1st Grade- Weekly Writing Coaching Tool
School: __Pine Creek________ Teacher: _Heather Field_________________ Date: 12-4-17
Start Time: 10:00 a.m. Stop Time: 10:30 a.m. Coach: __Tracy Westrate___________________
Unit _2_ Week _1_ Day _1_ (Whole-group Lessons)
Reading Street Writing Components Observational Notes
Genre/Style: Trait:
Conventions/Daily Fix- It: Noticings & Script of Lesson Components
Skill focus:________________ {T= Tips *= Positive instructional stand-outs!}
The students transitioned very quickly and quietly to
the whole group instruction area for the lesson.
Weekly Writing: (Star/check day observed) “Today we are writing letters, friendly letters.”
Day 1- Read like a Writer: Mini lesson introduces- Genre,
trait, & mode; Examine Model Text; teach Key Features/ When you asked the students who they could write
Review Key Features; Connect to Familiar text letters to, many students raised their hands to share.
T- May include a turn and talk to elicit more student
Day 2- Focus on Writer’s Craft (i.e.-sensory details, strong responses before reporting some ideas as a whole
verbs, using imagination)- Introduce the Prompt; Generate group. Just an idea!
Ideas; Mini-lesson- introduce/Model- with graphic organizer
for planning writing Greeting
Closing- Nice comparison of closing a door to closing a
Day 3- Let’s Write It!; Draft; T
rait Writing (i.e.-voice, letter with a gesture and explanation.
organization, sentence fluency) : Key Features/Student
Model (w simple scoring rubric); Connect to Conventions; “You will be writing a letter about what you would like
Introduce “trait;” Guide Writing as students begin draft to do with someone in your family.”
T- This may be another time to add a turn and talk, so
Day 4- Mini-lesson- Revise (with Revising Tips); Peer
that all students may share their thoughts.
Conferencing; Peer Revision; Guide Practice (with
Corrective Feedback- monitor & confer)
It was fantastic how you shared a couple of examples
of friendly letters!
T- The students may chorally read the letter with you to
Day 5- Review Revising (day 4); Mini-lesson: P roofreading
increase student involvement. Even if not all of the
(edit); Teach; Model; Apply Proofreading Tips; Present
and/or Publish final drafts (write or use computer);
students can accurately and/or fluently read the letter,
Student self-evaluation of writing - they may say the words that they know and can have
the opportunity to see and learn the other words that
(About My Writing- R-W-N- Strategy Response pages) they do not know.
Wonderful job brainstorming who the students may
write letters to! Nice job pointing out that they would
probably want to write the names of who they are
writing letters to, instead of generally who they are (for
example, instead of cousin, Sam).
*Super including possible closings!
T- A think-pair-share could be a good way to help
students gain ideas from each other before sharing.
Reading Street Writing Components Comments
(continued observational notes)
Tips & Next Steps:
*Nice job asking if there were any questions after
presenting the lesson and then sharing your own See “Ts” in observational notes.
example of who you may write and what you may
write about prior to the students writing independently. Note: Not all turn and talks and/or think-pair-
T- May want to add a little wait time after posing the shares are necessary, but I just pointed out some
question, so that students can think about questions opportunities to include them.
they may have to ask.
*Outstanding job keeping the lesson a mini-lesson, so
that the students would have more time to write and
apply the skills that you taught them!
I love how the students were given the choice of
where to write! The students moved quickly to
locations that they felt would work well for them!
Are the students expected to sit where you can see
them at all times and they can see you at all times, so
that you may monitor their time on task.
*Perfect conferring with individual students to provide
support with their independent writing.
When conferring one student asked you how to spell
“I”. Is “I” on the word wall that the student could have
found with your reminder to look there?
I saw a different student using the word wall-
Wonderful!
*While conferring with individual students, super job
sharing helpful suggestions with the whole class to
reinforce ideas from the lesson and to provide
necessary additional teaching from what you noticed
to be challenging while conferring with individual
students.
*Most students remained seated instead of lining up
to confer with you. This is fabulous that you have
taught them to do this. Are the students expected to
try their best until you confer with them?
*Fantastic job building in time for the students to
share their letters with their writing partners!
Do the students use any peer editing strategies with
their partners?
T- If not, even if they share one “glow” and one “grow”
(in a positive way), this is a good start to peer editing.
I can tell that you have worked very hard to teach your
classroom expectations and routines. The students
were very well-behaved and knew exactly what you
wanted them to do without little explanation other than
the academic instruction. Fantastic!
*Wonderful scaffolding of the lesson to gradual
release of responsibility!
It was such a joy being in your classroom today! You
are an amazing teacher! Kudos to you!
Daily Handwriting :
Quick Writes for Fluency:
Environment & Instruction
Instructional materials are prepared/used and students can see clearly- Yes
All components of lesson was taught- Yes
Appropriate level of scaffolding provided based on overall students’ needs (gradual release of responsibility)- Yes
Clear visuals (lesson materials, posters)- Yes
Frequent opportunities to respond inclusive of all students with checks for understanding (choral, groups, and
partners with occasional individual turns)- The lesson was very nice without these activities, but I think that a few more
opportunities for these activities would increase student engagement, understanding, reading skills, etc… and enhance
your lesson without taking a lot of time.
“Brisk pace” throughout the lesson with differentiated “think time” depending on task complexity- Yes
