Middle School Observation Guide Class Observed: 8th Grade Location: Southern Nash Middle School What I was

Looking For: Cognitive Development What I Saw: The students are beginning to use depper reasoning skills. Students are more concerned with the social aspect of school than the educational part. The largest motivational factor I noticed in the classroom was that the students wanted to appear part of the crowd & cool. You can tell that the students are focusing on their personal identity. Relection skills are being taught thoughout the lesson while reading Questions like Why did the Patriots do this? What would you have done in the same situation? Students want to appear as part of the crowd. Students do not want to feel ostracized. Individuality isnt well received or evident. Students are going through puberty and periods of growth. Some voices of the boy students are deepening while others have not yet.

Identity, Self-Concept, & Motivation

Language & Literacy Development

Peer Relations & Moral Development

Physical Development

Middle School Observation Guide Class Observed: 7th Grade Location: Southern Nash Middle School What I was Looking For: Cognitive Development What I Saw: Students were asked to compare and contrast two persausive articles. Students were asked to then select the opinion that they most agreed with and justify their reasoning. Students were beginning to deepen their understanding by making self to text and self to world connections. A select group of sutdent appeared to be motivaated by the opportunity to read aloud. An increased number of students were motiviated to share their opinions aloud. However, when asked to justify their opionions aloud, many students appeared shy and would often respond with a statemetn similar to, I dont know why I think that. Students were encouraged to explore vocabulary in the text in which they were not familiar. Time was allotted for students to discuss possible definitions with their shoulder buddy. Student were eager to talk with their shoulder buddy. It was evident as to which pairs were friends outside of the classroom and which were not. Friendly pairs spoke about social, nonacademic conerns while defining vocabulary. Noticed a should buddy pair in which both young men appeared to be growing facial hair. There was no movement built into this paticular lesson.

Identity, Self-Concept, & Motivation

Language & Literacy Development

Peer Relations & Moral Development

Physical Development

Middle School Observation Guide Class Observed: 6th Grade Location: Southern Nash Middle School What I was Looking For: Cognitive Development What I Saw: In response to a text read about a young boys memoir, students were asked to remember their mosst favorite birthday. Students were asked to then select another significant event in their life in which they had simialr emotions. This activity was the precuros to their writing their own memoirs surrounding once event. Students were beginning to deepen their understanding by making self to text. Students were rotating through colaborative stations. At some stations students had the opportunity to be assigned group roles. It was evident that some students were more willing to take on leadership roles that others. Students quickly fell into leader or follower roles. Students were rotating through stations that included the following: partnered fluency groups, independent reading, guided reading and small group faciliated readers relfection. Students were rotating through colaborative stations. Somes stations reqiured partnered tasks, small group discussion and independent reading. Students were given structured opportuites to talk and be social. In this 6th grade class a majority of the students still favored an older elementary student; however, one young lady was taller than the rest of the students and appears to be moving through puberty ahead of her peers.

Identity, Self-Concept, & Motivation

Language & Literacy Development

Peer Relations & Moral Development

Physical Development

Middle School Observation Guide Class Observed: Elective Course Location: Southern Nash Middle School What I was Looking For: Cognitive Development What I Saw: Students were presenting orally on differnet key networking/computer terms. Students were asked to fram the presentations as if they were teaching a peer. Students were beging asked to use higher order thinking skills to reteach the information researched. Students were asked to provide feedback for each of the peer presentaiton groups as well as their own. This was an independent activity. When looking at a few resposnes, a majority of the feedback was only a few words such as: good, okay, I like it and speak up. It was not clear if students had a scense of self in this activity. Students were required to have poster/written text to accompany their oral presentions. During the observed lesson, no direct literacy instruction was observed. Students were presenting in groups of three. Most groups spoke very softly and read directly from their posters; many times turning their backs to the group. It appeared that students were nervous and concerned about being embarassed in front of their peers. In this 6th grade elective a majority of the students still favored an older elementary student. There was no structured movement planned in this activity to support physcial development at this grade level.

Identity, Self-Concept, & Motivation

Language & Literacy Development

Peer Relations & Moral Development

Physical Development