ALVERNO COLLEGE

SUPERVISORS OBSERVATION
OF SPE 615 Field Student
Candidate: Maddy Smith

Check One: 1st Observation ___

Supervisor: Pat Luebke

Date: 04/21/15

Cooperating Teacher: Ms. Lieske

Number of Students: 5

School: Whitnall Middle School

Disability Categories Represented: CD/Autism/Multiple Disabilities

Grade: 6-8

Uses teaching resources and curriculum materials that are

appropriate in representing the ideas and concepts.
Plans instruction appropriate to students stages of development
and learning styles.
Links new ideas to familiar ideas and makes connections to students
experiences.
Provides opportunities for active engagement, manipulation and
testing of ideas and materials.
Knows how to enhance learning through the use of a variety of materials.
Values flexibility in the teaching process by monitoring and adjusting
plans and adapting instruction when necessary and appropriate.
Chooses appropriate teaching strategies, learning experiences, and
materials to achieve different instructional purposes and to meet student
needs.
Varies his or her role in the instructional process in relation to the
content and purposes of instruction.
Plans motivational instruction by relating lessons to students
personal interest.
Seeks to find ways to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Subject(s): Morning routine (calendar, weather, current

events)
Diverse
Student Needs Represented: 3M/2F

Evidence (Candidate)

Planning and Preparation (AEA: Conceptualization/Diagnosis

WTS: 1, 7 DISP: Respect, Responsibility - CEC: 1, 4, 5, 9, 10)

2nd Observation _X__

You successfully completed the SPE lesson planning form in designing

your lesson, utilizing the essential elements common core standards for this
group of students.
You successfully identified relevant essential questions for this lesson,
using questions that are large in scope and puts the lesson on todays
weather in the context of a larger picture and how we live.
Your lesson plan demonstrated deep knowledge of your students, their
needs and the accommodation and modifications needed for their active
participation in the lesson taught.
You designed a quickly based lesson that required ongoing student
engagement and you were successful in carrying out this lesson.

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and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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____Inadequate

____Emerging

____Proficient

__X__Distinctive

Classroom Environment (AEA: Coordination/Integrative Interaction

WTS: 2, 3, 5 - DISP: Respect, Responsibility CEC: 2, 3, 5)

Shows respect for the diverse talents of all learners.

Uses knowledge about human motivation and behavior to develop
strategies for organizing and supporting individual and group work.
Is committed to the expression and use of democratic values in the
classroom.
Organizes, allocates, and manages the resources of time, space,
activities and attention to engage students in productive tasks.
Knows how to help students work productively and cooperatively with
each other.
Uses strategies of effective classroom management to promote positive
relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning in the classroom.
Respects students as individuals with differing personal and family
background and various skills, talents and interests.

____Inadequate

____Emerging

__X__Proficient

Evidence (Candidate and Student)

The observation took place in a self-contained classroom designed for

students with primarily cognitive disabilities. Five students were in the
group that Ms. Smith instructed; one worked with another adult on a 1;1
basis in another part of the large room.
This classroom space is very well organized and dynamic. You
successfully organized and managed the resources of time, space, activities
and attention to engage all students in productive tasks.
It was apparent to the observer that routines in the classroom were wellestablished and that the students were aware of and followed them. Student
individual needs were addressed by all adults in the room, and individual
issues were handled quickly and unobtrusively.

____Distinctive

Instruction (AEA: Communication, Coordination, Diagnosis,

Integrative Interaction WTS 4, 6, 7 - DISP: Respect, Responsibility,
Communication CEC: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Evidence (Candidate and Student)

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and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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Uses different representations and explanations of concepts when

necessary to accommodate students who approach learning from different
conceptual frameworks.
Uses teaching approaches that address different learning styles and
performance modes.
Uses instructional strategies that promote student learning for a range of
student abilities.
Encourages discussion.
Elicits samples of student thinking orally and in writing.
Values the development of students critical thinking, independent
problem-solving, and performance capabilities by using varied teaching
and learning strategies to engage students in active learning.
Modifies explanations when necessary to assist students
understanding.
Organizes, prepares students for, and monitors independent and
group work.
Recognizes the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication.
Is a thoughtful and responsive listener.
Communicates in ways that demonstrate a sensitivity to cultural and
gender differences.
Models appropriate communication strategies in conveying ideas
and information.
Supports learner expression in speaking and writing, and other media.
Knows how to ask questions and stimulate discussion in different ways.

