You are on page 1of 13

Observation Sheet Questioning

Graduate Standards - AITSL


Professional Knowledge: 1. Know students and how they learn
Professional Practice: 2. Plan and implement effective teaching and learning

Question Type

Lesson 1:
Do you feel your questions Yes my initial question what are persuasive texts? Generated discussion
were clearly structured and and led into my next question what are examples of persuasive texts?
readily understood by the Which led to discussion about common devices used in persuasive texts
students? and into my first activity. When going through first activity using literal
questions such as did anyone know the definition of alliteration? to
generate initial response then asking inferential questions like can you
give me an example of alliteration? was effective for gauging class
comprehension and highlighting techniques I needed to explain in detail.

Lesson 2:
No, I attempted a group activity and did not structure it well enough. I
asked students to form groups then assigned them a persuasive device I
had taught them last lesson, asking them to create an example based on a
subject topic. Students were unsure of what they were doing, I lost track
of which groups where assigned what device and many groups lost focus
and began private conversations while single group members did all the
work. I should have structured activity more clearly. Perhaps using the
whiteboard to break activity into steps ie Step 1: look at the definition for
your device on your definition sheets. Step 2: decide whether you are for
or against the statement. Step 3: make a persuasive argument using your
technique to share with the class. If this question had been more
structured it may have prevented behavioural issues and been more
effective at gauging the class as a wholes comprehension of persuasive
devices.

Lesson 3:
Yes beginning lesson with same activity as lesson 1 (with different
answers) helped remind students what we were doing last week and was
easily understood. It worked well to help me gauge how much of the
previous week they remembered. Asking students to peer mark was also
effective I detailed who they would swap sheets with and how we were
going to go through and mark them clearly. Students understood and
completed task well. Having each aspect of the task structured helped
prevent behavioural issues. Use of literal questions followed by inferential
in discussion between activity 1 and 2 helped me gauge whether students
had begun to understand that these devices have an effect. Activity 2 was
structured well, clearly defined what they had to do and gave them time
to complete on own, when common questions arose/class lost direction
would go through a section with whole class, to model the task and bring
them back to focus. Having an example row completed was a very
effective technique for helping the class comprehend task. Use of literal
questions followed by inferential questions when helping students
complete activity 2 was effective in guiding students to correct responses
without making connections for them ie so you think the device used
here is an opinion? Is it a positive or negative opinion? how does that
make you feel about the subject? So what would you say is the effect of
using that opinion in this text?

Lesson 4:
Yes utilised same combination of literal and inferential questions to help
students complete activity 2 from previous lesson, went through whole
thing with class on board and allowed them to mark/complete their
sheets. While going through on board engaged students with questions
particular students name what answer did you have for the first column? if
they didnt have answers tried to guide them with literal questions
followed by inferential question aimed at combining their literal answers
into a critical response. Activity 3 was structured well, having completed
example on first page helped students understand what they were doing,
activity had no trick questions in it and students understood the task.
Having multiple examples in the one activity allowed me to be flexible
customising it to the time available making it effective at gauging class
comprehension. It also allowed me to structure task easily okay we are
running out of time I would like you to focus on having the first two
columns finished today made goals realistic and clear to students.

Lesson 5:
My questions in this lesson were clearly structured. When students
struggled or could not answer questions I modelled them for the class
and then guided them to their own responses as best I could. The second
half of this lesson was a summative assessment based largely on the
activities the class had been completing in the lessons beforehand. I did
not have explicit instructions written on this activity and had to explain it
orally at the beginning of the test (even though they had already done
numerous similar activities), which was less than ideal and took from
their working time. This assessment should have been better structures
with explicit written instructions so students could be certain what they
were doing.

Yes I use a combination of literal and inferential/open & closed questions.


