Zayed University

14
Case study
Of Emirates National school
Salma Almansouri
U2908708
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Content
1. The school environmental context:
a. Mission and values of the school (3)
b. Brief history of the school (3)
c. Type of the school (3)
d. Curriculum (4)
e. Data about roll and staffing number (4)
f. Daily schedule of the school (5)
g. School rules (6)
h. School routines (6)
i. Technology tools available (8)
Reflective discussion (9)
2. The classroom environmental context:
a. Layout of the classroom (10)
b. Resources/storage/booking procedures presented in the classroom (11)
c. Technology resources available in the classroom (11)
d. Use of the walls (12)
e. List of classroom rules (12)
f. Classroom routines (12)
g. Weekly schedule (14)
h. Behaviour management strategies observed (14)
Reflective discussion (15)
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3. The learner:
a. Profile of the class (17)
b. Detailed description of ten of the students (18)
Reflective discussion (20)
4. The learning cycle:
a. Observation of a lesson (21)
b. Assessment strategies (25)
Reflective discussion (26)
5. Reflective conclusion (28)
6. References (30)
7. Appendices (31)










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1. Description and discussion of the school environmental context
A. Description:
a. Mission and values of the school:
Mission: The mission of the ENS Abu Dhabi city campus, an internationally-minded learning
community is dedicated to the development of inquiring, critical thinking, globally responsible citizens
who are challenged to realize their full potential through authentic learning experiences.
Values: Preparing Future leaders through Innovation in Education and Treasuring of Cultural Heritage
Reference: Family Handbook (2013)
B. Brief history of the school
At the begging of this academic year, ENS celebrated the 11th anniversary of educating students
in UAE. ENS started operating in 2002 from Mohamed Bin Zayed city campus. Emirates
National School is owned by the ministry of presidential affairs, and its establishment is based on
presidential decree. During 2011-12 academic year, ENS accomplished IBO candidacy status for
the primary years program (PYP). ENS started providing their students with the Model of
American Diploma which is based on Common Core Content standard in English, Mathematics
and Science in 0202 - 00 (www.ENS.sch.ae, 2013)
C. Type of school
Emirates National school is not-for-profit educational institution. It is considered as a privet
school that provide education for all grade levels starting with Kindergarten till grade 12 for both
males and females (Family Handbook, 2013). Males and females study in one campus from
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kindergarten years till 4
th
grade. In 5
th
grade, separation occurs between females and males. They
become in 2 different campuses separate than the first campus (www.ENS.sch.ae, 2013).
D. Curriculum
ENS provides educational programs for kindergarten through 12th grade. The educational
program of ENS is based on the requirements of the ministry of education. In addition to the
model American diploma program which is designed by the Achieve organization, ENS provides
Arabic, Islamic and social studies subjects to fulfil Abu Dhabi education council requirements.
All of primary schools of ENS are accreted by the International Baccalaureate Organization
(IBO) and authorized to teach their curriculum frameworks. The Common Curriculum standards
link the three different campuses of Abu Dhabi ,Alain and Mohamed Bin Zayed city, and these
common standards prepare the graduates of ENS for higher education. The language used for
teaching in ENS is English ,Arabic and French. English language is used for instructions for the
American curriculum. Arabic language is used for Islamic and Arabic social studies. ENS also
gained the accreditation of AdvancED to certify the quality of ENS education (Family Handbook,
2013).
E. Data about roll and staffing numbers; gender and ethnicity information; general information
about families
In ENS Abu Dhabi campus females section, there are 38 employees in addition to 2 male security
guards. Employees in ENS are hired for the purpose of facilitating or providing education for the students.
There is diversity in staff in the school according to a report from ENS administration Abu Dhabi
campus females section. There are employees coming from western countries such as Canada, USA,
UK, Ireland and Australia. There are also employees coming from Middle East countries such as Yemen,
Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine as well as UAE. ENS also has employees from South Africa and Philippines.
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By the beginning of 2013-14 academic years, ENS has opened doors for 248 female students. The
learners community of ENS is divers in ethnicities. Students in ENS are from North African Arab
countries, Middle East and specially GCC countries. There is also Australian, Canadian, European, South
and North American students in ENS according to report from ENS administration (check appendix A).
Most students in ENS are coming from wealthy and well educated families which are obvious in the
reason behind choosing ENS as their childrens learning institute.
F. Daily schedule of the school
The calendar that is provided by ENS shows all academic year days. It
also shows exam and vacation days. The daily academic schedule pairs
with the daily academic calendar of ENS. Students attend classes
Sunday through Thursday. The day starts at 7:30 am, and the students
gather to do the assembly and sing the national anthem. The remaining
time is placed for house rooming where the teacher of each class takes
the attendance and discus any announcements. The learning sessions are
planned as blocks and each block consist of 70-90 minutes. The first
block starts at 7:50 am till 9:00 am. And then the students take snack
break for 15 minutes. Then the second block starts from 9:15 am till
11:00 am. After that, the third block starts from 11:00 am till 12:30 pm.
The students take the lunch and prayer break after the third block. After
the second break, the students go back to the class and attend the fourth and the last block, from 1:20 pm
till 2:45 pm. At 2:40 pm, students start packing their stuff and prepare for home time (Family Handbook,
2013). (Check appendix B)


