Teacher​ ​Observation​ ​Reflection

Teacher​ ​Name:​​ ​V.P.

Month​:​ ​September
Class:​​ ​Honors​ ​Calculus

Description​ ​of​ ​Lesson​:​ ​This​ ​lesson​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​an​ ​introduction​ ​to​ ​the​ ​short-cut​ ​rules​ ​for​ ​finding
derivatives.​ ​Prior​ ​to​ ​today’s​ ​class,​ ​students​ ​had​ ​been​ ​working​ ​on​ ​the​ ​basics​ ​of​ ​derivatives​ ​and
coming​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​their​ ​importance​ ​in​ ​the​ ​mathematical​ ​realm.​ ​ ​The​ ​teacher​ ​alternated
student-led​ ​discussion​ ​and​ ​pattern​ ​searching​ ​with​ ​direct​ ​instruction​ ​to​ ​deliver​ ​the​ ​material.​ ​Later
in​ ​the​ ​class,​ ​the​ ​students​ ​broke​ ​into​ ​small​ ​problem​ ​solving​ ​teams​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​a​ ​practice​ ​set​ ​related
to​ ​the​ ​day’s​ ​goals.

Highlights​ ​of​ ​Teacher’s​ ​Practices:

● Very​ ​clear​ ​directions​ ​and​ ​examples
● Talks​ ​student​ ​through​ ​the​ ​critical​ ​thinking​ ​process​ ​of​ ​finding​ ​derivatives​ ​without
doing​ ​the​ ​thinking​ ​for​ ​them
● Alternates​ ​direct​ ​instruction​ ​with​ ​student-led​ ​discussion​ ​and​ ​question​ ​time

Post-Observation​ ​Commentary:
● Mrs.​ ​P​ ​led​ ​a​ ​Math​ ​lesson​ ​on​ ​rules​ ​for​ ​derivatives.​ ​During​ ​this​ ​lesson,​ ​she​ ​was​ ​able
to​ ​effectively​ ​lead​ ​as​ ​both​ ​an​ ​educator​ ​and​ ​as​ ​a​ ​facilitator.​ ​Students​ ​were
encouraged​ ​to​ ​work​ ​in​ ​small​ ​groups​ ​or​ ​could​ ​elect​ ​to​ ​work​ ​independently.​ ​Mrs.​ ​P
provided​ ​a​ ​great​ ​introduction​ ​for​ ​the​ ​lesson​ ​by​ ​first​ ​asking​ ​students​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​any
patterns​ ​they​ ​saw​ ​which​ ​would​ ​play​ ​a​ ​key​ ​role​ ​in​ ​the​ ​day's​ ​main​ ​objectives.​ ​She
leads​ ​inside​ ​her​ ​classroom,​ ​within​ ​her​ ​department​ ​and​ ​is​ ​an​ ​advocate​ ​for​ ​teachers
throughout​ ​the​ ​building.
● Mrs.​ ​P​ ​has​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​command​ ​of​ ​her​ ​subject​ ​matter​ ​and​ ​is​ ​able​ ​to​ ​effectively
deliver​ ​instruction​ ​to​ ​students​ ​on​ ​a​ ​level​ ​they​ ​can​ ​understand.
● Mrs.​ ​P​ ​assumes​ ​a​ ​leadership​ ​role​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Math​ ​III​ ​PLC​ ​and​ ​has​ ​a​ ​great​ ​plan​ ​for​ ​each
meeting.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​timely​ ​with​ ​documenting​ ​meeting​ ​notes​ ​and​ ​takes​ ​the​ ​task
seriously.​ ​Additionally,​ ​she​ ​is​ ​comfortable​ ​asking​ ​for​ ​clarification​ ​if​ ​needed​ ​and
seeks​ ​appropriate​ ​support​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Administrative​ ​team​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​she​ ​is​ ​doing
everything​ ​within​ ​her​ ​power​ ​to​ ​make​ ​her​ ​successful.​ ​All​ ​around​ ​an​ ​outstanding
teacher​ ​and​ ​wonderful​ ​asset​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Mathematics​ ​Department​ ​at​ ​BHS.

Reflection:
 This​ ​first​ ​observation​ ​was​ ​fairly​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​conduct​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​this​ ​teacher
on​ ​a​ ​professional​ ​level​ ​from​ ​my​ ​prior​ ​work​ ​with​ ​the​ ​district.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​very​ ​knowledgeable​ ​in​ ​her
subject​ ​area​ ​and​ ​takes​ ​her​ ​work​ ​seriously.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​had​ ​difficulty​ ​getting​ ​full​ ​student​ ​buy-in​ ​as
she​ ​does​ ​not​ ​accept​ ​any​ ​less​ ​than​ ​one’s​ ​best​ ​efforts​ ​inside​ ​of​ ​her​ ​room.​ ​Many​ ​students​ ​who​ ​have
had​ ​her​ ​as​ ​a​ ​teacher​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​will​ ​readily​ ​attest​ ​to​ ​not​ ​liking​ ​her​ ​at​ ​first​ ​and​ ​thinking​ ​she​ ​was
too​ ​hard​ ​on​ ​them​ ​to​ ​learning​ ​to​ ​love,​ ​and​ ​even​ ​miss,​ ​her​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​year.​ ​Because​ ​her
practice​ ​is​ ​so​ ​refined,​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​need​ ​to​ ​implement​ ​any​ ​crucial​ ​conversations​ ​or​ ​have​ ​any​ ​major
suggestions​ ​for​ ​improvement.​ ​I​ ​did​ ​suggest​ ​that​ ​she​ ​may​ ​want​ ​to​ ​consider​ ​starting​ ​her​ ​class​ ​with
a​ ​problem​ ​that​ ​students​ ​have​ ​not​ ​seen​ ​before​ ​and​ ​treat​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a​ ​“hook”​ ​to​ ​the​ ​new​ ​material.​ ​This
may​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​the​ ​subject​ ​matter​ ​which​ ​can​ ​be​ ​a​ ​daunting​ ​task​ ​in​ ​a​ ​class​ ​like
Calculus.​ ​All​ ​around,​ ​this​ ​was​ ​an​ ​easy​ ​observation​ ​with​ ​no​ ​uncomfortable​ ​moments.