Teacher Formal Evaluation Report

Teacher: Ms. Z Grade: 7th Grade Subject: MATH Date of Observation: 3/6/2018
th
Teaching Period/Time: 6 (Full) - 12:45 – 1:30 Type of Observation: Informal

Goal: to find probabilities of compound events by drawing a tree diagram.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

1a: Demonstrating knowledge of content and pedagogy. Effective
During the lesson, you displayed solid knowledge of the important concepts of probability and
how to determine the outcomes using a tree diagram. You demonstrated knowledge of
prerequisite relationships among topics when you asked your students to solve a fraction during
the “warm up” activity, a skill they need to master before tackling probability.

You presented a mini lesson on compound events in which you used manipulatives (the die and
the coin; the number cards and color cards, the color markers to demonstrate the difference
between AND as well as OR) to differentiate the instruction and engage different styles of
learners (visual, tactile, auditory) into your lesson.

Feedback:
You are clearly comfortable teaching this lesson which is an indication that you were prepared and are
knowledgeable in the content area. To further improve your pedagogy perhaps you could, whenever possible,
demonstrate different ways of solving the “warm up” problem. This way, you give students alternative strategies
to find solutions to problems.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

1e: Designing coherent instruction. Developing
You designed a lesson where the learning tasks and activities that you designed were aligned to
your instructional outcomes (goal). Most of the questions on the worksheet you gave your
students required them to find the total number of outcomes from compound events. For
example, one question read “give the total number of outcomes you can have if you had to
choose a hamburger or hot dog and potato salad or macaroni salad.” The expectation was for
students to work together to draw a tree diagram and find all possible outcomes.

Feedback:
While most of the learning activities are aligned to the instructional outcomes and follow an organized progression,
where some questions represent high-level thinking, the learning activities don’t have reasonable time allocations
and there was little evidence of differentiation for different groups of students. To further your pedagogy and
address the needs of all learners, you may want to group struggling students and provide scaffolds that would
support their learning.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

2a: Creating an environment of respect and rapport. Effective
Your classroom environment is conducive to learning. Most students respond to your directives.
For example, when you did the “countdown from 5 to 1,” most the students quieted down and
focused on the warm up activity.
All the classroom interactions between you and your students were respectful and appropriate.
For example, you often reminded students of the share-out protocols you have in place by
saying, “one person speaks at a time, nice and loud.” Your students followed this protocol.
You also attempted to keep students engaged and assess their learning by asking students
questions like, “Winnie, did you hear that?” or “Do you agree with 2/3 as the answer?”
Feedback:
It is evident that some students in your class feel comfortable taking educational risks and participate in answering
questions. To further the learning of all students and improve your pedagogy, perhaps you may want to implement
a system where all students are encouraged to share their answers (ex: pulling out a popsicle stick with a student’s
name on it from a can), ensuring all students get a chance to respond whether their hand is up or not.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

2d: Managing student behavior. Developing
While most of the interactions with your students were friendly and demonstrated general caring
and respect, the quality of interactions between you and your students seemed unbalanced. For
example, when you elicited answers to questions, the same students responded by calling out
answers. Rarely did you inquire or elicit answers from other students or encourage turn and talk
to share ideas.
Furthermore, when a student yelled “Shut up!” to another student there could have been an
opportunity for you to address the disrespectful nature of the situation to encourage an
environment of care and respect. “ Instead, you replied “I don’t need that.”
Additionally, a student (Kevin) was seated in the back of the classroom with his head on the table
with only the worksheet you gave out and without a notebook or pen/pencil. At 1:13 (28 minutes
into the teaching period) you walked over to Kevin and gave him a pencil to work on the
worksheet. The student later put his head back down.
Feedback:
The routines and rituals you established in your classroom are evident and for the most part, well received and
respected by your students. You clearly have a good rapport with most of your students. When situations arise
where one or a few students break that routine, however, it is advisable that they are acted upon as teachable
moments where you may wish to immediately curb that behavior in a way that teaches the individual student that
her actions were not appropriate for that setting. For example, when they student Dayshane yelled a better
approached could have been for you to walk up to the student, lower yourself to her level and assess the situation
on a one-to-one basis. In the case of Kevin, too much class time elapsed in the lesson before you noticed he had his
head down. It is imperative that you are aware of all your student’s body language and react in a timely manner.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques. Developing
Throughout the lesson, you asked questions to promote student learning about probability, few
required students to make inferences. For example, as you explained the difference between
the words OR and AND in a math problem and you held up markers to demonstrate choice, and
you said: “If I say you have the choice of choosing a black, or a blue, or a green, what does it
mean by “OR”? What does it mean by “AND”? Student responses were: “You have to have two”
or “You have to choose one.”
Many of the questions, however, were of low cognitive level and did not further the discussion.
For example, when teaching/modeling common events in probability, you asked “Can I have an A
and then a B?” “Can I have A and C?”
Feedback:
While you are continually engaging student attention by asking questions, there were few opportunities given to
students to explain their answers. It would have been better had you asked these questions and followed up with a
“Why do you think that is?” To further student learning and improve your pedagogy, perhaps you may want to
include 2-3 questions that are pre-planned so that you give students the opportunity to reflect upon their answers.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

