Organizing Content and Planning:

1B:
I saw that you would tell kids the words they were struggling
with.
What tips and strategies are you sharing for students who dont
know the word?
I saw students would read one at a time while others would listen
to that person. Can you tell me more about that?
How often does the Emmy group meet? Do they always meet on
the floor?
1C:
I saw that you referenced your objective for biography. You also
talked about suffixes.
Do the students preview and predict the text before they read it?
Do the students have a preview of tough vocabulary before they
read?
1D:
How did you determine your HAL literature?
What resources are you using to understand 5th grade learners
that arent on grade level?
1E:
As I walked around the room I saw many of the students working
on the worksheet from group. What will they work on when they
meet with you again?
I talked with a student about their classroom assignment. She
knew its purpose.
1F:
How do you assess the students who you meet with at group?
o Fluency?
o Comprehension?
Environment
2A:
I saw you asked DJ two can you questions. You checked in
with him between groups. Is this something that you normally
do?
I noticed you asked Will to sit down and get to work. Did you
know he had no chair?
2B
Do the students understand the purpose of their work?
2C
I entered the class at 2:01. You distributed books to groups at
2:05. Do you normally hand out the books this way?

2D:

At 2:24 you ended your first group. At 2:26 you began your next
group. Is that a normal time frame?
I saw that students came up and got materials from you (4-5) as
well as asked questions (3) during your group times. What is
your expectation for group time?
I saw a student sharpening a pencil during this time. Is that
acceptable or unacceptable at this time?
During your second group, there were not enough chairs. Was
that group different today than other days?
During your second group, most of the girls were talking at once.
I saw students brought their own pencils to group. What supplies
do you provide them with at group?
I saw that you told the students that they are to be working
independently, quietly, and in a learners position. What do you
do when students dont follow your instructions?
I saw you gave Demetrius and Dalton a direction to go back to
their seats when they were off task.
I saw you asked the Emmy group to go back to their seats. Can
you tell me more about this?
From the time DJ entered the room, he was clicking a pen at the
safe seat.
DJ was whistling at the safe seat started at 2:21. At 2:30, you
asked him to stop whistling. At 2:33, he began whistling again.

Instruction
3A:
I saw some students asking what to do/what to do next/what to
do when they were finished. I saw you posted three jobs on the
board. Do you have a routine for the students if they finish their
jobs?
I heard an interested conversation with DJ about how the Emmy
group is no longer in the green groupand why he isnt reading
the Emmy book. What might DJ walk away thinking about this
conversation?
When DJ was reading the word significant, you supported him
to finish it. He said I wasnt finished yet. What is something
you can take away from that?
3B:
Where do you get your questions for the students during group?
What do you do if a student answers a question wrong? (I.e.
when Chaya said something about the plant making you healthy)
3C:

3D:

How did you group your blue group?

The blue group was 10 minutes. What is the typical length of the
blue group?
The green group started at 2:36. When did green group end?
How engaged do you think the students were when they were
independent?

I saw you take notes on the first group. Did you take any notes
on the blue or green group? How do you monitor their
learning/growth?
How could/do you give feedback to your readers?
In response to your pre-observation discussion guide, I saw that you
said that some of your students can be sneaky. I did not personally
witness sneaky behavior, but much more overt behaviors.
In terms of improving productivity for independent work, I would
suggest challenging the students. My third graders have at minimum
4 jobs a day for literacy. I would recommend having the students
working on computers at some point- when do you get to use
technology with your reading students?
I can tell you are a strong planner. It is evident in your work and the
records that youve shown me.
Something that I think we should discuss is the environment of your
classroom during independent/guided reading time. The environment
impacts the instruction. Once you get a strong hold on your
instruction, will you want students coming up to your table?
Sharpening pencils? It is all about your tolerance and expectations.
I would love to show you how I run a guided reading group. I also have
videos of other teachers teaching guided reading from my cadre last
year that I would love for you to see. There is also an article from
Educational Leadership that would be great for you to read.