Formal Observation Example 1:

Strengths of the Lesson

[1A: Knowledge of Content]: Learning was best because the teachers plans and practice reflect solid knowledge of the
content and prerequisite relationships between important concepts.
The teacher identified important concepts of the discipline and related them to one another.
The teacher identified and accurately responded to student misconceptions.
The teacher provided a clear explanation of the content and answered students questions accurately.
[2A: Creating and Environment of Respect and Rapport]: Learning was best when interactions between the teacher and
students and among students were polite and respectful.
The teacher was encouraging and supportive. The teacher complimented the students for their efforts and correct
answers. The students were comfortable asking the teacher questions.
The students were supportive of one another and some were eager to help their classmates.
[2C: Managing Classroom Procedures]: Learning was best because procedures for transitions, handling supplies, and noninstructional duties occurred smoothly.
The teacher had the information from problem 18 written on the board to review when the bell rang. The students
each had their Spring Board book out on their desk. The students had rulers on their desks.
Little instructional time was lost because of the procedures and routines in place.
Areas of Focus
[3A: Communicating with Students]: Learning could be enhanced by clearly communicating the purpose of the lesson.
The learning target was written in the SpringBoard book: Determine the point of concurrency of the medians of a
triangle. Use the point of concurrency of the medians of a triangle to solve problems. The students were
somewhat confused on what the goal for the lesson was. Two groups of students stated that they were learning to
find the midpoints. Another student stated they were learning how to find the slope of a line.
There were points in the lesson where students were unsure of what they were expected to do. The teacher
verbally stated which questions they should be on and have completed.
The content explanation was cloudy in parts. There were students who were struggling with the lesson and
unable to even set up the problems. The teacher allowed students to explain the content to their classmates.
[3C: Engaging Students in Learning]: Learning could be enhanced by the time, practice, and rigor needed for all students
to be intellectually engaged.
Some students were intellectually engaged. The learning activity was appropriate to some students but too
challenging for others. Some students were unsure of how to get the problem set up. These students needed more
support.
The instructional groups were partially effective. Some groups worked well together while others barely even
talked to one another. There were some students sitting along and had no one to collaborate with.
The pacing of the lesson was slow in parts and there was no differentiation. There were students who understood
the lesson and were ready to move on while other students were able to be passive or were struggling.
[3D: Using Assessment in Instruction]: Learning was best because assessment was regularly used in instruction, through
monitoring of progress, self-assessment by students, and high quality feedback.
The teacher walked around assessing but not all students were working.
Some of the students wrote down his wrong answer and that messed them up for rest of problem.
Most of the feedback was global in front of the whole class. The teacher walked around and answered questions
but did not provide specific feedback to the groups or make any adjustments to the lesson.
Some students sat in pairs and were encouraged to peer assess but only some did.
The students were unaware of the assessment criteria.
Next Steps
Consider identifying a few key questions when planning the lesson to ensure that students have the opportunity to discuss
higher order questions. Use a strategy such as Timed Pair Share to hold each student accountable for those questions.

Consider using the random name generator more often to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in
class discussion. Consider deflecting student questions and responses to other students to encourage higher level discourse
among students.
Consider posting a timed agenda for the lesson either on the whiteboard or on ELMO, so that students can help keep you
on pace with all of the lesson segments. Consider timing lesson segments using an online or kitchen timer to help with
pacing. Online Timer http://www.timeanddate.com/timer/ Kagan Structures require every student to participate
frequently and approximately equally. http://www.kaganonline.com/catalog/cooperative_learning.php Consider providing
hint papers with questions to probe struggling students and guide them through the lesson. This will provide students
support when they are stuck without having to wait for the teacher to come assist.
Plan in the use of ongoing assessment to monitor the progress of learning and use the results to guide instructional
decisions. For example, a suggestion is to circulate at the beginning of independent work to get a general pulse check
of the students understanding; if students get it continue, and if they do not make adjustments to re-teach. Formative
Strategies Link: http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/file/view/03+-+Formative+Assessment+Strategies.pdf This
PDF lists some more ideas for formative assessment: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByPw23nZZZpQ1V4bTFTMTI1cVk/edit?usp=sharing Refer to the attached document for self and peer assessment strategies.

