PGCE (Post Compulsory)

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

19

To what extent have the previous development points been met? (See the most recent observation feedback provided to the student teacher)

FIRST FORMAL OBSERVATION

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Thank you for welcoming me to your class, Alex, and for enduring two observers. I know it can be unnerving. I hope our discussion afterwards was helpful and will enable you to build on what is going well already. Based on our discussion, I have suggested three points as feedforward, although you might find you want to focus more on one or two, and you might choose to develop other aspects, too, based on your self-evaluation. It is to your credit that you are trying different learning techniques, including different activities and groupings. That willingness to try things will stand you in good stead.

1          Professional conduct such as: attendance & punctuality, collaboration with colleagues, timely communication with tutor, training class tutor or mentor, responsiveness to feedback, critical reflection, take part in a range of activities expected of a teacher

– This is an interesting one in the light of our session on professionalism and your thoughts about the kind of teacher you would like to be. You were ready to start on time and handled the late students in a professional manner, from what I could hear. There might be some elements here for you to consider. For me, it is connected to your role and the kind of leader, because you do need to be one, you would like to develop. I said no to the chair! You need to develop your own professionalism, whatever you might observe.

2          Planning teaching and learning such as: clear aims and objectives, related to previous and future learning and course and individual aims and objectives, lesson plan with clear stages and logical development of skills and knowledge, timely preparation of classroom and any resources, including ICT – you had planned the class, breaking down the time into a series of different elements. There was a beginning, middle and end. Resources were provided. The aim, to increase understanding of the contribution of Islam to global culture and to expressions of faith, seemed to fit the course well. Outcomes – these are tricky. An explanation is not an easy thing and I don’t think anyone did explain. The outcomes were identification of elements of Islamic faith (p.9) and production of an element of geometric art. Students might have shown their art and outlined what it represented, and I suggested sharing what they had done. That wouldn’t have worked because some had nothing to show! Making that link between content of the lesson and each person demonstrating some learning is part of planning. The only way to find time for that link to be made is by planning an appropriate amount to do and keeping the pace up. The former was fine, so it was the latter that got int the way of progress. You did give timings and kept to them more or less. The session was set up well and the initial activity ran quite smoothly. Things flagged a little later. Think about managing an activity – chivvy a little more while they get resources, go beyond ‘draw a circle’, unless you tell them that they must follow the instructions on the board. Remember to uphold all policies, including mobile phones. If you can, keep your eye on the whole class for the vast majority of the time. You are welcome to use a different lesson planning sheet (not the IOE one). Ensure you refer to differentiation, inclusion, embedding of English, maths etc. You set out the tasks but didn’t refer directly to these on the plan. They are important to take into account.

3          Application of subject knowledge such as: demonstrate good knowledge of subject and curriculum area, use a range of strategies and activities to support learners to build on their subject knowledge, adapt approaches and methods as required to support learners, develop and use a range of resources appropriate to the learning – your knowledge seemed fine. You did use different activities. To build on their subject knowledge, you would need to know what subject knowledge they had. I wondered if anyone had visited a mosque, or the Alhambra, or were art students. You could always ask!

4          Assessment of/for learning such as: give regular constructive formative feedback on learning, prepare learners for summative assessments of learning, identify group and individual learning goals based on the outcomes of assessments (stretch and challenge), use a range of assessment strategies, encourage learner independence – we are coming onto assessment. You certainly asked questions. You asked some interesting open questions. They do come across as rhetorical though, because if there is no response you tend to leave the question without any answer. There is a use for rhetorical questions, but I wasn’t sure what your intention was. I suggest using directed questioning so that each person is asked something. For that, you need to know their names, and we spoke about strategies for finding out their names and then using them (e.g. drawing a diagram of the room and writing down what they prefer to be called, then referring to it – or giving out their books but stand at the front to do so). I wonder if they think there is a right answer. Perhaps there is, but finding the right answer is not the most important thing, I think. It discourages people from trying. What do you want from them? The right answer or to show they are interested and trying to contribute? You need to let them know, perhaps.

5          Maintain a positive learning environment such as: create and sustain a supportive safe environment for learning, maximise opportunities for learning, use a range of approaches and strategies to engage and motivate learners, encourage good relations between learners and tutor, communicate clearly and provide a good model for communicating key ideas – this is another interesting one because there are different ideas of what constitutes a positive learning environment. You have a good tone and projection. You used different strategies in the hope of engaging learners, which worked for some more than others. However, we did say that the activities were fine. It is the execution e.g. setting a good pace, using step by step instructions, and developing your role as a leader. I suggested the metaphor of an orchestra conductor. I completely understand that you want to avoid a confrontational approach (typical of an authoritarian leader). As we said, the opposite of that is not being laissez-faire, it is non-confrontational (a more authoritative role). You might find a metaphor that you prefer. I think this is fundamental to guiding the students for the purpose of learning and demonstrating your interest in their learning.

6          Inclusive practice such as: plan and teach lessons which are tailored to individual goals and aspirations, provide support for any specific learning differences, collaborate with other professionals in relation to support for learners, use a range of approaches to support group and individual needs, promote an inclusive environment, recognising diversity, set high expectations for all learners – you want to be supportive. To help with that, try to get to know them a bit more. Use their names, find out what they know, share learning etc.

7          Provide support for mathematics and English needs of learners: Identify opportunities for supporting mathematics and English within the subject area – this was missing from the plan and there were missed opportunities. You asked if anyone knew what a caliphate was. That was fine and part of developing vocabulary. Unfortunately, there was no answer! What is a caliph? (The history of caliphs/caliphates is interesting.) Tessellation – that comes from the Latin for a stone, the kind used in mosaics. I am fascinated by language and etymology. Your students might be able to make connections or might be interested in learning about them.

Overall

We talked at length afterwards. Naturally being observed can make someone anxious and anxiety tends to bring out certain traits, and to make one more aware of things going less well than you hoped. That can happen to anyone but happens less with experience. Forgive me for mentioning this but I wondered if you have dyslexic tendencies (incite instead of insight on the plan – these are very, very different things!). I only mention it because you could consult student support while on our course.

