I.

Observation 2:
Planning
II. Grade:
Kindergarten
III. Student:
11 Boys
6 Girls
IV. Setting:
Lamonte Elementary School
Kindergarten Classroom
17 students, 1 Teacher, 1 Student Teacher
V. Pre-Observation:
The purpose of this observation was to inquire about how the teacher plans out lessons and
other classroom activities. In order to complete this observation, I chose a kindergarten
classroom with one teacher and students ages five through six, at Lamonte Elementary
school. I took one day to complete my observation. Prior to going into observe the teachers
planning, I became aware of best planning practices set by the DOE and Newark Public
Schools. In order to complete my observation, I sat down and asked the teacher questions
about her planning and kept a running record of our discussion.
VI. Data:
The observation was conducted on Tuesday November 15th, 2016
I ask the teacher how far in advance does she do her planning. She says she does her
planning a week ahead of time, so that it is aligned with previous lessons and the students
previous knowledge. I asked her if she does her lessons based on Common Core. She
hands me her ELA book which is a part of the Journeys program. She says everything is
based on Common Core and she uses the Journey Program for ELA lessons and GoMath!
for math lessons. She tells me how she enjoys this program because it aligns directly with
Common Core Standards and she points out how in one lesson it has footnotes of what
Standards this lesson is based upon. I ask her if she feels that using this Journey Program
makes it easier to plan lessons. She tells me that it does make it easier but she enjoys
putting her own spin on things so that it correlates with her students rather than just
teaching a generic lesson. She also says that she likes to put her own personality into the
lessons so that they match her teaching style and are more creative. I ask her if she adjusts
the lessons based on the special needs of her students. She says absolutely, any time a
student is struggling she will modify her lesson or give the student more time if needed, or
challenge a student who may be ahead of the other students. I ask her how does she
enhance her lessons through her own development. She tells me that in the Journeys
Program manual there are links for professional development and she uses them to better
her lessons and grow professionally, making it easier for her to plan accordingly. I ask her
if the school provides resources for her to use for lesson planning. She tells me that the

school provides all the materials from the Journerys Program and GoMath! since the
school does base it curriculum off of Common Core. She uses a program called Genesis to
submit her lesson plans online where she can share with administrators and collegues. I let
her know that I was looking for

VII. Analysis:
During my observation for planning, I saw that the teacher is organized and understands
effective planning strategies. The school district provides material for the teacher to base
her planning upon. The programs like GoMath and Journeys are based upon Common Core
Curriculum. This provides appropriate resources for the teacher to use to plan effectively.
The teacher creates lessons that are based upon students previous knowledge and they
align with the appropriate standards. The teacher appropriately paces her lessons so that all
the students can be up to the same level. If a student does fall behind, the teacher
accomodates the students needs by providing one-on-one time to help them individually.
The teacher plans based upon the curriculum and also the culture of the students, creating a
connection between their learning and their lives. The teacher also adds creativity into her
lessons by putting her own spin on them, rather then solely basing it off of the materials
provided. The students enjoy the lessons but sometimes become restless. Overall, I believe
the teacher uses appropriate planning practices that are based upon the Common Core
Curriculum and meet the needs of all students.
VIII. Recommendations:
During my observation, I saw effective planning practices. I did not see many things that
needed to be improved upon. The teacher has been teaching for over twenty years and as a
result is very organized in her planning and teaching strategies. She understands how to
incorporate students likes into her lesson plans in order to keep their attention. One thing
that I feel could be improved upon is the repetition that does take place in the lesson plans.
I have ben going to this kindergarten classroom for a little over ten weeks now and I have
noticed that the teacher sticks to the same routine everyday, which is definitely not a bad
thing but I do feel it can make the students lose interest in their learning. I recommend that
the teacher change up her teaching style slightly every now and then. The students are
engaged in their learning but sometimes I notice some students losing interest or not
participating. One suggestion I have is for the teacher to change up her teaching style from
teacher based to student based. According to Edutopia.org, one way to keep students
attention is to allow the students to be in charge of what they are learning. One way for this
to happen is ton Introduce a presentation by having students pair up, talk to each other
about their prior knowledge of the presentation, and generate a list of four questions for
which they'll want to know the answers. Make quick rounds to remind all students to stay
on task (Frondeville, 2009). By allowing the students to engage with one another about a
subject can give them a sense of what it is like to be the center of the lesson. It can change
up the daily routine and keep their attention. I feel this recommendation is not something
that needs to happen every day but when the students are losing attention or becoming
bored with the subject matter. Overall, the teacher did an excellent job utilizing material to
create developmentally appropriate lesson plans. I honestly feel that the teacher knows and

understands how to create effective lesson plans, but just needs to change it up once in
awhile.
IX. Post-Observation:
I go to Lamonte Elementary school every Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., during my
time here I observe classroom activities and also how the teacher educates the students. I
observed planning practices that were effective and met the needs of all the students. The
teacher utilizes materials provided by the school in order to incorporate the Common Core
Curriculum. Overall, I observed a teacher that cares for her students learning needs and
incorporates their needs into effective lesson plans.
X. Citations:
Frondeville. (2009). How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class | Edutopia. Retrieved from
https://www.edutopia.org/classroom-student-participation-tips

New Jersey Department of Education. (2016). Model Curriculum. Retrieved from

http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/

Newark Public Schools. (2015). Framework for Effective Teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.nps.k12.nj.us/wpcontent/uploads/2014/08/NPSTeacherEvaluationGuidebook2014-15.pdf