Teacher: Nathan Woodward School: STEM Academy Name of Class: History 8/Geography 9 Date of Observation: 4/5/13 Observer: Karla Haas Moskowitz 2 Table of Contents
Pre-observation Notes by Candidate...p. 3 Candidate Lesson Plan.....p. 4 Organization of resources, materials, lesson, records, and time...............................p. 7 Fosters a positive learning environment....p. 8 How teacher utilizes clear and appropriate expectations for classroom behavior.p. 9 Use of teaching strategies and how learning is monitored....p. 10 How students demonstrate learning/how they are assessed....p. 13 How teacher demonstrates knowledge of subject matter......p. 15 How teacher demonstrates knowledge of literacy strategies & instruction......p. 16 How teacher demonstrates knowledge of math strategies & instruction.....p. 16 Candidate post-observation reflection......p. 17 Observed strengths and next steps..p. 18 Candidate Review of Formal Observation Report......p. 19 Conclusion...p. 20 TILA formal observation key...p.20 3 Pre-Observation Notes by Candidate
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Lesson Plan:
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Observers Comment/Notes:
Nathan teaches middle and high school Social Studies at the STEM Academy in Highlands Ranch. STEM Academy is a charter school in Douglas County that is a school of choice that uses the STEM curriculum. Nathan has experience teaching overseas and enters alternative licensure with significant experience and skill as a classroom teacher. 6 Observer comments/ Observation Notes:
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Nathans room is a colorful environment with symbols of the content he teacher-maps, flags, posters, books, and inspirational quotes. He rearranges seating configurations as needed depending on the activity. Students understand the purpose of the different arrangements and there are clear expectations that when they move from rows, to circles, or to pair up or work in small groups, these transitions should be done quietly. Nathan uses a variety of instructional and technological resources. I. Organization of resources, materials, lesson, records, and time:
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
5.1 Creates a learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior, efficient use of time, and disciplined acquisition of knowledge, skills, and understanding.
Artfully uses room arrangement, materials, and displays to maximize student learning.
Organizes classroom furniture, materials, and displays to support unit and lesson goals.
Organizes furniture and materials to support the lesson, with only a few decorative displays.
Has conventional furniture arrangement, hard-to-access materials, and few wall displays. Abundant
Uses coherence, lesson momentum, and silky-smooth transitions to get the most out of every minute.
Maximizes academic learning time through coherence, lesson momentum, and smooth transitions.
Sometimes loses teaching time due to lack of clarity, interruptions, and inefficient transitions.
Loses a great deal of instructional time because of confusion, interruptions, and ragged transitions.
Orchestrates highly effective strategies, materials, and groupings to involve and motivate students.
Orchestrates effective strategies, materials, and classroom groupings to foster student learning.
Uses a limited range of classroom strategies, materials and groupings with mixed success.
Uses only one or two teaching strategies and types of materials and fails to reach most students.
6.1 Employs a wide range of teaching techniques to match the intellectual, emotional, and social level of each student, and choose alternative teaching strategies and materials to achieve different curricular purposes.
Uses appropriate mix of top-notch, multicultural learning materials.
Uses and effective, multicultural mix of materials.
Uses a mixture of good and mediocre learning materials.
Uses mediocre and low-quality textbooks, workbooks, or worksheets.
Comments & Evidence: 8 II. Fosters a positive learning environment:
Nathan treats students respectfully (uses last name Mr. Ms), is supportive, and honors them as learners who have high potential. He is warm, yet maintains high expectations for their behavioral and academic performance.
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
5.1 Creates a learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior, efficient use of time, and disciplined acquisition of knowledge, skills, and understanding.
Exudes high expectations and determination and convinces all students that they will master the material.
Conveys to students: This is important, you can do it, and Im not going to give up on you.
Tells students that the subject matter is important and they need to work hard.
Gives up on some students as hopeless.
Successfully develops students self- discipline, self- confidence, and a sense of responsibility.
Develops students self- discipline and teaches them to take responsibility for their own actions.
Tries to get students to be responsible for their actions, but many lack self-discipline.
Is unsuccessful in fostering self-discipline in students; they are dependent on the teacher to behave.
Teaches students to be risk takers, learn from mistakes, and believe that through effective effort, they will get smarter.
Tells students its okay to make mistakes; effective effort, not innate ability, is the key.
Tells students that making mistakes does not mean they are stupid; they can learn from errors.
Doesnt prevent many students from feeling embarrassed when they make mistakes in school.
Gets all students highly involved in focused work in which they are active learners and problem- solvers.
