FOCUSED PROFICIENCY OBSERVATION #1 CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

INTERN: QUANG HUYNH-DOAN

OBSERVER: GNEVANS
DATE OF THE OBSERVATION: MONDAY 2/26/2018
SUBJECT/GRADE LEVEL/CLASS PERIOD: BIOLOGY I, 9TH GRADE, 5TH PERIOD (10:05-11:05)

RECORD OF THE OBSERVATION BELOW

How does the Intern manage student behavior and create rapport with and among students in an
environment of respect?
As students are discussing the pre-lab, calls on individuals by name to share their predictions & thinking. As a
student is talking he moves closer to that student, gives them his full attention, asks probing / supporting
questions to get the full response from each. “can you clarify that?”
Has a very calm and friendly demeanor with the students. “I’m not good with my left and right… never have
been. Just remember that when you’re working with me” “…looks like a little bag of milk, did you know that
apparently in England they sell milk in bags?”
How does the Intern effectively and safely use physical space / proximity to enhance learning for all
students (If relevant, specifically address lab safety)?
Circulates during the lesson, does not seem to ever get “stuck” at the front of the room, in fact does much of
the questioning from the center of the room.
The lab space is cramped but still manages to circulate around to each group. Be mindful as you circulate to
position your body whenever possible at the perimeter and face inward to see the whole class as you work
with individual groups.
Students wearing goggles for the lab (be sure to uniformly enforce this throughout the period)
How does the Intern manage classroom procedures to maximize time for instruction?
Hands out & collect papers in groups of four from each table. Has all lab equipment & materials set up ahead
of time. Lab sheets are prepared to guide students’ work in the lab. Begins with a prelab to set the scene and
be sure students understand the goals, after handing out the lab sheet, demonstrates how to work with the
dialysis tubing (opening the tubing & creating the knots, adding the appropriate solution, etc)
How does the Intern establish classroom standards that foster a culture of learning for all students?
Prior to doing a diffusion lab, begins the lesson by having students predict what will happen and justify their
choices (“the dialysis tubing is a semipermeable membrane, this means that some things will pass through and
others will not” complete the following questions predicting what substances will pass through the membrane
and which will not”
COMMENTS FOR DEBRIEFING / CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TIP (TRY THIS!):
I appreciate your precise use of language (massing the bags instead of weighing them), and pointing out
specific things to remember (swirl the starch solution first to make sure it is mixed) as students do the lab
procedure.
For the debrief after the lab, I’d be using the board to draw out what happened (or ask one or more students
to do this based on their results) to give a visual guide to the discussion. Be careful that you are not just
collecting answers that verify what was expected, but also make sure you are probing for conceptual
understanding.