EDUC 450 SCHOOLOFEDUCATION CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY OBSERVATION FIELD NOTES FORM ~ DAY ONE Candidate: Elanna Worthy Mentor Teacher: Mrs. Moorer Date: 2September 2014 Content Area: ELA Lesson Topic: Main idea DOMAIN 2: INSTRUCTION ‘ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING FIGH EXPECTATION FOR 1 }er establishes, clearly communicates and matntains appropriate expeetations for student. and responsibilt ‘A. What did the teacher expect the students to learn from the lesson? How did the teacher convey the purpose and relevance ofthe lesson to the students? In what ways did the students demonstrate that they understood what the teacher expected for ther to learn? The teacher expected the students to understand and master the concept of main idea. To begin the lesson, she asked the class 8 a whole if anyone knows what a main Idea is, Students eagerly raised their hand anxiously. The teacher tried to calm the students down and think about the question before just raising their hands for the excitement. Once the teacher made this comment, some students decided to put their hand down. Although some students were still raising thelr hand ecstatically, she called on three or four students to answer her questions. One student said that main idea is something that happens in the story. The teacher nodded when the student said that and proceeded to call on other students. Another student said the main Idea is what the story is basically about. The teacher nodded again and called on two other students to answer her question to ‘get an idea of what her students learned and remembered from a previous lesson. After telling the students that they were Partially correct, she explained what @ main Idea actually is. She gave them an example story and asked them to identify the main idea. Following this example, the teacher asked the class why knowing and understanding the main idea is important, Many students raised their hand to answer this question. This is how the teacher conveyed the purpose and relevance of the lesson to the students. Students started giving their answers. One student said "so you can know what happened in the story". The teacher emphasized the importance of the main idea. The teacher began a call and response chant with main idea. The students repeated after the teacher, and this was how the teacher expected the students to particlpate in thelr awn learning, 8. _ What did the teacher expect the students to do curing and after the lesson? How did the teacher convey expectations for student participation and for accomplishing related assignments and tasks? In what ways did the students demonstrate that they understood what the teacher expected them to do? During the lesson, the teacher expected the students participate in the questions raised throughout the instruction. With the students reading passages along with the teacher and answering class questions, the teacher expected total participation, The teacher displayed a website on the smart board with various passages on cach page. The teacher read the passages aloud to the students, expected them to read along, and be able to identify the main idea at the end. In arder to ensure the students understood what the teacher expected from them, the teacher said, "if you know what we are about to do with the passages, say’oh yeah™. The students would say "ch yeah" with excitement and then explain what was expected of them aloud. Ifthe students could recognize the main idea after reading a passage on the smart board, the students willbe able to recognize the ‘main idea in a passage on a test later. The students participating in the call and response and recognizing the main ideas in the passages on the smart board was how the students demonstrated that they understood the content. How did the teacher help the students take ownership ofthe learning (@., by making the learning relevant to the students, using scaffolding, providing opportunities for students to engage in self-assessment and reflection, teaching ‘compensatory strategies when necessary)? In the lesson, the teacher did read the passages on the smart board aloud to the students because the teacher's focus was the students’ comprehending the main idea, not necessarily reading the words. Although the goal was main idea, the teacher did allow the students read certain passages aloud to the class. The teacher asked the class why main idea is important. Having the students think about the Importance and significance of main idea was how the teacher helped the students take ownership of the learning. The students were doing more than just identifying the main ides in several passages; they understood why they were doing that. While the teacher read the passages aloud to the class, she asked several questions to check for students’ understanding of the story, The teacher knew if they did not comprehend the passages, they were not going to be able to dentify the main idea. The stories that the teacher found on the website were‘appropriate for second graders, and most of the topics in the stories were relatable for the students. As the teacher read the stories, the students were engaged and making comments because they could relate to the stories. This showed that they were interested in the text and the teacher catered the lesson the students’ interests. EDUC 450 SCHOOL OFEDUCATION CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY OBSERVATION FIELD NOTES FORM - DAY TWO Candidate: Elanna Worthy — Mentor Teacher: Ms. Williams Date: 4 September 2014 Change Unknown Subtraction w/ numbers to 20 USING INSTRUCTIONAL:STI Ue todo eng Seppe ‘A. What was the content of the lesson? ‘The teacher began the lesson by reviewing orally what the class worked on yesterday and what was completed for homework last hight, The students were excited for math and almost every hand rose when the teacher asked a question. The teacher asked two students to help pass out cups. n each cup, there were 20 plastic manipulative coins. The teacher didnot have to explain the activity because the students were Introduced ths activity yesterday in class and was a part oftheir homework the previous night. The activity is called "Hide Counters". The cassis split up into pairs of two; each pair receives one cup with twenty plastic coins Each person in the pair has a role. One partner will take some coins out ofthe cup, and the other partner vill have to guess how many were taken out using the counting up tallying strategy ora strategy that works for them. The students will do this ten times with ther partner and write their equation ona piece of paper with both of their names on it The objective of this lesson is forthe students to solve change unknown subtraction problems using manipulatives. B. What instructional strategies did the teacher use during the lesson? As the teacher began the lesson, she reviewed what the class covered in math previously this week to refresh the students’ ‘minds. She asked a few questions to get the students focused on math. Although they knew it was math time, the teacher Introduced the lesson with a few questions regarding subtraction and the activity, Immediately students raised their hands in excitement because they remembered the content that was covered previous days this week. The teacher used this process of bringing in previously learned material to build on this day, so that students have a base knowledge to start with and so that learned structures are constantly reinforced. Another instructional strategy that my mentor teacher uses often is asking the students “why?". This gets the students to explain their reasoning more. Having them explain their answers helps them and their fellow classmates understand why they did what they did and the reasoning behind it. Asking the students to draw a ‘model of the subtraction problem is also an instructional strategy used often in this subtraction math lesson. Tn what ways did the teacher vary the Instructional strategies during the lesson, and why? ‘The teacher began the lesson by reviewing what was covered previous days this week in math. Refreshing the students mind prior to starting the lesson was very helpful for the students to remember what they have already learned and prepare to build ‘on from that point. Ths instructional strategy was beneficial, especially for students who did not master the concepts in yesterday's lesson. Another instructional strategy that the teacher used throughout this lesson was asking the students to ‘explain or expand on any explanation they gave the class. This extra explanation and reasoning ensured that they understood the concept and helped other classmates understand too. Some students apprehend better when other classmates explain the concept, rather than the teacher; this happens with some students because they speak each other's language and understand each other better than the teacher in some situations. Drawing and modeling their math problem is another instructional strategy that the teacher used throughout the lesson. The teacher is receptive that some students in second grade stil need to draw pictures in order to count, so she allows and encourages them to draw/model their equation on the paper. Giving the students an option to map out the equation is helpful for those who are not strong in math or this section. The teacher walked ‘around the room, checked up on the different pairs, looked to see which groups/partners were struggling, and assisted any ‘group that needed mediating,._ What evidence suggests that the instructional strategies were —or were not- effective In terms of promoting student learning and success? ‘As Lobserved this math lesson, | thought the teacher was very strategic with using certain instructional strategies. Beginning the lesson with an overview of the previous day was effective because the students had a brief moment to refresh themselves on what they learned prior to today's lesson. Asking the students to expand on their explanation or reasoning was effective and beneficial to their learning, The students were forced to think about why they knew the answer. Some students realized that their answer made no sense, and some students understood where their answer arose from, Encouraging the students to draw a picture of their math probiem is effective because some students do not have the skill to solve the problem without a picture Yet. For those that understand the concept, this strategy is stil effective for them because they can visually check thelr answer. Overall | felt ike the instructional strategies used throughout this math lesson were very effective and beneficial to the students. EDUC 450 SCHOOLOF EDUCATION CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY OBSERVATION FIELD