Has students actively think about, discuss, and use the ideas and skills being taught.
Attempts to get students actively involved, but some students are disengaged.
Mostly lectures to passive students or has them plod through textbooks and worksheets.
8.2 Models, and develops on the part of the students, positive behavior and respect for the rights of others, and those moral standards necessary for personal, family and community well-being.
Implements a program that successfully develops positive interactions and social-emotional skills.
Fosters positive interactions among students and teaches useful social skills.
Often lectures students on the need for good behavior, and makes an example of bad students.
Publicly berates bad students, blaming them for their bad behavior.
Shows warmth, caring, respect and fairness for all students and builds positive relationships.
Is fair and respectful toward students and builds positive relationships.
Is fair and respectful toward most students and builds positive relationships with some.
Is sometimes unfair and disrespectful to the class; plays favorites.
Comments & Evidence: 9 III. How teacher utilizes clear and appropriate expectations for classroom behavior:
Nathan creates a learning environment where students are expected to take responsibility for their behaviors and performance as learners. He uses Socratic Seminar, for example, in a way where the students own the discussion. He participates, but the students know the rules, are expected to come prepared, and keep the discussion and analysis moving.
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
5.1 Creates a learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior, efficient use of time, and disciplined acquisition of knowledge, skills, and understanding.
Successfully inculcates class routines so that students maintain them throughout the year.
Teaches routines and has students maintain them all year.
Tries to train students in class routines, but many of the routines are not maintained.
Does not teach routines and is constantly nagging, threatening and punishing students.
Wins students respect and creates a climate in which disruption of learning is unthinkable.
Commands respect and refuses to tolerate disruption.
Wins the respect of some students but there are regular disruptions in the classroom.
Is not respected by students and the classroom is frequently chaotic and sometimes dangerous.
5.2 Apply sound disciplinary practices in the classroom.
Is direct, specific, consistent, and tenacious in communicating and enforcing very high expectations.
Clearly communicates and consistently enforces high standards for student behavior.
Announces and posts classroom rules and punishments.
Comes up with ad hoc rules and punishments as events unfold during the year.
Is alert, poised, dynamic, and self assured and nips virtually all discipline problems in the bud.
Is a confident, dynamic presence and nips most discipline problems in the bud.
Tries to prevent discipline problems but sometimes little things escalate into big problems.
Is unsuccessful in spotting and preventing discipline problems, and they frequently escalate.
Gets students to buy into a highly effective system of incentives linked to intrinsic rewards.
Uses incentives wisely to encourage and reinforce student cooperation.
Uses extrinsic rewards in an attempt to get to cooperate and comply.
Gives away goodies (e.g. free time) without using it a s a lever to improve behavior.
5.3 Apply appropriate intervention strategies and practices to ensure a successful learning environment.
Has a highly effective discipline repertoire and can capture and hold students attention anytime.
Has a repertoire of discipline moves and can capture and maintain students attention.
Has a limited disciplinary repertoire and students are frequently not paying attention.
Has few discipline moves and constantly struggles to get students attention.
8.2 Model, and develop on the part of the students, positive behavior and respect for the rights of others, and those moral standards necessary for personal, family and community well-being.
Successfully develops students self- discipline, self- confidence, and a sense of responsibility
Develops students self- discipline and teaches them to take responsibility for their own actions
Tries to get students to be responsible for their actions, but many lack self-discipline.
Is unsuccessful in fostering self-discipline in students; they are dependent on the teacher to behave.
Comments & Evidence: 10 IV. Use of teaching strategies and how learning is monitored:
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
3.1 Designs short and long range standards-based instructional plans. 3.7 Prepares students for the Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP), Third Grade Literacy Assessment, and other assessments of educational achievement. 3.8 , 4.2
Designs lessons with clear, measurable goals closely aligned with standards and unit outcomes.
Designs lessons focused on measurable outcomes aligned with unit goals and state standards.
Plans lessons with unit goals in mind.
Plans lessons aimed primarily at entertaining students or covering textbook chapters.
No lesson plan
3.1, 3.7, 3.8 Ensures that instruction is consistent with school district priorities and goals, the Colorado Model Content Standards, and the 1999 Colorado Accreditation Program. 4.2 Enhances content instruction through a thorough understanding of all Colorado model content standards.
Plans units backwards, aligned with high standards, state assessments, and all of Blooms levels.
Plans most curriculum units backwards with standards, state tests, and some of Blooms levels in mind.
Plans lessons with some thought to larger goals and objectives and higher-order thinking skills.
