Readers Workshop Mini Lesson/Conferencing Observation

Teacher’s Name_______________________
Jordyn Lye Teaching Point Describing the Characters
● Book a spot on the spreadsheet in the appraisal folder called ​Readers Workshop Mini Lesson
Appraisal Sign Up - May/June
● 40 mins max
● Reader’s Workshop Mini Lesson ​ONLY
● No lesson plan please. I don’t want any prior knowledge (try and engage me and wow me)
● The checklist below is the only thing I will use to appraise you ​(read it very carefully).
● I will video the mini lesson and the conference and place it in your personal folder.
● After your lesson, watch the video come and visit me to get your result and some feedforward.
● If you have prior questions please ask.

Check List YES ✓ NO ✓

● Pie chart not made
Start of the Lesson: ● Teacher borrows someone else’s anchor
References chart instead of making their own
Readers Workshop ● Teacher doesn’t refer to the chart at any
point in the lesson
Chart
✔
● (charts can be different)
● Pie Chart is made, mentions part of the
workshop process before students
transition to the floor or before starting the
mini lesson

References ● Teacher refers to pre-made anchor-charts ● Anchor charts not made or teacher forgets
What Good Readers to remind students about ​what good to remind students
Do readers do (anytime during the mini ● Teacher borrows someone else’s anchor
lesson) chart instead of making their own
● (charts can be ✔ ● Teacher doesn’t refer to the chart at any
different) point in the lesson

Pacing 8-15 ● Stayed within the ​8-15​ minute time ● Pacing is too short (under 8 mins) or too
minutes allocation 15:00 ✔ long (goes over 15 mins)

Pacing support ● Teacher ​CLEARLY​ uses a timing device ● No timing device used
(watch, clock​, timer on the board​) to ✔
monitor pacing

Mini Lesson taught ● Teacher can utilize the board ​before the ● Relies too heavily on the board to teach the
without the mini lesson begins, and after it’s lesson.
finished ● Students sitting at desks
SMART/LED Board
● Mini lesson taught with students seated on ✔
the floor using anchor chart paper to
support modeling and examples

● Components are ​missed or not clear, or

● All four​ components are ​CLEARLY out of order
addressed ​in order. ● There is ​more​ than one teaching point
Mini Lesson ● 1) Connection
Components ●
●
2) Teaching point,
3) Active-engagement
✔
● 4) Link
● There is only​ ​one focused simple
teaching point
 Mini Lesson ● Evidence of the teacher using a reminder ● No evidence of support to ensure
Components cue on the ​chart paper ​to ensure they hit components are hit
Support each component. ​Example. The word ✔
connection could be written on the corner
of the chart paper

Explicit Teaching ● Teacher does not take questions at ● Too many interruptions, allows questions at
Time during 8-15 inappropriate times or allow major
interruptions
✔ inappropriate times
Minutes

Modeling during ● Teacher clearly models an example of the ● Teacher does not model the teaching point
8-15mins teaching point-uses an ​ACTUAL TEXT ● Or uses the SMARTboard to show text.
(real book), not a text on the SMARTboard ✔
to show the strategy in action

Workshop ● Teacher gives explicit instructions ● No preventative language used.

Language-Mini explaining what students should be ​doing ● Students interrupt conferences because
Lesson close during independent reading time, This they weren’t given explicit instructions
is done BEFORE​ they transition back to ✔
the desks
● Students know what they are doing and
do not​ interrupt one on one conferences

Transition to ● 2 mins and under to have students back at
independent time tables ( if coming from the floor-preferred)
and beginning work
● Appropriate transition noise
● Teacher plans ahead, has students bring
appropriate books to the floor or table,
before the lesson begins
● Over 2 mins to have students back at tables
( if coming from the floor-preferred) and
beginning work
✔ ● Inappropriate transition noise
● Teacher didn’t plan ahead, students didn’t
bring appropriate books to the floor or table,
before the lesson begins

One student ● Simple non invasive conferencing call up ● Has no conferencing call system or a
Conference system system that is too loud
● NO DIRECTOR CLUES for this section
Only
other than use the reading folder. I ✔
6:00 want to see how you are doing your
conferences without support.

