Ashley Walser

11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #7

Observation and Evaluation

AWSP Focus Standards:
Criterion 1 Creating a Culture
1.2 Engages in essential conversations for ongoing improvement
1.3 Facilitates collaborative processes leading toward continuous improvement
Criterion 2 Ensuring School Safety
2.2 Provides for social, emotional and intellectual safety
Criterion 3 Planning with Data
3.4 Assists staff to use data to guide, modify and improve classroom teaching and
student learning

Part 1: Written Description of Observation

For this project I observed my Western practicum student teaching a 30-minute math
lesson to a group of 3rd grade students. She has been creating targeted lessons based
on Bridges Intervention materials. Her focus area of growth for her lesson was around
behavior management and the timing of her lessons. This was the first time I formally
observed and held a conference with her. During her lesson I scripted notes on her
lesson plan template.
Learning Target:

Ashley Walser
11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #7

Her learning target was posted in a What, Why, How format:

Part 2: Mini-conference
For the mini-conference I typed our conversation, as shown below:

Ashley Walser
11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #7

Part 3: Reflection
I think that the conference I had with my practicum student went well. The
conference was mutually beneficial in assisting me in continuing to grow my leadership
skills as well as assisting my practicum student in growing as a teacher. I think that my
practicum student was comfortable during the conference because of the honest selfreflections she shared. She shared how the second part of the lesson felt like it was
more difficult for the students and she felt she could have been more consistent on
students focusing on the task. She then built on her own ideas by thinking through
how she could have made the connection between the visual strategy more explicit
with the concept being taught through increasing visuals and referencing the target
more frequently. I was purposeful in asking questions that would assist her in
continuing to think through next steps, like Tell me more. We sat side-by-side at a
round table during the conference. I attempted to script the conversation on my
laptop. This is a skill I will continue to work on building. Reflecting on the conference I

Ashley Walser
11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #7

think that it was a mix between consulting and coaching. I asked my practicum
student questions that focused in on her reflection of the lesson, using second person
pronouns (IE Tell me about how the lesson went for you. and How did you know
they hit the target?). I also proposed teacher actions, like assisting students in
sharing their thinking behind facts by asking them to share their thoughts if they were
talking to someone that never learned the fact. As a coach/leader I feel that my
strength is in being approachable. I think that in this situation I was skilled at assisting
the teacher in coming to her own conclusions about next steps she could take. I would
like to continue to improve my coaching skills through practicing more conversation
moves, like rephrasing. My leadership moves supported my growth toward my
standards in the following ways:
Assignment #7 AWSP Standard Growth
Standard
Indicators of growth
Criterion 1 Creating a Culture
- Engaged in a collaborative two-way
1.2 Engages in essential
conversation with a teacher.
- The conversation was focused in on
conversations for ongoing
how students reach standard.
improvement
1.3 Facilitates collaborative
processes leading toward
continuous improvement
Criterion 2 Ensuring School Safety
2.2 Provides for social,
emotional and intellectual safety

Criterion 3 Planning with Data

3.4 Assists staff to use data to
guide, modify and improve
classroom teaching and student
learning

Discussed the social emotional needs

for specific students within a small
group and how they impact their
engagement in academic tasks.
Discussed how to differentiate
instruction based on student exit slip
data.
Suggested follow-up strategies to use
with students who did not meet the
lessons target.