Classroom Observation Form

Candidate: Naja Argrow Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Shuler

Date: January 19, 2016 Content Area: Social Studies Lesson Topic: Two Political Parties
Time: from 8:30 to 9:10 School: Whittaker Elementary School
Domain 2: Instruction Day 1 Content 1
APS 4: ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNERS
AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER ESTABLISHES, CLEARLY COMMUNICATES, AND MAINTAINS
APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT LEARNING, PARTICIPATION, AND
RESPONSIBILITY.
A. What did the teacher expect the students to learn from the lesson? How did the teacher convey the

purpose and relevance of the lesson to the students? In what ways did the students demonstrate that
they understood what the teacher expected for them to learn?
The teacher expected the students to learn about the early two political parties of the United States.
She conveyed the purpose and relevance of the lesson by putting them on the board with the objective,
and explaining to them why it was important. The students demonstrated they understood what they
were expected to learn by answering questions while the teacher checked for understanding. They also
made a venn diagram comparing the two parties of the United States.
B. How did the teacher help the students take ownership of the learning (e.g., by making the learning

relevant to the students, using scaffolding, providing opportunities for students to engage in selfassessment and reflection, teaching compensatory strategies when necessary)?
The teacher helped the students take ownership of the learning by making the learning relevant to the
students. One way was that the teachers had the students figure out which of the early presidents were
on money and which presidents werent by looking it up on their iPads.
APS 5: USING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE LEARNING
AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER PROMOTES STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH THE
EFFECTIVE USE OF APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES.
A. What instructional strategies did the teacher use during the lesson?

The teacher used checking for understanding, socrative review on MasteryConnect, and had the
students make/use graphic organizers.
B. In what ways did the teacher vary the instructional strategies during the lesson, and why?

The teacher varied the instructional strategies used during the lesson depending on what part of the
lesson she was on. She did this by reviewing what they learned the day before by using Socrative at
the beginning of the lesson. She then used checking for understanding while the lesson was going on.
Lastly, graphic organizers were used during the guided practice. The reason she varied the instructional
strategies were because some instructional strategies work better for different parts of the lesson.
C. What evidence suggests that the instructional strategies wereor were noteffective in terms of

promoting student learning and success?

I believe the students feedback suggests if her instructional strategies were effective. The students
would raise their hands and respond correctly to her questions.

Updated March 2009

Candidate: Naja Argrow Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Andrea P. Shuler

Date: 1/20/16 Content Area: Science Lesson Topic: Classifying Animals
Time: from 8:30 to 9:10 School: Whittaker Elementary School
Domain 2: Instruction - Day 2 Content 2
APS 6: PROVIDING CONTENT FOR LEARNERS
AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER POSSESSES A THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISCIPLINE SO THAT HE OR SHE IS ABLE TO PROVIDE THE
APPROPRIATE CONTENT FOR THE LEARNER.
A. What evidence suggests that the teacher didor did nothave a thorough knowledge and

understanding of the content? If content errors were made, did the teacher recognize and correct
them?
The teacher had a very thorough knowledge and understanding of the content. She seemed very
confident in her presentation of the content to the students. She provided them with plenty of
descriptions, examples, and pictures. One content area was made with one of the pictures and the
teacher recognized this and corrected it. She also informed the students of her mistake.
B. What was the content of the lesson, and how did the content relate to the learners and the learning?

The content of the lesson was science, classifying animals. The content related to the learners because
she first asked the students how many of them had pets or had been to the zoo. This was majority of
the students in the classroom so the students could really relate to this.
C. How did the teacher organize and present the content in order to make it clear and meaningful to the

students and to promote higher levels of knowledge, skills, and/or cognitive processing?
The teacher organized and presented the content to the students in a powerpoint that included pictures,
videos, and sounds of the students. I thought it was cute and so did the students. So they could get off
of the knowledge level of Blooms taxonomy, she then gave groups two different animals. She then
asked the students to go to another group and compare and contrast the two animals based off of their
classifications.