Formal Observation Example 2:

Strengths of the Lesson
[2A: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport]: Learning was best when classroom interactions between the
teacher and students and among students were polite and respectful.
Talk between the teacher and students was respectful. The students were comfortable asking the teacher
questions. The teacher was polite and helpful.
The students were friendly and respectful with one another. Some students were happy to help their classmates.
[2C: Managing Classroom Procedures]: Learning was best when procedure for transitions, handling supplies, and noninstructional duties occurred smoothly.
The teacher passed out the warm-up activity. The students used the vocabulary words/phrases from the word
wall. The students moved into their assigned groups by moving their desks together.
Little instructional time was lost because of the procedures and routines in place.
[2D: Managing Classroom Behavior]: Learning was best because the standards of conduct appeared to be clear and the
teacher monitored students behavior against those standards.
Standards of conduct have been established.
The students were well behaved with very little off-task or inappropriate behavior occurring.
The teacher used proximity and other subtle techniques to redirect students. The teacher acknowledged good
behavior by thanking students who were doing what was expected. The teacher asked students to put their head
up. Most students did as the teacher asked.
Areas of Focus
[3B: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques]: Learning could be enhanced by including all students in class
discussion and creating a genuine discussion among students.
The teachers questions were a mix of high and low-level questions: Where does the square root of 49 go? What
are the integers? How do I write this as a ratio? Are these imaginary over here? What are they telling us there?
Are they both linear equations? Why are you wondering whether it is linear or not? Because the degree of the
equation is? If I ask you to factor x squared minus 9 you would call that what? If I now have x squared plus 10?
My first step was to do what?
The teacher relied primarily on call outs or volunteers. The teacher called on one student from each group during
the review. There were many students who did not participate in class discussion.
The teacher told students to discuss with those around them but very few students did. There was not a specific
strategy in place to promote higher order discourse among the students themselves. There were dominant
members of the groups.
[1C: Setting Instructional Outcomes/3C: Engaging Students in Learning]: Learning could be enhanced by providing
enough time, practice, and rigor for all students to be intellectually engaged.
The learning activity was not challenging for some students. There was down time during the learning task and
the activities were too easy for some students. The learning task did not align with the intended instructional
objective.
The activity was not differentiated to meet the specific needs of groups of learners.
Some of the instructional groups were effective while others allowed for a student or students to be passive.
There were some groups with a dominant group member or members.
The pacing of the lesson was slow in parts. There was 44 minutes spent on the matching warm-up activity. The
students begin the intended lesson after 55 minutes.
[1F: Designing Student Assessments/3D: Using Assessment in Instruction]: Learning could be enhanced by regularly
using assessment in instruction through monitoring student progress, providing specific feedback to individuals, and
allowing time for self and peer assessment.
The teacher walked around while students worked on their matching activity. The teacher provided some
feedback to some groups. Most of the feedback was provided globally as the teacher reviewed each of the
problems with the whole class. The teacher put the solutions on the board. Students checked their work against
the solutions on the board.

The students were asked to work with one another checking each others work but there was not a structure to
ensure this was done. Some groups did this naturally while others did not collaborate effectively.
There were many students who were done or found the activity easy however the lesson continued as planned.
Next Steps
Consider a random calling strategy to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in class discussion.
Consider deflecting student questions and responses to other students to encourage higher level discourse among students.
Consider identifying a few key questions when planning the lesson to ensure that students have the opportunity to discuss
higher order questions. Use a structure that uses turn and time to ensure all students have sufficient time to think about the
question and are held accountable for responding to that question.
Refer to the following text available FREE through Library Media Services. On the district website, search Go Library.
Select Resources & then Educator Virtual Library. Look in the Gale ASCD collection- open database and search for this
ebook title, password=hcpsfl --- Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners. By
Katy Ridnouer. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2006. Gale Virtual Reference
Library. Web. 3 May 2013.
Consider two trainings offered through the district: Teaching with Poverty in Mind and Teaching with Love and Logic.
Differentiate instruction by strategically choosing assignments that are appropriate to the learning levels of the students.
Refer to the following link : target students' zone of proximal development.
http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/scaffolding/
Consider posting a timed agenda for the lesson either on the whiteboard or on ELMO, so that students can help keep you
on pace with all of the lesson segments. Utilize strategies to modify the pacing of the lesson to maintain engagement when
appropriate. Refer to Change the Pace technique # 50 from Teach Like a Champion by Lemov.
Consider providing students more practice problems and using a structure such as compare-repair to encourage
collaboration. Both students work on the same problem and compare their answer once done. If there are discrepancies,
have students defend their answer or find the mistake and repair their answer. Once they agree they can move to the next
problem. Consider having students work on the analysis in pairs to increase accountability during collaborative activities.
Refer to the attached document for self and peer assessment strategies.

