EDUC 5312 -Curriculum and Instructional Design

Classroom Observation Assignment

Observation Form 1
Observation Date: 3/7/2016

Observation Time: 8:00 am 9:30 am

Teacher Observed: Ms. Meyers

Subject/Grade Level: Algebra 1/9th Grade

School Observed: Harmony School of Science High Observer: Erdem Denizli

1-What was/were the learning objectives/outcomes of the lesson? (Add state objectives if
known, for example, TEKS 111.4. Grade 2.b.)

(7)(A) Graph quadratic functions on the coordinate plane and use the graph to identify
key attributes, if possible, including x-intercept, y-intercept, zeros, maximum value,
minimum values, vertex, and the equation of the axis of symmetry.
(1)(D) Communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple
representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as appropriate.

2-How did the teacher begin and end the lesson?

Ms. Meyers started her class by welcoming, then there had been pledge and
announcement. She then wanted her students to solve the warm-up questions that are already
projected on the screen while she was taking the attendance. She got the responds of warm up
questions by using clickers. This process took around 10 minutes. After she got the responses,
she started talking about the topic of the day by relating it to the previous topic, which was
Quadratic Graphs and Their Properties, and tried to help the students figure what they would
learn that day. She lectured for around 15 minutes and started solving different examples about
the topic by engaging the students for another 35 minutes. The last 10 minutes, she pointed out
the homework which was already written on the board and explained what she had been
expecting. She mentioned that the gradebook was updated for last weeks assignments and
checked the attendance one more time.
3-What did the teacher use for teaching materials or instructional aids/equipment?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Pearson Interactive Students Journal

Overhead Projector
Board
Clicker
Markers

4-Which instructional methods and strategies did the teacher use? (lecture, inquiry,
discovery learning, discussions, games or simulations, demonstrations, cooperative learning,
integration of technology, socrative questioning, etc)
Ms. Meyers used lecturing as her major method for the class. She sometimes benefited
demonstration method and asked her students to solve some questions that she already
demonstrated how to solve. Moreover, she used integration of technology by using clickers at the
beginning of the class and overhead projector played an important role in her instructional time. I
can say that, while she was solving different examples about the topic, she sometimes used
questioning method by asking almost every step to her students and trying to help them figure
the steps out themselves.
5-How did the teacher assess learning? (informal, formal, formative, summative, oral, openended, quiz, feedback etc) See Chapter 8 for more information on assessment methods
Ms. Meyers made oral assessment in the class time for evaluation. She also handed out
classwork worksheets and collected them back at the end of the class which she later graded as
another assessment tool.
6- What can you say about the teachers philosophy/beliefs and style?
(Traditional/progressive, behaviorist, student-centered vs. teacher centered, authoritative etc)
Ms. Meyers seems to have a philosophy based on traditional teaching, but implementing
technology into her style as much as she can and benefiting technology in every situation. Her
lectures are generally student engaging by asking questions at every step, and more visual
because of the screening. Therefore, her students are generally motivated and less bored since
they are all aware that they will be somehow engaged and unlikely to lose their attention because
of the visualization of the lecture.
7-How does the teacher manage classroom? Can you identify classroom management
techniques used?
It was obvious that Ms. Meyers managed the classroom in a good way. Students seemed
to know and accept her procedures in the classroom and were not trying to go against them.
However, Ms. Meyers used some classroom management techniques when needed. For instance;
-

She used eye contact method in an effective way.

She used her body language and voice depending on some cases.
She kept being active in the classroom and generally walked around the class to avoid
students lose their focus.

8-Observe in the classroom setting and determine types of behavior students play when offtask. What do they do when they are not paying attention? How does the teacher re-direct
them or get them back on task?
Students were generally engaged in the class, but of course there were times when they
got distracted. At these times, they seemed to be playing with their pencils, pens, sometimes
drawing various figures on their journals, and even on their desks. Some of them tended to have
little chats but Ms. Meyers noticed them immediately and headed towards them. Whenever Ms.
Meyers noticed a student off-task, she generally headed towards the students and/or asked a
question by calling out their names.
9-How does the teacher communicate with students (verbal, vocal, meta-verbal or non-verbal
communication such as facial, body language, use of space, motion and time?)
Ms. Meyers generally chose to use verbal communication to communicate with her
students as well as body language such as gestures and facial expressions. Both for successful
and unsuccessful responds, she used positive gestures such as thumbing up.
10-Who were the students in the class? What did you notice about them? (Background,
diversity, attitude, motivation, interaction, participation, etc)
The classroom had a very diverse environment. There were 24 students containing 13
boys and 11 girls with 8 Hispanic, 7 Asian, 7 African-American, 2 White students. The class was
a Pre-AP class and seemed to be motivated and willing to learn. Ms. Meyers prepared a sitting
chart and students had an assigned seat. This helped slow learner students to sit at the fronts so
that it would be easier for them to get motivated. This also lessened the discipline problems in
the classroom.
11-What did you see that is effective in engaging students? What do you see that is
ineffective in keeping students engaged?
In my opinion, Ms. Meyers benefited technology in a good way. I liked the way she
started the class by using clickers. She graded the warm up questions by using clickers and this
totally lead the students to review the previous topic before they come to class. Moreover, I think
she used the questioning techniques in an effective way and combined these with effective body
language and gestures.
However, I found lecturing a bit boring. Even if the students seemed to be motivated for
learning, teacher used the majority of the teaching time on her own which distracted the students
a bit.

12-What are the two instructional strategies you observed and would like to apply in your
classroom?
I really liked the way Ms. Meyers started her class by reviewing the previous topic. She
just did not check if the students remember that topic but also assisted their recalling by giving
valuable feedback to their responses. I think this strategy keeps the students memory fresh.
I may also apply her questioning strategy in my further classes. I think this strategy keeps
the students engaged all the time and the students stay on their toes with the feeling of a potential
question that may find them. Besides, she used her gestures so effective that none of the students
seemed to be afraid of answering the questions because of a possible failure since she always
motivated them by her gestures.
13-What are two important classroom management strategies that you observed and would
like to apply in your classroom?
I liked the way Ms. Meyers managed her class. I think one important strategy she used
was asking every step of the solution of the examples to students randomly. This helped her to
keep students focused and on task, which lead the class to become a more on-task classroom. I
may totally apply this strategy in my class.
Moreover, I think she benefitted seating chart in a very effective way and this helped her
for managing her class by showing less effort. Students seemed to accept that they would sit
wherever they were assigned, and this ended up with the slower learner students to be engaged
more by sitting at the front.