I look forward to hearing about how you get on and your thoughts on the kind of classroom leader you want to be.

Three development points arising from this observation:

1.      Think about the role of a teacher as a leader. What kind of leader will you be that will benefit your learners (and you)?

2.      Pace – this is linked to leadership. The first task demonstrated you can do that. The second needed the same level of management.

3.      Check learning – avoid rhetorical questions. If you ask too many of those, students will assume they don’t need to think of an answer, or even think!

Student teacher’s reflection and -self-evaluation

What I did well / What needs further consideration /What I will take forward into my future practice

What went well:
I think the plan for the lesson and the concept of the lesson was good. By and large I kept to the timings of the plan. Both Ms Fleming and Ms McQueen mentioned the tessellation task had a lot of potential, especially considering its placement between the other activities. I also think that my tone of voice was good, and that the initial task worked well. My activities were varied and I knew the subject well enough for the class. The learning environment was good at points, though not consistently. I was also told my handouts were good, with large text, good for inclusion. The pictures were on A3 which I think was a good size for the stimulus, though in hindsight if they were laminated and a bit bigger it would have been better. Seating was also mentioned as a plus, though I should have been more insistent when changing from pods to a circle, as the circle wasn’t fully completed.

What needs further consideration:
Planning was an aspect that in some respects went well but in others could certainly be brushed up. This was because of my assessment of learning, which as Dr McQueen points out above, is part of the overall picture. This effected affected my learning outcomes, pace, ability to uphold college policies, success of inclusive practice, differentiation and the embedding of maths and English. Whilst these issues do require their own explanation and inquiry, it is worth mentioning at this point how they all were under represented in my physical plan or were poorly planned out, leading to problems during my lesson.
In order to improve this, the best way I can think of for now is to be more attentive of the verbs I choose for lesson objectives, and to see the physical steps required in order to bring a concept on a PowerPoint and plan into a lived learning experience. With experience of seeing lessons function I should be better capable of gauging what will be successful and what won’t. I also need to maintain confidence in the tasks and activities I choose, and not to ‘run away’ or become less assertive in delivering them if students are initially hesitant or unenthusiastic.

Assessment of learning also needs to be improved. My questioning is a big part of this, as some of my questions are coming across as rhetorical. I think this is because while I have some questions planned, I should have more. I am also relying largely on open questions that are too open. Students need more of an idea of what I am angling at. The tone I use while asking questions may also need adjustment. In order to improve I will focus my observations on how other teachers question, and research books from the IOE library on how best I can vary what I ask.

Maintaining a positive learning environment was also mentioned. While this went up and down during my lesson, during the tessellation task and making a piece of geometric art the students were certainly bored. While I picked up on this, I didn’t pick up on the fact my students were using their phones. This meant that college rules were being broken. I have learnt that many students find rules comforting, as they know how they should behave and somewhat enjoy the regularity of routines and expectations.
Whilst I don’t want to be authoritarian, I think my lack of assertion disturbed the learning environment. Body language and misbehaviour is a form of communication, the students, knowingly or not, were communicating there was a problem. Furthermore, unknowingly, I was communicating through my body language that it was OK not to join in. I will be more mindful of my tone, proximity and insistence during my next lessons and see if this improves. These issues also relate to inclusion, as my main problem in the inclusion task was not knowing the individual names of the students. Knowing their names will make them feel more respected, part of the learning environment and ultimately included. I will try and increase my knowledge of student names to aid both inclusive practice and a positive learning environment.

Lastly, helping students with Mathematics and English needs to be considered. There were things included in the lesson to aid this category, such as the inclusion of new vocabulary (caliphate, tessellation). Tessellation is obviously also a mathematical concept, as is geometry which we looked at during the lesson. However, I did not transfer this into the learning experience. There needed to be a form of active learning additionally after the introduction of new terms. In following lessons, I will try and take this a few steps further, including it in the structure of the lesson instead of treating them as less important additions.

What I will take forward into my future practice
I think the first thing worth mentioning is the difference between pace and timing. Timing is the reference of how long the tasks were sustained. Pacing is the impact of the flow of individual questions, responses, instructions and the progression of tasks (as I understand it). Perhaps intervals are the best way to describe pacing, in the same was a comedian knows intuitively how long to wait before the performance of a punch line. Whilst they mean very similar things it is pacing that I need to work on. Watching observations of other teachers and asking them how they approach this will be a good way to begin my improvement.

I have already mentioned questioning and will again soon, but changing how I question students is one of my biggest aspects that needs improvement. I think making my open questions less open and research into different types of questioning will best rectify this, and hopefully provide more tools for my teacher tool kit.

Professional conduct was my biggest criticism, with an emphasis on leadership. I did follow college policy based on my observance, but I did miss phones being out which I should have enforced. I didn’t let late students in, but I could have performed that action more smoothly, perhaps having a clear cut system to send them away with. I think in reflection I was also too polite, a firmer hand to show they had done something wrong would have been better.
That said, focusing on leadership, this is particularly puzzling for me. as I have always felt that I have strong communicative skills. I feel in social situations that I can be assertive and calm, which I feel should work in a classroom. However, that is not what I am putting across. I think I am finding it hard to be a teacher that suits my personality, the ethos and rules of the school in addition to the age group of my students, who are neither adults nor children.
Getting proficient at pacing will help, and swapping from sitting to standing will help. I also think a deeper understanding of how I wish to deliver the lesson, including specific questioning and tones of voice will also aid this. Overall, I think trying less to be the teacher I would have wanted at school and being more the teacher that the school wants me to be will lead to drastic improvement. I thought talking relaxed and directly to my students like adults would be enough, but at their age, or perhaps any age, students need a bit firmer direction than what I’m currently offering. Though I will take what advice I can I think improving in this skill is quite personal, as however I rectify the problem must suit my character. Through practice I will perhaps be able to find a better mid ground between the teacher I want to be and the teacher I have to be.