Teaches on an ad hoc basis with little or no consideration for long- range curriculum goals.
No lesson plan
3.2 Develops valid and reliable assessment tools for the classroom.
Prepares diagnostic, on- the-spot, interim, and summative assessments, and all of Blooms levels.
Plans on-the-spot and unit assessments to measure student learning.
Drafts unit tests as instruction proceeds.
Writes final tests shortly before they are given.
No lesson plan
3.3 Develops and utilizes a variety of informal and formal assessments, including rubrics.
Uses a variety of effective methods to check for understanding; immediately unscrambles confusion and clarifies.
Frequently checks for understanding and gives students helpful information if they seem confused.
Uses moderately effective methods (e.g. thumbs up, thumbs down) to check for understanding during instruction.
Uses ineffective methods (Is everyone with me?) to check for understanding.
No lesson plan
Shows students exactly what is expected by posting essential questions, goals, rubrics and exemplars.
Gives students a clear sense of purpose by posting the units essential questions and the lessons goals.
Tells students the main learning objectives of each lesson.
Begins lessons without giving the students a sense of where instruction is headed.
No lesson plan 11
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
3.4 Assesses, compares and contrasts the effects of various teaching strategies on individual student performance relative to content standards.
Works with colleagues to use interim assessment data, fine- tune teaching, re-teach, and help struggling students.
Uses data from interim assessments to adjust teaching, re-teach, and follow up with failing students.
Looks over students tests to see if anything needs to be re- taught.
Gives tests and moves on without analyzing them and following up with students. ?
3.5 Uses assessment data as a basis for standards based instruction
Gives students a well- constructed diagnostic assessment up front, and uses the information to fine tune instruction.
Diagnoses students knowledge and skills up front and makes small adjustments based on the data.
Does a quick K-W- L (Know, Want to Know, Learned) exercise before beginning a unit.
Begins instruction without diagnosing students skills and knowledge. ?
3.6 Provides effective verbal and written feedback that shape improvement in student performance on content standards.
Frequently posts students work with rubrics and commentary and uses it to motivate and direct effort.
Regularly posts students work to make visible and celebrate their progress with respect to standards.
Posts some A student work as an example to others.
Post only a few samples of student work, or none at all. ?
3.6 Provides effective verbal and written feedback that shape improvement in student performance on content standards. 6.6 Collects data on individual student achievement and be held accountable for each child's learning.
Works with colleagues to analyze and chart assessment data, draw action conclusions, and share them with others.
Analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.
Records students grades and notes some general patterns for future reference.
Records studenta grades and moves on with the curriculum. ?
5.5 Understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning (e.g. critical and creative thinking, problem structuring and problem solving, invention, memorization and recall) and ensure attention to these learning processes so that students can master content standards.
Designs highly relevant lessons that will motivate all students and sweep them up in active learning.
Designs lessons that are relevant, motivating, and likely to engage students in active learning.
Plan lessons that will catch some students interest and perhaps get a discussion going.
Plans lessons with very little likelihood of motivating or involving students.
Always grabs students interest and makes connections to prior knowledge, experience, and reading.
Activates students prior knowledge and hooks their interest in each unit and lesson.
Tries to make the subject interesting and relate it to things students already know.
Rarely hooks students interest or makes connections to their lives.
6.1 Employs a wide range of teaching techniques to match the intellectual, emotional, and social level of each student, and choose alternative teaching strategies and materials to achieve different curricular purposes.
Designs lessons that break down complex tasks and address all learning needs, styles, and interests.
Designs lessons that target diverse learning needs, styles, and interests.
Plans lessons with some thought as to how to accommodate special needs students.
Plans lessons aimed at the middle of the class.
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Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
6.1
Always presents material clearly and explicitly, with well-chosen examples and vivid appropriate language.
Uses clear explanations, appropriate language, and good examples to present material.
Sometimes uses language and explanations that are fuzzy, confusing, or inappropriate.
Often presents material in a confusing way, using language that is inappropriate.
Deftly adapts lessons and units to exploit teachable moments and correct misunderstandings.
Is flexible about modifying lessons to take advantage of teachable moments.
Is focused on implementing lesson plans and sometimes misses teachable moments.
Is rigid and inflexible with lesson plans and rarely takes advantage of teachable moments.
6.2 Designs and/or modify standards-based instruction in response to diagnose student needs, including the needs of exceptional learners and English language learners. 6.3 Utilizes his/her understanding of educational disabilities and giftedness and their effects on student learning in order to individualize instruction for these students. 6.4 Teaches students within the scope of a teacher's legal responsibilities and students' educational rights, and follow procedures as specified in state, federal and local statutes..
