Appendix E: Formal Observation Form Observation Form Student Teacher: Nina Mauche Penn Mentor: Pam Gallagher

Inquiry Question: How does teaching students to have a metacognitive approach to learning objectives promote their success? Section I - Pre-lesson conversation Focus and goals of observation: Demonstration used to connect to learning objective. 1) Students engaged with demonstration (asking/responding to questions. focused on what they observe) 2) Students relate demonstration with exit ticket and objective of the day (on slide 2). Notes: Section II Observation notes: Date, March 18, 2014 Class (Advanced Chemistry. Period: 1) not related to the above foci -- Ss are slow to settle if your requests to get started are to be taken seriously. Ss need to know the difference when you want a urgent start status rather than a relaxed one. They need to hear it and then respond without the laughing, talking, and off task nonsense. Only when Bonnie puts her verbal foot down do ALL students go silent. Are you to the point that this happens for you? Do you have that same kind of this is important voice that shuts them down. Nearly all of the directions you give are said very kindly and without a sense (for the students) that you mean business and want them settled down. I still see folks NOT working on this do now chart. Now after the start of class by more than 5 min, you ask for the homework to be out for collection. Having a signaling system that is a routine for this kind of housekeeping is important. Having a system that allows for the distribution of papers much more rapidly/efficiently is another important teacher skill that you need to master before next fall. The speed, efficiency and sense of business that consistently prevails to start a class is extremely important. This comes from a recognized routine from which there are no exceptions is important for that efficient, business like start to class to happen when you are present and when you have stepped out to get some papers. You should be able to walk back in and find Ss doing the routine WITHOUT you! Do students know what CH3COOH or NaCH3COO really look like structurally? I only mean that they recognize that there are shorthand ways that molecules are written that belie their realities. Lets chat this out. This is a wonderful chart for Ss to complete for a do now. It allows them to test prior knowledge and then it provides a perfect bridge to the work of the day. Why do I hear chatter when you are clearly teaching... I hear a shhh from a S so it is clear to most (and esp. to one) that the talk is disruptive. This is another OUTSTANDING slide (todays objective analysis chart). The notes that you write right on the slides are superb. Why do I see so few writing... and why do I see a Henry making faces with a neighbor and not working. This happened ONLY when your back was turned; when you turned back around, he immediately faked concentration.

Mole conversion worksheets are out.. Why the chatter? Then silence.. Great Your use of the PowerPoint and your manipulation of slides in an interactive manner is superb. You are now changing the location of the demo to center of room... you emphasize that all are to move to see... you tell a girl standing on her stool to be very careful... sooooo pros/cons here -- lawsuit waiting to happen? Volume of baggies are listed on the box but what is fill / how are box measurements determined!!!?? Nice ... you see or hear chatter and you immediately redirect.. S responds... Your guidance, clarifications, and explanation of procedures is really clear... you remind them several times to fill in their charts with data. Notes (without saying term) a variable (air in bag) that needs to be controlled (teachable moment missed? dependent vs independent variable) I notice some (many) folks not doing the math and only watching. I do see a bit of nonsense going on with the two boys directly to your right.. so out of your eyeshot. You come to the board to model with S input the math... and do go back to insure that the unit is added to the some of the work on the slide. there will be Ss who think where did the 8.3 come from as well as the 10.5 g such questions would be even more prevalent in regular chem classes. Try to always show where the numbers originate and show how the flow of numbers moves from start to finish. As it is on the slide,, there is no flow or sequence to the work done so when Ss look at this later, they may very well be lost. Ahhh, you are reviewing by using the chart... This is outstanding. The lost ones might be getting found. You ask how to find out how much gas was formed -- volume-- transition to stoichiometry to determine volume to mass Nice use of the flow chart to help students determine. There are pods of people not working or paying attention until you say (I should see periodic tables) ... Have you ever considered asking for folks to signal if they are with /not with the program. The Michael by the PT is utterly and completely disconnected. You call on Kevin... Michael does respond correctly Great use of the chart but why do I not see everyone making use of their notes.. are they that far ahead? Another great slide that you use to calculate .. you keep going back to the objective flow chart. Outstanding, step by step solutions including the id of what unit that is being cancelled out... There are many who are participating, talking it out but others who have nothing clearly going on... esp. Henry (always laughing with someone.. so he has an A and doesnt need to pay attention consistently?) If Ss are not getting how to do the calculations then it is because they are not paying attention. And of this large number I see a large minority who look lost or bored (Alex). Nice summary .. mass to moles to ... nice flow chart with green arrows...

