Teachers use formal and informal assessment strategies throughout their lessons to identify student needs. If students who require intervention are identified, the teacher will often work with a student or with a small group of students on a particular skill.
Observe your mentor teacher implementing one or more reading lessons to a small group of students or the whole class. Pay specific attention to any formal/informal assessment strategies used during the lesson and how the teacher uses the data to meet the diverse needs of students.
Following your observation, interview the teacher about the process used to plan and implement the lessons you observed.
Following the observation and interview, write a 250 word summary and reflection on the lessons you observed. Discuss how the diverse needs of students were met and any formal/informal assessment strategies used. Summarize the interview and address how you will apply what you learned in your future professional practice.
Full Answer Section
Throughout the lesson, Ms. Jones recognized and addressed the diverse needs of her students. For example, a student who struggled with decoding unfamiliar words received one-on-one support while reading aloud. Another student with a higher reading level was given a more challenging text with extension questions.
Following the lesson, I interviewed Ms. Jones about her planning process. She explained she considered the results of a recent reading inventory to tailor the lesson's difficulty and vocabulary level.
Reflection and Application:
I was impressed by Ms. Jones' ability to utilize both formal and informal assessments seamlessly within the lesson flow. This allowed her to gain real-time insights into student understanding and adjust instruction accordingly. The differentiated instruction methods she employed, such as targeted support and extended tasks, catered to the specific needs of each student.
In my future practice, I plan to incorporate Ms. Jones' approach to assessment and differentiated instruction. By using a combination of formal and informal assessments, I can gain a comprehensive picture of student learning. Additionally, I will plan lessons that address the diverse needs of learners by offering targeted support, scaffolding, and differentiated materials.
This observation experience provided valuable insights into how to create a successful learning environment that fosters growth for all students.
Sample Answer
I recently observed my mentor teacher, Ms. Jones, leading a reading lesson on folktales to a small group of five students. During the lesson, I paid close attention to her assessment strategies and how she catered to diverse learning needs.
Ms. Jones used a combination of formal and informal assessments throughout the lesson. Formally, she employed a brief exit ticket at the end, asking students to identify the main theme of the folktale. Informally, she assessed comprehension through think-pair-share activities and quick questioning during reading.