PSI: Lesson Observation Form

Date: Nov 22, 2017

Student Teacher: Sabrina Kyle

School: George Davison

Lesson Focus: Weather types

University Supervisor: James Rempel

Outcomes for Lesson – Alberta Program of Studies and Ministerial Order Competencies
All in place

Pre-Conference Goals:

Lesson Observations:

Lesson Maintain... Think about...

Segments
Beginning  The calming activity at the beginning of the  Having the students writing down the words of the
lesson - deep breaths and falling arms like rain word wall in their unit work booklet. Bringing another
(weather related). Loved it – what a great way to level to the word wall work to encourage spelling and
start a lesson (especially after coming in from writing skill. I know this would have taken quite a bit
recess)! You also used a theme from their more time with the grade 1 writers, so maybe that
learning for the day (questions about seasons), wouldn’t be easy to do in this lesson timeframe...
and so it became a kind of anticipatory set as
well.
 Using “quiet hands” to respond to questioning –
strong class management strategy.
 The word wall activity regarding weather words
was excellent – a strong cross-curricular piece
with the vocab building.
 Students were focused on you – speaks of the
climate you have created. No one had their back
turned to you (you had obviously talked with them
in the table groups about this physical
reorienting).
 Prompting them to deepen/expand their word
wall sharing. Building a significant list. You are
honoring this process by taking it seriously.
 Encouraging them even when responses are not
particularly helpful (like when a student repeated
a response that was already up on the word wall)
 Taking the time to say the words on the wall as
you point to each of them – word recognition and
pronunciation rolled into this exercise.
 Your voice is so warm, so encouraging, and so
purposeful. And you speak slowly and articulate
clearly. You repeat for emphasis when you feel
the need. Voice as tool of instruction!

Middle  Movement into the matching of the weather type  What about having them not only write down the
words with the season categories (you gave the word shared by a student, but adding two of their
anticipatory set with the word wall, and now they own, and then have a wider sharing of student ideas
are applying these ideas to the seasonal – always looking to create equal student voice.
 categories – logical and supportive progression).  As we talked about after the lesson, considering how
This main activity for the lesson is prompting we can move to a shared class purpose for
them with critical thinking – matching weather managing behavior rather than just management
words with the seasons. This kind of criterial “techniques” that call on students to fall into line with
thinking is moving them up Bloom’s taxonomy of the authority teacher when the teacher calls for
thinking. After the lesson when we talked you attention.
also mentioned that in your circulating around to
groups you were having discussions about how
the weather types could fit into more than one
category. This is another good evaluative piece
of thinking – the criterial thinking is getting a little
broader.
 Corroborating good behavior (with comments to
the whole class, and to individuals). Reminding
them as you are handing out the cards to the
table groups that they need to be attentive, and
you were waiting for their attention. Worked very
well.
 Also liked your thumbs up, listening ears on for
class wide attention.
 Encouraging them in advance of their work to
work very hard with their “group-mates” (like this
choice of word to address their collaborative
groups). You are setting them up for success
whenever you take the time to front-end load
expectations for an activity.
 Your quiet taking aside of the one student to
address his behavior – wonderfully well done!
Non-confrontative, totally supportive,
encouraging the kind of behavior you wanted,
and then quietly moving him back into his group
(no fuss, no attention drawn to this at all – in fact
none of the students seemed to pay it any
attention). You got him set back up at his table
group – prepping him for success and then
moved right back into your circulation around the
room. Not allowing this management piece to
break into or cloud the positive feeling of the
ongoing process of the learning. I noticed him
come up to you later to quietly check on
something quickly, and he seemed attentive and
positive during the rest of the table work (this was
a success – you chose to empower him rather
than discipline him!).
 Your constant circulation around the room to help
was just excellent! You very supportive with
them, and engage constantly in dialogue with
them as you circulate.
 2 big thumbs up – to get attention when the
whole group was working hard – you waited for
most thumbs (perhaps encourage and wait for all
to get them up – take the time).
 Movement into a second activity for the lesson,
working in their workbooks – efficient transition
into handing out booklets to table groups.
 “1,2,3, eyes on me” with their response back –
focusing attention again. “Quiet Hands” as well.
 Use of the special projector to show your
workbook page, and only the part that you are
working with – to have the visual up for them
helps to ensure that they are focusing on what
they need to do.
 A progress check with “thumbs up when you are
done” in filling in their words – good to see the
 process of allowing for individual pacing while still
keeping the pace going. When we talked later
after class you indicated that you had also
encouraged “sponge” work for those who were
finishing more quickly (going more deeply into the
weather categories in their booklets) – great to
see this attentiveness to keeping them purposeful
– this is the best sort of class management.

End  Clean-up time with the workbooks.  Always get in some conclusion of learning – whole
 You had planned for an elbow partner sharing of group celebration of the period’s learning, recapping
a new learning from class and then a sharing key understandings, looking forward from this
(think in pairs, then share). This would have been lesson.
a great conclusion together with your looking
ahead to learning next class.

Post-Conference Goals: