SPED Observation Notes for: Ashley

Date: 2015-03-17

Time: 10:45-12:30

Observation #: 4
Pre-observation: (plan in on time, detailed, state and local
standards, clear intent)
Lesson plan was submitted well in advance of observation date.
Plan was well-constructed and complete. It met both local school
division and state standards.
Planning: (measureable objectives, variety of strategies,
interdisciplinary, appropriate strategies to meet specific needs of
students, designed to advance learning)
Plan clearly stated intended objectives and provided a variety of
engaging activities for whole group lesson and two guided reading
groups. Students were assigned parts in Readers Theatre to
meet their individual needs.
Learner Development and Differences: (developmentally
appropriate instruction, meets soc/emot needs, activities are
meaningful and appropriately challenging)
Structure of the lessons provided opportunities for high
engagement and individual success.
Learning Environment: (positive and respectful, variety of
social engagement-individual and small group, safe, supports
students emotional well-being)
Ms. Mustaki met every student response with genuine positive
feedback. Phrases such as perfect, great and so good were
heard throughout the large group lesson and the Guided Reading
groups. Ms. Mustaki always smiled at her students and made

constant eye contact with them when she interacted with them.
She truly connected with them and they with her.
Classroom Management: (clear rules communicated and
enforced, consistent and fair, low profile corrections, routines
established and maintained, appropriate praise, smooth
transitions, awareness of student behavior and engagement)
This classroom is set up to be very cooperative and democratic.
Students are given a great deal of choice and have many
opportunities to work collaboratively. Ms. Mustaki encouraged
that support among students that is already in place.
Ms. Mustaki provided a constant and genuine flow of praise for all
of her students. Transitions were very smooth. Ms. Mustaki had
to reconfigure her groups to meet the issues of absent students
and students who would be pulled out for support instruction.
Several students had to leave before the second group completed
their passage. Ms. Mustaki invited other students to fill in. No
significant time was lost.
Ms. Mustaki used face partners as a strategy for small group
interaction. She assigned the partner who would read first by
indicating the partner closest to the door or the partner closest
to the window. This was a clever and effective way to manage
the who goes first decision.
Assessing Student Learning: (use of a variety of formative
assessments, students review own progress, specific feedback,
modifies instruction as needed to meet students needs)
Ms. Mustaki paid close attention to each student as he or she
read. She offered constant encouragement to all students as they
read a poem in whole group and recited their parts in
ReadersTheater. The purpose of the lesson was to express
emotion as they read aloud.

Instructing and Engaging Students: (active teacher and

student participation, adjusts instruction to meet immediate
needs, good questioning strategies, use of technology, variety of
grouping strategies, promotes student communication and critical
thinking and problem solving, encourages correct discipline
vocabulary)
All students were highly engaged during large group instruction
and during the Guided Reading groups.
Lesson Presentation: (clear start, prior knowledge, materials
ready, states objectives, high expectations, check for mastery as
lesson proceeds, moves about classroom, wait time, clear end
review, transition, homework)
The reading block began with the HT providing guidance
regarding the activities in which students would be engaged
during reading time. The engaging independent activities were
created collaboratively by Ms. Robinson (HT) and Ms. Mustaki.
The HT was eager to share with me how valued Ms. Mustakis
input has been.
Ms. Mustaki began her lesson with a four stanza poem that
focused on a different emotion in each stanza. The selection was
age-appropriate and students identified with the situations in
each stanza. They were asked to read a stanza to themselves.
Next they used face partners to recite the poem to each other.
Then a student could volunteer to read the stanza aloud for the
whole class with the appropriate emotion. She used the
SmartBoard to display each stanza individually. Many students
volunteered to read.
When the large group session was completed, students knew
exactly what independent work to begin. Ms. Mustaki called her
first group to the reading table. The groups for this lesson were
mixed ability as the structure of Readers Theatre provides for
that. Ms. Mustaki introduced the reading passage, reviewed some
vocabulary and assigned the parts. Students got busy
immediately reading their parts. One would expect an occasional
delay in a situation like this but there was none. Students read

with great expression and even interjected some country

accents. When the passage was completed, Ms. Mustaki
reviewed the elements of a tall tale and related it to the passage
about Davy Crockett they had just completed. She referred to a
chart they had been working on during their study of tall tales.
Students responded accurately and eagerly pointing out the
elements on the chart and providing examples from the passage.
This group of students was dismissed and Ms. Mustaki thanked
them for their work.
The next group of students was called to the table. Ms. Mustaki
followed the same introductory procedure as before and assigned
these students their parts. Before the passage could be
completed, several of the students in the group were called out
by a reading support teacher. This did not deter Ms. Mustaki. She
began to ask for volunteers among the other students. In
moments the seats were filled and the reading went on.
No homework was assigned and the reading block came to an end
as students prepared to proceed to lunch.

Content Knowledge: (accurate and appropriate knowledge,

explains skills logically and explicitly, prior knowledge and
experience connections, variety of examples, makes real world
connections, knowledge of SPED curriculum standards)
Elements of the tall tale were applied accurately to the reading
passage. Ms. Mustaki explained each element with accuracy.
Students applied their prior knowledge of tall tales to the passage
they read.
Additional Comments:
This was an excellent lesson from start to finish.
Everything went so very smoothly despite some bumps
that affected grouping the students. Ms. Mustaki is
incredibly kind and joyful with her students. I noted her

laughing with them several times during the lesson.

Learning should be an act of joy and in her hands that is
exactly what happens. Her HT had so many nice things to
say about her. They are working together very well.
Plan for next visit:
Ill return for observation #5 on Wednesday April 1 at 2:10. Then
youll be on Spring Break!