Makes sure that students who need specialized diagnosis and help, receive appropriate services immediately.
When necessary, refers students for specialized diagnosis and extra help.
Sometimes does not refer students promptly for special help, or refers students who dont need it.
Fails to refer students for special services or refers students who do not need them. ?
6.3 Utilizes his/her understanding of educational disabilities and giftedness and their effects on student learning in order to individualize instruction for these students.
Skillfully meets the learning needs and styles of all students by differentiating and scaffolding.
Differentiates and Scaffolds instruction to accommodate most students learning needs.
Attempts to accommodate students with special needs, with mixed success.
Fails to provide for differentiated instruction for students with special needs.
6.5 Develops and apply individualized education plans.
Skillfully works with the student and family to create specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals that meet the learning needs of the student.
Works with the student and family to create goals that meet the learning needs of the student.
Attempts to work with the student and family to create goals that meet the learning needs of the student, with mixed success.
Fails to work with the student and family to create goals that meet the learning needs of the student. ? 13
V. How students demonstrate learning/how they are assessed:
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
3.3 Develops and utilize a variety of informal and formal assessments, including rubrics.
Consistently has students summarize and internalize what they learn and apply it to real- life situations.
Has students sum up what they have learned and apply it in a different context.
Asks students to think about real-life applications for what they are studying.
Moves on at the end of each lesson and unit without having students summarize.
It is clear that all students in the class feel safe demonstrating confusion and the teacher s responsive, immediately unscrambling confusion.
Students in the class feel safe demonstrating confusion and the teacher s responsive, frequently checking for understanding and giving students helpful information if they seem confused.
Students themselves do not express their confusion, but the teacher uses moderately effective methods (e.g. thumbs up, thumbs down) to check for understanding during instruction.
Students themselves do not express their confusion, and the teacher uses ineffective methods (Is everyone with me?) to check for understanding.
3.4 Assesses, compares and contrasts the effects of various teaching strategies on individual student performance relative to content standards.
Students set ambitious goals, continuously self- assess, and take responsibility for improving performance.
Students set goals, self-assess, and know where they stand academically at all times.
Urges students to look over their work, see where they had trouble, and aim to improve those areas.
Allows students to move on without assessing and improving problems in their work.
3.2 Develops valid and reliable assessment tools for the classroom. 3.6 Provides effective verbal and written feedback that shape improvement in student performance on content standards.
Posts and reviews the criteria for proficient work, including rubrics and exemplars, and students internalize them
Post clear criteria for proficiency, including rubrics and exemplars of student work.
Tells students some of the qualities that their finished work should exhibit.
Expects students to know (or figure out) what it takes to get good grades. ?
5.4 Raises the academic level of performance of a group of students, over time, to a higher level.
Relentlessly follows up with struggling students with personal attention to reach proficiency.
Takes responsibility for students who are not succeeding and gives them extra help.
Offers students who fail tests some additional time to study and do re- takes.
Tells students that if they fail a test, thats it; the class has to move on to cover the curriculum. ?
5.7 Accurately documents
Works with colleagues to
Uses data from interim
Looks over students tests
Gives tests and moves ? and report ongoing use interim assessment assessments to adjust to see if anything needs on without analyzing student achievement. data, fine-tune teaching, teaching, re-teach, and to be re-taught. them and following up re-teach, and help follow up with failing with students. struggling students. students.
5.9 Communicates a variety of assessment results and their implications to students, parents, guardians, professionals, administrators and the community.
Works with colleagues to analyze and chart assessment data, draw action conclusions, and share them with others.
Analyzes data from assessments, draws conclusions, and shares them appropriately.
Records students grades and notes some general patterns for future reference.
Records students grades and moves on with the curriculum. ? 14
Comments & Evidence (Parts IV V): 15
VI. How teacher demonstrates knowledge of subject matter:
Standard
Expert
Proficient
Basic
Does Not Meet Standards
Other
4.1 Utilizes content knowledge to ensure student learning.
Is an expert in the subject area and has a cutting-edge grasp of child development and how students learn.
Knows the subject matter well and has a good grasp of child development and how students learn.
Is somewhat familiar with the subject and has few ideas of ways students develop and learn.
Has little familiarity with the subject matter and few ideas on how to teach it and how students learn.
4.3 Applies expert content knowledge to enrich and extend student learning.
Skillfully meets the learning needs and styles of all students by differentiating and scaffolding.