Did you use a variety of I also utilise a variety of activities, including multiple choice (for
question types? definition activities), written response activities and discussion based
activities that allow students to demonstrate comprehension in a number
of ways
I found that I use three to four literal questions to each inferential. I use
What balances was there literal questions to set up responses to inferential questions.
between the various questions I use more written and verbal responses than multiple choice. Multiple
types? choice are effective for teaching/testing definitions as they require
minimal writing but clearly demonstrate comprehension. I find
written/verbal responses are more effective at teaching/gauging more
critical knowledge like the purpose and effect of devices. Having to write
disengages this particular cohort, I found breaking written responses into
completing sections of a table effective. It makes responses seem shorter
than they were by allowing the use of dot points. In some activities I
combine multiple choice and written response, starting with multiple
choice to lead students into written responses. Written responses
structured with short responses first longer responses last.

I use literal questions to generate initial responses and lead to inferential


Consider both why and when questions. I utilise multiple choice to teach/test knowledge of definitions
you made use of the different while I use written/verbal responses to gauge critical understanding.
question types?
I use questions at a number of times, generally I begin with literal
questions then work to inferential. Sometimes I will ask inferential then
work backwards with literal questions to guide to response to the initial
inferential question. I will ask students direct questions when they
become unfocused to bring them back to the task and will ask the whole
class questions when common problems occur.
In activities I usually begin with multiple choice, then short answer, then
end with longer answer questions.

I generally start the lesson/activities with a question that is easy to


answer to inspire initial responses and active engagement, then press
with further, more inferential questions, to inspire more sophisticate
responses.

Distributing and Directing Questions

I made sure to direct my questions at a variety of students. I gave eager


Did you recognise any pattern students opportunities to participate and gave them praise to encourage
in the distribution of your them to remain engaged and continue participating. When the same
questions amongst the students began responding too often I started asking others specifically,
students? Consider reasons to include the whole class in the discussions. I constantly directed
for this pattern? questions at a group of misbehaving students to keep them focused and
draw them into engaging with the discussion. Asking
misbehaving/unfocused students questions was an effective way to bring
them back to the task and manage behaviour. It sets up phrases like okay
so you dont know the answer? Maybe you should be paying attention to
what other people are saying so you can get it.

This pattern arises because eager students raise their hands


enthusiastically when questions are asked and draw my attention/are
easy to choose as I know they are going to try. This causes me to consider
the rest of the class and start directing my questions around the room to
engage as many students as possible. My reason for directing questions
at misbehaving students is to help them re-focus and manage their
behaviour.

I have directed questions orally to the class as a whole, to smaller groups


How have you directed within the class and to specific students depending on the circumstance. I
questions to the group? start with simple questions, then progress to more direct questions in an
attempt to guide students to the understanding required.
I also direct questions through writing but let the students know I will
clarify them orally if I need to.

Yes I utilise wait time to give students time to process my questions and
Have you used wait time? synthesis their responses. It is not always effective and students
sometimes stall until I have to move on. Could possibly structure wait
time ie Im going to give you thirty seconds to think. I also use wait time
for behaviour management, pausing during instruction and letting class
know I am waiting until they focus before continuing.

I make a conscious effort to scan the class as I speak making eye contact
Did you make eye contact with with students paying attention to me, to keep them engaged. I make eye
the group as you directed your contact with specific groups/students when I am directing questions at
questions? them. I also use eye contact to manage behaviour pausing on students not
paying attention while scanning, or making eye contact with students
having private conversations/misbehaving giving them a look to let
them know I am aware of their behaviour.

Reactions to Students Responses

I approach correct responses with praise. If a response is correct but


How do you deal with correct could be more sophisticated I use praise to attempt to develop responses
responses? Do you qualify any further. Ie thats really good but have you thought about how alliteration
praise given? breaks up sentence structure as well as make things catchy? Youre doing
really well just think about it. I qualify praise, when praising just for
contributing and to inspire further contribution I will normal move on by
saying thanks for contributing. However when I am praising a student
for coming to a correct/sophisticated response I say something like
youve hit the nail on the head completely.