NOTES FORM ~ DAY THREE Candidate: Elanna Worthy — Mentor Teacher: Ms. Williams Date: 4 September 2014 Content Area: Science Lesson Topic: Liquids ‘What evidence suggests thatthe teacher dd-or id not-havea thorough Knowledge and understanding of the content? i ‘content errors were made, did the teacher recognize and correct them? ‘The teacher had thorough knowledge and understanding of the content of her science lesson on liquids. The teacher asked the students detailed, comprehensive questions that probed the students to think the answer through. Her questions were prepared prior to the lesson. It was apparent that she had a solid education background on liquids. The students were asking. her multiple questions about liquids, and she knew all the answers and how to answer them for second grade students. The teacher made references to previous lessons building up to liquids. This was also evidence that the teacher did have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content. The teacher did not make any content errors during her lesson. Even with the various questions and comments that the students made throughout the lesson, the teacher seemed very knowledgeable on the content, She was able to answer all questions and bulld off of some of the students’ comments. ‘What was the content of the lesson, and how did the content relate to the learners and thelr learning? The content of this lesson was strictly on liquids. Students discussed different types of liquids and how different liquids have different properties. A liquid taking the form of their container was mentioned during this lesson. This content is important to student learning because they need to know the difference between the three different types of matter ~sollds, liquids, and ‘gases. Fully mastering this concept is necessary for students because liquids are much different from solids and gases. The teacher demonstrated how water takes the shape of its container by pouring water out of a water bottle onto the floor. Water splashed everywhere during this demonstration; this was essential to student learning because they saw firsthand how liquids take the shape of their container. As the students named different liquids, they mastered the concept that liquids can be different colors, textures, flow differently, and are thick/thin. The students realy related to the discussion because they ‘eat/drink/use all ofthe liquids named. ‘©. How did the teacher organize and present the content in order to make it clear and meaningful to the students and to promote higher levels of knowledge, skills and/or cognitive processing?The teacher began the lesson by reviewing matter and the different forms of matter. The students responded exaltedly the three forms of matter ~solids, liquids, and gases. The previous day in science, they learned about solids, so the class knew today they would learn about liquids. The teacher prompted the students to say and define properties. The students started guessing and shouting out words, but the teacher stopped the students and told them to think before shouting out answers. Once the students calmed down, they started to say properties and define what they are in relation to matter. Collectively asa class, they said properties are the same as adjectives in because they describe the item. This questioning method was very effective for this group of students because they were able to express thelr answer freely out loud. Her questioning technique fs much more advanced than a regular second grade class; she bullds off each student response and asks an extension question, which promotes higher levels of knowledge. When the teacher allows them ta answer questions freely, they listen to each other and. feed off one another. This technique shows all of the students’ cognitive processing of the content. The teacher then explained that water had no shape and it only takes the place of its container. To give support to that comment, the teacher asked the class for examples of containers that liquids are commonly found in. The teacher called on students one-by-one; thelr answers were quite impressive. Once the students named numerous containers, the teacher began discussing the difference between two liquids and how they have different textures. The students began naming different properties of liquids. Having the students think of different properties of liquids proved that they comprehended the lesson very well. The teacher was very organized and presented the content in order to make it clear and meaningful to the students. EDUC 450 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY OBSERVATION FIELD NOTES FORM - DAY FOUR Candidate: Elanno Worthy Mentor Teacher: Ms. Williams Date: 5 September 2014 Content Area: Social Studies Lesson Topic: Goods and Services ‘What was the content of the lesson? The content of this Social Studies lesson revolved around the concept of goods and services. The purpose of this lesson was to teach the students to understand the relationship between what people buy and what is produced by businesses. The iterns being produced are goods, and the job, work, or labor are services. The students need to understand haw choices about goods and services affect how goods and services are produced. The teacher began the lesson by introducing the standard for the day. Then the teacher asked the students “how do stores know how many goods to produce?”. To give the students some context behind her question, she gave some examples. Her examples included how many burgers should McDonalds purchase, how many new Nike shoes to make, and how many toothpastes Walmart should stock. After the students made educated guesses in whole group, the teacher recited an analogy for the students to complete orally, Students ralsed their hand and took many guesses; most of the students took a guess that made the statement correct. The teacher then directed them to choose an elbow partner for the next activity. She asked the partnerships to talk about the process of producing milk, After the two ‘minutes that they were given was up, the teacher asked each partner in each pair what their partner sald about producing milk The responses were not quite what the teacher was looking for, so the teacher rephrased her question and hinted at what she ‘meant, She then explained the process of milk being produced; she expounded on haw milk derives from cows, then itis cleaned, shipped to producers, and they make what they want out of it.The teacher then asked the class what we do when there is not enough milk for everyone. The students had some very good questions, but they were not giving the answer that the teacher was specifically looking for. Following that question, the teacher asked the class how stores know how many goods to sell and keep in stock. To help the students comprehend this question and concept, the teacher used X-Box at Game Stop in Orangeburg, The students were forced to think of what Game Stop would do in this situation. With this situational example, the students understood that the X-Box would cost more because Orangeburg is small population in comparison to Columbia and it is a new device that a ot of people want. The teacher explained that companies and stores raise the price when something has high demand. When companies first make a product, they do not sell that many items, so that it will have a higher demand and they can charge more for the product. The teacher used many different examples and life-stories that the students could relate ‘to during this lesson,B. How did the teacher monitor student engagement, understanding and performance during the lesson? ‘The teacher began the Social Studies lesson on the carpet, where all the students are sitting on the carpet and she sits in a rocking chair directly in front, Transitioning from science to social studies, in which the students were seated at their desks, was a change in the mood. The energy flow of this second grade ciass always increases when they move from ane setting to another. ‘The teacher immediately gets their attention and responsiveness when she changes the setting ofa lesson. The students always begin a lesson with energy and interest when the setting is altered. The teacher was constantly interacting with students to ensure their focus was on social studies and confirm they understood the concept and different ideas of the lesson, She asked the students several questions during the lesson on the carpet. Protocol for the carpet if the students are under control allows the students to call out answers to questions. Most of the questions that the teacher asked throughout the lesson are free response, and she likes for the students to be able to hear what each other are thinking. The students are not collaborating with ‘each other, but they are hearing each other's ideas for their own individual learning. Allowing the students to call out answers is ‘a method for how she monitors student understanding. In the beginning of the lesson, she gave the class a prompt question and asked the students to discuss the prompt with their elbow partner. This strategy gives the students’ time to form an opinion of clear thought, and it also allows the teacher to listen to the different partnerships and hear where the students’ minds are at. ‘The teacher is able to evaluate if students comprehend the concept while she was teaching; if the students were way off topic ‘or not understanding, she now had the opportunity during her lesson to adjust and help those students. | ‘C What adjustments, any, did the teacher make during the lesson, and why? When the teacher had the students go back to their seat for the short five minute video, the sound on the computer was extremely low. Both she and I tried to fix/increase the volume, but it wouldn't budge. She decided to let it play at the low volume. She informed the students of how iow the volume was and that they need to be extremely quiet during the video to hear it. As she walked around the classroom, she noticed that in some parts of the classroom the sound in the video was almost obsolete. Some students could not hear the video at all. This low volume was a set back during her lesson, but the teacher knew she needed to make an adjustment, she decided to repeat the key points that were in the video aloud to the students after the video finished. She knew that the students could nct hear the video fully, by making this adjustment to her lesson; the students learned what they would have learned from the video. 