RSU 16

Pre PCAP Observations

Due November 1st of the first year

Name: Amy Hughes School: Poland Community Date: 10/31/15

Grade/Subject: First Grade Mentor: Jean Oligny-Warrow

Number of Observations Completed: 3

Please provide a brief narrative of observations/conferences during this Pre-PCAP period.

I have observed Amy 3 times total - during Morning Meeting and Literacy, including CAF, Daily 5,
reading and writing mini-lessons.

Amy gives very clear directions, scaffolds her instruction, and checks regularly for understanding. Her
classroom environment is positive, structured, quiet, and fun. Students are reminded of expectations,
asked to tell back what the expectations are. When new students join the class, these are re-reviewed.
Anchor charts for expectations are posted, along with math and Daily 5 rotation charts. There are
posters that support math, reading, spelling, and partnership promises. Classroom set up provides for a
full-class meeting space, student worktables, a table for small group work with the teacher, and a cubby
area for a Cool Down Spot with reflection sheets in the desk. Amy institutes full class engagement
activities with ease. For example, while one student is writing in words or letters on the Morning
Message, the rest of the class is chorally saying the letters and writing them in the air or on a named
body part each time a different one, which keeps students very engaged. If students need redirection,
this is done quietly and individually. She adjusts her voice to create anticipation and capture attention.

Amy is utilizing several positive behavior supports. She initially used a Clip System. After reflection,
Amy instituted several different positive supports, including individual hole-punch cards on golden
tickets, class-wide rewards, and effective transition feedback. When kids earn 10 punches on their
golden tickets, these are put in a jar to draw for student of the month. During lunch, she plays spa
music and has the students use 0 voice level, for the first 5 minutes. This has worked well. Students talk
quietly after the first 5 minutes have passed. She integrates the science theme of the month for creating
groupings, and shape groups for math. There is an ease and flow from one activity to the next,
integrating science, math, reading, and writing with movement and art. She is using language with
students that clearly indicate a target of excellence such as referring to the students as entomologists,
mathematicians, scientists, readers, authors, and illustrators. She is using the stuffed animal reading
strategy cues that are being utilized by the grade 1 team. During Listening-to-Reading, she leads the
students in movement cues to put on reading glasses, turn on listening ears, zip lips and throw away
the key for attentive listening. When it is time for the students to respond, she cues them to unzip their
lips. All of this is done in a light-hearted and fun way, with which all of the students respond. During
Daily 5, she is working with individual or small groups, and checking in with students in their various
learning stations around the room, assisting a student in book selection, checking in on student writing,
and reading comprehension checks.

In consultations, Amy noted that all of the students were reading between level C and K at the start of
the year. Students are comfortable telling their math reasoning, including a boy with speech delays.