I respond with praise/encouragement unless student is acting up on


How do you deal with incorrect purpose, to make them feel safe and encourage them to continue
responses? How do you deal participating. When students grope for an answer I can struggle to not
with students who stumble and just give them the correct answer. Instead I try to guide them towards a
grope for an answer? response by re-framing the question/concept and using literal questions
to guide responses. If a student cannot reach a response I let them have
time to think alone and come back to them, or I paraphrase the idea they
are trying to reach as best I can and make minor links for them if they
have done sufficient groundwork.
I use student responses as the basis for all classroom discussion, basing
What use do you make of the my points and further questions around student response. I use student
students responses to develop responses to develop the teaching point by correcting them, and directing
the teaching point? Have you conversation, generated from student response, in the right direction for
redirected any questions in the task at hand. I always make an effort to praise students for
order to add to an initial contributing. If a students response is close but not quite correct I will
response? often ask other students if they have a different answer and might be able
to help out.

No I utilise peer marking and allow students to correct each other/add to


Are you the only evaluator of each others contributions as long as they are respectful. Peer marking
the students answers? creates a good forum for discussion while working through the answers
with the class and students are more confident to contribute as they are
reading someone elses responses. I also go through answers on the
board and allow students to mark their own work. This allows them to
know if they were correct, while giving them an opportunity to add notes
to their answers and improve their comprehension.

Observation Sheet Managing the classroom environment

Graduate Standards AITSL


Professional Practice:
1. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
2. Planning for Effective Management

Lessons 1/2:
Was your lesson plan effective My planned activities and schedule worked well in these classes.
for managing the class? However my plans did not include behaviour management elements. Ie
thinking about how sheets would be handed out and the misbehaviour
e.g. How did the students that would occur while I was busy walking desk to desk handing them
react to your lesson overall out. (I learnt to let a reliable student hand sheets out). My lesson 1 plan
and to your planned activities? filled the entire period and had the class occupied well. Students were
reluctant to complete activities but I managed to engage them in
Did anything unexpected discussions and get them to work through them.
happen? The class had minor behavioural issues that peaked at times but nothing
completely unexpected and I learnt valuable lessons in behavioural
Did you provide a variety of management.
activities? I provided two separate activities that built off of each other, that I chose
with providing opportunities for success in mind. They matched the
Were you satisfied with your cohorts level well and I was happy with my timing, however I rushed
timing, particularly for the end through explaining things and in attempting to keep writing to a
of the lesson? minimum (many students genuinely struggle with writing and many
others are unmotivated to try longer written answers, which causes
Did you feel you were able to behavioural issues) I did not reinforce concepts enough or make my
change things if needed? explanations as explicit as they needed to be.
After a relatively successful first lesson I attempted to change things up
and have the students do a group discussion based activity in the second.
I managed to organise and complete the activity, however misbehaviour
peaked considerably and the class was incredibly difficult to regain
control over. Students did not react well to this lesson. While they had a
variety of activities one of them was incomplete from the last lesson.
Without new content it was difficult to get students to continue
completing the activity and maintain engagement. Misbehaviour also
peaked with students having private conversations across the class,,
swinging on chairs, playing with prank pens and play fighting. I learnt
valuable lessons in dealing with misbehaviour and nipping it in the bud
before it can peak. I also learnt about effectively organising a class for
group work, enforcing punishments and the need for backup activities/
time organisation.
I was not happy with my timing at the end of this lesson. We finished the
second activity with an awkward four minutes remaining where students
stopped listening completely. I learnt valuable lessons in dismissing the
class myself (not letting the bell do it) and effectively planning a
conclusion to lessons. My attempt at changing things up at the start of
this lesson was not that successful but it taught me valuable lessons and I
am keen to develop a bank of activities I can utilise when lessons are not
working/there is excess time.
Lessons 3/4:
My plans for these lessons were effective at managing the class. I dealt
with misbehaviour early and students reacted far better to my activities.
I had a variety of activities prepared which gave me the ability to be
flexible and confident I could keep the class engaged for the entire time. I
was satisfied with my timing. While the schedules on my lesson plans
were not met, the extra time I spent on activities was used practically
reinforcing content and I am happy with the result of these lessons. I was
able to change things as I needed, taking extra time to go through
activities explicitly instead of following my schedule, and set realistic
goals for the time I had.
Lesson 5:
This lesson was dedicated to a summative assessment. I spent the first
half of the lesson working through an activity with the class to help
prepare them for the assessment. Due to the fast pace of this lesson and
the test conditions of its second half the class was well managed. Students
did not react well to knowing they had a test but were still well behaved
and attempted the task.