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

To what extent have the previous development points been met? (See the most recent observation feedback provided to the student teacher)

n/a – 1^st formal observation

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Strengths:

Prompt and calm start to the lesson, with task instructions clearly on the board so latecomers can slot easily into the task. You greet students at the door, and comply with college policies on punctuality by not allowing latecomers into the lesson.

Good resources and task design – you’ve got some good ideas for activities and are not scared to get them moving around the room. The powerpoint was informative and focused on the lesson objectives, the video you found was very suitable for the lesson and fed well into the next task which was the creative activity.

Pace – at the beginning of the lesson, the pace was quite good. You’d clearly reflected on the previous lesson and took feedback from the starter activity in a much more focused and effective way. You encouraged them to use the whiteboards from the activity to aid the feedback, and used thoughtful questioning.

Things to think about:

Using student names – you missed several opportunities to learn names as you have admitted you do not know many in this group. Handing out the booklets is a good opportunity, as is talking to them in small groups, or when you are taking an answer to a question. They would much rather you show an interest in who they are rather than worry about being seen to not know. You have class lists and photos – use these and aim to get a couple more names each time. The more you use them, the easier it gets. Do you know what the ability range in this class is? This may help you pitch the lesson better and be aware of individuals who need support or challenge.

Encouraging student participation – you recognised that there was little energy in the lesson and the students seemed bored. As we discussed verbally after the lesson, there was much you could have done to encourage participation, and it’s always easier to maintain a good atmosphere than recover it once students have disengaged. Making sure that they know what they are doing and are on task is key, and they should know you are aware of this, so do notice and challenge students on phones, ask them if they understand what they should be doing and get them to repeat back instructions if necessary. Standing back so you can see what is going on and then nudging them in the right direction is more useful than getting involved in their (on task) discussions. You can assess their understanding by listening rather than getting involved.

More importantly though is for you to indicate that you care about what the task is – if you don’t, why should they? Scaffolding the booklet task for them and drawing their attention to the picture clues is going to be more effective than telling them to complete p9. Similarly, the geometric task which should have been the main focus of the lesson fell flat. Clear instructions and modelling the task would have been good here. Students were allowed to sit on their phones and not take part in the task. It makes sense that you may use free time in lessons to mark their booklets, but not at the expense of the lesson. Make sure they are all on task first.

Three development points arising from this observation:

1.      Know your students – use names and class data

2.      Classroom awareness – this becomes easier with time, but put yourself in a position where you can see what is going on and what students are doing

3.      Clear instructions – make sure students know what they are supposed to be doing. This should be given verbally, visually on the ppt and modelled by you if appropriate.

Student teacher’s reflection and self-evaluation

What I did well / What needs further consideration /What I will take forward into my future practice

The lesson started well. At this point the pace of my lesson was appropriate, it being noted I had responded to feedback. My resources and task design provided a strong base for a prompt and calm delivery. It was later in the lesson that problems started to emerge. What I need to consider for the next time is my use of names. I find names hard to remember. I need to find a strategy that works for me to help attain the names of my students. The biggest issues that need addressing surround my main task. Engagement was low and I didn’t notice that students were on their phones. It was largely my delivery that needed addressing. Next time I will focus more on giving clear instructions, my tone and the position I give instructions from to further engagement from my learners.

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Here are the seven criteria with a few suggestions associated with some of them for you to consider.

1                     Professional conduct –You are comfortable and polite with the students. Witty and thoughtful. You maintain good control of the classroom and engage with the students “democratically” whilst having them well engaged with the subject

2                     Planning teaching and learning –  Thorough lesson plan with students engaging well with the taught theme and when questioned students revealed they were learning on the spot.

3                     Application of subject knowledge – Your subject knowledge was very good. You felt comfortable dealing with students questions and led them in the right direction

4           Assessment of/for learning – guides / questionnaires Peer review. Students produced written evidence of what they learnt in the class. According to OFSTED that is fundamental.

       5             Maintain a positive learning environment – your students seem to have good manners and be engaged with the subject. You conduct the class well by always having them doing something constructive, keeping them entertained and focused.

       6           Inclusive practice – Good overall. I’ve noticed that one of the students provided an answer to one of your questions and that you possibly couldn’t hear him and he revealed a bit of frustration in that. This also happen with one of the tables in the front. You were always able to meet the students when they were having doubts and because you walked around the classroom you were able to spot when they were behind and provide them with help and encouragement.

       7             Provide support for mathematics and English needs of learners: Students were constantly challenged to read and interpret text while they learned. They have produced a substantial amount of written evidence.

Two development points arising from this observation:

Noise in the room. Time management

I only have two suggestions:

1.      Difficult to find major flaws with the way you guided the class, but I’ve noticed along the way that you struggled a bit to hear some of the students. Also, your students in the front felt frustrated at some point because you couldn’t hear what they were saying. Maybe a causative factor was the construction outside with the window open, perhaps the window could have been closed.

2.      I felt like you gave the students too much time to perform some of the activities/tasks, as most of the students finished before time and then they had a good amount of time without doing anything.

Student teacher’s reflection and self-evaluation

Although the pace of my lesson has notably improved from my last observation it is still clearly an area that I need to improve on. It is difficult to move at a pace that suits all students. I think to address this better in the future, I will start introducing the following task when the first student has finished the current task, but allowing those who need more time more time. As for hearing all my students, being attentive and aware is associated with inclusion. I should be more mindful in the future. That said, my last targets were to improve on using names and exit routines. I think I have shown improvement in these areas. 

Week 9

Subject tutor

Alexander Clarke

Number of learners

Observer Topic of lesson

Christian Love

Lesson aims

To understand that there are varying types of love, and the significance of love to Christianity and ethics.

Learning outcomes: Students will be able to …

•       To investigate different types
of love

•       To discuss situational ethics

•       To apply situational ethics to different case studies.

