Chapter 1: Observation Recording Sheet

Observing teachers in action is an important part of understanding what it means to be a teacher. Watch the videos listed
for this module and review all of the written materials that accompany them. Choose one of the videos to reflect on. Use
this form to respond to the prompts as they relate to your chosen video. Connect our chapter reading to your
observation reflection.

Chapter 1 Focus: Becoming a Teacher: Looking Forward and Backward at the Same Time
This week’s focus is on connecting your past as a student to your future as a teacher and looking at the classroom in a
new way. Consider how classrooms before the COVID 19 crisis differ from those in our current situation. Even though
there are differences, the art and practice of effective teaching is still essential in all settings. That is the focus this week.

This week’s video cases:

Experimenting with Force and Motion through Roller Coaster Designs

Analyzing, Interpreting, and Judging Artworks Produced by the Works Progress Administration

Experimenting with Ramp Height to Affect Acceleration and Distance

Reflection Questions Your Response

Create a thoughtful response with complete sentences. Provide specific examples
from the video and written commentary to fully answer each reflection question.

Which video did you choose to The video I chose to reflect on is Experimenting with Force and Motion through Roller
reflect on? Coaster Designs.

How is the classroom arranged? The classroom is arranged with the desks in groups or with multiple students at one
Are the desks in rows? Are they table. For the lesson the teacher has planned they are in groups working alongside
in groups? one another.
What do you notice about what The teacher is interacting with every group during the lesson to ensure the students
the teacher was doing during the are successful in their endeavors. She is also assisting them by helping the different
lesson? groups change their roller coaster track.

What do you notice about what The students are creating roller coaster tracks and timing how fast the object goes
the students were doing? down their track. They are interacting with the other students in their group to see
what design would work best and are asking the teacher questions that they have
about the lesson.

Our book shares five qualities of being a good teacher (pg. 8). Share evidence of each quality that you noticed from the
video and written commentary.

Commitment to student learning.
Even though all the groups are working on building their roller coaster tracks the
teacher is still asking them questions as to why they are doing certain things and what
will come out of doing those things. For example, the second group shown on the
video were unsuccessful in their first attempt but after trying it a second time they
were successful. The teacher then asked why they were successful that time and
made sure they knew the correct terms for the corrections the students made to
their roller coaster track.

Caring towards students.
You can tell that the teacher cares for her students because in the commentary it
states that four students have disabilities and these four students are what is known
as kinesthetic learners. They learn the best from hands on activities. She also has ELL
learners in her classroom who learn best by visuals. Knowing this, the teacher chose a
theme that was, “particularly appropriate for the kinesthetic and ELL learners in her
class. This goes to show that she cares that all of her students be successful in her
class.

Conscious about what is going on The teacher in this video is conscious about the questions that she asks the students
with students. about their roller coaster and directs the students to think about why they did certain
things and what they were hoping to achieve by doing them.

Centered and calm in the In the video you can see amongst all the commotion with all the different groups doing
classroom. the activity the teacher remains calm and does not seem stressed whatsoever. When
it comes to the teacher having a centered presence in the classroom while watching
 the video as the teacher walks from group to group during the activity all eyes of the
students in the group are on her and they are all actively listening while she speaks
with them and asks them questions.

Courageous in terms of sticking Although some of the students in this teachers class have learning disabilities, she
with the planned learning activity. makes sure that her lesson plans are inclusive in helping to provide the best possible
(We can’t really know about this learning experience for all of her students.
teacher over time.)

Our text discusses school climate and culture. We can also apply this to the climate and culture a teacher creates within
their own classroom.
I noticed that the classroom climate and culture is very nurturing. The teacher is actively engaged in
What do you notice about ensuring that all the students are successful in the lesson. While it seems that the students feel
classroom culture and climate in confident asking the teacher questions regarding the lesson.
this teacher’s classroom?

Teachers are always learning from each other. Classroom observations are an important part of developing a rich,
reflective, and effective practice.

Share three questions you have
about teaching as it relates to
this observation.
How does the teacher ensure that her lessons cater to the needs of her students with
disabilities?
How does the teacher manage her time in between the different groups to make sure
that she is spending enough time with each one?
How does the teacher make sure that each student in the group is making a
contribution in the activity and thinking for themselves as opposed to only one or two
people?

Share three things you have
learned from this observation.
I have learned that while doing activities in the classroom you as a teacher need to
help the students learn why they are doing the activity, what contributions are going
into the activity and the correct terms for the contributions.
You also need to make sure that all students understand what is going on and not just
one person in the group.
As a teacher you need to be engaged with each group in order for them to be
successful in their endeavors.