Class procedure: warning/response relative to misbehaviour, followed by


Were you aware of classroom punishment if required ie move seat. Buddy off if behaviour is
procedures and school unmanageable/preventing safe learning environment for everyone else.
disciplinary policy? How
much did you know about School Policy: Students buddied out of class are sent to student support.
your students? All major issues escalated to student support who are responsible for
disciplinary action. Fighting or refusing reasonable request of a
How did your mentor teacher teacher=suspension. I was given reasonable information about my
maintain a safe learning students academic level and through my observations had a decent idea
environment? of class behavioural issues.

What strategies did your My mentor teacher created a safe learning environment through a strong
observe your mentor teacher repour with his students and having his expectations explicitly known.
using to maintain this? He uses a variety of unseen low key strategies to maintain behaviour/a
safe environment (proximity, contact, eye contact, pauses etc).and utilises
a warning, choice, punishment approach to disciplining students.

Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the Classroom

Greeted them positively, making sure to say hello to students I had


How did you demonstrate to moved/told off, in previous lessons, at beginning of class to let them
the students that you valued know I was not holding a grudge. I praised contributions as much as
them, and enjoyed learning? possible and constantly re-affirmed that students efforts were good and
appreciated. I smiled encouragingly as much as possible and let them
e.g. Tone of voice, facial know how happy I was when they came to correct responses. I included
expression, sense of humour, all students, even those with behavioural issues and encouraged
introduction to students and contributions/learning even after I told students off to let them know I
topic. still valued them and wanted them to learn.
The main ways I demonstrated to students that I valued them and
enjoyed their learning were remaining calm and approachable to all
students and praising efforts/contributions continuously.

Which aspects of your Being approachable. Walking around demonstrating personal interest
teaching style do you feel and utilising proximity. Being assertive not aggressive, being firm and
helped you maintain class setting boundaries but remaining calm and reasonable when they are
attention? crossed. Responding to misbehaviour/inattention at appropriate level.
Dont give attention to those seeking it, calmly address behaviour, give a
e.g. Variety of activities, class choice and move on, enforcing punishment if misbehaviour continues.
or group discussion, pace of Having a variety of activities ie multiple choice, short-medium written
lesson, interest at class level. response, video comprehension, image comprehension and reading
comprehension helped keep class focused and working. Stopping
activities and going through/discussing sections of activities with whole
class helped when I began noticing inattention sinking in. It helps break
up activities and keep students minds on task. I also attempted to gear
my activities around the cohort, minimising writing when it wasnt
necessary and including content that would interest them like
skateboarding, exciting images and interesting video resources to
analyse.

In my first two lessons I did not explicitly state my expectations for


Did the students know what students, as a result behaviour was less than ideal and appropriate
was expected of them? respect wasnt shown to me, other students, school property and private
property. However in my third lesson I listed explicit expectations on the
whiteboard, students became aware of how I expected them to behave
and behaviour improved considerable. It is highly important for students
to know the class boundaries and expectations for their behaviour. It sets
a standard that can be maintained practically and limits excuses for
misbehaviour as students are well aware if their actions are
inappropriate.

Were you able to redirect Sometimes, other times I could merely mediate misbehaviour so it didnt
energies of attention seeking distract others ie putting books under the pens of students who refused
students? Did the students to stop tapping so they no longer made a noise.
have enough I could often keep the class moving when they became disengaged by
to do? going through parts of activities as a group and starting discussions to
bring students back to the task. This allowed me to mix between
individual written work and group discussion to keep the lesson
engaging.
In my first lesson students had enough to do and I was able to flexibly
work through different activities.
In my second lesson I ran out of content and had an awkward four
minutes at the end of class were misbehaviour peaked.
My third and fourth lessons were over prepared, which I found good. I
was able to be flexible with activities and take my time reinforcing
comprehension. I also provided a variety of activities from multiple
choice, to completing incomplete tables and image comprehension
activities. The diversity of activities stopped the class becoming
monotonous and helped keep students engaged, while my abundance of
content reinforced the concepts being taught and kept them occupied
until the end of class.