Differentiates and scaffolds instruction to accommodate most students learning needs.
Attempts to accommodate students with special needs, with mixed success.
Fails to provide for differentiated instruction for students with special needs.
Comments & Evidence: 16
VII. How teacher demonstrates knowledge of literacy strategies & instruction
Standard Comment & Evidence Other 4.4 Integrates literacy into content area instruction. Nathan uses a variety of strategies to support and reinforce the development of literacy.
1.1 Plans and organize reading instruction based on ongoing assessment. 1.2 Develops phonological and linguistic skills related to reading including: phonemic awareness, concepts about print, systematic, explicit phonics, other word identification strategies, spelling instruction. 1.3 Develops reading comprehension and promotion of independent reading including: comprehension strategies for a variety of genre, literary response and analysis, content are literacy, student independent reading 1.4 Supports reading through oral and written language development including: development of oral English proficiency in students, development of sound writing practices in students including language usage, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, and spelling, the relationships among reading, writing, and oral language, vocabulary development, and the structure of standard English. 1.5 Utilizes Colorado Model Content Standards in Reading and Writing for the improvement of instruction
VIII. How teacher demonstrates knowledge of math strategies & instruction (if applicable)
Standard Comment & Evidence Other 4.4 Integrates mathematics into content area instruction.
2. 1 Develops in students an understanding and use of: Number systems and number sequences, Geometry, Measurement, Statistics and probability, functions and use of variables.. 2.2 Utilize Colorado Model Content Standards in Mathematics for the improvement of instruction.. 17 Candidate Post-Observation Reflection
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Areas of Strength: Nathan demonstrates a myriad of strengths as a classroom teacher:
Classroom culture and management: Nathan has developed a very strong rapport with his students. He is enthusiastic and uses humor in engaging with students, keeping their attention, and building relationships. He affirms student contributions, yet confronts students with clarity and compassion if he perceives a student is making decisions or acting in a way that shows a lack of responsibility. The students seem to like Nathan and feel comfortable to ask questions and seek support.
Nathan has developed a variety effective and appropriate rituals and routines (hand raised to quiet class, if students are late they must come in and wait outside the discussion circle before being invited to come sit down, white board has daily warm ups, lesson objections, and class assignments. Nathan uses technology to respond to Google chat during all-class Socratic Seminar for students who are not comfortable contributing orally. Nathans rituals and routines are consistently implemented and increase stability and predictability in his classes. This, plus clear consequences/responses for disruptive and off-task behavior contribute to smooth transitions, few if any disruptions, and overall a very productive classroom culture/environment. Nathan very clearly articulates behavioral and academic non-negotiables and the students clearly know what is expected of them and work hard to meet Nathans high expectations for their performance, and their own.
Classroom activities: Nathans lessons are well planned (without documentation). His intentionality for the lessons/unit is very clear. His curriculum, instruction, and assessment are linked. Nathan communicates high expectation, incorporates relevance, and exhibits passion throughout his class. Even though his students are 8 th -9 th graders, the classes have the feel and content of college courses.
Areas of Growth: Planning and standards-based curriculum development: There needs to be a consistent use of lesson planning using Understanding by Design approach and curriculum that is driven by/aligned with State Standards/Common Core as appropriate. There needs to be clear articulation of explicit learning outcomes activities, implementation of clear assessments that are linked to these learning outcomes, and documented activities that are differentiated to meet diverse student needs.
Data-driven assessment: although it is assumed that Nathan uses a variety of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments, it is not clear how this data continues to inform his teaching and that there is consistent and reliable documentation relating to how his teaching is continuously informed by a variety of assessments.
Scaffolding for students with a variety of learning styles/supporting students who struggle: Most of Nathans students exhibit strong academic skills and well-developed habits of learning that facilitate their success in school. Clearly, there still exist students who struggle academically 19
and may feel intimidated in Socratic Seminars by the more verbal students who take up a lot of space in the conversations. Project-based learning, centers, or other strategies of assessment and instructions may enhance Nathans teaching and support his efforts to reach all students. 20 Candidate Review of Formal Observation Report
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Expert
Proficient Basic Does not meet standard
Standard observed in abundance Substantial evidence observed Some Evidence Observed Standard not appropriate* or applicable
Conclusion (Include an assessment overall for the candidate Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient) then summarize the observation. Overall Assessment:
Rubric Evaluation Key
1. Each observed standard will be highlighted with a rating
2. Comments drop down menu Indicates:
* such as specific environmental factors in treatment
3. Each category will also include observer comments including specific evidence observed during the lesson.