Additional information (e.g. about individual students):

Assessment for learning (how the learning outcome will be assessed):

White boards
Discussion

Present: aims, recap/revise previous learning. Provide the big picture – why is this lesson important and relevant              

Maximum 35%                              

Apply: Students are given tasks that require them to apply the knowledge, theories, skills, that have been presented. This involves problem solving, making decisions, creating things such as posters and mind maps. Differentiation, key skills and equal opportunities are embedded.

At least 65%

(10 mins) PPT 7-13

Task 5:
Give each pod a case study, assign readers and get groups to discuss and write on the white boards. Feedback after. PPT 14-15 (15 mins)

Task 6:

Get students to explain their case study and what they thought. Leave room for discussion. Summarize what they have covered. PPT 16 (6 mins)

Review: What was learned is summarized and clarified. Objectives are reviewed. This can be done through Q & A (ask, don’t tell), quick quiz, test, peer questioning, mind maps, key points reiterated.

At least 5%

Good teacher’s voice.

You checked on learning, went around the students and kept them on task as a result. Be vigilant re hoods – but you ensured all complied when you asked them to put away their phones away.

Students working in three pods – much better than a circle. Be prepared to move students if they are not taking part or if, as in this case, the pods are uneven.

Use of mwb for drawing to express their ideas of love – you felt was risky but worked. Continue to think of creative ways to transform learning (you have since used lamented pics as a jumping off point to discussion – this is a good way of achieving ‘low floor, high ceiling’ – everyone can take part but possibility of differentiating by outcome). Your questioning that arose from the pictures drawn were thought provoking eg ‘is a mobile phone more loveable than a person?

You have a good, mutually respectful relationship with the students. This can be improved upon simply by the use student names – you have no excuse – do the paper register at the start of the lesson &/or get them to write their names on card or lolly pops. The message a teacher gives a student is ‘you are important and I recognise you by using your name’.

You have since tried a version De Bono’s ‘thinking hats’ and Communities of philosophical inquiry – COPI (Lipman). RP lessons are great for experimenting with and you have a good space – think about using the walls to put questions on – so students have to move.

The booklets are important. Students were asked to find quotes from the bible – they did this and were given time to fill in the booklets. You told them they needed to ‘hurry’ but didn’t give them a time – use a stop watch.   It might be useful for them to peer assess so that they see what each other is writing and correct – you are familiar with Dylan Wiliams’ stress on the importance of peer assessment and formative assessment for getting students to understand what is expected.

Interesting topic with engaging resources.

Make sure you are clear about what knowledge/skills you want to see by the end of the lesson – how could you have checked what has been learned? Leave time for a smooth exit (cleaning and gathering of mwb)

Targets:

1         Use students’ names and consider other questioning techniques – I have attached the ‘questioning approaches’ booklet – has some very good A4L ideas.

2         Exit routines including plenary to check learning.

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

To what extent have the previous development points been met? (See the most recent observation feedback provided to the student teacher)

Alex is making progress towards the development points from previous observation

–          Using names and class data – you now are much more confident addressing all students by name since you’ve been using the seating plan. This has really helped build your relationships with this class and create a more positive learning environment

–          Classroom awareness – you are more aware of your position in the classroom, and I can see you beginning to scan the class regularly so you can see students on task.

–          Clear instructions – in general, this is much better. You are including instructions on the slides too, as well as giving them verbally.

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Strengths:

Behaviour for learning – You’ve challenged off-task behaviour in a very positive way by asking them questions about the task. This refocuses the students on the task and reinforces your authority without creating a confrontational situation.

Resources and tasks– you had planned good activities for the lesson, and are not scared to take some risks re discussion activities. For this lesson you got them to discuss the topic of real and apparent goods, come up with questions, and pass them onto other table groups for discussion. You were prepared to adapt the task as it progressed and cut the number of rotations short as it became appropriate. This shows an increasing awareness of the classroom and the learning that is going on, and the flexibility to adjust accordingly. The visual stimuli you used were very engaging and well chosen.

Clear instructions – The discussion task was supported by clear instructions which you gave verbally, had written on the board, and also on the table resources you gave them. You contextualised the task quite well, explaining what they were going to do with the information discussed – a writing task- , which helped focus their minds and give them a reason to engage.

Feedback – you are beginning to use a wider range of questioning techniques and encourage deeper thinking by getting them to develop their answers, rather than just taking their initial response.

Things to think about:

Feedback  – you are still relying quite heavily on certain students to answer questions – David and Eliana, and getting into a to-and-forth discussion, rather than opening it out to the whole class. This tends to discourage less-confident students from contributing. You are embedding think-pair and share, and you can use this in a less formal way, by posing the question for quick pair discussion ‘what does your partner think?’, and then no-hands feedback.

Task design – even though the discussion task was innovative and you had clearly put considerable time and effort into the planning, the lower ability groups struggled to engage with it in a meaningful way, and this limited their learning from the task. Scaffolding and modelling would have been useful here for all students. Do one as a class, so they can clearly see the objective, and adding prompts to the table resources would have helped the weaker students.

Assessment of learning – you are taking assessment into account and asking them to peer assess the written task. However, this felt like the students are just going through the motions and not all pairs did swap their work. How can you make assessment more meaningful? which in turn will encourage students to take more pride in their work. I can understand that you do not have much time in the lesson to look at all their books and don’t want to take their books in. Could you set them a longer written piece to hand in at the end of the lesson?

1. Feedback and questioning – continue to develop your repertoire of questioning techniques, especially no-hands and think, pair and share. 
2. Supporting learning needs – modelling and scaffolding to ensure all students are fully aware of success criteria and can benefit from learning activities.
3. Assessment for learning – be clear that there are several different types of assessment. How and what do you assess in lessons, and how can you build on this to facilitate their progress towards the  A level standards and criteria

Student teacher’s reflection and self-evaluation

What I did well / What needs further consideration /What I will take forward into my future practice

PGCE (Post Compulsory)

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

19

To what extent have the previous development points been met? (See the most recent observation feedback provided to the student teacher)

FIRST FORMAL OBSERVATION

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Thank you for welcoming me to your class, Alex, and for enduring two observers. I know it can be unnerving. I hope our discussion afterwards was helpful and will enable you to build on what is going well already. Based on our discussion, I have suggested three points as feedforward, although you might find you want to focus more on one or two, and you might choose to develop other aspects, too, based on your self-evaluation. It is to your credit that you are trying different learning techniques, including different activities and groupings. That willingness to try things will stand you in good stead.