Formal Observation Example 3:

Strengths of the Lesson
[1A: Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy]: Learning was best when plans and practice reflected solid knowledge of the
content and instructional practices specific to the discipline.
The teacher displayed solid knowledge of the important concepts and discussed them with students while
unpacking the embedded assessments.
The teacher was able to identify common misconceptions before and during the lesson and address them
appropriately.
The teacher is familiar with a wide range of effective pedagogical approaches. The teacher planned for a gallery
walk to get students moving and interacting with other students on the content.
[2C: Managing Classroom Procedures]: Learning was best when procedures and routines for transitions, handling
supplies, and non-instructional duties occurred smoothly.
The students picked up their Spring Bard books from the shelf and took out their homework assignment from the
previous night. The teacher projected the EA on the board and used chart paper to unpack EA 2 and 3 at a class.
The teacher took attendance while the students were unpacking their assessment. Students passed out a card and
marker to each student. The teacher had whiteboards around the room with triangles on them. The teacher asked
students to use their cards to find out where their group is. The teacher asked students to rotate to another group
to determine if there was enough information.
Little instructional time was lost because of the routines and procedures in place.
[3A: Communicating with Students]: Learning was best when the learning objective, directions, and content explanation
were communicated clearly.
The objective was written on the board: Apply knowledge of transformation and congruence to prove triangle
congruence. The agenda was written on the board. The students unpacked embedded assessments 2 and 3. This
helped identify what the students would be learning for the unit.
All directions were communicated clearly. The directions for the learning activity was written on the board and
read verbally by the teacher.
The explanation of the content was clear. The students also wrote down important vocabulary words.
Areas of Focus
[2D: Managing Student Behavior]: Learning could be enhanced by developing a behavior management plan and
responding appropriately to misbehavior.
It took a while for students to get seated and focused at the beginning of the period. There were many students
who were off topic talking. Some students were talking when the teacher was talking. There were students
cursing loudly. The students were rude to one another during the group activity. There were two girls who were
stomping around when they disagreed. There were two students with looking at a cell phone. There was a student
throwing things across the room.
Inappropriate and off task behavior had some negative impact on student learning.
[3B: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques]: Learning could be enhanced by creating a genuine discussion
among students.
The teacher asked a mix of low and high level questions: From that paragraph what are we going to need to be
able to do? How are we going to figure out the lengths? How do you figure out the side lengths? What do you
think they mean when they say the type of triangle? How would you figure out the amount of fencing? What do
you do to mark congruent segment? What are we dealing with in this question? What is the math word for equal?
What figures do you see in these trusses? How can you make ABC look like DEF? If you reflect it where does it
land? Does the order matter here? How many things can you learn on a triangle? How do I mark that on there?
How many parts of the triangle have to be congruent to prove the triangles are congruent? How many angles are
formed when two lines intersect?
The teacher relied primarily on volunteers during class discussion. There were several students who did not
participate in class discussion.
The teacher asked students to discuss some questions with their group but there was not a structure to ensure that
every voice was heard. Most of the mathematics discussion was between the teacher and one student at a time.