Dealing with Minor Misbehaviour

I was surprised at how aware I was of the classs behaviour. I found it


Were you aware of what was relatively easy to spot signs of inattention and misbehaviour. However in
happening in all parts of the my first two lessons I found acting on these signs incredibly difficult and
classroom? Did you know let a lot of minor misbehaviour slide.
what each student was doing? After receiving back the activities from my first two lessons I also learnt
that some misbehaviour/lack of focus is harder to recognise. Students
who appeared to be working quietly, from the front of the class, were
merely drawing on their worksheets completing a bare minimum.
After these experiences I adjusted my approach in the next two lessons. I
acted on misbehaviour and nipped it in the bud early, moving students
when needed. I also moved around the classroom far more, working my
way down each row multiple times as students completed activities. As a
result in my third and fourth lessons I was far more aware of what was
happening in all parts of the classroom and what each student was
doing.

In my first two lessons I did not until behaviour got out of hand. This was
Did you take any action when mostly out of nerves and also because I knew students would play up for
you observed poor behaviour? a student teacher and I thought not reacting would show I wasnt fazed
Why? Why not? by them. In reality letting students get away with misbehaviour gave
other students the impression they could get away with it too and led to
the learning environment deteriorating at multiple times throughout the
lessons. I learnt a valuable lesson in the value of preventative behaviour
management over responsive behaviour management.

Yes I have found proximity to be a useful tool for dealing with minor
Did you use non-verbal cues? behaviour without causing a distraction/disrupting the flow of the
e.g. Contact, pause, gesture, lesson. I also used eye contact to let students know I was aware of
movement toward student/s misbehaviour, shaking head as well when look wasnt enough, I found
concerned. this effective. Used hand gesture and eye contact to stop students
swinging on chairs. Gave students warning that distraction objects ie
hats, pens that electrocute when clicked, would be confiscated if not left
alone, after warnings walked up and confiscated then verbally told they
could have back at end of class. Not talking until in close proximity, after
I had taken the item prevented argument and scene being caused. Wait
time can be effective, however frustrated students, who are paying
attention, can be overzealous and rude when telling the students we are
waiting for to stop talking.

Looking at the whole school

Describe the school in terms of its This school has a wide ranging demographic but is generally
demographics, appearance and middle class. With some students from wealthy backgrounds and
resources (be general here and do others from socially disadvantaged.
not name the school). ATAR through to TAFE based work placement courses offered for
students.
Students are streamed according to academic performance.
The school offers football and gifted & talented programs that
draw students from other areas.
The school has a moderate uniform policy in place, teachers are
lenient with uniform but clamp down when worn inappropriately or
disrespected.
Buildings are all modern and school has a variety of unique
resources; world war II museum, student radio station, privately
owned canteen.
School is well resourced with multiple, well equipped computer
labs, a sophisticated media department with a variety modern
resources, ie green screens, cameras, stands, lighting gear,
editing studios, audio recording gear etc. Each department has
iPads that teachers can book for classes, rooms all have a TV
mounted in them and teachers have a variety of assessment and
teaching resources provided for them ie box tests.
What were the roles and My mentor teacher is the Associate Dean of Engish. Associate
responsibilities of the teaching staff Deans and Deans of learning areas have extra responsibilities.
you observed? They must attend additional management meetings and provide
support/informed guidance when teachers approach them with
issues.
Duty of care over students and behaviour management during
class time and before school, during recess, lunch and after
school when on duty.
Maintaining uniform standards, maintaining own professional
standards and attending PD.
Conducting parent teacher meetings and offering after school
mentoring.
Fill roles in school productions ie extras, ushers, stage hands.
Participate in student assignments and teach outside of teaching
area when required.
Buddying difficult students from other classes.
Creating term and semester plans.
Organising resources and space for classes.
Students grades.
Sending letters to families of at risk students.
Proving then reporting plagiarism.

