Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow

EDUC 202 Examining Teaching Practices

observers name: todays date: length of observation: cooperating teacher: student observed: grade level/subject: objective of observation:
Directions:

Katie Fabian 4/28/2014 30 minutes Mrs. Fonner (permanent sub for Mrs. Moller) Jack 4th Grade/ All Subjects Teacher and Student Interaction

As completely and accurately as possible, describe the interactions between the teacher and one selected student. Include direct quote and descriptions of the teacher and the students, including facial expressions, gestures, and voice quality. Be careful, however, to avoid making judgments.

time
10:50

teacher quotes, actions, etc.

"Here are some markers to make your project more detailed and live like." Teacher encouraging student. "This is not AP work, keep working on the project you 40 minutes." Teacher enforcing time limit and to encouarge student to work hard. "Great Job! It's starting to look like a grassland food web, keep working!" Teacher giving him praise of what he has accomplished. "Are you sure you're finished?" Teacher questioning student in order to give him a better grade. "Can you try adding a little more detail to the grass area?" Teacher trying to get student to keep working (there is about 20 minutes left). "Okay, what color is the sky in your picture?" Teacher trying to have him add more. "Okay but outside the sky is?" "So let's keep aiming for that AP and keep adding detail and color in the sky!" Teacher encourages student to keep working.

student quotes, actions, etc.

"Thanks." Student seemed frustrated because he has to do more work. "Why does everyone want me to get an AP?" He didn't want to strive for an AP at the time.

11:00

11:10

"Thank you."

11:20

"Yes I am!" Student was very determined. "I did already!" Student getting frustrated.

11:21

11:23 11:25 11:26

"White." "Blue!" "Okay fine." Student is not thrilled but will attempt to try.
continued on the next page

Now, lets pay special attention to gender equity practices. Respond to the following questions by choosing the correct response from the drop-down menu in the column on the right. Please be cognizant of what the word proportionate and its variation mean. For instance, if there are twice as many boys as girls in a classroom, a teacher who exhibits good gender equity habits would naturally call on boys with twice the frequency as that for girls.

Teacher-Student Interactions
very frequently sometimes rarely sometimes very frequently very frequently

how often the teacher and students interact with each other males and females verbal comments (praise, remediation, instructions, etc.) with proportionate frequency teacher calls on females with proportionate frequency females and males receive constructive comments in terms of conduct with proportionate frequency teacher responds to answers provided by students with equity (praise, clarification and follow-up questions, etc.) teacher spends proportionate amounts of time working one-on-one with females and males teacher maintains a cooperative classroom atmosphere teacher regularly utilizes small group activities teacher uses non-competitive grading scheme (for example, favors criterion referenced over norm referenced) teacher avoids using gender neutral language teacher uses real world examples that appeal to both males and females teacher exhibits fairness in treatment of males and females teacher puts a stop to any actions by students that might be considered sexist teacher promotes active involvement of all students regardless of sex

Classroom Activities
very frequently very frequently rarely not observed very frequently very frequently very frequently not observed

Teaching Considerations

In the space below, please reflect upon your observation. What did you learn about this teachers interactions with the one individual student? What did you learn about this teachers interactions regarding gender equity? What techniques did you observe that you would use in your own classroom? What would you change to enhance the learning?

Mrs. Fonner and also any other teacher who helps with the class ends up either talking or helping Jack with an assignment or his actions. He has asburgers and has autism too. He rarely wants to do his work and tends to have an announcement for the class to hear. He doesnt comprehend the difference between right and wrong. He tends to go for just DP work rather than to strive for AP work. He has said once Why does everyone want me to get an AP? He said this to me (Ms. Fabian) I said to him We want you to strive for an AP because we want you to succeed and want you to be proud of yourself for working so hard!Mrs. Fonner has helped Jack strive for that AP and he slowly but surely getting to that point.We have seen progress with him having one day per week have full focus through the majority of the day and having him have little small breaks or alone time to get himself in check and then eventually get back to work. I wouldnt change anything about what Mrs. Moller or Mrs. Fonner has done to help him. Everything that we have done has been a test etiher successful or unsuccessful, either way teaching is a learning profession we all make mistakes but thats how we learn and become better teachers for the future ahead.