[1E: Designing Coherent Instruction/3C: Engaging Students in Learning]: Learning could be enhanced by providing
enough time, rigor, and practice for all students to be intellectually engaged.
Some of the students were intellectually engaged in the lesson. There were some students who were asking
questions and discussing their ideas with their group or teacher. Other students did not participate in learning and
either had their head down, eyes closed, or seemed to have their minds on other things. The unpacking portion of
the lesson was done by students for homework then again as a whole class. This was not intellectually engaging
for the students. When unpacking embedded assessment 3 few students contributed. During the Spring Board
activity introduction there was an opportunity for students to be passive allowing other students to answer
questions and interact with the lecture. There was not many tasks or problems for students to do.
Instructional groups were only partially effective. There were two groups that seemed to interact and support
each other effectively. One group did not discuss much at all and the other group was talking off task most of the
time. There was not a strategy in place to hold students accountable and keep them engaged.
The pacing of the lesson was slow in parts. The unpacking activity was 22 minutes. The introduction of the
Spring Board activity required students answer 2 questions. The teacher did most of the talking with some
questioning of students. This took 20 minutes.
Next Steps
Refer to the following text available FREE through Library Media Services. On the district website, search Go Library.
Select Resources & then Educator Virtual Library. Look in the Gale ASCD collection- open database and search for this
ebook title, password=hcpsfl --- Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners. By
Katy Ridnouer. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2006. Gale Virtual Reference
Library. Web. 3 May 2013.
Consider two trainings offered through the district: Teaching with Poverty in Mind and Teaching with Love and Logic.
Consider developing a classroom management plan with the students help to create buy in. Have them list expectations
and discuss the importance of the rules linking to student learning. Have them list appropriate rewards and consequences.
Refer to the following for a template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByPw23nZ-ZZpYnVPQXpPRWwwZjA/edit?
usp=sharing Modify seating arrangments to better focus students on the learning task. Check for a free online
management tracking system that can help establish procedures, record redirections, and reward on-task behaviors.
www.classdojo.com
Encouraging students to ask, "Why?" could enhance learning. Provide students with sentence stems to help them support
their thinking. This will allow students to use a resource to make their conversations more meaningful and will give the
teacher a method for providing clear feedback (3d). For example, if a student is giving a thin answer to his/her
neighbor, the partner or the teacher can say, I like your prediction so far. Add to that; tell your partner why you think that.
Can you use a sentence stem to help remind you of evidence from the text? Accountable Talk features and language
stems: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByPw23nZ-ZZpai1TMlFCODJQZFE/edit?usp=sharing
Differentiate instruction by strategically choosing assignments that are appropriate to the learning levels of the students.
Refer to the following link : target students' zone of proximal development.
http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/scaffolding/
Consider making smaller groups so all triangles are used. Refer to the attached document for more strategies on increasing
rigor and accountability through talk.

Informal Observation example 1:

Hillsborough County Informal Classroom Observation Tool
2a:
Environmen
t of Respect
and Rapport

Classroom interactions between the teacher and students or among the students were
generally respectful but had occasional behaviors that compromised the promotion of
learning. Students were not very nice to one another saying things like sit down, shut
up, and you wrong. The students cut one another down. Students used curse words
when speaking with one another. The teacher was friendly and supportive. One student
was disrespectful to the teacher yelling at her when she was asked to share her solution.
The teacher asked to speak with the student outside then removed her from the class.
Refer to the following ink for Tips for Building Rapport:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YG5vJUMa01adh51zHc86VKq3XWQONwPNuItrZJA
DbXQ/edit?usp=sharing" Refer to the following text available FREE through Library
Media Services. On the district website, search Go Library. Select Resources & then
Educator Virtual Library. Look in the Gale ASCD collection- open database and search for
this ebook title, password=hcpsfl --- Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for
Nurturing Adolescent Learners. By Katy Ridnouer. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2006. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3
May 2013.
The teacher attempted to create a culture for learning and was partially successful. The
commitment of the students was moderate and the expectations for student
achievement that have been set are modest. There were some students who worked
hard to complete their assigned problems while others seemed to just go through the
motions. There was one student with her head down during the lesson. Consider the
following text available FREE through Library Media Services: Activating the Desire to
Learn by Bob Sullo.