After discussion with your mentor Professional standards and integrity influence how teachers can
teacher describe how policies and speak to/discipline students. Influences teachers
processes of government, behaviour/appearance in and out of school.
administration and schools have an What needs to be covered in a year dictated by external body
affect on the work of the teacher? ACARA affects work of teacher as they must cover curriculum and
make time to do so.
Departmental and school Risk Management Policy influence work
of teacher as they dictate what teachers must do in specific
situations, sets guidelines/procedure/standards that teachers
must adhere to.
School has bring your own device policy, puts pressure on
teachers to utilise ICT in learning, regardless of personal
competency with ICT, also creates behavioural issues.
Gifted and Talented program receives extra funding and is audited
to prove funding is used to create a differentiated environment.
Teachers must provide this environment.
What did you observe non-teaching staff doing to Administration co-ordinate and authorise visitors to
support teaching and learning in the school? the school, help maintain safe environment. They
also facilitate communication between school and
families to help create learning community
Student support office deals with all major
behavioural issues and confiscated goods and
council students with problems.
Non-teaching staff monitor behaviour while moving
around school and work as teachers on duty.
They co-ordinate resources for teachers.
They manage the library and help students
effectively use the resources there.

Students

You will have observed the diverse All classes I have observed have been diverse, regardless of
nature of your classes. How was stream. In some cases diversity is solely within students
this diversity supported? abilities/engagement. In others there is cultural and intellectually
diversity ie Aboriginal and Maori People, dyslexic students and
ASD students.
Diversity is catered for indirectly, whole class treated the same
but treatment is aimed at providing equal opportunities for
success for everyone. Information is presented in a number of
ways, and is reinforced through a variety of activities (written,
oral, multimedia etc) to cater to the diverse ways students learn
best and provide equal opportunities for all students to
succeed/participate.
Cater for individual students but dont isolate them. For example
in class with one dyslexic student, all hand outs printed on light
green or blue paper, in large font that is well spaced. This
makes information more easily accessible for dyslexic student
and doesnt affect the rest of the class and caters for an
individual student without isolating them.
Function of Schools

Did you observe the connection School connects with local community in a number of ways.
of your schools with the broader They have regular meetings with other local schools and have
community? How did this an ongoing relationship with the local Primary School from which
happen? students generally proceed to this high-school. These meetings
maintain what the school calls its Professional Learning
Community.
The schools football program has them engaging in competition
with other schools. It also creates associations between the
school and the Australian Institute of Sport. Along with the
school and local football clubs that they share
resources/facilities with.
In term 1 teachers are required to host a meet and greet (on
school property) with parents/the wider community.
Parent teacher nights occur in Terms two and three.

What do you think the function of To teach appropriate social behaviour and prepare students to
school is? interact/function with others in the outside world.
To teach students specified learning outcomes.
Increasing focus on getting students to pass NAPLAN/OLNA.

Different class streams serve different functions.


Enrichment (low achievement stream) aims at raising students
to a level where they can complete workplace learning (VET),
and continues students on to TAFE or directly into workforce
once completing high-school.
General stream: Higher focus on VET as students have capacity
to complete higher certificates, aims to guide students into
workplace education or increase performance so they can move
up a stream and continue on to ATAR level and university.
Extension stream: Highest achieving students. Aims to maintain
high performance, prepare for TEE and university.
Gifted and Talented: function is to provide a differentiated
learning environment for those who scored within a specific
Reflection think about your range on an entrance test. Facilitate different student capabilities
experiences during the week and to achieve best performance and prepare for continuation to
describe how your previous university/workforce.
experiences have informed your
view of teachers and schools. My previous views of teachers and schools have changed after
Has anything changed? my experiences on this placement. Behaviour management is a
far more important aspect of the job then I ever realised.
Teachers are multi tasking constantly and making informed
judgements, with actual consequences, on the fly at regular
intervals. I am becoming familiar with the heavy workload and
diversity of roles undertaken by a teacher, ie making activities,
lesson planning, planning on the fly, being on duty,
writing/running a test. The multiple roles this school fulfils have
also made my understanding of the function of schools more
sophisticated. The school fulfils a number of functions outside of
simply facilitating education. It facilitates out of school sports
programs (football program) and after school dance classes in
school facilities, it offers media courses and broadcasts student
work within the school. The school also functions as a World
War II museum. This school has changed my idea of schools. It
is more technologically integrated than any other school I have
attended, it has a private owned canteen and large, modern,
multi purpose facilities.

You might also like