Nailea Pena

September 18, 2019

TED 570, #5-8
Observation Lenses

Lens 1: Consider the Learning Climate

The learning climate of a classroom refers to its physical and emotional environment. Some of the most
important observable features of the learning environment are (a) the warmth, concerns, and
expectations conveyed to students by the teacher, (b) the organization of the physical aspects of the
classroom, and (c) the competitiveness, cooperation, or independence encouraged by the structure of
activity within the classroom that can promote or preclude cohesion and interaction among students.

As you complete your observation, create a Venn diagram showing how the classroom you are
observing is the same/different from your classroom. For example:

Equity Sticks

-I want to teach 1st or 2nd

grade so I feel like assigned
-Students do not have an seats in table groups would
assigned seat, instead they work best
switch from center to center
-Will keep hand sanitizer in
-She has them wash their the classroom in order to
hands as soon as they get here maintain a clean
in the morning, before -She has themenvironment
seated boy girl
breakfast, after using the whenever on the carpet or whenever
bathroom, when coming in they are in line, this is something I want
from recess and before lunch, a to do in my classroom
lot of times but necessary

-Tells students that they have

to speak up for themselves, if
they do not like something
then they need to explain it to
their class mate

After your observation, write a paragraph explaining what changes you want to make if any. What have
you done in your classroom to create a positive learning climate?

I agree with making the students speak up for themselves because that is the only way that the
students can understand what behavior is acceptable and what is not. The teacher also does
not like the whole apologizing approach, she tells the students to tell their classmate that they
did not like what was done, and the other student says they will not do it again. I would like
more of an organized setup in my classroom, although I feel the classroom is set up this way
because they are transitional kindergarteners. In order to create a positive learning
environment I will make sure that my students are always respectful to each other as well as to
myself.

Lens 2: Focus on Classroom Management (Lemov)

Classroom management involves how teachers organize the classroom and anticipate and respond to
student behavior to provide an environment for efficient learning. Having and maintaining high
behavioral expectations underlies successful learning in any classroom. In your observations, do the
students respond with 100% compliance? When giving instructions and directions to student are the
directions specific, concrete, sequential, and observable? Does the teacher practice the five principles of
strong voice: economy of language, do not talk over, do not engage, square up/stand still, and quiet
power? Is the classroom management proactive or reactive? Are the consequences predictable and
consistent?

Create a list of techniques that you observe related to classroom management. Identify one or two you
will use in your class in the next week or two. After using the technique, write a paragraph or two
explaining how it worked. (Remember that consistency is the key to success so you might give the new
technique a little time before deciding whether or not it will be effective in your classroom)

-Boy, girl, boy, girl

-keeps friends away from each other when on carpet, in line
-sits students who usually argue away from each other when starting activities
-”brain break”, dancing to educational/fun songs
-consequences are always known, usually always follow directions after teacher calls their attention
-tells them she will have to talk to their parents or take recess time away
-rings bell, students put hands on shoulders and are quiet, she asks what does the bell mean, they say “5
more minutes,” rings the bells again in 5 minutes, students put hands on shoulders, asks them what the bell
means, they say ”time to clean up,'' they clean and sit at their tables until they are called to the next activity
-do not always respond with 100% compliance but I feel like their age has a lot to do with it, they are so
young and for a lot of them it is their first year in school
-always make sure students do not speak over adults
-straight lines, looking forward, hands on sides, still struggling with this

I will use boy, girl, boy, girl when lining students up and sitting them on the carpet because I have noticed
that it helps with paying attention and causes less distractions. I have not been able to try this on my own,
but I will be substituting next thursday where I plan on using this technique.

Lens 3: Look for Lesson Clarity

Lesson clarity refers to a teacher's ability to speak clearly and directly and to organize and structure
content at the students' current level of understanding. Some observable approaches to lesson clarity
include informing learners of expected skills and understandings before a lesson; providing advance
organizers that place the lesson content in the perspective of past and future learning; using examples,
illustrations, demonstrations, and instructional media that can expand and clarify lesson content; and
reviewing and summarizing during and at the close of a lesson.
Use bullet notes to fill out the chart below.