You naturally and successfully made excellent use of new vocabulary and
academic language with the group, directly using the term academic language with
them. Students used Ipads and email to access documents they needed for the
lesson on adjectives. Students were familiar with Google docs and used them as
part of their lesson. You provided students
You used various strategies to address the wide range of needs within the group;
some students worked independently while others had assistance from an assistant
if needed.
You also utilized the interactive Smart Board within the lesson to provide a visual
tracking of the groups work in which students defined weather related terms with
the group. Following this activity, one student was asked to serve as meteorologist,
using the weather report displayed on the Smart Board to deliver the days weather
report to the rest of the group. Students were asked to interpret weather-related
symbols that accompanied the weather report. Another student then came to the
front of the room to chart todays temperature on the temperature graph. Students
then compared todays temperature to yesterday and students correctly identified
that it is colder today than yesterday. You utilized the terms increasing or
decreasing for students to describe the temperature movement. Students submitted
their work on their Ipads, closing them and putting them away after they submitted.
This activity was followed by watching the CNN news for kids broadcast. One
student was assigned the news as a job, and you asked whose job is news today?
This student came to the front of the room and read the news summary from the
Smartboard. Todays news class discussion was related to several of the segments,
including ISIS recruitment, using drones to search the ocean, dwarf planets, and
iguanas on the Galapagos Islands. You intermittently stopped the video for followup discussion. During the discussion you asked students to share their opinions
and back up their opinions with reasons for them. Students then followed up their
viewing with a written description of their favorite story from the lesson.
Question: How might the reading of the news by the student with the assistant
been structured differently-without the assistant walking beside him and leading
him through the reading?
Following the CNN news, students viewed the Channel 1 news broadcast and were
asked to compare the Channel 1 broadcast with what they heard on CNN,
identifying similarities and differences between the two broadcasts. Students had
similar and different on a card and had to raise their card indicating their choice.
This assisted in maintaining student focus on the newscast and actively involved
them in the conversation.

You used several prompts to help students participate in the discussion

related to the newscasts based on their individual styles of communication.
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and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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Overall, this lesson ran smoothly based on your organization and

instruction. Students participated in viewing and answering questions that
many times would not be expected of them. Nicely done.

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

ED FORM 711
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____Inadequate

____Emerging

____Proficient

__X__Distinctive
Evidence (Candidate and Student)

Assessment (AEA: Diagnosis/Integrative Interaction WTS: 8, 9

DISP: Collaboration, Communication CEC: 1, 5, 8, 9, 10)

Knows how to select and construct assessment strategies and

instruments.
Uses appropriate assessment techniques to enhance his or her
knowledge of learners, evaluate students progress and performances,
and modify teaching and learning strategies.
Solicits and uses information about students experiences, learning
behavior, needs and progress from cooperating teachers and the
students themselves.
Evaluates the effect of class activities on both individuals and the
class as a whole, collecting information through observation of
classroom interactions, questioning, and analysis of student work.
Uses classroom observation and information about students as
sources for evaluating the outcomes of teaching and as a basis for
reflecting on and revising practice.

____Inadequate

____Emerging

__X__Proficient

You used several assessment strategies to monitor and understand student

understanding of the lesson. Orally answering questions, using cue cards to
indicate their answer, and writing an answer on an exit slip were three
strategies you employed to assess student understanding of the lesson.

____Distinctive
Evidence (Candidate)

Professional Responsibilities (AEA: Communication/Integrative

Interaction WTS: 10 DISP: Responsibility, Collaboration,
Communication CEC: 2, 5, 10)

Relates professionally and effectively with the cooperating teacher

and faculty.
Dresses professionally and consistently portrays a professional
demeanor.
Is enthusiastic about teaching.
Seeks out the cooperating teacher to support his/her development
as a learner and a teacher.

You presented a very teacher-like persona in front of the group. You

presented yourself professionally in both your demeanor and your
appearance and seem very comfortable in your role as the primary
instructor for this lesson. You are both task oriented and personable with
your enthusiasm for teaching apparent in your interactions with your
students.
You have developed and maintained a professional relationship with your
cooperating teacher and other classroom staff members and this is evident
in your interactions with each other.

____Inadequate

____Emerging

__X__Proficient

____Distinctive

Summary Statement:
Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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Maddy You planned and executed a well- paced lesson with your group of student s with significant disabilities. You are well on your way to
becoming a cross-categorical special education teacher. Overall your performance exceeds the level expected of students at your point in their
program. Well done.

Overall Performance: ____Inadequate

____Emerging

__X+__Proficient

____Distinctive

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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