UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON ECUI 531 FIELD OBSERVATION FORM
Name: Christopher Wasnetsky
Date of observation: 3/25/14 School: Holy Cross HS Cooperating teacher: Ms. Pokoluk
PROFESSIONALISM: 4=Exceeds Criteria: Dresses in a professional manner appropriate for their field assignment. 4=Exceeds Criteria: Acts in a professional manner appropriate for their field assignment. 4=Exceeds Criteria: Displays reflective practice by accepting constructive feedback and implementing appropriate adjustments. Comments: Chris was professional throughout the observation process. Be careful during instruction not to "swallow" your words, especially at the end of sentences when your speech sometimes "tails off". Do your best to speak each word as clearly as possible. How can you be sure the students walked out of the classroom understanding what had been taught?
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: Not Observed: Clearly communicates expectations for learner behavior. Not Observed: Gives clear directions and checks for learner understanding of directions before beginning activity. Not Observed: Redirects the learner(s) and manages distractions in an effective manner. Comments: Did you have the student's attention throughout the lesson? How can you be sure? Could there gave been a way to "engage" the students more into the lesson? It relied heavily on your instruction, and didn't offer a ton of opportunities for student interaction. It's understandable that this introductory lesson needed direct instruction to establish a foundation of understanding, but try to "shift gears" a little during all types of instruction. How can you be sure the students understand your explanation as you are teaching? Chris let the students know he was willing to put up another example if it was necessary. More circulation during independent practice provides more of an opportunity for student questions.
PLANNING: 3=Meets Criteria: Demonstrates appropriate planning including lessons, material, resources, etc... 3=Meets Criteria: Assesses learners' prior knowledge before delivering the lesson. 3=Meets Criteria: Writes clear objectives aligned with Pennsylvania and professional standards. Comments: Chris planned a lesson on hyperbolas. When starting a new topic, start with a basic foundation, and then move into the more detailed and complex concepts. Comparing the formula for ellipses to parabolas was effective, gives them a starting point with something familiar. When writing terms and pictures on the board, be sure to make them as visible as possible...clear and readable...don't use really small print. Do you feel you were speaking on their level, or at times did you use terminology that you understand, but they might not? Did you consider using the SmartBoard for any part of your lesson, for instance, for more clear visuals you could have prepared ahead of time.
INSTRUCTION: 3=Meets Criteria: Engages the learner(s) in higher order thinking skills and developmentally appropriate practices. 2=Needs Improvement: Uses strategies to promote active learner involvement including any available technology. 3=Meets Criteria: Monitors and assesses learner understanding of content. 2=Needs Improvement: Effectively projects and uses appropriate grammar and articulation. Comments: Chris began by reviewing what the students were just assessed on before moving into hyperbolas. When reviewing visuals in the book, visuals on the board always make your explanation more effective and understandable. Writing important terms on the board, for instance, vertices, can be helpful. Chris did a nice job of pointing out possible places were the students may make a mistake when using the formula. Chris "broke everything down" by providing the students with a 5 step process that was easy to understand. Was there any vocabulary that would have been worth reviewing before jumping into the lesson and the explanation of hyperbolas? Chris' explanation during guided practice was detailed and provided the students with a good model.