How are students How does the teacher What examples, How does the teacher
informed of expected provide context for the illustrations, review and summarize
skills/understandings lesson? (Considering demonstrations or learning at the close of
before the lesson? past and future instructional media is the lesson?
learning) used to expand or
clarify the content?
-The teacher has them -Many of the students -At every table there is a -We were counting the
all sit on the carpet, she have never been to picture in the tub that days of the week,
then tells them what school before, so the explains what the where she repeatedly
activities will be come first two weeks the aide students must do with asked them how many
next and who will go and myself were the items inside, most days are in the week
where and in what physically of the times they just and how many are in
order. demonstrating how to play with the items, the weekend, she had
-We walk around while do things because they which is where the them count out loud
they are in their table did not comprehend adults come in and tell while following with
groups to make sure instructions at all times them what to do their fingers
that they are doing the -She provides context -There are pictures next -I think this is the best
correct activity and when reading by to their names so that way to review lessons
practicing the fine motor showing them the title they recognize that it is with students this
skills they were assigned page and the pages in their name young
the book where she lets -We do ABC songs on
the students assume youtube where the kids
what it will be about love to act/dance out
the letters

Lens 4: Observe Task Orientation

Task orientation involves effective teaching practices that help the teacher maintain an instructional
focus, such as methods of managing classroom activities efficiently, ways of handling misbehavior with
minimal disruption to the class, reducing instructional time devoted to clerical duties, and maximizing
time devoted to content coverage. Methods of task orientation can be observed in lesson plans that
reflect the text and follow state standards, rules and procedures that anticipate and thereby reduce
misbehavior, and established milestones e.g., tests, reviews, and assignments) for maintaining
instructional momentum.

How does the teacher maintain instructional momentum in the classroom? Give at least three examples
in which the teacher efficiently manages activities and transitions, maximizes time for instruction, and
uses established rules and procedures to reduce misbehavior. Explain how this might change your own
instructional practice.

The teacher maintains instructional momentum in the classroom by keeping alarms on her phone that
remind her when it is time to give students warnings, when it is time to clean up and when we should
start getting ready for breakfast/recess/lunch. When dealing with misbehavior she immediately gets the
students attention, if they continue she tells them that they will lose recess time, which usually helps. If
misbehavior persists then she tells them that she is going to call their parents which always works. We
have a student with an IEP, and we have a specific chair that we have him sit on when he starts to get all
fidgety on the carpet. Students have to use the restroom in the classroom, so while half of them are in
line the other half are on the carpet singing ABC’s or counting numbers. Everything has pretty much
been trying to get the students to follow the routine of the classroom, and I want to learn more about
how my cooperating teacher deals with these transitions.

Lens 5: Engagement
How does the teacher engage all students in the learning process? Are techniques such as cold call
used? When the teacher is engaging a student does the teacher scaffold the learning in the series of
questions?

Make a list of all of the engagement techniques you see modeled in the lesson plan.

-Teacher engages all students in the learning process by calling on students that are not participating,
she then makes sure that they participate and does not take her eyes off of them until they do.
-Students who know the answers to questions usually say them out loud, but when the teacher wants a
specific student to answer she calls on them.
-I would say that cold calling is definitely involved when trying to engage all students.
-I would say that the teacher definitely scaffolds questions when students do not understand the
original question being asked.
-For example with our ELL’s, we always repeat things in Spanish so that they know what is going on.
-Since our students are so young, they forget that they have basic needs that they need to do, for
example using the bathroom and drinking water, so we always take the opportunity to ask every single
student in alphabetical order if they have to use the restroom or drink water.
-The students are very young, so we do not really do many group lessons, we do a lot of small group
work/center time, so I have not seen too many engagement techniques being used.
-Positive reinforcement is also always used, which makes the students smile and they are
always proud of themselves.