at the end .. there is a question to do for exit... so the homework is what? and the not collected homework is what... ahhh something to work on.. a much more deliberate flow to the closure activities so that there is less confusion I am wondering .. why not warn them that they will have to do a problem like the one that they will be doing in class today for the exit ticket ... will it count? what about saying I will flip a coin at the bell Raising the level of concern of the more easily distracted folks is often a good idea. If they KNOW that they will have to demonstrate understanding TODAY before they leave, they will feel a higher level of urgency to pay attention!

Section III Post-lesson conversation

Date:

3/20/2014

Notes Goal In what ways was/were the goal(s) achieved? 1) While I did the set up of the demonstration in the middle of the room & I had students move physically of the room to see the demonstration. Some issues with 38 students seeing the demonstration. I tried to ask basic questions about student prior knowledge about volume of a bag. Using reactants that are common in households (vinegar & baking soda). Have the set of the equations in their Do Now with the flow chart to ties in the visual sense of how moles are central to stoichiometry.

In what ways does the goal need to remain in place, or be reformulated and further pursued? In the future when I use demonstrations or videos for students to have a visual or real life example to support their understanding I need to connect them to the learning objectives. This will support students connection not only to what they are seeing in the moment but also to how it is important for them learning in the class.

Notes Other issues again, consider the possibilities below and respond to one or two! What else came up during the lesson that was noteworthy? Surprising? Valuable? Troubling? By using objectives that get students to be aware of what they need to be able to do they are able to ask relevant questions in the moment instead of me finding out through homework. This allows for instructional time to be spent me efficiently & allows students to learn of mistakes/misconceptions together during class rather than getting frustrated or confused with homework.

Recommendations for future practice:

1. Making a high stake goal at the beginning of a demonstration will help engage students with lesson from the start. If they are being asked to preform a similar task on their own this will encourage students to focus on the process rather than being passive observers. If they know what they are expected to do something with the information they will be more likely to ask questions during class to ensure they are clear on the task. At the beginning of the demonstration giving students a sample problem or the question(s) they will need to answer will give them a chance to see and process what will be expected of them by the end of class or the next assignment. This will help them focus their attention during the demonstration. 2. Having a predetermined set of information or tasks for students to work on during a demonstration. If students are expected to recording data, make observations, or fill out some information that will be collected they will be more likely to engage with the demonstration and think about what it is showing them/how it relates to the lesson or skill the teacher is trying to build. Having a handout that focuses students attention on key points of the demonstration will help them engage less passively with what the teacher is showing. This will allow every student to have an answer to the teachers questions since during the demonstration it is not feasible to hear every students response. This will serve as a way to engage students with the task at hand, allows the teacher to assess their understanding as it progresses from the start to the end of a demonstration or lesson, and gives students a means of recording their thoughts and questions.

3. Be sure to show each step of a mathematic operation on the board. As I talk through how to solve a problem having each step written out so student can both hear and visualize the process will help more students understand and independently work through a similar problem.

Areas of demonstrated improvement and success: 1. Well organized demonstration. I had the materials ready for use. I set up the demonstration in the middle of the room in order to have more students able to see the demonstration. Students were attentive and really focused on the task at hand.

2. Good use technology in presentation to support the demonstration & for students to stay on track. Slides were used in a way to articulate to student the outcomes of the demonstration and their skills they will be expected to demonstrate. The technology also helped provide students a different means of learning about the demonstration instead of just watching the teacher and answering/asking questions. The students are better able to see what they dont know and better able to ask a question with the summary of what is happening on the board along with the actual demonstration.

3. Clear integration of the objective from beginning activity through the demonstration and culminating in the closer/exit ticket. By beginning the activity with the learning objective that students must reflect on and connecting it with the lesson supports students ability to see the application of the objective in a tangible way. Having them return to the objective at the end of the lesson helps them reflect on what theyve learned in relation to the objective and how it connects to the lesson. With the deliberate use of objectives they are learning to interact with them and become more self-aware of their understandings or misunderstandings.