3c: Engaging Students in Learning. Effective
The learning tasks and activities were aligned with the instructional outcomes and are designed
to challenge student thinking. For example, you gave a worksheet that asked students to make a
tree diagram to show the sample space and then give the total number of outcomes. The math
problems you created are real world math problems that asks students to think in terms of real
life situations. For example, you asked students to “choose a lunch consisting of a soup, salad,
and sandwich from a menu” or “Your parents stop at a gas station to fill their car’s gas tank. They
must choose between full-service or self-service and between regular, mid-grade, and premium
gasoline. Draw a tree diagram showing the possible combinations of service and gasoline type.
How many combinations are there?”
Feedback:
You created a worksheet that asked students questions that model after real-life situations they could relate to.
This encourages students to be engaged in the lesson as they will learn the value of learning probability and the
role it can play in their personal lives. To further student learning and your pedagogy, you may want to group
students and provide different word problems for each group and have each group present/teach their work to
their classmates. This gives students ownership of their learning and provides a different “teaching voice” to the
rest of the students.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

3d: Using Assessment in Instruction. Developing
During the work portion of the lesson, you circulated to each group to monitor student
understanding. To elicit evidence of student learning, you asked “What is a situation?”; “What
does the word ‘at least’ mean?”; “How many possible outcomes are there?”; “so how many
possible things are you going to have in front of you?” Many of these questions are recall based
and lack the opportunity for higher order thinking.
After circulating the room and assessing student work you said, “Lets share out this worksheet
because I’m coming around some of you are making a very common mistake. But that’s okay
because you’re here to learn.”
Feedback:
You clearly had every intention to assess student work and attempted to engage in a share out that would clarify
any misunderstanding on lack of comprehension in a way that would improve understanding of the lesson. To
further the learning of all students and improve your pedagogy you may want to consider allocating time in the
lesson to have students present their answers on the smartboard/blackboard and explain their work. You may also
wish to implement the use of an “exit slip” so that you can assess understanding of all students.

Danielson Component/Rationale for Score Score

4e: Growing and Developing Professionally Highly
You volunteer your prep time to meet in weekly meetings with select teachers in your Effective
department and grade to collaborate and plan units of instruction, projects, and address
scaffolds for special education, ENL, and gifted and talented students.
You welcomed two of your colleagues to observe your teaching and are welcoming of honest
feedback.
Feedback:
You continue to be receptive to feedback and encourage it. You are a team player and are eager to share your ideas
with other members of the staff.

Feedback
Thing (my perception) done well:
 You presented a mini lesson on compound events in which you used manipulatives (the die and the
coin; the number cards and color cards, the color markers to demonstrate the difference between AND
as well as OR) to differentiate the instruction and engage different learning (visual, tactile, auditory)
into your lesson.
 Most of the learning activities are aligned to the instructional outcomes and follow an organized
progression, where some questions represent high-level thinking.
 You have good rapport with your students and they feel welcomed. Some students feel comfortable
taking educational risks and participate in answering questions.
 Routines and rituals you established are evident and for the most part, well received and respected by
your students.
 You are continually engaging student attention by asking questions.
 The worksheet asked students questions that model real-life situations they could relate to and
included some familiar names.
 You assessed student work by circling the room and checked student work during the group/partner
work part of the lesson.
 You continue to be receptive to feedback and encourage it. You are a team player and are eager to
share your ideas with other members of the staff.
 You are obviously dedicated to your profession as you collaborate with other math teachers in the
department.
Things to consider:
 the learning activities don’t have reasonable time allocations. Too much time spent at the beginning
and during the mini lesson.
 Little evidence of differentiation for different/scaffolds groups of students during the group/partner
portion of the lesson.
 Many of the same students called out answers. Perhaps you may want to implement a system where
all students are encouraged to share their answers (ex: pulling out a popsicle stick with a student’s
name on it from a can) ensuring all students get a chance to respond whether their hand is up or not.
 Take advantage of the inappropriate outburst as “teachable moments”- (When Daysha called out
“shut up” you were sitting on with your head focused on the computer and said “I don’t need that”)-
you may want to take the opportunity within the next 5 minutes or so to walk up to the student, lower
yourself to her level and assess the situation on a one-to-one basis.
 Be alert of all your students (Kevin had his head on the table the entire class) about 20 minutes in to
the lesson you gave him a pencil.
 Give students opportunities to explain their answers more frequently and follow up with questions
like “Why do you think that is?” “Can we solve this a different way?” Also, give each group of students
one (different) question to solve and then have them present it to the class instead of giving them all
the same questions.
 Try to create opportunities for students to explain their answers using different methods (whenever
possible).
 If you’re running out of time, try to stop and ask 1-2 questions that sums up what your students
learned or maybe ask them to predict how what they learned may help them in their daily lives
(connection to real world situations). Also, make sure you say, “We will revisit this activity/lesson/skill
next time.” This way, it is clear that you have not finished and that you will provide students another
opportunity to continue learning.