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G. School rules
Because ENS mission is to develop internationally responsible students who are presenting themselves as
respectful of rules and regulation of the community, the following rules have been developed to help
facilitating the process of learning/teaching and maintain the safety of the students/teachers (Family
Handbook, 2013).
Express your ideas and feelings in a respectful way that doesnt bother or heart others.
Be aware of all rules and regulations of the school related to the students behaviour and
adhered by them.
Dress in a way that meets the ENS dress code
Help ENS staff to create safe educational environment for all students.
Ensure that ENSs properties are protected.
Attend the school on time and be punctual for all school functions.
Make up and resume school work when absent or suspend from school as mentioned in
guidelines.
Report problems accurately and dont use accident and abscond words.

H. School routines
- Assemblies: it is an important practice in ENS as it provides a feeling of community in the
school. It also give the students the opportunity to show their talents in presentation which is
planned by teachers and students. At the beginning of the assembly, students will sing the
national anthem and recite Quran. Then, there will be announcements for awards or special
events if available. Special assemblies may carry out if the parents are given the chance to
take part in presentation.
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- Daily schedule: all ENS schools have the same timing to start and end the day. school day
starts usually at 7:45 am and ends at 2:45 except Tuesday in every week, in which the day
start at 7:45 am but ends at 12:30 pm. the schedule is for the reason of the Professional
development of the staff. And Tuesdays are split into 2 different kind of scheduling (block
period A days and B days) in these 2 different scheduling, mathematics, literacy and unit
of inquiry is must, but other subjects are not as the diverse in the subject will cover students
different learning needs.
- Special events: it is an essential aspect in the educational process of ENS as it help
growing social skills for the students. Special events also shape the cultural identity ,
reinforce learning process and develop awareness about global issues and events .UAE
national day, Earth day and fund raising events are clear example of special events that is
important for ENS students.
- Announcements: special announcements for special events such as trips, teacher and
parents conference or any academic related events will be placed in an official letter ,in the
communication book, in the PowerSchool notification system or in the official website of
ENS (www.ENS.sch.ae )
- Early dismissal: students are not allowed to leave the school after arrival except with
permission from Parents Communication Office (PCO). For integrity reasons ,teachers are
not allowed to release students with anybody come to the classroom .The security guard will
help to implement this policy.
Reference: Family Handbook (2013)

