Student Teacher_____Aaron Lober School_Manhattan Business Academy

Observation #_2

Date _Oct. 14, 2015 Class _9th gr. English Period___6

Main Lesson Objective (short range concept):___using text evidence to understand character in
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
__________________________________________________________________ _______
I. GETTING STARTED/INTRODUCING THE LESSON
___yes _Establishes opening balance of firmness and friendliness
__No__ Introduces focused, short-range performance objective(s)
__in the plan but not verbally__ Establishes organized agendathe main steps for learning new
knowledge
__yes motivates, but the learning objective was not established_Motivates students to become
interested in the learning objective
__yes, in the plan, but not articulated to the students__Engages students in generating relevant
prior knowledge upon which to build
__somewhat__Helps students contextualize the lesson within the broader unit of study
_yes_Establishes behavior guidelines necessary for a productive lesson
General Observations: The opening to the lesson was an engaging handout in which students
identified their favorite past time, identified a specific team, movie, etc. they liked, and named
their favorite athlete or character from the above answers. Students eagerly shared what they
wrote. They made a bulleted list of 7-10 reasons for this favoritism. Two students shared with the
class 2 of the reasons. During this writing and sharing, Aaron kept the students working at a
rapid pace, kept a running record of who shared, and kept a running patter of complimentary
remarks and comments. The first part of the lesson led to the introduction of the concept of
relevant evidence, the purpose of the remainder of the class. Students would find relevant
evidence to determine who the character Junior is in the text The Absolutely True Diary of a Part
Time Indian by finding and interpreting quotations.
Strengths for this phase:
Aaron has a strong presence which students find very appealing. They willingly follow his plan,
do what he asks, eagerly engage in writing and answering his questions. He has a huge arsenal of
management strategies and uses them perfectly. His written plan was very logical with all of the
parts connected and building from simple to more complex.
Goals for this phase: The purpose/Aim/goal for the class must be made clear to the students
immediately. Not only should it be clearly on the board but it should also be said many times

during as the lesson unfolds to increase student comprehension of how each part of the lesson is
connected and builds in complexity.
Student comprehension should not be checked by a thumbs up signal. All students will put up
their thumb whether the understand or not. Instead, reassurance can be given that understanding
will develop over time and with practice.
As students share, time should be taken to comment on what they said to ask a follow up
question that deepens understanding or to be specific about why their answer was good and how
it connects to relevant evidence.
II. TEACHING/IMPLEMENTING THE LESSON
_somewhat __Establishes key learning objective (concept) and how students will understand it
__somewhat__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, building and practicing old knowledege _Presents new knowledge, not previously taught
knowledge (review, etc.)
__yes__Designs varied activities for applying new knowledge (individual, pairs, groups)
__needs work__Provides clear directions and expectations for each learning activity
_needs work __Structures and paces lesson for unity and completeness, including debriefing
_no__Uses effective questioning to generate critical thinking and multiple views
__yes __Manage students effectively throughout the lesson
__yes but a slower pace would provide deeper understanding__Provides traditional and
performance-based assessment of new knowledge
General Observations:
Aaron did a read aloud of chapter one and stopped three times for students to take notes on their
handout sheet. They were to select a quotation that revealed how the character Junior was on the
inside and to make some notes commenting on the quotations relevance to the question.
Strengths for this Phase:
The read aloud was well paced, the reading was lively, and the stopping places were appropriate.
Students were able to select many quotations that would we be relevant evidence to show how
the character and narrator Junior was on the inside. Students were able to work on the same
paper they used for the Do Now, eliminating the time needed to shuffle paper.
Goals for this Phase:

Work on clear directions for the students. This will help improve all the needs work listed
above because when the teacher is clear what what the kids are supposed to learn and do that
certainty will be transmitted to the students.
Pace the lesson to include probing questions about the quotations the students shared to help
them deepen their notes. A slower pace is necessary during this portion of the lesson. The Do
Now is a rapid review, the implementation of new learning should aim for depth and insight.
This takes time.

III. CLOSING/DEBRIEFING THE LESSON

__no__Paces lesson to provide for an effective culminating display of new knowledge
__somewhat__Provides clear directions for homework application of learning objective
___no_Invites students to debrief by articulating the lessons personal and cognitive benefits
Observations/Goals: The lesson was summed up with great job today, everyone. The handout
with student work was collected and the homework was assigned.
Time ran out before a summary of what happened during the class could be made by the students
or the teacher.
The homework was an excellent assignmentto find stereotypes of Native Americans
(previously taught), circle them, and find and explain quotations that show them. However, time
ran out before the homework assignment could be explained clearly.

IV. OVERALL PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

__consider more how to present a purpose and give clear directions __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/Goal
Aaron has charm, personality and ease in the classroom that makes students want to work for
him. His planning is thorough, thoughtful, organized and creative.
In our conference, I highlighted the importance of giving students a more coherent learning
experience by articulating the lessons purpose before the lesson begins and for summarizing and
concluding what has been accomplished after each segment of the lesson. He was already aware

of the need for improving his directions. I suggested he include specific vocabulary instruction in
each lesson. For example he could identify and define important words, or do a quick word
study; he could put those words on the board for students to see as well as hear; he could give
extra credit for students who use those words.
Aaron listened to my suggestions about how to improve his lesson. He took notes. Clarifying
questions would have been welcomed.

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?