1          Professional conduct such as: attendance & punctuality, collaboration with colleagues, timely communication with tutor, training class tutor or mentor, responsiveness to feedback, critical reflection, take part in a range of activities expected of a teacher

– This is an interesting one in the light of our session on professionalism and your thoughts about the kind of teacher you would like to be. You were ready to start on time and handled the late students in a professional manner, from what I could hear. There might be some elements here for you to consider. For me, it is connected to your role and the kind of leader, because you do need to be one, you would like to develop. I said no to the chair! You need to develop your own professionalism, whatever you might observe.

2          Planning teaching and learning such as: clear aims and objectives, related to previous and future learning and course and individual aims and objectives, lesson plan with clear stages and logical development of skills and knowledge, timely preparation of classroom and any resources, including ICT – you had planned the class, breaking down the time into a series of different elements. There was a beginning, middle and end. Resources were provided. The aim, to increase understanding of the contribution of Islam to global culture and to expressions of faith, seemed to fit the course well. Outcomes – these are tricky. An explanation is not an easy thing and I don’t think anyone did explain. The outcomes were identification of elements of Islamic faith (p.9) and production of an element of geometric art. Students might have shown their art and outlined what it represented, and I suggested sharing what they had done. That wouldn’t have worked because some had nothing to show! Making that link between content of the lesson and each person demonstrating some learning is part of planning. The only way to find time for that link to be made is by planning an appropriate amount to do and keeping the pace up. The former was fine, so it was the latter that got int the way of progress. You did give timings and kept to them more or less. The session was set up well and the initial activity ran quite smoothly. Things flagged a little later. Think about managing an activity – chivvy a little more while they get resources, go beyond ‘draw a circle’, unless you tell them that they must follow the instructions on the board. Remember to uphold all policies, including mobile phones. If you can, keep your eye on the whole class for the vast majority of the time. You are welcome to use a different lesson planning sheet (not the IOE one). Ensure you refer to differentiation, inclusion, embedding of English, maths etc. You set out the tasks but didn’t refer directly to these on the plan. They are important to take into account.

3          Application of subject knowledge such as: demonstrate good knowledge of subject and curriculum area, use a range of strategies and activities to support learners to build on their subject knowledge, adapt approaches and methods as required to support learners, develop and use a range of resources appropriate to the learning – your knowledge seemed fine. You did use different activities. To build on their subject knowledge, you would need to know what subject knowledge they had. I wondered if anyone had visited a mosque, or the Alhambra, or were art students. You could always ask!

4          Assessment of/for learning such as: give regular constructive formative feedback on learning, prepare learners for summative assessments of learning, identify group and individual learning goals based on the outcomes of assessments (stretch and challenge), use a range of assessment strategies, encourage learner independence – we are coming onto assessment. You certainly asked questions. You asked some interesting open questions. They do come across as rhetorical though, because if there is no response you tend to leave the question without any answer. There is a use for rhetorical questions, but I wasn’t sure what your intention was. I suggest using directed questioning so that each person is asked something. For that, you need to know their names, and we spoke about strategies for finding out their names and then using them (e.g. drawing a diagram of the room and writing down what they prefer to be called, then referring to it – or giving out their books but stand at the front to do so). I wonder if they think there is a right answer. Perhaps there is, but finding the right answer is not the most important thing, I think. It discourages people from trying. What do you want from them? The right answer or to show they are interested and trying to contribute? You need to let them know, perhaps.

5          Maintain a positive learning environment such as: create and sustain a supportive safe environment for learning, maximise opportunities for learning, use a range of approaches and strategies to engage and motivate learners, encourage good relations between learners and tutor, communicate clearly and provide a good model for communicating key ideas – this is another interesting one because there are different ideas of what constitutes a positive learning environment. You have a good tone and projection. You used different strategies in the hope of engaging learners, which worked for some more than others. However, we did say that the activities were fine. It is the execution e.g. setting a good pace, using step by step instructions, and developing your role as a leader. I suggested the metaphor of an orchestra conductor. I completely understand that you want to avoid a confrontational approach (typical of an authoritarian leader). As we said, the opposite of that is not being laissez-faire, it is non-confrontational (a more authoritative role). You might find a metaphor that you prefer. I think this is fundamental to guiding the students for the purpose of learning and demonstrating your interest in their learning.

6          Inclusive practice such as: plan and teach lessons which are tailored to individual goals and aspirations, provide support for any specific learning differences, collaborate with other professionals in relation to support for learners, use a range of approaches to support group and individual needs, promote an inclusive environment, recognising diversity, set high expectations for all learners – you want to be supportive. To help with that, try to get to know them a bit more. Use their names, find out what they know, share learning etc.

7          Provide support for mathematics and English needs of learners: Identify opportunities for supporting mathematics and English within the subject area – this was missing from the plan and there were missed opportunities. You asked if anyone knew what a caliphate was. That was fine and part of developing vocabulary. Unfortunately, there was no answer! What is a caliph? (The history of caliphs/caliphates is interesting.) Tessellation – that comes from the Latin for a stone, the kind used in mosaics. I am fascinated by language and etymology. Your students might be able to make connections or might be interested in learning about them.

Overall

We talked at length afterwards. Naturally being observed can make someone anxious and anxiety tends to bring out certain traits, and to make one more aware of things going less well than you hoped. That can happen to anyone but happens less with experience. Forgive me for mentioning this but I wondered if you have dyslexic tendencies (incite instead of insight on the plan – these are very, very different things!). I only mention it because you could consult student support while on our course.