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I. Technology tools available
The school believes that technology is important for facilitating the process of learning. ENS
provides the students with computer labs that are accessible by ENSs students. In ENS, there are
2 computer labs and one media lab. The first computer lab is equipped for computer science
classes. The computer lab is equipped with 27 computers, and each computer has access to
internet. In this lab particularly there are a number of software that is used for computer science
projects such as Microsoft office suite, Google earth, Scratch and Serif suite. The second
computer lab is specified for grade 5 use particularly. This lab is equipped with 27 computers
which have access to internet. The third lab is known with the media lab. This lab is equipped
with 15 computers that have access to internet, and a computer for the teacher that is connected
to Over Head Projector and a Smart Board.
All classrooms are equipped with Over Head projector, smart board and computer with internet
for the teachers access. There is also photocopier and printers for the access of teachers and
students .
Students and parents can communicate with teachers and school administrations through several
ways. One way is the official website of the school (www.ENS.sch.ae) and Weebly.com which is
accessed by teachers, students and parents. In Weebly.com, students and parents can review the
schools announcements and comment on them. The attendance is taken by students information
system called PowerSchool. It has three main subcategories which are: PowerTeacher,
PowerPranets and PowerSchool for administration use. This information system keeps records of
students attendance and quizzes scores and other information about each student and
announcement which is viewable for parents, teacher and school administrations.
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Discussion:
Mission and vision are important aspect for successful organizations as it represents the goals
and the overall reason of the organization. It also defines the upcoming objectives of the
academic year and what is really required from students (Charles, 2008). Mission is an image on
the way of the educational organization. This is important for the students so they can plan for
learning and create short-term and long range goals for the learning process according to
Charles, (2008). School is the place where students can learn how to be productive, but it should
follow certain structure to ensure students achievements. The curriculum is the core of the
educational process; the curriculum consists of all subject matter that is taught all together with
objectives and assessment. And when all these elements meet, that mean that curriculum has
took place (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010). Curriculum also gives the
educator and the learner an image about the learning process. The more capable the curriculum
to teach the students new information, the more capable the student to be successful. And that
will lead to enhance the skills and increase the productivity of the learners (Charles, 2008).
The school needs to teach the students the schools responsibility and how to take responsibility
from the students side. The rules and the procedure are the governor of the school; they should
be connected with the mission and the vision of the school and not opposing. The difference
between the mission and the rules that is the mission is stated broadly, but the rules say what the
student has to do exactly (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010).
Values and behavior across different group of people is far similar than being different. Certain
cultural differences have strong manner on learning. And the failure to approach the cultural
differences across the students will lead to misunderstanding and dissatisfaction in the
relationship between students, teachers and administration (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan
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and Brown, 2010). And the more the students work together with the assistance of the teacher
and exchange information, the more they learn. It is suggested by Charles (2008) that the teacher
use international students as a necessary resource. Learning reaches the peak in affectivity when
it occurs in supportive learning community.

2. The classroom learning context

A. Layout of the classroom include plan



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B. Resources/storage/booking procedures are present in the classroom
In every classroom, there are resource unit which contain class resources such as educational
material, text books and tools that are used in classroom such as scissors and colourful
papers. In the school in general, there is a resource room that contain extra materials and text
books for both teachers and students use. It also provides the students with large areas to
work in. library is considered as an important resource for the students, as it provide them
with wide range of reading books and quite area to read and study.
In every classroom there are a number of storage units. Each storage unit is specified for one
kind of materials. For example, reading books, educational games, students belongings and
classroom material are different storage units in one classroom. In each students desk there is
a tray for a small number of things to be put in. Outside every classroom there are locker
cabinets for each student. These lockers are areas for the students to put their backpacks and
other belongings. In the school in general, there is a store room for keeping materials related
to administration use such as catalogues, forms, ink cartages and white papers packs.
Booking educational resources is a normal process in ENS; teacher can reserve computer
labs, resource room and library for lessons and workshops. Teachers have to fill in a schedule
that is posted in the bulletin board of the educational resource. Also teachers may ask the
librarian for library reservation.

C. Technology resources used in the classroom
In every classroom in ENS there is a number of technology resources used for the sake of
facilitating the teaching process. For that reason, ENS provides each classroom with Smart
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Board, Overhead Projector and desktop computer for the teacher use. Some classrooms have
2 extra desktop computers for the use of the students.

D. Use of the walls

There are 5 bulletin boards in the classroom, and every bulletin board is sat for specific
purposes. 3 large bulletin boards are sat for the students work and pictures of different
activities. 2 small bulletin boards are sat to present the rules and procedures of the classroom.
The walls are also presenting students work during the year and every area of the classroom
walls present one different activity.

E. List of class rules
In the class essential agreement which is another name for the rules, the rules are posted
and the students and the teacher keep reminding themselves with what to do and what not to
do. Also the list of the consequences is posted in the bulletin board.
- Keep positive attitude
- Stay on task
- Everyone cares
- Always be polite

