Teacher​ ​Observation​ ​Reflection

Teacher​ ​Name:​​ ​C.H.

Month​:​ ​October
Class:​​ ​AP​ ​US

Description​ ​of​ ​Lesson​:​ ​This​ ​lesson​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​the​ ​development​ ​of​ ​commerce​ ​and​ ​culture​ ​in
early​ ​Eurasia.​ ​The​ ​students​ ​were​ ​working​ ​on​ ​a​ ​project​ ​which​ ​required​ ​them​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with​ ​a​ ​given
amount​ ​of​ ​ancient​ ​currency​ ​to​ ​make​ ​trades,​ ​buy​ ​materials,​ ​secure​ ​resources​ ​and​ ​then​ ​sell​ ​the
products​ ​they​ ​made​ ​from​ ​these​ ​resources.​ ​The​ ​task​ ​was​ ​highly​ ​engaging​ ​for​ ​the​ ​students​ ​and​ ​the
teacher​ ​made​ ​it​ ​a​ ​challenge​ ​by​ ​providing​ ​the​ ​promise​ ​of​ ​a​ ​reward​ ​to​ ​the​ ​team​ ​who​ ​ended​ ​up​ ​with
the​ ​highest​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​profit​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​ten​ ​iterations​ ​of​ ​the​ ​activity.

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

● Mr.​ ​H.​ ​is​ ​a​ ​master​ ​teacher​ ​who​ ​empasses​ ​a​ ​vast​ ​array​ ​of​ ​learning​ ​strategies​ ​to​ ​help
students​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​course​ ​material.
● Mr.​ ​H.​ ​designs​ ​lessons​ ​which​ ​require​ ​critical​ ​thinking​ ​and​ ​can​ ​be​ ​solved​ ​in​ ​a
variety​ ​of​ ​ways.
● Mr.​ ​H.​ ​includes​ ​a​ ​writing​ ​component​ ​in​ ​each​ ​of​ ​his​ ​activities​ ​as​ ​the​ ​AP​ ​course
relies​ ​heavily​ ​on​ ​students​ ​being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​be​ ​effective​ ​communicators,​ ​both​ ​in
writing​ ​and​ ​verbally.

Post-Observation​ ​Commentary:

● Mr.​ ​Haley​ ​establishes​ ​a​ ​risk-free​ ​classroom​ ​environment​ ​for​ ​students​ ​to
communicate​ ​openly​ ​and​ ​honestly​ ​without​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​ridicule.​ ​He​ ​incorporates
lessons​ ​and​ ​resource​ ​material​ ​which​ ​demonstrates​ ​diversity​ ​in​ ​the​ ​classroom​ ​and
he​ ​links​ ​cultural​ ​awareness​ ​to​ ​real-world​ ​experiences.
● Mr.​ ​Haley​ ​plans​ ​instruction​ ​with​ ​multiple​ ​modalities​ ​for​ ​learning​ ​and​ ​seeks​ ​out
various​ ​resources​ ​to​ ​help​ ​meet​ ​the​ ​needs​ ​of​ ​all​ ​students.​ ​He​ ​also​ ​promotes​ ​student
use​ ​of​ ​technology​ ​to​ ​help​ ​support​ ​student​ ​work.

Reflection:

Going​ ​into​ ​this​ ​observation,​ ​I​ ​was​ ​reluctant​ ​to​ ​schedule​ ​it​ ​as​ ​history​ ​was​ ​typically​ ​one​ ​of
my​ ​hardest​ ​subjects​ ​in​ ​school.​ ​Mr.​ ​H.​ ​did​ ​a​ ​great​ ​job​ ​of​ ​scaffolding​ ​the​ ​lesson​ ​ahead​ ​of​ ​time​ ​and
telling​ ​students​ ​exactly​ ​what​ ​he​ ​expected​ ​them​ ​to​ ​do​ ​in​ ​the​ ​assignment.​ ​Mr.​ ​H​ ​also​ ​has​ ​numerous
posters,​ ​both​ ​hard​ ​copy​ ​and​ ​electronic​ ​resource​ ​material​ ​and​ ​a​ ​clear​ ​rubric​ ​to​ ​go​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the
assignment.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​without​ ​any​ ​issues​ ​or​ ​concerns.​ ​This​ ​teacher​ ​routinely
seamlessly​ ​integrates​ ​technology​ ​with​ ​traditional​ ​teaching​ ​techniques​ ​and​ ​has​ ​a​ ​positive​ ​rapport
with​ ​this​ ​students.​ ​Classroom​ ​management​ ​is​ ​not​ ​an​ ​issue​ ​with​ ​Mr.​ ​H​ ​and​ ​he​ ​volunteers​ ​to​ ​model
lessons​ ​for​ ​his​ ​peers​ ​both​ ​in​ ​house​ ​and​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​district.​ ​I​ ​did​ ​not​ ​have​ ​any​ ​suggestions​ ​for
improvement​ ​at​ ​the​ ​time​ ​of​ ​our​ ​post​ ​conference.