I look forward to hearing about how you get on and your thoughts on the kind of classroom leader you want to be.

Three development points arising from this observation:

1.      Think about the role of a teacher as a leader. What kind of leader will you be that will benefit your learners (and you)?

2.      Pace – this is linked to leadership. The first task demonstrated you can do that. The second needed the same level of management.

3.      Check learning – avoid rhetorical questions. If you ask too many of those, students will assume they don’t need to think of an answer, or even think!

Student teacher’s reflection and -self-evaluation

What I did well / What needs further consideration /What I will take forward into my future practice

What went well:
I think the plan for the lesson and the concept of the lesson was good. By and large I kept to the timings of the plan. Both Ms Fleming and Ms McQueen mentioned the tessellation task had a lot of potential, especially considering its placement between the other activities. I also think that my tone of voice was good, and that the initial task worked well. My activities were varied and I knew the subject well enough for the class. The learning environment was good at points, though not consistently. I was also told my handouts were good, with large text, good for inclusion. The pictures were on A3 which I think was a good size for the stimulus, though in hindsight if they were laminated and a bit bigger it would have been better. Seating was also mentioned as a plus, though I should have been more insistent when changing from pods to a circle, as the circle wasn’t fully completed.

What needs further consideration:
Planning was an aspect that in some respects went well but in others could certainly be brushed up. This was because of my assessment of learning, which as Dr McQueen points out above, is part of the overall picture. This effected affected my learning outcomes, pace, ability to uphold college policies, success of inclusive practice, differentiation and the embedding of maths and English. Whilst these issues do require their own explanation and inquiry, it is worth mentioning at this point how they all were under represented in my physical plan or were poorly planned out, leading to problems during my lesson.
In order to improve this, the best way I can think of for now is to be more attentive of the verbs I choose for lesson objectives, and to see the physical steps required in order to bring a concept on a PowerPoint and plan into a lived learning experience. With experience of seeing lessons function I should be better capable of gauging what will be successful and what won’t. I also need to maintain confidence in the tasks and activities I choose, and not to ‘run away’ or become less assertive in delivering them if students are initially hesitant or unenthusiastic.

Assessment of learning also needs to be improved. My questioning is a big part of this, as some of my questions are coming across as rhetorical. I think this is because while I have some questions planned, I should have more. I am also relying largely on open questions that are too open. Students need more of an idea of what I am angling at. The tone I use while asking questions may also need adjustment. In order to improve I will focus my observations on how other teachers question, and research books from the IOE library on how best I can vary what I ask.

Maintaining a positive learning environment was also mentioned. While this went up and down during my lesson, during the tessellation task and making a piece of geometric art the students were certainly bored. While I picked up on this, I didn’t pick up on the fact my students were using their phones. This meant that college rules were being broken. I have learnt that many students find rules comforting, as they know how they should behave and somewhat enjoy the regularity of routines and expectations.
Whilst I don’t want to be authoritarian, I think my lack of assertion disturbed the learning environment. Body language and misbehaviour is a form of communication, the students, knowingly or not, were communicating there was a problem. Furthermore, unknowingly, I was communicating through my body language that it was OK not to join in. I will be more mindful of my tone, proximity and insistence during my next lessons and see if this improves. These issues also relate to inclusion, as my main problem in the inclusion task was not knowing the individual names of the students. Knowing their names will make them feel more respected, part of the learning environment and ultimately included. I will try and increase my knowledge of student names to aid both inclusive practice and a positive learning environment.

Lastly, helping students with Mathematics and English needs to be considered. There were things included in the lesson to aid this category, such as the inclusion of new vocabulary (caliphate, tessellation). Tessellation is obviously also a mathematical concept, as is geometry which we looked at during the lesson. However, I did not transfer this into the learning experience. There needed to be a form of active learning additionally after the introduction of new terms. In following lessons, I will try and take this a few steps further, including it in the structure of the lesson instead of treating them as less important additions.

What I will take forward into my future practice
I think the first thing worth mentioning is the difference between pace and timing. Timing is the reference of how long the tasks were sustained. Pacing is the impact of the flow of individual questions, responses, instructions and the progression of tasks (as I understand it). Perhaps intervals are the best way to describe pacing, in the same was a comedian knows intuitively how long to wait before the performance of a punch line. Whilst they mean very similar things it is pacing that I need to work on. Watching observations of other teachers and asking them how they approach this will be a good way to begin my improvement.

I have already mentioned questioning and will again soon, but changing how I question students is one of my biggest aspects that needs improvement. I think making my open questions less open and research into different types of questioning will best rectify this, and hopefully provide more tools for my teacher tool kit.

Professional conduct was my biggest criticism, with an emphasis on leadership. I did follow college policy based on my observance, but I did miss phones being out which I should have enforced. I didn’t let late students in, but I could have performed that action more smoothly, perhaps having a clear cut system to send them away with. I think in reflection I was also too polite, a firmer hand to show they had done something wrong would have been better.
That said, focusing on leadership, this is particularly puzzling for me. as I have always felt that I have strong communicative skills. I feel in social situations that I can be assertive and calm, which I feel should work in a classroom. However, that is not what I am putting across. I think I am finding it hard to be a teacher that suits my personality, the ethos and rules of the school in addition to the age group of my students, who are neither adults nor children.
Getting proficient at pacing will help, and swapping from sitting to standing will help. I also think a deeper understanding of how I wish to deliver the lesson, including specific questioning and tones of voice will also aid this. Overall, I think trying less to be the teacher I would have wanted at school and being more the teacher that the school wants me to be will lead to drastic improvement. I thought talking relaxed and directly to my students like adults would be enough, but at their age, or perhaps any age, students need a bit firmer direction than what I’m currently offering. Though I will take what advice I can I think improving in this skill is quite personal, as however I rectify the problem must suit my character. Through practice I will perhaps be able to find a better mid ground between the teacher I want to be and the teacher I have to be.