F. Class routines
Routines in the class:
At the beginning of the semester, the teacher has identified the routines and procedures
for the students .
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- Classroom passes: it is a laminated card giving by the teacher. It gives the holder
authorization to go to the W/C, school's clinic or administration .
- Leaving the classroom: students tell the teacher where are they going and leaving quietly
in a way that doesn't interrupt other working students .
- Giving instructions: if the teacher wanted to give instruction for the students, she will ask
the students to set on the mat and she will give them the instruction, after getting sure that
the students have got the idea and she answers their questions .
- Roll call and taking attendance: at the beginning of the day and after the assembly, the
teacher call name of the students so she can find out who is late or absent .
- Distributing materials: 1 student from each group can go to the material storage unit and
take the needed material for the group .
- Announcements: announcements are usually announced in the assembly. But if there is
an announcement during the day, the teacher get the attention of the students by saying
"May I have your attention for a minute?
- Asking questions and getting help: students ask their college politely about the question,
and if the student is working individually, she may raise her hand quietly .
- Visitors in the room: if there is a visitor in the room, the teacher will ask the students to
greet and welcome him/her politely and sit quietly .
- Cleaning the room at the end of the day: students are not allowed to leave the classroom
without cleaning their desks .
- Dismissal: before dismissal to breaks, other classes or home, students have to return
materials to the storage unit and take the garbage to the trash.


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G. Weekly schedule

Timetable is important for classrooms, as it let the students to be prepared for whats coming up
(Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010). Although there is time table for the school
days during the week, teachers are flexible to change the order of the subjects or to cancel them
for compelling reasons such as field trips, practicing for an event or catching up lesson.



H. Behaviour management strategies observed
- The broken record is a technique used by the teacher to avoid students complains, the
teacher keep repeating her instruction clearly until the student follow the instructions .
Times Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday
Block 1
7:50-9:00
Mathematics Arabic Mathematics Arabic
Snack
9:00-9:15
Snack Snack Snack Snack
Block 2
9:15-11:00
Literacy Mathematics Literacy Mathematics
Block 3
11:00-12:30
Islamic Literacy
UAE studies
UAR studies
(English)/ unit
of inquiry
Literacy
Lunch
12:30-1:15
Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
Block 4
1:20-2:45
Unit of inquiry Unit of inquiry Unit of inquiry Unit of inquiry
Times Tuesday A Tuesday B
7:30 -7:40 Assembly/homeroom Assembly/homeroom
7:45-8:45 Mathematics Arabic
8:45-9:45 Literacy Mathematics
9:45-10:30
Break/homerooms/advisory/
assemblies/activities/events
Break/homerooms/advisory/
assemblies/activities/events
10:30-11:30 Islamic/unit of inquiry Literacy
11:30-12:30 Unit of inquiry/visual art Unit of inquiry/ P.E.
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- Token economy cards which are posted in the bulletin board of the rules which shows the
students how are they progressing and to think again about the good behaviour and how
important is it .
- Counting down from 5 or 10 to take the attention of the students after a specific activity or
after the breaks. And pairing it with clear instruction so the students know what they
supposed to do .
- Ending requests with 'Thank you' so the students have no way to argue .
The teacher use certain look that conveying the unaccepted misbehaviour .
- Moving around the classroom and the teacher placing herself beside the misbehaviour as
well as a light touch on the shoulder to get the attention of misbehaviour .
- The teacher tends to pause to get the attention of the student who misbehaves .
- Warning the students of doing actions that are banned in the school or the classroom such as
eating, chewing gum or insulting their peers.
- Setting up consequences and remind the students with them .
- Trying to prevent the negative behaviour by taking time of the lesson and teach the students
how the good behaviour looks like .
- The teacher tend to use positive language ,instead of saying you have to do it, she says you
can do it .
- The teacher is giving the students the choice to determine what they want to do next. For
example, she is giving the students the choice to present their project in the format they like .
- The teacher is giving take-up time for her students. For example, the teacher asks a student
to sit on the mat and she directs her sight for another thing and the students take their time to
come up to the mat.

