Am I Qualified?
To Observe and Evaluate You???
Charlotte Danielson says:
How often should teachers be observed?
"Frequent, unannounced and brief observations let you keep your finger on the pulse of teaching in your school. It’s actually better if some observations are not part of the formal evaluation process because you develop a professional community where everyone uses the same definition of teaching, not just a system for personnel decisions. So the more observations, the better. And the more conversation, the better.
If you can manage three short observations, that’s a lot better than one longer one. Peers, department heads, mentors or coaches can serve as observers. When schools do this, it builds the professional conversation about practice. You all become more effective because you know the challenges you face.
For evaluative purposes, you want a sampling that represents typical teaching, which the MET study found required at least three — and better, four — observations by a trained and certified assessor to be reliable. Now, most schools can’t manage that. I mean, that’s a real burden on personnel. Time is a limiting factor."
Observation Report
LONDONDERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Professional Development Process
Observation Report
Name:School:
Assignment:Date of Pre-Observation Conference(s):
Date of Observation:
Time:
Year of Cycle:
Items checked require a written comment. It is anticipated that not all components would be part of any one observation.Domain 1: Planning and Preparation Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory
1a. Demonstrating knowledge of Content and Pedagogy
1b. Demonstrating knowledge of students
1c. Selecting Instructional Goals
1d. Designing instruction
1e. Assessing student learning
Comments/Suggestions:Domain 2: The Classroom Environment Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory
Comments/Suggestions:Domain 2: The Classroom Environment Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory
2a. Creating an environment of respect and rapport
2b. Establishing a culture for learning
2c. Managing classroom procedures
2d. Managing student behavior
2e. Organizing learning environment
Comments/Suggestions
Domain 3: Instruction Distinguished Proficient Basic Unsatisfactory
3a. Communicating clearly and accurately
3b. Using questioning and discussion techniques
3c. Engaging students in learning
3d. Providing feedback to students
3e. Demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness
Comments/Suggestions:
Teacher’s Signature ________________________ Date_____________
Administrator’s Signature ___________________________Date_____________
- *Minimum expectancy for 1st year teacher. + Minimum expectancy of 2nd year teacher.
- All items expected of 3rd year and continuing contract teachers.
I teach Spanish . . . Not Math or Biology or Psychology or Music or English or. . . . .
Am I qualified?
Pre-Algebra + Word Problems!
Julie wants to buy a jacket that is on sale for 10% off at a local store. If the original price of the jacket is $69.95 and there is a 7% sales tax, what is the final price?
Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
1a DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT AND PEDAGOGY
The elements of component 1a are:
Knowledge of content and the structure of the discipline
Every discipline has a dominant structure, with smaller components or strands, as
well as central concepts and skills.
Knowledge of prerequisite relationships
Some disciplines—for example, mathematics—have important prerequisites; experienced
teachers know what these are and how to use them in designing lessons and units.
Knowledge of content-related pedagogy
Different disciplines have “signature pedagogies” that have evolved over time and been
found to be most effective in teaching.
1b DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS
The elements of component 1b are:
Knowledge of child and adolescent development
Children learn differently at different stages of their lives.
Knowledge of the learning process
Learning requires active intellectual engagement.
Knowledge of students’ skills, knowledge, and language proficiency
What students are able to learn at any given time is influenced by their level of knowledge and skill.
Knowledge of students’ interests and cultural heritage
Children’s backgrounds influence their learning.
Knowledge of students’ special needs
Children do not all develop in a typical fashion.
1c SETTING INSTRUCTIONAL OUTCOMES
The elements of component 1c are:
Value, Sequence and Alignment:
Outcomes represent significant learning in the discipline reflecting, where appropriate, the
Common Core State Standards.
Clarity
Outcomes must refer to what students will learn, not what they will do, and must permit viable
methods of assessment.
Balance
Outcomes should reflect different types of learning, such as knowledge, conceptual
understanding, and thinking skills.
Suitability for diverse students
Outcomes must be appropriate for all students in the class.
1d DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF RESOURCES
The elements of component 1d are:
Resources for classroom use
Materials must align with learning outcomes.