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

To what extent have the previous development points been met? (See the most recent observation feedback provided to the student teacher)

n/a – 1^st formal observation

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Strengths:

Prompt and calm start to the lesson, with task instructions clearly on the board so latecomers can slot easily into the task. You greet students at the door, and comply with college policies on punctuality by not allowing latecomers into the lesson.

Good resources and task design – you’ve got some good ideas for activities and are not scared to get them moving around the room. The powerpoint was informative and focused on the lesson objectives, the video you found was very suitable for the lesson and fed well into the next task which was the creative activity.

Pace – at the beginning of the lesson, the pace was quite good. You’d clearly reflected on the previous lesson and took feedback from the starter activity in a much more focused and effective way. You encouraged them to use the whiteboards from the activity to aid the feedback, and used thoughtful questioning.

Things to think about:

Using student names – you missed several opportunities to learn names as you have admitted you do not know many in this group. Handing out the booklets is a good opportunity, as is talking to them in small groups, or when you are taking an answer to a question. They would much rather you show an interest in who they are rather than worry about being seen to not know. You have class lists and photos – use these and aim to get a couple more names each time. The more you use them, the easier it gets. Do you know what the ability range in this class is? This may help you pitch the lesson better and be aware of individuals who need support or challenge.

Encouraging student participation – you recognised that there was little energy in the lesson and the students seemed bored. As we discussed verbally after the lesson, there was much you could have done to encourage participation, and it’s always easier to maintain a good atmosphere than recover it once students have disengaged. Making sure that they know what they are doing and are on task is key, and they should know you are aware of this, so do notice and challenge students on phones, ask them if they understand what they should be doing and get them to repeat back instructions if necessary. Standing back so you can see what is going on and then nudging them in the right direction is more useful than getting involved in their (on task) discussions. You can assess their understanding by listening rather than getting involved.

More importantly though is for you to indicate that you care about what the task is – if you don’t, why should they? Scaffolding the booklet task for them and drawing their attention to the picture clues is going to be more effective than telling them to complete p9. Similarly, the geometric task which should have been the main focus of the lesson fell flat. Clear instructions and modelling the task would have been good here. Students were allowed to sit on their phones and not take part in the task. It makes sense that you may use free time in lessons to mark their booklets, but not at the expense of the lesson. Make sure they are all on task first.

Three development points arising from this observation:

1.      Know your students – use names and class data

2.      Classroom awareness – this becomes easier with time, but put yourself in a position where you can see what is going on and what students are doing

3.      Clear instructions – make sure students know what they are supposed to be doing. This should be given verbally, visually on the ppt and modelled by you if appropriate.

Student teacher’s reflection and self-evaluation

What I did well / What needs further consideration /What I will take forward into my future practice

The lesson started well. At this point the pace of my lesson was appropriate, it being noted I had responded to feedback. My resources and task design provided a strong base for a prompt and calm delivery. It was later in the lesson that problems started to emerge. What I need to consider for the next time is my use of names. I find names hard to remember. I need to find a strategy that works for me to help attain the names of my students. The biggest issues that need addressing surround my main task. Engagement was low and I didn’t notice that students were on their phones. It was largely my delivery that needed addressing. Next time I will focus more on giving clear instructions, my tone and the position I give instructions from to further engagement from my learners.

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Here are the seven criteria with a few suggestions associated with some of them for you to consider.

1                     Professional conduct –You are comfortable and polite with the students. Witty and thoughtful. You maintain good control of the classroom and engage with the students “democratically” whilst having them well engaged with the subject

2                     Planning teaching and learning –  Thorough lesson plan with students engaging well with the taught theme and when questioned students revealed they were learning on the spot.

3                     Application of subject knowledge – Your subject knowledge was very good. You felt comfortable dealing with students questions and led them in the right direction

4           Assessment of/for learning – guides / questionnaires Peer review. Students produced written evidence of what they learnt in the class. According to OFSTED that is fundamental.

       5             Maintain a positive learning environment – your students seem to have good manners and be engaged with the subject. You conduct the class well by always having them doing something constructive, keeping them entertained and focused.

       6           Inclusive practice – Good overall. I’ve noticed that one of the students provided an answer to one of your questions and that you possibly couldn’t hear him and he revealed a bit of frustration in that. This also happen with one of the tables in the front. You were always able to meet the students when they were having doubts and because you walked around the classroom you were able to spot when they were behind and provide them with help and encouragement.

       7             Provide support for mathematics and English needs of learners: Students were constantly challenged to read and interpret text while they learned. They have produced a substantial amount of written evidence.

Two development points arising from this observation:

Noise in the room. Time management

I only have two suggestions:

1.      Difficult to find major flaws with the way you guided the class, but I’ve noticed along the way that you struggled a bit to hear some of the students. Also, your students in the front felt frustrated at some point because you couldn’t hear what they were saying. Maybe a causative factor was the construction outside with the window open, perhaps the window could have been closed.

2.      I felt like you gave the students too much time to perform some of the activities/tasks, as most of the students finished before time and then they had a good amount of time without doing anything.

Student teacher’s reflection and self-evaluation

Although the pace of my lesson has notably improved from my last observation it is still clearly an area that I need to improve on. It is difficult to move at a pace that suits all students. I think to address this better in the future, I will start introducing the following task when the first student has finished the current task, but allowing those who need more time more time. As for hearing all my students, being attentive and aware is associated with inclusion. I should be more mindful in the future. That said, my last targets were to improve on using names and exit routines. I think I have shown improvement in these areas. 

Week 9

Subject tutor

Alexander Clarke

Number of learners

Observer Topic of lesson

Christian Love

Lesson aims

To understand that there are varying types of love, and the significance of love to Christianity and ethics.

Learning outcomes: Students will be able to …

•       To investigate different types
of love

•       To discuss situational ethics

•       To apply situational ethics to different case studies.