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b. Discussion:
Planning is time consuming but it is effective for organizing and faster achieving of educational
goals. Teachers who communicate with their students creates positive academic environment.
Thus, teachers who planed their lesson for their students, prepared materials and second plan will
face smooth transition between activities and better progress in the educational process (Orlich,
Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010).
According to Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown (2010), the arrangement of the classroom
is important as it is a part of observation strategy of the teacher. The organizing of the desks and
tables involves effective use of instructional time. Two important criteria to determine if the
sitting plan is effective or not is to be able to: firstly, make eye contact with all students. And
secondly, make sure that the flow which is established in the classroom is running smoothly.
Rearranging the layout of the classroom may energize the students with different outlook on the
learning process. The teacher has to ensure that the seating plan doesnt disable students
movements, the pathways are facilitating the students traffic flow and materials are easily
accessible (Marzano, Marzano and Pickering, 2007).
The reason behind establishing rules is to maintain better educational process and social
relationship between teachers and peers. Educators need to teach the importance of the rules and
how can students follow them. They also need to state the rule clearly and enforce them in the
classroom community. The effective rule should be limited in number, can be observed by the
students and the teacher and apply everywhere and at any time (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan
and Brown, 2010).
The challenge that is facing the educator is to balance between the ethnic diversity and the
academic and social standards. The educator should value the diversity and provide appropriate
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instructional program that covers all needs and foster the achievements (Orlich, Harder , Callahan,
Trevisan and Brown, 2010).
The technology is considered as a must have object in nowadays classroom, but the teacher
needs to use the technological tools wisely in the classroom and make sure that it will not take
more than the needed time; as it may distract the students attention. Some students consider
technology as a game, any technological integration should be studied very well and analysed
whither the maximum productivity of the students will be achieved or not (Orlich, Harder,
Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010).
The classroom routines are the repetitive tasks that provoke the educators each day. The expert
teachers are willing to systemize the accomplishment of such tasks. For example, students could
be assigned to a rotating schedule. This procedure saves few minutes of instructions every day.
Educator needs to implement a number of routines consistently, which help in converting long
term plans into daily and pair the routines with the school calendar (Orlich, Harder, Callahan,
Trevisan and Brown, 2010).







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3. The learners
a. Profile of the class: roll numbers; ages, gender; ethnicity; socio-economic background,
diverse learning needs, development. (Not provided by the mentor teacher)

b. Detailed description of ten students





Student
name
Language Nationality Family members Hobbies Interests
What they
want to learn
Aysha
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father, Mother and
2 brothers
Gymnastic
Designing
clothes
Researching
skills
Fatema
Arabic and
English
Jordan
Father, Mother 3
sisters and 1 brother
Reading and
drawing
Learning other
languages
Fashion
Sarah
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father, Mother, 1
sister and 2 brothers
Gymnastic and
swimming
Getting good
grades and
behave well
Drama, music
and dancing
Alice
Arabic and
protges
Brazil
Father, Mother and 1
sister
Swimming
Increase the
skill of
swimming
Learning
French
language
Marwa Arabic Egypt
Father, Mother 1
brother and 1sister
Singing
Reading
books
Enhance the
English
language
Nouf
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father mother 2
sisters and 2 brothers
Drawing
Learning
about science
Enhance
Islamic
knowledge
Hamda
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father, mother, 1sister
and 1brother
Tailoring
Painting and
drawing
Learn more
about drama
Asma
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father Mother 2
another wives 14
brothers and 8 sisters
Reading and
swimming
Fashion Playing guitar
Anoud
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father mother 3
sisters and 1 brother
Swimming
Dancing and
music
French
language
Meera
Arabic and
English
UAE
Father mother another
wife 5 brothers and 4
sisters
Cooking and
sports
Drama Swimming
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Information provided by the teacher:



Name Academic level Social level
Ayesh
Very active academically, likes to read and look for
information. Always finish work first.
Have problem making friends, works faster
individually.
Fatema
She has good participation in the classroom. Likes to
work in doing things (kinaesthetic). Needs to
improve her reading skills.
Have good relationship with all students in
the classroom. Tend to help students inside
and outside the classroom.
Sarah
Clever and creative. She is not giving herself a
chance to show her talents or improve her
weaknesses.
Have problem working in groups, likes to
show off control others.
Alice Logical, patient and hardworking.
Have good relationship with other students
but within limits.
Marwa
Lower than other students in English subject as she is
new in ENS. Try to catch up in mathematics and find
it hard as it is in English as well.
Have established good relationships very
quickly with the teacher and other students.
Likes to work with others.
Nouf
Needs to improve her reading skills as she hates
reading, mathematics is hard time according to her.
But she likes to investigate about information.
Quite all the time but has her favourite friend
and chooses to not interact with others very
often.
Hamda
Creative and different than other students. She
always has different view of situations.
Very active and courageous. Critical thinker
and tough criticizer and this make her
classmates stay away of her.
Asma
She is low in mathematics and unit of inquiry as they
are not her interests, so she loses her attention very
quickly
Have good relationships with all students but
she is always stick to her special friends.
Anoud
She likes literacy very much as she does the thing she
likes, and she is doing very well in writing. She finds
reading nonsense and she is a lower achiever in it.
She has good mathematics skills but she never try to
work on them.
She has good relationships with students and
she finds talking about her personal life a
way to gain more friends.
Meera
She loves P.E. and Drama classes as they break the
routine of other classes. She tries to transfer
mathematics problems into something in the daily
life so she can understand. She likes reading aloud
sessions as they give her the ability to imagine.
Shy but have good relationships with
students and teachers.
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b. Discussion:
A major challenge for teachers is to identify students wide range of diversity within the
classroom. Because of the diversity of the learning community, it is hard to choose one teaching
strategy for all students (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010). For teachers, the
diversity in the classroom in social, emotional and economical background means the verity in
teaching strategies to accomplish covering all students needs. Teachers also need to take age in
consideration regarding the instructional options (Marzano, Marzano and Pickering, 2007).
Thinking about all diversity in all aspects makes the educational environment richer in the social
and academic content. Language is one way of communication between teachers and students.
Therefore, teachers need to understand students language and try to respond appropriately. And
if that may not accomplished, the academic achievement of the students may drop (Orlich, Harder,
Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010). Students different experiences influence directly on the way
they understand new information (Charles, 2008).
Learning style is another major point should be addressed by teachers. Researches in this area
shows that students from learning styles tend to look and solve problems in different ways.
Therefore, educators need to prepare learning environment for all students needs (Orlich, Harder,
Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010).





