EDUC 5312/3315-Curriculum and Instructional Design

Classroom Observation Assignment

Observation Form 1

Observation Date: ___3/31/2017___________ Observation Time: ____2:00pm-2:45pm_____

Teacher Observed: __Mr. Puskulloglu___ Subject/Grade Level__LOTE-Turkish/ 7th Grade

School Observed: _Harmony School of Nature&Athletics_ Observer: Adem ERTUNA__

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

5 Cs of National Standards are; communication, culture, connection, comparison and

community.

Recognition, identification, listening, reading, writing and verbalizing: Time expressions, asking
and telling the time.

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

First he started by taking the attendance. While the teacher was taking the attendance, he passed
out a bellwork about the topic they learnt last class. After that he lectured for 15 minutes and
gave examples and wanted the students to give examples about time expressions. Last fifteen
minutes they played Kahoot to make practice about the topic.

3-What did the teacher use for teaching materials or instructional aids/equipment?

Textbook, notebook, Powerpoint, projector and an App were used.

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.)

Mr. Puskulluoglu especially used lecture and question-answer method. Also when they were
making dialogues and playing Kahoot, they used cooperative learning and integration of
technology.

5-How did the teacher assess learning? (informal, formal, formative, summative, oral, open-
ended, quiz, feedback etc.) See Chapter 8 for more information on assessment methods

He used a bellwork to see the feedback. He performed an oral assessment and formal learning
method in the class.
6- What can you say about the teachers philosophy/beliefs and style?
(Traditional/progressive, behaviorist, student-centered vs. teacher centered, authoritative etc)

I think he is an experienced teacher and he knows what he is doing and what the students can do.
Actually he has a traditional style, but he is not closed to the technology. He is always student
centered, because he always encourages his students to participate and join the class activities. If
they are bored, and then he makes some jokes to make them fun, ask some interesting questions
to make them excited. The most enjoyable and delicious part is Turkish candy.

7-How does the teacher manage classroom? Can you identify classroom management
techniques used?

He is an experienced teacher, so he monitored the whole class all times. He always changed the
activities before the students get bored. He was always communicating all the students to keep
them in task and was checking for understanding. His voice was the most important part I think;
he did not use a monotonous sound. It was sometimes louder and sometimes lower according to
the situation or word he was using. If some of the students are not on task and he stopped by
them and asked if they have a problem; this individual approach made the students quite.

8-Observe in the classroom setting and determine types of behavior students play when off-
task. What do they do when they are not paying attention? How does the teacher re-direct
them or get them back on task?

When some of the students were off task, they were whispering each other, making some small
paper to throw and disturb another student. Two of them slept down. One of them was drawing
really good pictures with a black-pencil.

Mr Puskulluoglu was monitoring the whole class and there was not any empty point. When he
saw them first he was warning them by his eyes without disturbing others, and then he was
asking questions about the topic and the last thing is he was stopping by them and warning
directly about what they are doing during the class.

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?)

Mr. Puskulluoglu used different ways of communication. Mostly he used verbal communication
while lecturing and giving information about the instructions. He also used several times non-
verbal communication such as facial, body language and motion. He used his sound in different
ways to make their attention level higher.

10-Who were the students in the class? What did you notice about them? (Background,
diversity, attitude, motivation, interaction, participation, etc.)
This was 7th grade class. There were 22 students, 12 of them were girls and 10 of them were
boys. Students were from different ethnicities; nearly 40% of them were Hispanic, the other 40%
were African American and the rest were different countries like Turkey, Taiwan, and Iraq. The
African American students were more energetic and less concentrated according to the others.
The Hispanic group was more interested in the topics. Their English also was quite enough to
have education in America. I think to grow with two languages like English and Spanish, is
making the third one easier to learn.

11-What did you see that is effective in engaging students? What do you see that is
ineffective in keeping students engaged?
Effective: - Calling the students with their names
- As they are young; to make them having fun
- Asking interesting questions-make students to think critically
- Not to stay in one point in the class
- To give the knowledge of what they will learn that day at the beginning of the class
Ineffective: - Always talking with the same students
- Always talking with the same sound and in angry way
- Not to listen to the students

12-What are the two instructional strategies you observed and would like to apply in your
classroom?

The first thing I observed is Mr. Puskulloglu made some groups and these groups used the words
in dialogues. So the students saw the situations where they can use the words they learnt. This
modeling and group work was made like a competition. I think that was the most efficient part
and I will use in my classes.

Using the board like a reminder was also useful. The board was written with the words, phrases
and sentences so as a reminder it was really good, because at the whole class period the students
always saw the board.

Practice- In a language it is very important, and the teacher used it lots of times.

13-What are two important classroom management strategies that you observed and would
like to apply in your classroom?

I think it is very common and necessary for a teacher to start with giving the information and
explaining the lesson plan to the students, so they will be ready for the entire class activities.
More we are clear, more they will be ready. As it is common, also Mr. Puskulluoglu let the
students know what they will learn on that day.

Mr. Puskulluoglu also was very polite to the students so students could not be rude or mean to
the teacher. Act good, see good, live good- so experience the good.