Resources to extend content knowledge and pedagogy
Materials that can further teachers’ professional knowledge must be available.
Resources for students
Materials must be appropriately challenging.
1e DESIGNING COHERENT INSTRUCTION
The elements of component 1e are:
Learning activities
Instruction is designed to engage students and advance them through the content.
Instructional materials and resources
Aids to instruction are appropriate to the learning needs of the students.
Instructional groups
Teachers intentionally organize instructional groups to support student learning.
Lesson and unit structure
Teachers produce clear and sequenced lesson and unit structures to advance student learning.
Can I fairly evaluate on content, current/acceptable pedagogy, or technique?
Sociology and Cults!
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
2a CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF RESPECT
The elements of component 2a are:
Teacher interactions with students, including both words and actions
A teacher’s interactions with students set the tone for the classroom. Through their interactions,
teachers convey that they are interested in and care about their students.
Student interactions with other students, including both words and actions
As important as a teacher’s treatment of students is, how students are treated by their classmates is arguably even more important to students. At its worst, poor treatment causes students to feel rejected by their peers. At its best, positive interactions among students are mutually supportive and create an emotionally healthy school environment. Teachers not only model and teach students how to engage in respectful interactions with one another but also acknowledge such interactions.
2b ESTABLISHING A CULTURE FOR LEARNING
The elements of component 2b are:
Importance of the content and of learning
In a classroom with a strong culture for learning, teachers convey the educational value of what the students are learning.
Expectations for learning and achievement
In classrooms with robust cultures for learning, all students receive the message that although the work is challenging, they are capable of achieving it if they are prepared to work hard. A manifestation of teachers’ expectations for high student achievement is their insistence on the use of precise language by students.
Student pride in work
When students are convinced of their capabilities, they are willing to devote energy to the task at hand, and they take pride in their accomplishments. This pride is reflected in their interactions with classmates and with the teacher.
2c MANAGING CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
The elements of component 2c are:
Management of instructional groups
Teachers help students to develop the skills to work purposefully and cooperatively in groups or independently, with little supervision from the teacher.
Management of transitions
Many lessons engage students in different types of activities: large group, small group, independent work. It’s important that little time is lost as students move from one activity to another; students know the “drill” and execute it seamlessly.
Management of materials and supplies
Experienced teachers have all necessary materials at hand and have taught students to implement routines for distribution and collection of materials with a minimum of disruption to the flow of instruction.
Performance of classroom routines
Overall, little instructional time is lost in activities such as taking attendance, recording the lunch count, or the return of permission slips for a class trip.
2d MANAGING STUDENT BEHAVIOR
The elements of component 2d are:
Expectations
It is clear, either from what the teacher says, or by inference from student actions, that expectations for student conduct have been established and that they are being implemented.
Monitoring of student behavior
Experienced teachers seem to have eyes in the backs of their heads; they are attuned to what’s happening in the classroom and can move subtly to help students, when necessary, re-engage with the content being addressed in the lesson. At a high level, such monitoring is preventive and subtle, which may make it challenging to observe.
Response to student misbehavior
Even experienced teachers find that their students occasionally violate one or another of the agreed-upon standards of conduct; how the teacher responds to such infractions is an important mark of the teacher’s skill. Accomplished teachers try to understand why students are conducting themselves in such a manner (are they unsure of the content? are they trying to impress their friends?) and respond in a way that respects the dignity of the student. The best responses are those that address misbehavior early in an episode, although doing so is not always possible.
2e ORGANIZING PHYSICAL SPACE
The elements of component 2e are:
Safety and accessibility
Physical safety is a primary consideration of all teachers; no learning can occur if students are unsafe or if they don’t have access to the board or other learning resources.
Arrangement of furniture and use of physical resources
Both the physical arrangement of a classroom and the available resources provide opportunities for teachers to advance learning; when these resources are used skillfully, students can engage with the content in a productive manner. At the highest levels of performance, the students themselves contribute to the use or adaptation of the physical environment.
In a nutshell . . . .
Domain 1 and Domain 2
Domain 3 - Instruction
Domain 4 - Professional Responsibilities