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4. The Learning Cycle:

A. Description:
OBSERVATION FORM

SSW/Teacher Candidate: Salma Hamad Almansouri
Mentor Name: Nashreen Brey
University Supervisor: Angela Ward
Grade/Subject: 5
th
grade Mathematics
Date: 6/3/2014



LESSON /WORKSHOP COMMENT
Appropriate and clear learning outcomes.
Appropriate content.
Appropriate resources.
Appropriate instructional strategies.
Appropriate classroom management strategies.
Appropriate assessment strategies.

- The learning outcomes were not clear for
the students at the beginning of the lesson,
the got an idea about the lesson but they
didnt realize it until the mid of the class
time.
- The content of the lesson was appropriate
for grade 5.
- The resources of the educational materials
are appropriate and suites the students
- The instructions were clear and in the
language of the students. The teacher
repeated the instructions many times and
reminded the students every now and then
with what they supposed to do.
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- The teacher used different strategies to
manage students behaviour. She kept
repeating and reminding students with the
rules. She kept moving around the
classroom and tried to make eye contact
with students who are misbehaving.
- The teacher used worksheet to assess
students. She also used oral questioning and
co-operative assessment as well as
observation.
PRESENTATION COMMENT
Presented introduction to the lesson/workshop.
Presented topics in a logical, well-paced
sequence.
Related lesson to previous material/knowledge
Used visuals/handouts effectively (when
relevant).
Varied explanations for complex or difficult
material.
Spoke at an effective volume and speed.
Used gestures and moved in the classroom
effectively.
Summarized major points.
- The teacher introduced the lesson to the
students and reflected on their background
knowledge.
- The steps of the lesson were presented in a
logical sequence.
- The teacher used inquiry, so the students
can use their previous knowledge and link it
with the new lesson.
- The teacher used different hand outs for
different students levels. She also used
drawing to simplify the topic for some
students.
- The teacher tried to explain the upper level
hand outs for advanced students differently
and separately so other students dont get
confused.
- The volume of the teachers voice was high
and all students can hear clearly. She also
used different voice tones for different
instructions. She spoke in low-medium
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speed so low students dont lose their
attention and advanced students dont get
bored.
- The teacher used gestures very often during
the class time to refer to an action; she also
used body language and face expirations to
communicate with the students.
- The teacher summarized the important point
after explaining the lesson and before
performing the assessment. The time wasnt
enough for the teacher to summarize the
major points at the end.
CONTENT COMMENT
Presented material relevant to the learning
outcomes of the lesson/workshop.
Demonstrated mastery of the subject matter.
Explained content with clarity, defining terms
and concepts.
Used good examples to clarify important points.
- The materials used for the lesson are
appropriate and able to accomplish the
learning outcomes.
- The teacher was able to make students
understand the lesson and leave the
classroom with conviction of the essence of
the lesson.
- The teacher explained all new terms for the
students and tried to refer it with something
that the students are familiar with.
INTERACTION COMMENT
Actively encouraged and responded well to
students.
Waited sufficient time for students to answer
questions.
Showed enthusiasm and established rapport.
Maintained control of the class.
- The teacher gave students the chance to
participate, ask questions and answer other
students questions.
- The teacher was patient enough and she
heard students question and she gave them
the average time for solving problems. And
the time varies from grope to another.
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Treated all students with respect.
Encouraged group interaction.
- The teacher showed enthusiasm and interest
in students work and effort and that was
obvious in her way of communicating with
students as she was smiling and saying
positive words.
- The teacher was treating all students in the
same way and she was respectful with all of
them, she never yells on students or
underestimates them.
- The teacher grouped students according to
their level in mathematics and she asked
them to collaborate and solve the problems
and always ask other students before asking
her.
ASSESSMENT (describe the process in enough
detail for the reader to understand the process)
COMMENT

