Observation of teacher’s instruction

Observation notes during math lesson on March 5th, 2018

- Teacher has a morning message that a student (there are different classroom jobs and
reading the morning message is one of them) reads, at the bottom of the message it
says…”P.S. What is an improper fraction?”
- Student C who read the morning message calls on her classmates to answer the
question.
- Student A: “It’s when the numerator is bigger than the denominator.”
- Student J: “It’s when the top number is bigger.”
- Teacher: “Can someone think of something that is a little bit more different?”
- Student D: “An improper fraction means that there is more than 1 whole.”
- Student DV: “There is more than one whole and the numerator is frater than the
denominator.”
- Teacher: “To summarize, an improper fraction is when the numerator is greater than
the denominator and there is more than 1 whole. Does everyone agree?”
- Students reply yes, then teacher explains what students will be learning about today
which is comparing fractions.
- Teacher writes the problem 1/6 ____ 1/7; teacher asks students to turn and talk with a
partner to discuss which fraction is greater.
- After 30 seconds teacher presses a bell and students reply, “may I help you?”
- Teacher says “yes, is everyone ready to discuss the problem?”
- Teacher says is 1/6 greater or less than 1/7, then most of the students answered
greater.
- Student H comes to me and gives me a sign (crosses his middle finger with his index
finger) with his finger; this is a signal that the students learned to use when they need to
use the bathroom.
- Teacher draws a picture of two rectangles on the board
- Teacher points out that 1 rectangle equals 1 whole, so how many equal parts are in
sevenths?
- Students begins to call out, then teacher says, “please raise your hands.”
- Teacher: “I want to call on someone with a listening body.”
- Teacher calls on Student M and she says 7.
- Teacher turns rectangle 1 and rectangle 2 into 7 equal parts. Then teacher reminds
students, each rectangle represents 1 whole, then shades in 10 of the parts. Teacher
asks students to turn and talk with a partner and figure out what is the fraction of the
shaded area.
- After 30 seconds, teacher says “class, class, class.” Students responds, “yes, yes, yes.”
Teacher then ask who knows that answers and students raise their hands to answer.
- Student G says 10, teacher ask student, ten what? Student says 10 fourteenths.
- Teacher: “does everyone agree?”
- Student S raises hands and says no, it’s 10/7.
- Teacher ask Student S to explain.
- Student S: “each rectangle is 1 whole and in each whole, there are 7 parts and in total
there are 10 parts shaded.”
- Teacher asks student G if he understands, student G nods.
- Teacher reminds the class and writes it on the board
o Denominator= the number of parts in a whole
o Numerator= the part we’re talking about; typically, the shaded or unshaded
parts
- Teacher tells class that they will now transition into their math workshops
o Calls Mr. E’s (assistant teacher) to get up first and get their materials then go sit
at the round table and wait for Mr. E
o Then calls Zearn/multiplication group to transition
o Lastly calls her group to gather their materials and return to the carpet
- Students in Mr. E’s group works on math EOG practice questions
- Students in the zearn/multiplication group works independently or in pairs on Zearn or
practicing their basic multiplication facts.
- Students in the teacher’s group works on a problem set (uses problem set from
NYengage) that relates to what she just taught.
- Students rotate after 20 minutes
- After 60 minutes, teacher plays music and students knows that that means its time to
transition into snack time, so they stop working, put away their materials, grab their
snack from their cubbies, return to their seat and wait.
o Some students were talking during transition so the teacher said “class, class,
class” and reminded the class that this needs to be a fast and quite transition