Updated March 2009

Candidate: Naja Argrow Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Andrea Shuler

Date: 1/21/2016 Content Area: ELA-Writing Lesson Topic: Progressive Verbs
Time: from 9:15 to 9:50 School: Whittaker Elementary School
Domain 2: Instruction - Day 3 Content 3
APS 7: MONITORING, ASSESSING, AND ENHANCING LEARNING
AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER MAINTAINS A CONSTANT AWARENESS OF STUDENT
PERFORMANCE THROUGHOUT THE LESSON IN ORDER TO GUIDE INSTRUCTION AND
PROVIDE APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS.
A. How did the teacher monitor student engagement, understanding, and performance during the lesson?

The teacher monitored students understanding by calling on individual students and checking for
understanding. In order to monitor student engagement, she would say things with horrible grammar to
see if the students were paying attention.
B. What adjustments, if any, did the teacher make during the lesson, and why?

The students had to revise and essay that they wrote during class. In the first class, the students didnt
respond too well with her not having margins on her paper that she wrote on the board, so when the
other classes started coming in, she began making margins.
C. What types of instructional feedback did the teacher provide to the students, and how effective was the

feedback in terms of enhancing student learning?

The teacher provided instructional feedback to the students while they were working on revising their
essays. The feedback was very effective because it was specific. She didnt only say good job. She
explained to the students why they did or didnt do a good job.

Domain 3: Environment
APS 8: MAINTAINING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES LEARNING
AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER CREATES AND MAINTAINS A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
THAT ENCOURAGES AND SUPPORTS STUDENT LEARNING.
A. Describe the physical environment of the classroom.

The physical environment of the classroom is very attractive. The classroom is very clean and posters
of the classroom are plastered everywhere in a way that is not tacky.
B. What type of affective climate did the teacher create for the students?

The affective climate the teacher creates for the students is that she wants all of them to succeed. She
lets all of her students know that they are what she calls smart cookies.
C. In what ways did the teacher establish a culture of learning in the classroom (e.g., by facilitating

inquisitiveness, motivation to learn, cooperation, teamwork)?

The teacher establishes a culture of learning in the classroom through cooperation and teamwork. The
students are seated in cooperative groups in order to help each other if they need it.

Updated March 2009

Candidate: Naja Argrow Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Dowling

Date: 1/22/16 Content Area: Math Lesson Topic: Drawing Points, lines, angles, rays
Time: from 8:35 to 9:15 School: Whittaker Elementary School
Domain 3: Environment -- Day 4 Content 4

APS 9: MANAGING THE CLASSROOM

AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER MAXIMIZES INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BY EFFICIENTLY
MANAGING STUDENT BEHAVIOR, INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINES AND MATERIALS, AND
ESSENTIAL NONINSTRUCTIONAL TASKS.
A. What were the teachers expectations for student behavior? In what ways did the students demonstrate

that they understood the ways in which they were expected to behave? How did the teacher address
inappropriate student behaviors, if any, during the lesson?
The teachers expectation for student behavior was that the students behave during the lesson and pay
attention. The expectations for student behavior is plastered on the wall as ROAR. The students
demonstrated that they understood the ways to behave by behaving. They also demonstrated it by
answering how they should behave in class when Mrs. Dowling asked. When there were students
talking during the lesson, she used proximity and redirected the students to get back on task.
B. In what ways did the teacher maximizeor fail to maximizeinstructional time?

The teacher maximized the instructional time by telling the students when they came in exactly what
needed to be done for the day and they didnt have time for disruptions.
C. How did the teacher manage non-instructional routines and transitions between activities and/or
classes?
The teacher managed non-instructional routines such as sharpening pencils or restroom time by having
the students do it before she has gotten into direct instruction such as the beginning of the class period.

Additional comments: (optional)

Updated March 2009