Checked student prior knowledge of the lesson. The teacher was trying to refer new information
with old information, but that was little bit late
as she missioned the information within the
lesson not while introduce the lesson.
Monitored student understanding throughout the
lesson/workshop.
The teacher was asking questions during the
lesson to assure that the students are on the track.
Verified that learning took place and that the
intended learning outcomes were achieved.
The teacher groped students into 4 different level
in mathematics and she spent most of the time
with the 2 lower levels, she was moving around
the groups and checking students understanding
of the concept. Students who finish the activity
can move to the upper level group and solve
more complicated mathematical problems. The
4
th
group is for students who are already
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acquiring the concept.
Used a variety of assessment tools and strategies
appropriate for the learners and the context.
e.g.
- Verbal assessment through questions and
answers (individual, groups, )
- Written activities
- Observation checklists
- Project based assessment
- Other
Other
- Teacher Assessment
- Peer Assessment
- Individual Assessment
Teacher used verbal assessment by asking
questions during and at the end of the lesson.
She also used peers assessment strategy as she
asked the student to collaborate and solve the
mathematical problems and the include students
evaluating each others answers.

b. Assessment Strategies used by the teacher:
Assessment strategies observed this week (this may include observation, questioning,
tests etc.)
- Co-operative learning assessment: this involves students working together in groups.
- Observation: that means teachers observing of students progress in the educational
process.
- Oral questioning: that includes questioning about what students should know and
determine the students level of knowledge.

The kinds of assessment strategies that s/he uses during the year by:
- Portfolio: a document that keeps record of students work.
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- Book journals: it is the place where the students can express their feeling about events
and ideas.
- Discussions: this form of assessment gives the students the ability to speak and share
opinions and experiences.
- Interviews: students ask/be asked a number of questions and analyse the answer and
discus them in depth.
- Learning logs: a type of writing that enables the student to write about the curriculum,
this helps the students to control his/her own learning.
- Self-evaluation: reflecting on his/her learning progress.
- Co-operative learning assessments.
- Oral presentation: includes storytelling, drama, debate or any other kind of oral
interpretation which is assessed according to predetermined criteria.
- Peer review: this strategy is used to evaluate the student by his/her peer according to the
peers self-generated assessment criteria.
- Written reports: that means students reflection on an event or trend with valid evidence.
- Performance assessments: measuring what can students do with what they know.
B. Discussion:
In nowadays schools, there are more students than before and they need different ways of lesson
delivery. As a teacher, the goal is to deliver the information in multiple ways to reach the
students and accomplish highest achievements. There are a number of lesson plan format which
the teacher can choose from, to achieve the instructional goals appropriately. My mentor teacher
tried to make the learning environment rich and interesting to all students. She used different
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hand-outs with different levels for all students; she grouped them in 3 different levels according
to their academic achieving (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010).
Assessment is the broad term that descripts all process that measure students learning. There are
a number of assessments types, but the most used ones are the formative and the summative
assessments. In the formative assessment, teachers measure students learning and whether the
curriculum is suitable or not. The summative assessment addresses the overall learning of the
student and this may occur after a period of time according to (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan
and Brown, 2010).
Researches show that when educators use the appropriate assessment, students will achieve
highly. But unfortunately, some teachers used classroom assessment to control students. They try
to use it as a form of punishment such as pop quizzes (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and
Brown, 2010).
Successful teacher assess students in different dimensions such as academic, behavioral and activity
assessments. Also educators need to put the assessment in a timeframe to achieve the highest contribution
to the learning from the learners and create initial calendar and address assessments dates. Testing newly
introduced material is a good sign for the students that this counts. Another strategy is to assess students
frequently, which will encourage continues studying and will help reducing exam anxiety according to
Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan and Brown (2010).
My mentor teacher used a number of formative assessments such as: questioning and peer assessment.
She also used summative assessment strategies such as: portfolios and oral presentations (Orlich, Harder,
Callahan, Trevisan and Brown, 2010).