2b: Culture
for Learning

2c:
Classroom
Procedures

A Little instructional time was lost due to classroom routines or procedures for transitions,

2d: Student
Behavior

P It appeared that the teacher has made an effort to establish standards of conduct for

handling of supplies, and performance of non-instructional duties. The class ran

smoothly and students assist when needed. The teacher had the worksheet projected on
the board. The teacher had notes projected on the board with the steps for solving
systems of equations. The students each had their packet from their Agile workbook on
their desk.
students and monitored student behavior, responding to student misbehavior when
needed; however, the efforts were not always successful. There were many off task
students. Students used foul language and cut one another down. There were many
students moving around the classroom. The teacher did not address most off task
behavior. The teacher did ask one student to sit up but she did not. She took another
student outside to speak with her about her behavior. This was effective as the student
calmed down. Consider developing a classroom management plan with the students
help to create buy in. Have them list expectations and discuss the importance of the
rules linking to student learning. Have them list appropriate rewards and consequences.
Refer to the following for a template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByPw23nZZZpYnVPQXpPRWwwZjA/edit?usp=sharing Modify seating arrangments to better focus
students on the learning task. Check for a free online management tracking system that
can help establish procedures, record redirections, and reward on-task behaviors.
www.classdojo.com Have a list of consequences visible to students and walk through
each one with each student as undesirable behaviors continues.

2e: Physical
Space

A The classroom was safe, and learning was accessible to all students; the teacher

3a:
Communica
ting with
Students

A The teacher communicated the purpose and relevancy of the lessons instructional

3b:
Questioning
and
Discussion
Skills

3c. Student
Engagemen
t

3d: Using
Assessment

3e:
Flexibility
and

ensured that the physical arrangement supported the learning activities. The teacher
made effective use of physical resources. The students sat in rows facing the front of the
room. Students went to the board to model problems. All students could see the board.

outcomes clearly to the students. Directions and procedures were explained clearly and
the content was well scaffolded. The objective was written on the board: Students will
be introduced to a new method of solving systems: substitution. The teacher reminded
the students of the key word for the day: substitution. Students were able to go to the
board to explain their work to their classmates. A few students worked in pairs sharing
their solutions and explaining the process.
The teacher used a mix of levels of questioning designed to promote student thinking
and understanding; however, the students had limited discussion and fed the
information to each other instead of having a more in depth conversation. Questions
included: What do we need to find? How would you want to put that? What are you
going to substitute? To find? When you report something what are you doing? What are
the two different ways you can give answers with a system? What did it look like? The
teacher relied primarily on call outs. There were many students who did not participate
in class discussion. The teacher addressed student questions at their desks. The teacher
asked several probing questions to pairs of students. The students sat in pairs but
primarily shared answers instead of participating in higher order discourse. Consider
developing a list of questions to help guide the students to higher order discourse
during the lesson activity. Ask students to think about and discuss the questions using a
specific discussion strategy.
The learning tasks were aligned to the instructional outcomes and were designed to
challenge student thinking; however, the students were compliant and did not fully
intellectually engage in the lesson. The lesson structure did not allow the students the
time needed to be intellectually engaged. Some students were intellectually engaged.
They finished quickly but had nothing to keep them engaged while the teacher
supported struggling learners. The teacher walked around supporting students who had
questions. Not all students completed the assigned problems before the teacher and
students reviewed them on the board. The teacher asked the students to get to finish
the assigned problems with their shoulder partners. Some worked in groups and others
did not. There was not a strategy to ensure that students collaborated effectively. There
were some students who compared answers while others just copied their partner. There
was a student with her head down during the lesson and the teacher asked her to work
on her assignment but she continued to put her head down. Differentiate instruction by
strategically choosing assignments that are appropriate to the learning levels of the
students. Refer to the following link : target students' zone of proximal development.
http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/scaffolding/
Assessment was occasionally used in instruction, through some monitoring of progress
of learning by the teacher and/ or the students. Feedback to students was uneven, and
students were aware of only some of the criteria used to evaluate their work. The
teacher walked around monitoring progress and providing specific feedback to students
who asked. Some students worked in pairs comparing answers but others did not. Some
students sat alone. There was not a strategy in place to ensure students peer assessed.
The students were often on different numbers and assessment happened primarily as a
whole class globally. Consider allowing students time to practice through chunking the
lesson explanation and using a specific collaboration strategy. This will provide time for
peer assessment and monitoring of progress by the teacher.
The teacher responded to student questions/interest with moderate success.

Responsive
ness

Informal Observation Example 2:

Hillsborough County Informal Classroom Observation Tool
2a: Environment of
Respect and
Rapport

Classroom interactions between the teacher and students were

respectful and reflect knowledge and caring of individual students
beyond school. Students ensured high levels of civility by correcting
one another in their conduct towards classmates. The teacher used
positive reinforcement often and complimented students for their
efforts. The teacher said things like how beautiful and I like the
way A student said on the nose when his classmate explained
how to know if he is correct.

