I.

Observation 2:
Planning

II. Grade Level:

Kindergarten

III. Setting:
Kindergarten classroom at a Somerset County Elementary School
20 students, 1 head teacher

IV. Pre-Observation:
The purpose of this observation was to evaluate the way the school and teachers use
planning to educate and make sure the students are learning at their age level. It is also to
make recommendations to better plan and better educate the students. To prepare for this
observation I read chapter two, Teaching Stories (Koch, 2016). By reading chapter two, I
learned how teachers plan a curriculum to teach their students which indicates what is
appropriate for them.

V. Data:

(A)
(B)

(C) (D)
 (E)

VI. Analysis:
Lesson planning is very important for teachers, it allows what the students will
learn and how it will be done effectively during a specific class time. For instance, at
Lamonte/Annex Elementary School teachers plan weekly using an online database called
Genesis. As shown on data (A) and (B), the teacher jots down their detailed notes where
they list the NJ student learning standards that they are teaching next to the objective in
Genesis according to what will be done each day of the week. All teachers must submit
their lesson plans at the start of each week for the principal to view before the unit is
taught to the students. The principal views the teachers lesson plans on Genesis every
week in which he leaves comments for teachers to make any changes.

The teachers use a purchased curriculum that the school provides them as shown
on data (C), (D) and (E). With the set curriculum, teachers are provided with a yearly
scope and sequence for the grade level assigned within the curriculum.

Also, at the Elementary School teachers attend a common planning meeting twice
a month on Mondays after school. I do not have detailed notes about the teachers meeting
because I could not attend to the meetings, but the teacher explained to me that during the
meetings they pair up and discuss how and what can improve planning to make it more
engaging. Teachers jot down notes and share ideas in which can improve lesson planning.

The students can sometimes be involved in the planning process. For example, the
teacher explained that her objective was the ocean. The teacher follows what the
purchased curriculum says, but she also asks the students what they want to add, for
 instance they wanted to talk about the dolphins that live in the ocean. This makes the
lesson more interesting for the students to learn. When the students or some students do
not understand or are improving in a lesson, the teacher then makes a new plan for that
specific topic to make sure the students understand.

VII. Recommendations:
Even though the teacher follows curriculum standards educate their students, there are
still some tasks missing that can help intensively. For instance, the teacher said she didn’t
have any planning techniques other than planning weekly and following the curriculum
as giving. According to Janelle Cox, “using teaching strategies that go beyond the
textbook, using the Goldilocks approach for planning objectives, using visual learning
strategies, giving students a choice, and planning your Assessment first. You have
ultimately transformed your lessons so that your students will be engaged and motivated
to learn” (Janelle Cox). Using effective planning techniques can help her and make the
lessons more engaging for students.

VIII. Post-Observation:
Throughout the observation, I learned how teachers plan their lessons differently
according to the school that they are in. For example, on my passed experience at a
daycare for Foundations of Early Child Education class, the daycare used a set
curriculum and each teacher followed the set curriculum but can also make changes and
add their own ideas. In the Elementary School, teachers follow a purchased curriculum
and do exactly what the curriculum says and cannot make changes.

IX. References:
Koch, J. (2016). Teaching Stories. In Teach (pp. 16-31). California: Author.

Cox, J. (n.d.). 5 Teaching Strategies to Transform Your Lesson Plans. Retrieved February
28, 2018, from http://www.teachhub.com/5-teaching-strategies-transform-your-
lesson-plans