Additional information (e.g. about individual students):

Assessment for learning (how the learning outcome will be assessed):

White boards
Discussion

Present: aims, recap/revise previous learning. Provide the big picture – why is this lesson important and relevant              

Maximum 35%                              

Apply: Students are given tasks that require them to apply the knowledge, theories, skills, that have been presented. This involves problem solving, making decisions, creating things such as posters and mind maps. Differentiation, key skills and equal opportunities are embedded.

At least 65%

(10 mins) PPT 7-13

Task 5:
Give each pod a case study, assign readers and get groups to discuss and write on the white boards. Feedback after. PPT 14-15 (15 mins)

Task 6:

Get students to explain their case study and what they thought. Leave room for discussion. Summarize what they have covered. PPT 16 (6 mins)

Review: What was learned is summarized and clarified. Objectives are reviewed. This can be done through Q & A (ask, don’t tell), quick quiz, test, peer questioning, mind maps, key points reiterated.

At least 5%

Good teacher’s voice.

You checked on learning, went around the students and kept them on task as a result. Be vigilant re hoods – but you ensured all complied when you asked them to put away their phones away.

Students working in three pods – much better than a circle. Be prepared to move students if they are not taking part or if, as in this case, the pods are uneven.

Use of mwb for drawing to express their ideas of love – you felt was risky but worked. Continue to think of creative ways to transform learning (you have since used lamented pics as a jumping off point to discussion – this is a good way of achieving ‘low floor, high ceiling’ – everyone can take part but possibility of differentiating by outcome). Your questioning that arose from the pictures drawn were thought provoking eg ‘is a mobile phone more loveable than a person?

You have a good, mutually respectful relationship with the students. This can be improved upon simply by the use student names – you have no excuse – do the paper register at the start of the lesson &/or get them to write their names on card or lolly pops. The message a teacher gives a student is ‘you are important and I recognise you by using your name’.

You have since tried a version De Bono’s ‘thinking hats’ and Communities of philosophical inquiry – COPI (Lipman). RP lessons are great for experimenting with and you have a good space – think about using the walls to put questions on – so students have to move.

The booklets are important. Students were asked to find quotes from the bible – they did this and were given time to fill in the booklets. You told them they needed to ‘hurry’ but didn’t give them a time – use a stop watch.   It might be useful for them to peer assess so that they see what each other is writing and correct – you are familiar with Dylan Wiliams’ stress on the importance of peer assessment and formative assessment for getting students to understand what is expected.

Interesting topic with engaging resources.

Make sure you are clear about what knowledge/skills you want to see by the end of the lesson – how could you have checked what has been learned? Leave time for a smooth exit (cleaning and gathering of mwb)

Targets:

1         Use students’ names and consider other questioning techniques – I have attached the ‘questioning approaches’ booklet – has some very good A4L ideas.

2         Exit routines including plenary to check learning.

TEACHING PRACTICE OBSERVATION FEEDBACK

The student teacher should complete all parts of this template that are shaded. The observer should complete the rest. Please refer to the observer checklist based on the professional standards.

To what extent have the previous development points been met? (See the most recent observation feedback provided to the student teacher)

Alex is making progress towards the development points from previous observation

–          Using names and class data – you now are much more confident addressing all students by name since you’ve been using the seating plan. This has really helped build your relationships with this class and create a more positive learning environment

–          Classroom awareness – you are more aware of your position in the classroom, and I can see you beginning to scan the class regularly so you can see students on task.

–          Clear instructions – in general, this is much better. You are including instructions on the slides too, as well as giving them verbally.

Observer’s comments on the student teacher’s strengths and development needs:

Strengths:

Behaviour for learning – You’ve challenged off-task behaviour in a very positive way by asking them questions about the task. This refocuses the students on the task and reinforces your authority without creating a confrontational situation.

Resources and tasks– you had planned good activities for the lesson, and are not scared to take some risks re discussion activities. For this lesson you got them to discuss the topic of real and apparent goods, come up with questions, and pass them onto other table groups for discussion. You were prepared to adapt the task as it progressed and cut the number of rotations short as it became appropriate. This shows an increasing awareness of the classroom and the learning that is going on, and the flexibility to adjust accordingly. The visual stimuli you used were very engaging and well chosen.

Clear instructions – The discussion task was supported by clear instructions which you gave verbally, had written on the board, and also on the table resources you gave them. You contextualised the task quite well, explaining what they were going to do with the information discussed – a writing task- , which helped focus their minds and give them a reason to engage.

Feedback – you are beginning to use a wider range of questioning techniques and encourage deeper thinking by getting them to develop their answers, rather than just taking their initial response.

Things to think about:

Feedback  – you are still relying quite heavily on certain students to answer questions – David and Eliana, and getting into a to-and-forth discussion, rather than opening it out to the whole class. This tends to discourage less-confident students from contributing. You are embedding think-pair and share, and you can use this in a less formal way, by posing the question for quick pair discussion ‘what does your partner think?’, and then no-hands feedback.

Task design – even though the discussion task was innovative and you had clearly put considerable time and effort into the planning, the lower ability groups struggled to engage with it in a meaningful way, and this limited their learning from the task. Scaffolding and modelling would have been useful here for all students. Do one as a class, so they can clearly see the objective, and adding prompts to the table resources would have helped the weaker students.

Assessment of learning – you are taking assessment into account and asking them to peer assess the written task. However, this felt like the students are just going through the motions and not all pairs did swap their work. How can you make assessment more meaningful? which in turn will encourage students to take more pride in their work. I can understand that you do not have much time in the lesson to look at all their books and don’t want to take their books in. Could you set them a longer written piece to hand in at the end of the lesson?

1. Feedback and questioning – continue to develop your repertoire of questioning techniques, especially no-hands and think, pair and share. 
2. Supporting learning needs – modelling and scaffolding to ensure all students are fully aware of success criteria and can benefit from learning activities.
3. Assessment for learning – be clear that there are several different types of assessment. How and what do you assess in lessons, and how can you build on this to facilitate their progress towards the  A level standards and criteria

Student teacher’s reflection and self-evaluation

What I did well / What needs further consideration /What I will take forward into my future practice