SUNY Canton Early Childhood Program

Student Self-Evaluation Form

Complete Parts 1 and 2 following your lesson plan activity implementation.

Name: Danielle Griffin

Date: October 21, 2016
Focus: Language and Literacy
Title of Lesson: The Biggest Pumpkin Ever
Part 1: Evaluation
Goal 1: The children will enhance their writing skills by using markers and other such art supplies to
decorate a large pumpkin cut-out.
o Not Met

Outcome:
At the last minute, my mentor and I decided to allow the children to decorate the pumpkin with craft
supplies instead and glue instead of markers. We thought that the children would enjoy this more than
just coloring.

Follow-Up:
If I were able to have a follow-up, I would have had the children practice writing the letter P a few
times, as they have already learned this letter, it goes with the theme, and then this goal would have
been met.
Goal 2: The children will enhance their communication/social skills by engaging in a group activity
where they will work together to decorate a large pumpkin cut-out.
o Met

Outcome:
The children worked as a group to decorate the big pumpkin cut-out with no conflicts. They shared
nicely and did not even have issues with other children taking their supplies, which I definitely thought
would be an issue.

Follow-Up:
As a follow up to further enhance this goal, I could do a similar project, and just put a bunch of craft
supplies out in a pile instead of giving each child their own pile.
Goal 3: The children will demonstrate an understanding of narrative structure through storytelling/re-
telling by engaging in the storytelling experience of The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll.
o Met

Outcome:
The children understood that the pumpkin cut-out was meant to be the biggest pumpkin ever, just
like in the book. While decorating the pumpkin, they were asked what they were decorating, and what
story I had read, and they knew that it was The Biggest Pumpkin Ever.
Follow-Up:
As a follow-up for this, I could ask the children one more time what story we read and what we
decorated after we read the story.
Part 2: Self-Evaluation / Reflection

Complete each question following the lesson activity implementation:

1. Overall, how would you rate the success of your lesson activity?
_____Fair ___x___ Good _____Excellent

2. What specific parts of the activity were most successful? Provide 3 examples to support your
response.
I think that the art activity was the most successful part of this lesson plan. The children really
enjoyed sticking the pieces on and a few even found some feathers or pom-poms that they
decided to keep instead of putting them on the pumpkin. The director of the program came in
and took pictures as the children decorated so she could put it up on the day cares Facebook
page. After the children finished, my mentor put the pumpkin up on the wall.

3. Describe any difficulties or challenges you encountered.

Were you adequately planned and prepared?
Some problems occurred while I was reading the story. A few children arrived just as I started,
so this was distracting to the children already at circle time. My mentor was sitting on the
carpet with us, behind the children, and she started talking to the children who were just
arriving. This was also very distracting because all of the children were looking at her while she
spoke, like theyre usually supposed to at circle time. Then, children kept trying to move closer
to me and they would block the view of other children, so I had to stop and ask them to go back
to where they were a few times as well. I think I was planned and prepared, I dont believe
these issues were anything that I could have controlled.

4. How would you address the difficulties and/or challenges if it happened again?
If these challenges happen again, I will stop reading and wait until everything calms down. The only
reason I did not do so this time is because my mentor told me to go ahead and read, not to wait for the
children arriving.

5. Additional thoughts, insights, reflections:

I was a little upset that my mentor was talking while I read because this was very distracting to the
children. Also, my mentor said that I should hold the book high with one hand so all of the children can
see, but I know that all of the children could see. They said that they couldnt, but that was just so they
could move closer to me, I could tell because once one child did it, they all did with little smiles on their
faces. Holding the book high is a good tip, I just wanted to say that all of the children were able to see
as I read.

08-12-2016 MM/CM