
Teacher expected side talk but instead was (happily) surprised by the amount of comments and
personal connections

Surprised students had not heard word prediction or understood its meaning but was pleased she
had poster as a resource.

Disappointed picture walk took such a long time. Mentor suggests cutting picture walk short, not
necessary for entire book so long as objective is made clear and necessary vocabulary is introduced

Teacher eliminated turn and talk because classroom mentor told her she had not taught it. Mentor
explains purpose of turn and talk and ways to introduce in context, just as she introduced the hand
sign in the moment.

Lesson was meant to take 25-30 minutes but actually took close to 45 minutes. Reasons discussed:
perhaps due to explanations, attempt to speak to all students. Teacher feels she needs to work on
figuring out what to cut out in the moment. Mentor and teacher discuss ways to adapt in the moment
so students get adequate practice but activities are not so time consuming.

Teacher noticed how students helped one another. Perhaps, she helped to set the tone which leads
to this kind behavior with her comments throughout lesson, such as, Its ok to not have correct
predictions.

Teacher expressed disappointment in not having magnifying glasses. Mentor suggest this imaginative
one was actually better because it was fun and imaginative without a physical object that might have
been a distraction.

Firm with gentle behavior remindersstudents were eager to continue to participate. Consistently
positive language and pointing out appropriate behaviors throughout.
Mentor notes good use of visual aids, picture cards, and reference to classroom posters relating to
expected behaviors

Mentor notes good use of classroom routines and procedures.