Emily Maclaren Observation 6

Student Teacher__Emily MacLaren

School_UA School for Media Studies

Observation #__6_ Date __5/4/16 Class ___9th Grade ELA Skills_Period_4, 11:13-11:58__
Main Lesson Objective (short range concept):__To be able to use technology to construct or add
onto a rough draft of a blog, PowerPoint or oral presentation
I. GETTING STARTED/INTRODUCING THE LESSON
yes Establishes opening balance of firmness and friendliness
yes Introduces focused, short-range performance objective(s)
yes Establishes organized agendathe main steps for learning new knowledge
yes_Motivates students to become interested in the learning objective
yes Engages students in generating relevant prior knowledge upon which to build
yes Helps students contextualize the lesson within the broader unit of study
yes Establishes behavior guidelines necessary for a productive lesson
General Observations:
(This is a class that focuses on literacy skills with independent reading as its focal point. This
class meets twice a week. )
Emily greeted the entering students with a smile and a welcome, they glanced at the interesting
Bell Ringer projected on the Smart Board screen, took their notebooks and began to write their
responses. The Bell-Ringer (Do Now) was to respond to the prompt, Imagine that an alien has
just arrived here who writes Greetings Earthling. I am from another Planet. How does the writer
position the reader here? (As what, or as who?) and How does the writer position himself? As
the students wrote, Emily positioned herself behind them in order to monitor their work, stepping
forward occasionally to answer a question or make suggestions to students who had finished
writing too quickly. The Bell Ringer ended with a few students answering the Bell Ringer
questions and a quick review of what positioning means.
Instructions were then given instructions for the remainder of the class. Students would be using
the laptop computers to continue their work on their projects about their independent reading
book, either a blog, a PowerPoint or a creative oral presentation.
Strengths for this phase:
Emily was in full command of the class

She had a pertinent and engaging Do Now
Her classroom management was firm
The outline and due dates Guidelines for the project which had been given a week ago
were being followed
Students were monitored as they worked during the Bell Ringer
Goals:
Spend a little more time to check for understanding about positioning
II. TEACHING/IMPLEMENTING THE LESSON
yes_Establishes key learning objective (concept) and how students will understand it
yes_Gives in-depth presentation of the learning objective and builds lesson around it
yes Offers students deductive (direct teaching) and inductive (discovery) approaches
yes Uses instructional formats to appeal to verbal, visual and kinesthetic modes
yes__Presents new knowledge, not previously taught knowledge (review, etc.)
yes Designs varied activities for applying new knowledge (individual, pairs, groups)
yes_Provides clear directions and expectations for each learning activity
all but debriefing Structures and paces lesson for unity and completeness, including debriefing
somewhat Uses effective questioning to generate critical thinking and multiple views
yes_ Manage students effectively throughout the lesson
present in the lesson Provides traditional and performance-based assessment of new knowledge
General Observations:
Students worked independently on their presentations. While they were working Emily
circulated, checking on their work. She was able have deeper conferences with each student
because everyone else was working with concentration on his/her own project.
She interrupted the class to share with them a blog that one of the students was working on. This
model provided inspiration and help to other students who were creating a blog. The interruption
was a pleasant and natural sharing of work for everyone. Once it was finished, everyone
agreeably went back to work.
Strengths for this Phase:
Time was provided for students to write and think

Time was provided for in-depth conferencing
An atmosphere of collegiality and work pervaded the classroom
Goals for this Phase:
As the work period began one student asked What do you mean by thatpositioning?
This was a teachable moment. The student, now that he had to apply to concept of
positioning to his work, really needed to know what it meant! This was an opportunity to
go deeply into the concept by providing real-life examples from his or another students
work.
III. CLOSING/DEBRIEFING THE LESSON

no Paces lesson to provide for an effective culminating display of new knowledge
yes Provides clear directions for homework application of learning objective
no__Invites students to debrief by articulating the lessons personal and cognitive benefits
Observations/Goals:
Students worked the entire period. At the end, Emily told the students to remember that they had
only one class period more to work before the projects were due and to think about what was left
to work on.
There should always be a formal closure at the end of a lesson. In this case a Process/Reflection
would have been helpful. Ask students to note what they had completed in their work so far and
to make a plan for what is next. Ask them to write in their notebooks and then share: What have
you finished? What will you do for homework and for the next class to be able to finish in time
by the end of the next class period? Planning for the future helps students organize for success
and helps the teach check for understanding.
IV. OVERALL PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
__yes__Reflects on/evaluates how instructional choices and actions affect students
__yes__Builds relationships and seeks resources that support students active learning
__yes__Is flexible in accommodating varied learning aptitudes and formats
___yes_Is objective and calm in dealing with the unexpected
Observations/Goals:
Emily has a teacherly mind. Because she led the class calmly and efficiently we were able to talk
about scope and goals, not management, in our conference. We reflected on this project and
brainstormed ways to modify, add or change it for the next time.
Questions Reflective Teachers Ask Themselves When Reflecting on Observed/Implemented Lessons
Date:
Lesson:
Following your observation of a lesson, read and reflect carefully on the following questions. Respond in
writing to those that most pertain to the lesson.
Did the student learning anything? If so, why? If not, why not?
Did anything significant occur? If so, what and why?
Was the lesson built around a focused short-range objective that students could learn during the class?
Was the objective too narrow or broad for the grade level; if so, how could it be improved?
Was the strategy used the most effective one? What other strategies might be more effective?
How well did the lesson elicit the students prior knowledge, relevant experiences, and personal interests?
How might these important connections be improved?
How flexible was the teacher in modifying the lesson to accommodate students learning needs?
How well was classroom behavior managed? What proactive techniques might have been more
successful? What technique worked best and why? What didnt work and why?
What connections were made between the instructional strategies and the learning effectiveness? In the
future, how can I mend this gap to ensure all students learn a concept in depth?
Was the lesson coherent? How might the opening, the actual instruction the learning application, or the
closure be improved to give students a more coherent learning experience?
How were students inspired to learn the lesson objective? Were they offered intellectual and personal
rationales for learning? How might I do this in the future?
Did students have adequate opportunity to direct their own learning? If so, how? If not, what could be
done?
As a result of observing or teaching this lesson, what have I learned about teaching? What goals have I
developed as a result?

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Student Teacher__Emily MacLaren

School_UA School for Media Studies

Emily was in full command of the class

Spend a little more time to check for understanding about positioning

II. TEACHING/IMPLEMENTING THE LESSON

Time was provided for students to write and think

Goals for this Phase:

III. CLOSING/DEBRIEFING THE LESSON

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