2b: Culture for

Learning

The classroom culture was characterized by the students and the

teacher showing a genuine commitment to the subject and the teacher
having high expectations for most students. The students expend good
effort to reach the expectations of the lesson.

2c: Classroom
Procedures

Students contributed with little prompting to the seamless operation of

the classroom routines and procedures for transitions, handling of
supplies, and performance of non-instructional duties. The teacher
projected bell work on the board. The students had a weekly bell work
sheet to complete their bell work. The teacher reviewed the bell work
with the help of the students. The teacher called randomly on students
using dice. The students had their homework on their desk and the
teacher projected the answers so students could correct their work.
The teacher asked students to give me a four. This was an attention
signal and she allowed some students to explain how they got four
using their fingers. The students had class jobs which were written on
the board and based on their table and seat number. The job
descriptions were briefly listed under the job titles.

2d: Student
Behavior

Standards of conduct appeared to be clear to students, and the

teacher monitored student behavior against those standards.
Inappropriate and off task student behavior had little to no impact on
the learning. The students were well behaved.

2e: Physical Space

The classroom was safe, and learning was accessible to all students;
the teacher ensured that the physical arrangement supported the
learning activities. The teacher made effective use of physical
resources. The students sat in groups angled toward the board. The
teacher projected work on the board using the ELMO.

3a: Communicating
with Students

The teacher linked the purpose and relevancy of the lessons

instructional outcomes to student needs. The directions and
procedures were clear and anticipated possible misunderstanding. The
teacher explained clearly and scaffolded the lesson well. The students
contributed to the lesson extension by explaining to other students.
The essential question was written on the board: What is the
relationship between the input value x and output value y? A student
read the essential question. Another student read the learning
objective from the board: Today we will learn about the relationship
between input variable (x) and the output variable (y) using function

machines to create function tables. The teacher used a PowerPoint

presentation to instruct. The teacher had a model function machine
and a visual on the PPT to explain input, output, and a function table.
The students were given many opportunities throughout the lesson to
explain the content to the whole class our their group.
3b: Questioning
and Discussion
Skills

3c. Student
Engagement

3d: Using
Assessment

3e: Flexibility and

Responsiveness

The teacher used a mix or levels of questioning designed to promote

student thinking and understanding. The teacher created genuine
discussion among the students and successfully engaged most
students in the discussion. Questions included: Is 9 less than 5? What
was it missing? What is a way I can always know that I have these
correct? Is -6 closer to zero or is -7 closer to zero? How can we figure
out what that variable equal? If I have an input machine here what did
I do to the x? What do we call the y? What is the relationship? For
every x how many ys are there? What does an equation have to have?
Do you need an equal sign to have an equation? What is another word
for our input? What does PEMDAS tell us to do? Are we going to
multiply or add first? The teacher used a variety of strategies to
ensure that all voices were heard. The teacher called randomly on
students, volunteers, and provided time for students to engage in
discussion in their groups.
The learning tasks were aligned with the instructional outcomes of the
lesson. They were designed to challenge student thinking and resulted
in intellectual engagement by the students. The lesson was scaffolded
and the pacing was appropriate. The students worked on bell work and
did a homework check quickly. The teacher introduced the new lesson
using the PowerPoint presentation. The students took notes and
practiced completing an input-output table. Students were encouraged
to check with their neighbors. Students were engaged asking
questions and explaining their thoughts often.
Assessment was regularly used in instruction, through self-assessment
by students, monitoring of progress by the teacher and/ or students,
and high quality feedback to the students. Students were aware of the
criteria used to evaluate their work. The teacher reviewed the bell
work with the assistance of the students. The students shared their
answers and explained how they know their answer is correct. The
students checked their homework answers against those posted. The
teacher walked around monitoring progress and provided specific
feedback to individual and groups of students as they completed the
input-output table. The students compared their work with their
neighbors.
The teacher promoted the successful learning of all students, making
adjustments as needed to instruction and accommodating student
questions and needs. The teacher stopped the class to have students
listen to a students excellent question. The teacher addressed all
student questions and supported struggling students.