Reading Folder ● Teachers brings Reading Conference
Tracking Assessment folder to the appraisal review
meeting
● Clear evidence the teacher is tracking the
students Fountas and Pinnell levels as
requested
● Can explain their process
● Forgets to bring Reading Conference
Assessment folder to the appraisal review
meeting
● Little evidence that the teacher is tracking
✔ the students Fountas and Pinnell levels as
requested
● Can’t explain their process

Outstanding Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory

Exceeds Expectations Meets All Expectations Meets Most Expectations Falls short of Expectations

13 Yes Boxes Ticked ✔ 12/11 Yes Boxes Ticked 10/9 Yes Boxes Ticked 8/7 Yes Boxes Ticked

Start of the Lesson:References Readers Workshop Chart:

References What Good Readers Do: yes, regularly.
Pacing 8-15 minutes/Pacing support: 15mins teacher monitored the time using her watch. Nothing was rushed the mini lesson flowed from one component to the next
Mini Lesson taught without the SMART/LED Board: yes, very confident without the board
Mini Lesson Components: address in the correct order: yes- used a script to ensure the order was correct
Connection: we have been learning about about characters and what they are." Connected to the teaching point - describing characters
Teaching Point and Modeling: Describing Character-(Adjectives), explained to the students what an adjective is, and underlined the adjectives on the anchor chart, then, asked the
critical question what happens if we take the adjectives away from the paragraph. Introduced the Grufallo and describing anchor chart, modeled how to look at the pictures close ups
to find details that can describe more about the character. Moved to final anchor chart Pete the Cat. Referenced a prior lesson about feelings, asking the students to recognise how
does Pete the Cat look. Teacher didn't allow questioning from students and didn't ask too many questions either ( aware of explicit teaching time).
Active Engagement: turn and talk, look at Pete the Cat the picture on the anchor chart, and use adjectives to describe what you see. Teacher listened in at ground level supporting the
process
Link: see to work on
Mini Lesson Components Support: Yes, components written on the corner of anchor chart paper
Explicit Teaching Time during 8-15 Minutes: Yes.
Workshop Language-Mini Lesson Close: made it clear not to interrupt the teacher when she had the 'cat ears' on. Explained the expectations for the four centers as they related to the
teaching point: library time-think about the characters, word search for adjectives, describing a character and drawing an imaginary or known character. Referenced what a prior group
created as an exemplar. Students released by group using the phrase 'off you go.'
Transition to Independent Time: quick, quiet, students knew what to do, teacher didn't have to repeat instructions.

To Work On: Before saying, "what we are going to do today is," make a powerful short link to remind the students that 'today and forever' or "from now on whenever you read, I want
you to stop and think about the characters and the words the author uses for describing" / possible future mini lesson, what is the connection to adjectives and the images we see in
our heads as we read ( visualizing) / useful to have written in the corner of the anchorchart is the phrase you can say to lead that specific component off. Really focus on the key
language that leads to the start of each component of the mini lesson. Example. connection use "remember when"/ teaching point/modeling- "watch how I," hmmm...I'm thinking..."did
you see how I... active engagement use "now, right this moment / it's your turn to..." link "today and forever..." using these triggers, will help the flow of the lesson.

Conference: gave the student your full attention (not writing too much down) and created a calm, pleasant atmosphere / referenced prior mini lesson goals/ asked relevant questions to
gather evidence towards student level and reading profile / complimented the student on what they did well / identified TP for the student to work on / established mini goal for next
lesson. Where possible see if you can visually (as well as verbally) model the specific teaching point using your own text or the students text, so, they can always see your thinking
process / write or draw your process on a sticky and give it to the student. The more they see how you did it the better for ESL students. Example.."I'll read this section watch I do,
then, we will try together!"

Overall: Really strong and intelligent readers workshop lesson. I watch at the students just as much as I observe the teachers and they often tell the story of how the lesson is going.
Your students were engaged and watching you closely as you shared your modeled thinking about characters. Job well done Jordyn!