27 Mar 2018 Page 1 of 4

Intern Name: Serena Augustin

Internship: Student Teaching Elementary Grad

Submitted: Mar 11, 2018 Supervisor(s): Dianne Coursey

Course/Term: ED S688 - J02 : Stdnt Tchg: MAT Spcl Ed-Local ( SPRING 2018 ) Mentor(s): Nicole Pugh
Assessor: Dianne Coursey (Supervisor) Site: Delta Junction Elementary
School, 2659 Nistler Rd, Delta
Junction AK 99737
Comments: Serena brings a strong teaching background to the classroom. Her science lesson evaluation is based on Subject(s): Elementary
observations of three science lessons during which Serena used different inquiry based teaching techniques including Graduate
hands-on experiments following the scientific method.(2/6/18, 2/16/18 and 2/22/18)
Grade(s): 5th

Science Lesson Observation ELEM GRAD

Date of Lesson

Lesson Name

Grade Level

Number of Students

Time of Day

Please share the above information and any other information to set the context of this lesson.

Please click on the rubric box that best describes each element below. Please add comments and observation notes by clicking on the bubble.

Rubric

Meets the Standard for a Exceeds Expectations:

Developing (1.000 pts) Beginning Teacher (2.000 Professional Level (3.000 Not Applicable N/A
pts) pts)
Lesson Design Needs development All elements are complete Complete and professional
1/20 (5%) lesson design
ACEI-2008.3.1

Serena has complete lesson plans for her inquiry-based science lessons on the water cycle. She has included creative problem solving,
hands-on experiments following the scientific method, background information using a series of science videos, worksheets that Serena
Comments:
prepared for students to record their observations, whole group discussions, small-group investigations, partner interactions, independent
work and assessment.
Lesson The objective is not clear Objective(s) clearly stated Objective(s) clearly stated
Objective in the lesson plan in plan and are understood
1/20 (5%) by students
Serena has clearly written objectives for her science lessons. Each lesson builds on what students have learned in previous lessons. Serena
has planned lessons that integrate different parts of the curriculum such as science, math, and language arts. Students will be able to apply
Comments:
what they have learned to everyday life. For example, by the end of the unit, based on what they have learned, students will not only be
able to explain the water cycle, they will be able to use scientific evidence to decide the best place to build a city.
Not prepared; not Prepared and organized Prepared and organized:
Preparation
1/20 (5%)
organized lesson flowed with minimal
use of notes
Serena is prepared for her lessons so that she is able to move quickly from one part of the lesson to the next without hesitation. She
teaches with confidence. Each of Serena’s lessons builds on what students have learned in previous lessons. She ends each lesson by
setting up for the next lesson. For example, after a lesson on the water cycle, Serena gave an overview of the next day’s hands-on
experiment on temperature conditions that influence the water cycle and the formation of water drops. Serena is able to plan and carry out
hands-on science experiments. She knows to try out experiments and hands-on activities ahead of time. For example, after trying out the
Comments:
water drop experiment, Serena made changes in the procedure in order to eliminate possible confusion. Serena also thinks through every
step of a lesson ahead of time so that she knows how she wants to distribute and collect materials and manage the cleanup. By preparing
in detail for the creating rain drops experiment, Serena knew she needed to have very warm and very cold water prepared ahead of time.
Because Serena was prepared, she had extra hot water ready to add during the middle of the experiment when she realized that there was
not enough of a temperature difference between the hot and cold water.
Developmental Not appropriate for age Appropriate for age group Lesson adjusted to be
Appropriateness group: too hard or too developmentally
1/20 (5%) easy appropriate for all students
AK-UAS-SGP.2,
ACEI-2008.1
27 Mar 2018 Page 2 of 4
Serena has a good sense of what her 5th graders can be expected to do and has planned appropriate lessons for her science unit. She
introduces a lesson with questions that students find interesting. For example, during an early lesson on the the importance of fresh water
Comments:
she asked students to guess how much water a family uses each day. Serena also asks a variety of questions including challenging
questions for more advanced students. Serena plans many hands-on activities that keep her students engaged.
Content Not accurate; not current Accurate content Accurate and current
Knowledge knowledge content knowledge
1/20 (5%)
AK-UAS-SGP.4,
ACEI-2008.2.2

