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Class Observation 1

Class Observation

University of New EnglandEDU 704, Supervision and Evaluation

August 9, 2012Bruce Cooper



Class Observation 2

E-Mail

Dear Mr. Totman,

Thank you for the time you shared with me last week in our pre-observation

meeting. I am very grateful that you have dedicated yourself to the teaching profession

and the information you gave me about the class I am to observe was very helpful.

I am looking forward to observing your class this August 8, 2012 on period 2.

Yours in education,Bruce Cooper



Class Observation 3

As was pre- arraigned, I visited Mr. Totman’s civics class on August 8, 2012. His

classroom is room 128 and prior to the start of the class I noticed the he was standing

outside his door, observing students as they passed and greeting the ones that were

entering. Once the bell rang, he invited me in and directed me to an empty desk in the

back of the class. I will be observing this class for the entire 80-minute block.

The class is civics and is comprised of 24 students, mostly seniors with about 5 or 6

juniors. There gender is 15 males and 9 female and we have one adult lady who is an

Educational Tech and she is assigned to one of the young men. He is a behavioral studentwith ADHD. Mr. Totman has had this student before and has had success with his

progress.

During Mr. Totman’s pre -observation conference, we discussed the lesson on the

First Amendments Freedom of Speech. He asked me to observe the classroom

environment as to whether the students are engaged in the lesson. Like many teachers, he

is very enthusiastic with what he is teaching but wants to know if his students become

enthusiastic as well. I will also be focusing on his lesson as to how well it is planned and

to the flow of his transitioning from one activity to another. This will take into count the

classroom environment that will tie-in his culture for learning and his preparation for

activities that will support this learning. (Domain 2: The Classroom Environment and

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation)



Class Observation 4Observation

Planning and Preparation

Mr. Totman’s class started on time and he had prepared a quick write as an

introduction to todays lesson. On the board he had a writing prompt that the students

needed to respond to. It was obvious that they have done this type of task before as they

quickly settled down and got to work. Mr. Totman took his attendance and then

circulated about the class checking on the students work. Several of them ask him if they

were on the right track and he helped those that needed it. This learning activity was

distinguished as Domain 1: component 1c: in all four elements of Value, sequence and

alignment; Clarity; Balance; and Suitability for diverse learners. It was very obvious to

the observer that these students are well versed in the quick write as they completed the

task on time and the few that finished early prof-read others that had also finished early.

The special needs child worked right along with all the others. He did not need his aid

and finished at the same time as the rest of the class. When Mr. Totman stood by his desk

for a moment, he did not need to help him, as he seemed to know what he was doing.

This lesson was well prepared. Once 10 minutes had passed Mr. Totman called all

the students to listen to what he had to say. He explained that the Freedom of Speech has

limitations and why that was. He also explained the origins of this powerful part to our

Bill of Rights. This took about 10 minutes and then he had the students pair and share

what they had written and how it varied from what they had just learned. An appointment

clock that all the students had in their notebooks did the pairing. All Mr. Totman had to

do was say, “ Go to your 3 o’clock person” and the students got out of their chairs and

paired up. The discussions were lively and most all the students were participating. When



Class Observation 5

Mr. Totman felt that someone was not being active, he checked in on them and prodded

them along. “Content and process outcomes are usually present simultaneously, they

complement and build on one another” (Danielson, 2007, p. 52). By teaching and having

the students re-teach, Mr. Totman has created a classroom that is very dynamic in

instruction and activity. He asked me to check and see if his students have the

enthusiastic attitude for learning. By my observation of this part of his lesson I would

have to say yes.

Classroom EnvironmentMr. Totman has created an environment of respect and rapport that is evident

from the moment you step into the classroom. As a matter of fact, it starts outside the

room as he greets and is greeted by the many students that walk by. This attitude has a

trickle down effect as you can see t he student’s treating each other with respect as they

pair up in groups. “In a respectful environment, all students feel valued and safe”

(Danielson, 2007, p. 64). There is no doubt that his students feel that they are a valued

part of his class and that what they have to say is important. He makes sure that all the

students have a turn to share in the discussion and that they are listened to. When Mr.

Totman was asked “ What is speech?” by one of his students, no one laughed at him and

Mr. Totman responded by saying “ What a great Question”. This could have been

handled differently and the student could have been ridiculed. Instead, Mr. Totman

invited the class to come up with a definition.

Mr. Totman has shown his enthusiasm as to the importance of civics and the

lessons that he has for his students. They see this and how important he feels that they



Class Observation 6

learn this information. “Both students and the teacher see the content as important, and

students take obvious pride in their work (Danielson, 2007, p. 67, 68). This observation

was made evident not only by the activity that I observed but also by the student work

that was displayed through out the classroom.

The class was brought back together for a short YouTube video on the Freedom

of Speech titled “ FIRE ”. It explained the limitations of this right and the basic reasoning

of its importance to the American way of life. After the video finished, the class had an

open discussion of what they thought they message was. All students were invited to

raise their hand and give their opinion and Mr. Totman tried to draw out a few of the

quiet ones. When all had an opportunity to speak, he did a quick re-teach of the high

lights of the lesson and asked if there were any questions as we are going to have a quiz.

Mr. Totman handled the question” What is on the quiz?” by responding” today lesson”.

The quiz was ten questions, eight were multiple choice and the last two were open ended.

Before they were finished he had their homework assignment on the board and if they

finished early, they could start on it now.

Suggestions

The classroom was set in a traditional set up of rows facing forward. Six rows of five

desk and chairs. It would be more conducive to class discussion if they were in a circle or

semi-circle. Having the students facing one another while they are discussing a topic

makes for a better atmosphere. The students in his classroom are for the most part mature

enough to be able to handle this set up and he could still take attendance without having



Class Observation 7

to worry as he could assign seats in this manor. I also suggest that he look into using the

students’ laptops with googledocs. This app. allows all the students to share in an

interactive document in real time. He could post his quick write on the web page and

have the students share their work all at once. What he is doing is great, this is just

another way of doing it while integrating technology.

Other observations

Mr. Totman has a great report with his students and they feel very comfortable with him.

I did feel that at times he gave too much freedom in his class. He had students leave to go

to the bathroom without signing out. I realize that this can be a tedious function at times,

but you need to be strict with this policy so that all students are accounted for. He is a

very trusting person and for the most part I feel that it is rare that a student breaks his

trust.

I enjoyed this observation of Mr. Totman’s class and look forward to his continued

success as a teacher.



Class Observation 8

References

Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching.Alexandria, VA: ASCD

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