'D. What types of instructional feedback did the teacher provide to the students, and how effective was the feedback in terms of enhancing student learning? ‘Throughout this lesson on goods and services, the teacher introduced a new concept to the students mainly with questions, ‘commentary, and real-life situations/examples. The teacher was constantly asking questions and giving feedback on the different students’ answers and comments. Since the teacher was responding to and answering the students’ questions, the students did not leave the lesson with any doubt. This was a very effective method of giving the class informal feedback while ‘enhancing student learning. Allowing the students to ask their questions aloud, answering students’ questions aloud, and ‘making comments on each students’ comment was an excellent way for students to learn as a class. They learned by listening to their classmates; some classmates were correct, while some classmates were incorrect, EDUC 450 SCHOOLOFEDUCATION CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY OBSERVATION FIELD NOTES FORM - DAY FIVE ‘Ms, Williams Math Lesson Topic: 7.U.B. Strategy ‘lanna Worthy Mentor Teacher Date: 8 September 2014 Content Are: —— DOMAIN 3: ENVIRONMENT "APS &: MAINTAINING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMIOTES LEARNING An effective teacher creates and maintains a classroom environment that encourages and supports student learning.‘A. What was the content of the lesson? This lesson introduced the T.U.B. Strategy, but prior to beginning this new skill, the teacher reviewed other skills that would prepare them for the new content. The teacher asked a few students to pass out white boards and math journals to the class. (Once all the students had all the necessary supplies for the lesson today, the teacher gave the students ten minutes to complete 2 problem solving mat, which forces the students to choose a strategy and show all work leading up to the answer. As a class, they read the word problem, noted what we know from the word problem, and figured out the steps to find the answer. The problem solving mat was displayed on the Smart Board via the Lumens Camera. Although each student had their own sheet, most students were still looking at the Smart Board. The teacher used the C.U.BE. Strategy to solve the problem, which was an ‘essential, brief review prior to starting the new content. Via the Smart Board and Lumens Camera, the teacher did the problem step-by-step. The students followed along and ralsed their hand if thelr work did not look lke the teacher's, After the teacher ‘addressed all students with questions on the problem solving mat sheet, she glued them in the students’ math journals. The teacher moved on and taught the students the new strategy, which is called the T.U.B. Strategy. The ‘T’ stands for adding both tens place; the ‘U' stands for adding both units place; and the ‘8’ stands for both the tens place and units place together. The teacher did a few examples on the Smart Board with the class before handing thern a worksheet with numerous problems to solve using the T.U.B. Strategy. The teacher walked the students step-by-step via the Lumens Camera on the Smart Board, The students seemed to pick up the strategy, so the teacher allowed the students to work on problems Individually at their desk. B. Describe the physical environment of the classroom. The physical environment of the classroom on this Monday was normal. It was falely hot outside, but the classroom was very. 001, which is not abnormal for this classroom. The students seemed very anxious and excited to learn math; math occurs after recess, so the students were refreshed and energized for this lesson. The students were sitting n their normal groups of five or six students, The teacher was energetic throughout the lesson and very engaging with the students with 2 goal to keep them focused. The classroom was very cold, but the temperature did not seem to affect the students since they just returned from recess outside, ‘C. What type of affective climate did the teacher create for the students? ‘The teacher was extremely positive and supportive to the students during this math lessons. Since the T.U.B. Strategy was a completely new concept, the teacher introduced the strategy with ease, but not necessarily slows because these students pick ‘up on concepts quick. The teacher walked around the room making sure students were focused on the board and paying attention to their worksheet, Talking is an ongoing problem with this das, so sometimes the teacher will stand near certain talkative areas of the classroom to ensure they stop talking. Her classroom Is definitely @ welcoming and friendly environment, ‘where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts on topic. The teacher makes the students feel safe in her classroom. Having a safe classroom makes the students more likely to ask any questions or share their comments with the class. The teacher does not allow any students to make jokes or mean comments towards any other students. It is apparent that this second grade teacher established a positive learning environment ever since the beginning of the school year 'D._Inwhat ways did the teacher establish a culture of learning in the classroom (e.g, by faclitating inquisitiveness, motivating to learn, cooperation, teamwork)? ‘The teacher is always trying to incorporate cooperative learning groups in her certain activities. Since the students are in a Gifted & Talented Program, she tries to have them work in various ways during different points in lessons. The culture in her classroom is for the students to call out in a respectful manner during direct instruction. She creates a very positive and open classroom, which makes the students very comfortable with sharing their thoughts. The students are free to ask questions; they Understand that during direct instruction, there should not be excessive talk off topic, The teacher appreciates all the ‘commentary and questioning because the different levels of comments and questions mean that the students are understanding, comprehending, and reciprocating the information, The teacher used the Lumens Camera and the Smart Board, which is at the front of the classroom, but the teacher made sure she walked around to check on students’ work/progress during the Independent Practice. When she saw a student on the wrong path, she spoke to them and informed them of the correct steps to complete the problem. The teacher presents information to the class very well by asking various questions that ‘make the students think beyond what they are accustomed to. The teacher also allowed students to discuss one problem with their peers at their table; allowing them to talk about their answer and the steps in order to get the answer helped them see each other's thought processes.e “APES: THE CLASSROOM = t Instructional time by eficientiy managing stident behavioe, Instructional Ese oa essential non-Instniglonab tasks. sf obs 4 ‘A. What were the teacher's expectations Tor student behavior? In what ways did the students demonstrate that they understood the ways in which they were expected to behave? How did the teacher address inappropriate student behaviors if any, during the lesson? ‘The teacher always has high expectations for her class. She expects the students to always pay attention during instructional time, be quiet while she is talking, and not writing while she is writing. The teacher does not believe in talking over talking students, so she waits until the cia is quiet to talk, She also believes that students cannot be paying attention and learning while they are writing, so makes sure their pencils are down while she is writing, Those are just some of her normal expectations uring a lesson. The students are very easy to read because the students begin talking and getting distracted when they have ‘mastered a concept. The teacher does walk around the classroom glancing at students’ papers, but the teacher can usually tell by their body language and facial expressions if a student has mastered a concept. The teacher will give the students a ook’ ‘when they need to stop talking; the students respond by either looking down in gullt or by pretending to get back to work. The students know what they are/are not supposed to do in class so the teacher simply has to look at them and they will straighten up quick. Some students talk continuously, and their clip is sometimes threatened to be moved down a color. Two students are. constantly moving, but their moving does not really affect other students. This moving affects their own learning unfortunately, but it does not affect the students around them. The teacher tries to keep the moving under control by standing very closely to these students during instruction. {In what ways did the teacher maximize-or fal to maximize Instructional time? ‘The teacher maximizes on instructional time a lot throughout the day, especially the latter part of the day because the Gifted ‘and Talented students get dismissed from school earlier than the rest of the school. The teacher introduced the T.U.G, strategy {quite swiftly; as soon as she saw that the students understoad the strategy, she moved on to more progressive math problems. When the students began talking in between problems, the teacher knew that they were finished and ready for the next more ‘advanced problem. These students longed for challenging problems, but the teacher did net want to give it to them too quick, which could potentially discourage them, Ouring the independent practice time, some students finished before others, and the teacher allowed the students to st in silence, rather than giving those students a separate task. The students sat there bored and talking; the teacher could have maximized this instructional time. ‘C.How did the teacher manage non-instructional routines and transitions between activities and/or lasses? ‘When the class got in from recess, the teacher took the class to the restrooms and for water. Prior to recess, the class has related arts and lunch, so math isthe first instructional time since the morning, Upon arriving to the classroom, the teacher told the students to sit down, delegated two students to pass out math Journals, and informed the students that they will be learning a new skill today. This non-instructional time was used efficiently. While the teacher passed out worksheets to the class, she asked the students if they had any questions about the T.U.B. Strategy. This was a very effective transition between direct instruction and the guided practice and independent practice. After the math lesson was complete, the teacher switched subjects to social studies very quickly. She had the same two students collect the math journals and another student pass out the homework for tonight. The teacher gave the class two minutes to put away math journals, put homework in homework folder, and clear their desk for social studies. She used the timer to ensure that no time was wasted.