Serena has a good background of general knowledge and has researched information for her science unit on the water cycle so that she is
teaching accurate information. She included reading materials for the students and a series of inquiry based science videos. Serena makes
Comments: excellent use of technology such as the SMART Board, her laptop and document camera. Serena checks on the background knowledge of
the students and then reviews the information that they will need to know before beginning a lesson. For example, for this science unit,
students needed to have some prior knowledge of the three states of matter.
Context in Lesson not related to Lesson presented in Lesson/activities taught in
Curriculum curriculum context of the curriculum relationship to previous
1/20 (5%) and future curriculum
ACEI-2008.3.1

Serena makes connections between her lessons, what the students have previously learned and what they will be learning the next day.
She also makes connections between what students are learning in school and their everyday lives. For example, during the introduction to
one of Serena’s first science lessons, students focused on the amount of water a typical family consumes each day and the consequences
of not having enough fresh water. Serena ended that lesson with an overview of the next day’s lesson, telling students they would be using
Comments: maps and a globe to calculate how much fresh water there is on earth compared to salt water, ice and land. Students created a graph
illustrating the results, which I later saw displayed in her classroom. Serena also makes connections between what she is teaching and real
life experiences such as the story of a person lost at sea without fresh water, and her own experiences growing up in a California community
that was dealing with minimum water resources. Serena also regularly integrates parts of the curriculum such as science, math and language
arts.
Proactive Routines and procedures Routines and procedures Routines and procedures
Classroom are not apparent are evident promote student
Management engagement
1/20 (5%)
AK-UAS-SGP.6,
ACEI-2008.3.4

Most of Serena’s classroom management is proactive. She is prepared, organized, keeps the students engaged and the pace of the lesson
moving along quickly. Serena plans lessons in a way that students will find interesting. She teaches in a step-by-step manner, checking for
understanding as she goes so that students are not confused. Serena has established a positive atmosphere in her classroom. She
Comments:
accepts students’ responses in a positive manner. She gives everyone a chance to have their opinions heard. She takes care of small
problems and distractions without interrupting the flow of the lesson such by quietly removing little objects that two students were fiddling
with instead of paying attention to her directions.
Management of Behavior not well Student behavior is Management of behavior
Student managed: behavior managed promoted engagement
Behavior interferes with learning and learning
1/20 (5%)

Serena has excellent classroom management skills. She and her mentor have a management plan in place involving earning rewards.
Serena uses the SMART Board, classroom Dojo and a point system as one of her main behavior management techniques. When Serena
reflects on her classroom management she describes the effectiveness of Dojo for managing individuals without interrupting the whole class.
Serena uses a variety of management techniques such as several call and response phrases that she uses to get students’ attention or to
Comments: signal the beginning of a transition. Serena also manages behavior by eliminating a lot of confusion during hands-on activities. She thinks
through the details of a hands-on science experiment ahead of time so that she can plan the logistics and the transitions from one part of
the lesson to the next. She distributes materials a few at a time and gives students a few instructions at a time. A good example of her
preparation was her rain drop experiment where she had prepared sources of hot and ice cold water ahead of time, and planned an easy
way to clean up afterwards.
Engagement Students are not engaged Students are engaged Students are interested
1/20 (5%) and engaged in learning
AK-UAS-SGP.6,
ACEI-2008.3.4

Serena keeps her students engaged in the lesson in a variety of ways. For example, today, students participated in a discussion by first
exchanging ideas with a partner and then sharing in a whole class discussion. Serena has good timing and uses effective questioning
techniques. She uses a variety of ways to call on students and keep them involved such as by using Popsicle sticks to select the next
Comments: student, asking just anyone to respond, having students raise their hands and asking for a whole group response. Serena has also planned
a variety of hands-on science activities. She plans lessons that 5th graders find interesting and that are connected with the students’
everyday lives. Serena is focused on what the students are learning. She interacts with her students frequently as she teaches to check on
their general understanding.
Directions & Students do not Students understand Students understand and
Instructions understand instructions instructions follow clearly
1/20 (5%) communicated instructions
Serena teaches by frequently interacting with her students and checking for comprehension. She thinks through her lessons in detail ahead
of time so that she teaches in a logical, sequential manner and gives clear directions. Serena makes sure that students know what is
expected of them by modeling her expectations such as demonstrating a procedure, doing sample problems with the students, or showing
Comments: them a completed project. A good example was her rain drop experiment where she used a brief video to show how the experiment should
be set up before letting the students begin their own experiment. Serena has a good sense of what 5th graders should be able to do.
During the rain drop experiment, she explained the procedure step by step, distributing the materials a few at a time, while checking to see
that the students were following along.
27 Mar 2018 Page 3 of 4
Differentiation not present Appropriate differentiation Activities were Differentiation is not
is present for some differentiated for appropriate for this lesson
Differentiation students individuals and groups
1/20 (5%)
AK-UAS-SGP.3,
while maintain high
ACEI-2008.3.2 expectations that align with
the objective(s) for all
students
Serena plans ways to differentiate activities to accommodate struggling students. For example, she knew her lesson on calculating the
percent of fresh and salt water on earth using maps of the world would be difficult for a few of the students so Serena paired those students
with stronger students. Another good example of providing support for particular students was the hands-on science experiment
Comments:
investigating the best conditions for creating rain drops. Students each did the experiment but they worked in table-groups so they could
easily ask each other for help. Serena also provides for particular students, such as an ESL student, by reading background information out
loud. She makes sure she plans activities that address the needs of her visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.

Higher Order The lesson did not provide Some tasks or questions A variety of tasks or Higher order or creative
Thinking opportunity for higher provided opportunity for questions promoted higher thinking is not an element
1/20 (5%) order thinking: rote higher order thinking order thinking, problem in this lesson
ACEI-2008.3.3 learning solving, and/or creativity
Serena uses an inquiry based approach to teaching science. During her month-long unit on the water cycle, students have been engaged
in large and small-group discussions to find creative solutions to real-life problems, such as being lost as sea without fresh water. Students
Comments: did hands-on activities to determine the relative amount of salt and fresh water on earth. They considered scientific evidence to plan the
best location to build a city. They practiced using the scientific method to investigate the relative temperature of the land and the ocean to
optimize the formation of rain.
Learning or instructional Some instructional Learning strategies,
strategies not used or not strategies or techniques scaffolding and other
Strategies effective were used instructional techniques
1/20 (5%) that align with the
objective(s) were used
effectively
Serena uses a variety of teaching techniques that address the needs of her visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. She makes excellent
use of technology such as her laptop, the SMART Board and videos. Serena uses a variety of whole group and small group discussion,
sharing ideas with a partner, independent work, hands-on activities, practice following the scientific method, and practicing students'
listening and speaking skills. Serena integrates science, math, art and language arts such as reading, writing and learning scientific
Comments: vocabulary so that students understand what they are reading. Serena models her expectations by demonstrating step-by-step procedures
during an activity, by holding up an example of a final product or by using the document camera to show where students should write
something. Each lesson builds on previous lessons. Serena regularly begins a lesson by reviewing what students have already learned and
giving an overview of the day. She ends with a discussion where students reach a conclusion. Serena also gives an overview of the next
lesson.
Technology not used Technology used Technology was used The use of technology was
Technology effectively or appropriately effectively to enhance effectively and wisely and not appropriate for this
1/20 (5%)
AK-UAS-SGP.9 learning was relevant to the lesson
objective(s).
Serena effectively uses technology such as the SMART Board, her laptop, the document camera, and students’ laptops throughout the
day. She used the SMART Board and a video series as part of her inquiry-based approach to teaching science. For example, Serena
Comments: integrated a video into a science lesson by first asking questions and having the students contribute to a whole-class or partner discussion.
Then she used part of the video in order to add some information, alternating between information from the video and more discussion.
Serena also used the same video series to guide students through setting up and carrying out experiments on the water cycle.
Informal assessment was Informal or formative Formative assessment
Formative not used to monitor assessments was used to provided feedback for the
Assessment student learning monitor student learning learners and was aligned
1/20 (5%)
AK-UAS-SGP.5,
with and supported the
ACEI-2008.4.1 accomplishment of the
objective(s).
Serena has planned a variety of formal and informal assessments. She began her lessons on the water cycle by first assessing students’
background knowledge. As she teaches, Serena frequently checks for informal group-understanding based on group discussion. Other
formative assessments include hands-on activities where students calculate the amount of fresh and salt water on earth, demonstrate
Comments:
knowledge of the water cycle by drawing and writing, and demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method. Other assessments
include demonstrating understanding of scientific vocabulary words such as ‘condensation’, ‘water vapor’, and ‘town aquifer’. Serena uses
formative assessment to see what students have learned and what she needs to explain again the next day.

Responsiveness Student needs were not Teacher candidate The teacher candidate was
1/20 (5%) noticed or not attended to responded to student flexible and responsive to
ACEI-2008.3.1 needs student needs
Serena adapts her plans to match the developmental level of her students. For example, she changed details of her experiment on the
water cycle so that the directions would be less confusing and it would be much easier to keep the procedure organized and under control.
In this case, Serena had the groups of students doing all the parts of the experiment in the same order rather than letting them pick and
choose the order. Serena also meets the needs of individual students such by reading the directions to a student for whom English is a
Comments:
second language. Serena is patient and able to explain something in more than one way. She gets down at the students’ level when
helping them at their desks. She is flexible, focused on student learning and organized. She manages her students well, teaches with
energy and provides for student movement during the day. Serena teaches by interacting with her students frequently, checking for
understanding and adapting what she is doing to meet their needs.
Lesson Students did not meet the Most students met the All students met the
Effectiveness objectives objectives learning objectives
1/20 (5%)
AK-UAS-SGP.5,
ACEI-2008.3.1
27 Mar 2018 Page 4 of 4

Serena planned an effective science unit on the water cycle. Serena’s students have been cooperative and engaged. Serena’s science
lessons have held their interest and they obviously enjoyed carrying out a science experiment on the formation of water drops. The students
Comments:
were excited that they were able to explain why the experiment turned out the way it did. Serena also asked students to write and draw a
diagram that explains the water cycle, with good results. This has been a successful series of science lessons.
The teacher candidate The teacher candidate is The teacher candidate
Focus
1/20 (5%)
focused on self beginning to focus on focused on student
student learning learning
Serena is focused on what her students are learning. She teaches by frequently interacting with her students, checking for understanding
as the lesson goes along. If students are confused she is able to explain a concept in more than one way. Serena reflects on her lessons
and on how she adapts her teaching to meet the needs of her students. She uses regular assessment of student learning to help her plan
Comments:
future lessons. Serena also reflects on classroom management. She seeks advice from her mentor and tries out suggestions. Serena also
reflects on her lesson plans. She thinks through lessons in detail ahead of time so that she is prepared. She plans the logistics of hands-on
activities such as distributing materials and managing the cleanup.
The teacher candidate The teacher candidate The teacher candidate
Reflection was unable to reflect reflected on lesson design, reflected on lesson design,
1/20 (5%)
accurately management and learning management and learning
AK-UAS-SGP.8,
ACEI-2008.5.1 as well as future
adjustments and plans
Serena reflects on her lessons and uses her reflections to make decisions about future lessons. For example, after her first science lessons,
Serena reflected on what she had learned about having students share thoughts with a partner before contributing to a class discussion.
She discovered that she needed to keep the interaction brief until students became more accustomed to doing this. She also tried having
students practice listening by sharing what their partner had said. These are good examples of how Serena reflects on lessons and tries
Comments: new techniques. Serena reflects on what she has learned now that she has had more experience in the classroom. For example, she has
learned different ways to call on students such as using names on Popsicle sticks, students raising their hands, calling on students during a
class discussion popcorn style and having the group answer in unison. By using a variety of techniques the students seem more engaged.
Serena also reflects on what she has learned from her mentor, particularly about classroom management, using classroom Dojo and a point
system of rewards.
The teacher candidate The teacher candidate The teacher candidate
Feedback was resistant to feedback. accepted feedback in a solicited feedback in a
1/20 (5%)
professional manner professional manner and
AK-UAS-SGP.8,
ACEI-2008.5.2 made plans for
improvement
Serena is a team player with her mentor. She asks for suggestions and tries out new ideas. A good example is what Serena has learned
from her mentor about classroom management using technology and classroom Dojo. Serena has learned to manage her students with
positive rewards for the whole class as well as using Dojo to manage individual behavior. Serena seeks out advice from her mentor and
Comments:
supervisor when planning lessons and she shares her reflections on teaching. Good examples involve introducing a lesson and planning
additional hands-on activities. Serena also seeks advice on effectively using technology in the classroom such as the SMART Board and
student laptops.
60.000 pts | 100 %