Lens 6: Look for Higher Thought Processes and Performance Outcomes

Higher thought processes are critical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving behaviors that alone
cannot be measured by tests of cognitive achievement. Some observable features of teaching for higher
thought processes include using collaborative and group activities, demonstrating for students’ mental
models and strategies for learning, arranging for student projects and demonstrations, engaging
students in oral performance, providing opportunities for independent practice and problem solving,
and using performance assessments and student portfolios.

What opportunities are given for students to think critically, reason, and problem solve during the
lesson? Write a paragraph summarizing what higher level thinking is happening in this particular
classroom. What changes if any would you make to ensure you are challenging students?

-We do group activities a lot, were the students usually share a tub/activity with either a table of 4 or
with just one partner. Together they try to complete the activity, such as trying to clip the ABC’s
together in the correct order, or clipping numbers together.
-Again, our students are so young that a lot of their learning is play based, and meant to improve their
fine motor skills, because a lot of them can barely even hold a pencil correctly.
-I would make some of their tubs/activities a little more engaging with academics, for example there is a
couple of tubs that involve play doh. I understand that the playdoh will help with their fine motor skills
but I would probably have my students trace letters or numbers instead of just rolling it.
-We also always like to ask “what comes next?” to get them to think critically.

Lens 7: Assessment
What type of assessment did you observe? Was it formative/summative/informal or formal? Did ALL of
the students have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning? If so, how was this accomplished?

Reflect on how you assess student learning? What other methods might you use in the future?

-When I thought about this question, I at first thought that our students do not really get assessed, but
after thinking about it for awhile I realized that they do, they are just so young that their assessments
are more informal and basic/simple. For example, the teacher might ask “what comes after A?” when
we are reciting the alphabet. Or “how many days are in a week?” after we finish going over the
calendar.
-All of the students did not have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding because the
students who usually know all of the answers always answer first, I also feel like our ELL’s are sometimes
lost when it comes to these questions being asked because things are not translated 100% of the time.
-When working with small groups I first make sure the students understand the activity that they are
doing, if we are at the ABC table, ill ask them what comes after each letter, if we are at the number table
then i'll ask them what numbers come next. Or i'll ask them to tell me about what they have done.
-I feel like other more complex methods can not really be used in my TK classroom because of how
young they are, and they’re attention span is not long at all.
-I hope to teach first or second grade, and a couple of assessments that I feel I can use in the future are
the bear spelling test, iReady on the computer, weekly spelling tests, and fun games such as jeopardy.

Lens 8: Look for differentiation

In observing another classroom, ask yourself if the structure of the lesson is appropriate to the learning
objective. You have been exposed to several different lesson formats, such as a five-step lesson plan,
I/we/you, etc. Is the lesson plan format appropriate to the learning and to the content area? Is the
lesson plan appropriately scaffolded for all learners? Is there differentiation in the lesson plan?

Watch two different students in the classroom. How are you able to determine whether they have
access the lesson? Describe what you see. If possible, follow up with the teacher afterward.

-I observed the kindergarten classroom next door and I saw the teacher use the I/we/you lesson
plan format, the lesson was tracing the letter C and filling the letter with drawings of their choice.
The teacher started off telling them about the letter, its sound, and then asked them to repeat
what she was saying. She then proceeded to show them what they would be doing on the
worksheet once they got to their seats, they went to their seats and proceeded to work.
-I feel like the lesson was appropriate to learning the content area, especially for a class this
age. The lesson was appropriately scaffolded for all learners, for example the ELL’s were told
the instructions in Spanish to better understand.
-There was not much differentiation in the lesson because I feel like it was fairly simple and
straightforward. But then again it was translated for the ELL’s, which can be differentiation.
-I observed two specific students who understood the concept perfectly and got straight to work
as soon as they were at their tables. They were able to trace the letters perfectly, and when the
teacher asked them what the C sound was they were able to answer correctly.