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5. Reflective Conclusion:
The construction of the education process requires huge effort to cover students needs. Emirates
National school has been caring for students for more than 10 years. ENS family is trying hard to
provide their students with the most prestigious learning around the world (www.ENS.com,
2013). As a females school, ENS provided a safe and secure place for learning and students can
express their feelings and practices their interests in a way that is satisfactory to them (Marzano,
Marzano and Pickering, 2007). ENS supports multiple intelligence students by looking at
intelligence that differentiates it into specific models, rather than seeing intelligence as strict to a
single general ability (Smith, 2002).
The school is following the behaviorism theory in making rules for the students in order to make
the education process move smoothly. This kind of learning is a teaching students how to
response and behave according to rules (Brophy & Good 1986). The school also following the
cognitive theory of education through generating students knowledge by following sequence of
steps which will end up with creating the students knowledge. The learner requires support to
work on the prior knowledge and develop it to end up with new knowledge (Yount, 1996), and
this is what the International Baccalaureates Organization working on in ENS.
ENS works on constructing students knowledge by experiences and the result connect with the
prior knowledge of the students and create higher level of learning. Collaborative activities,
project based learning and hand on materials is a good example on applications of constructivism
theory. Educators can help students to construct their own learning by assessing them according
to how much knowledge have taken place recently (Yount, 1996).
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Educators in EN are involving humanism in the learning process by giving the students access to
resources without obtrusive from the educator side, which enable the students to make their own
learning by combining prior knowledge and the new knowledge. And this gives an idea about
how ENSs students are open- minded and not only stacked to the curriculum (Aloni, 1999).
ENS believes in Multimedia learning as they provided their students with wide range of visual
and auditory materials such as computers, SmartBaords and the school blog page. These
materials can facilitate the learning process if they were used wisely (Understanding multimedia
learning: Integrating multimedia in the k-12 classroom, n.d.).
As reinforcement is important in the educational process, ENS is aware of the importance of
rewarding and positive reinforcement (Skinner, 1938). Therefore, they reward their student for
their efforts.
At the practicum, rules should be applied strictly without complacency. Also students will have
the ability to build their own learning by the resources provided in the school and with the
assistance of the teacher if needed. The technology will be used in the classroom and the students
will be able to use it in their assessments. The students will be rewarded for positive attitudes to
ensure the reinforcement of positive behavior.
I think that I am confident with my technology skills as I was assisting my mentor teacher in this
area. I also helped the students in working on their science projects. It was very easy and smooth
experience and the students were interested. I built a good relationship with my mentor teacher
and I think we complete each other. Yet, I think that I need to enhance my relationship with the
students and try to remove barriers with keeping respect concept.

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6.References
- Aloni M., (1999). Humanistic education. Retrieved 12-Mar-14 from
http://eepat.net/doku.php?id=humanistic_education
- Brophy J. & Good T (1986). Educational Psychology: realistic approach. New York.
Longman.
- Charles C. (2008). Building Classroom Discipline. United Stated of America, Pearson.
- Family Handbook. (2013). Emirates National School Family Handbook. Adu Dhabi.
UAE.
- Marzano R., Marzano J and Pickering D. (2007). Classroom Management that Works.
Alexandreia, Virginia USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
- Moxley, A. (2004). Pragmatic selectionism: The philosophy of behavior analysis
- Orlich D., Harder R., Callahan R., Trevisan M. and Brown A. (2010). Teaching
Stratigies: a guide to effective instruction. United States of America. Wadsworth.
- Skinner, B. (1938). The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: B.F. Skinner Foundation.
- Smith, M. K. (2002). Jerome Bruner and the Process of Education. Retrieved 26 August
2007, from http://www.infed.org/thinkers/bruner.htm .
- Understanding multimedia learning: Integrating multimedia in the k-12 classroom.
(n.d.). Retrieved from
http://s4.brainpop.com/new_common_images/files/76/76426_BrainPOP_White_Paper-
20090426.pdf
- www.ENS.sch.ae (2013). Retrieved 12-Mar-14 from http;//www.ENS.sch.ae
- Yount, R. (1996). Created to Learn. Nashville: Broadman & Holman
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7. Appendices: