*Different colours relate to different lesson reflections*

Observation Sheet Questioning

Graduate Standards - AITSL

Professional Knowledge: 1. Know students and how they learn
Professional Practice: 2. Plan and implement effective teaching and learning

Question Type

I feel like I could have made questions a little easier to follow as students
Do you feel your questions were unclear what the objective was from the way I posed particular
were clearly structured and questions.
readily understood by the
students? Learnt from the first lesson and made sure I used very plain English as I
have found particular students have a low literacy level. By breaking
down the question students were able to understand how to respond
appropriately.

Questioning is becoming a little easier and I think that checking in with

the students as we go through content builds their confidence in
answering questions.
I did use different questions types but found that when I used complex
Did you use a variety of language students didnt understand. I need to find a way to present
question types? questions that require thinking but in a way that the students are still able
to understand.

Started off with easy yes/no, agree/disagree questions and moved from
What balances was there there to what do you think type questions
between the various questions
types? Used a couple using the knowledge you have gained how would you
solve this problem type question.

The progression of questions was good and have continued to use this
model to ease students into complex questions.
I used the yes/no, disagree/agree type questions to gauge their
Consider both why and when understanding of what I just taught them. This allowed me to then
you made use of the different backtrack and clarify content they hadnt quite grasped. Also gave me
question types? insight into what kind of explanations are easier for the students to
understand more realistic and hands on ideas to explain concepts

Complex questioning, I used to evaluate if students could take all the

snippets of information I gave them and put it all together (like a puzzle)
to solve a real world problem.
Example:
We talked about cells and how inside a cell the individual parts all have a
specific role to play to make the cell function. After questioning if they
knew the individual parts functions I asked gave them a problem the cell
could be presented with to solve and asked them how the cell would use
all its individual parts to solve it based on what their knowledge of what
each part of the cell does.
Distributing and Directing Questions

Did you recognise any pattern Yes, I tended to look to the students whose name I knew and the students
in the distribution of your who were really plugged in to what we were doing (ie always raising
questions amongst the their hand).
students? Consider reasons
for this pattern? I think I did this because it was easier to address someone whose name I
knew or who knew the answer.

After lesson 1 I knew that a particular student always said they knew
nothing but when I asked them an individual question outside the group
they were able to answer it. There was more than one student like this in
my classes and I think they are just scared to say the wrong thing. So now
I am asking the students who are purposely avoiding questions and
praising their correct answers and helping them get to the right answers
if they start to flounder in order to boost their confidence in the class.

How have you directed I posed questions to the whole class in the first lesson as I was still
questions to the group? learning everyones names.

Realized students like to know that you know their name or are at least
trying to learn them and see them as individuals and that by addressing
the whole class all the time I was conveying I didnt see them as
individuals. Will have to try to come up with a way to address student
directly even if I do not know their name.

Sat in on a class before my lesson and saw one of the teachers method
for addressing a student whose name they are still learning. Used it
during me lesson and I think the students responded better to the
questions. I directed the question to the class and then asked those who
knew the answer to raise their hand and purposely chose students whose
names I did not know. When I picked them I asked their name and then I
repeated their name and reposed the question directly to them for their
answer.

Have you used wait time? Yes, though at the front of the class 5 seconds feels like 5 minutes and I
start to think students dont know the answer so I have to keep myself
calm and wait just a little while longer. If there is a long pause I will
rephrase the question or give them a hint.

Did you make eye contact with Yes, I made sure to look at all the students in the group.
the group as you directed your
questions?
 Reactions to Students Responses

How do you deal with correct I do praise the correct answers but in a way that is not a put down to
responses? Do you qualify any anyone who got the incorrect answer. I find this especially important in
praise given? larger groups because every student is always scared about having the
wrong answer so I think it is important to praise them arriving at the
right answer.

How do you deal with incorrect I try to get them thinking about the question another way or ask them
responses? How do you deal why they think that to see how they got to the answer they have given.
with students who stumble and Sometimes it was just a matter of how I praised the question that
grope for an answer? confused them or how I presented content.

Students who stumble I try to lead to an answer by asking them smaller

simple questions that relate to the bigger picture question I have asked.
Or I reassure them that its okay to take their time to answer the question
and give them time to think of something by telling a story. while telling
the story I may see that they are very unsure so the story allows me
either go back to the student after I finish it or to move on without it
being obvious and that student feeling embarrassed.

What use do you make of the I found that the students were able to bring new ideas and ways of
students responses to develop looking at things to the discussion so I used this to develop the teaching
the teaching point? Have you point.
redirected any questions in Yes, when students have an idea I run with it and ask other student to
order to add to an initial add their input to the discussion.
response?

Are you the only evaluator of The mentor teacher also evaluates the responses the students give.
the students answers?

Overall Comments

Questioning is hard especially being able to continue to ask different kinds of questions. I think with
practise this will become easier though. I am finding that the use of plain language is the best way to
get the students on the same page as you as well. It is surprising to me as I had quite an extensive
vocabulary when I was their age from reading but I assume that with the heavy reliance on
technology that reading is becoming less common and the expose to big words occurring less. As I
am travelling on the road to becoming a teacher it is now a personal mission to me to broaden the
students vocabulary in order to ready them for the world outside the school.
*Using sheet from Lesson 2 with Year 11*

Observation Sheet Managing the classroom environment

Graduate Standards AITSL

Professional Practice:
1. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
2. Planning for Effective Management

Was your lesson plan effective This lesson was more effective than lesson 1 as I provided students with
for managing the class? more learning approaches and activities to continue to engage them.
moving from one activity to the next kept them interested more than the
one activity that was planned in lesson 1.

Did anything unexpected Students who the day before said they knew nothing about the subject as
happen? we went through the content were able to relay content and concepts in
class today.

Did you provide a variety of Yes, we did a few activities today centred around the same topic.
activities?

Were you satisfied with your No, I still am struggling to finish the activities at an early enough time to
timing, particularly for the end have a bring it all together moment at the end of class/
of the lesson?

Did you feel you were able to Yes, in this lesson because I had more activities planned and all the
change things if needed? materials and resources in the room I was able to change things up when
students became bored or disruptive during a particular task.

Were you aware of classroom Yes, the counting down from 3 method is used in many classrooms in the
procedures and school school as well as 3 strike policy before a 10min detention is issued.
disciplinary policy?

How much did you know I had observed them all of last week and already done one lesson with
about your students? them. While I am still learning everyones name I have noticed which
students get bored easily, which shut down, which are excelling and
which are already struggling a bit. I also am starting to understand what
language I can use with these students. They do not all have a very
complex vocabulary.

How did your mentor teacher All students were viewed as equal and no put downs were tolerated it the
maintain a safe learning class. all answers were accepted to questions.
environment? What strategies Allowing students to help each other when stumbling with answers,
did your observe your mentor ensuring that all students knew that there are always going to be certain
teacher using to maintain concepts that stump us and that we just need to figure out as a class the
this? best way for us each to learn
Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the Classroom

How did you demonstrate to I used an interested tone of voice and mentioned what I studied at
the students that you valued university. I also made sure to ask students about their interest in science
them, and enjoyed learning? and what they wanted to do after graduation.

Which aspects of your The variety of activities. More energy was directed into figuring out the
teaching style do you feel way the activities worked than in socializing as they usually do. I think
helped you maintain class that as a class they will need to have many activities planned for each
attention? lesson.

Did the students know what I did mention a few times that I expected exemplary behaviour as they
was expected of them? are in year 11 but I think that as a class we need to have set rules that
come across as a routine so that students dont attempt to blatantly break
the rules of the classroom.

Were you able to redirect This one has been a bit hard for me as there is not only 1 student doing
energies of attention seeking this throughout class but 2 groups of 4 doing it constantly. I think in
students? Did the students order to start redirecting the energy a seating plan would be effective.
have enough The students are feeling like they run the class because their collective 4
to do? voices are overpowering everyone elses. Hopefully splitting them up
will prove to ease the situation and dealing with one of the student in
those groups acting up will be easier than 8 at the same time.
Yes, there were a few activities planned and I made sure to move onto
other activities promptly after completing one.
Dealing with Minor Misbehaviour

Were you aware of what was With the Year 11 class it is a bit easier to be aware of all the students as
happening in all parts of the there are only 15 students in the class whereas the year 8 class has close
classroom? Did you know to 30.
what each student was doing?

Did you take any action when Yes, I took action so the student knew that this was not appropriate
you observed poor behaviour? behaviour. This occurred as 2 groups of 4 students each in the class
Why? Why not? disrupt the classroom every day by talking amongst themselves and not
paying attention to the lesson or the initial non-verbal cues to quiet
down.

Did you use non-verbal cues? Yes, I used pauses, movement towards students and tried using a look to
e.g. Contact, pause, gesture, convey what they were doing was not appropriate and that I knew they
movement toward student/s were off task. The look I think needs work as this was not very effective.
concerned. The moving towards students in this class seems to work best.

Overall Comments
Looking at the whole school

Describe the school in terms of its The school is fairly new so all the buildings are very clean and
demographics, appearance and fitted out with all that you could possibly want. They have Apple
resources (be general here and do not TV in most rooms for teachers to use to project their computer
name the school). screen at the front of the class. Science resources are pretty
good. There are heaps of resources there to choose from and
lots of experiments you can conduct with your class using the
materials available. They have some technicians who look
after the equipment and are able to help you find everything
you are looking for.

What were the roles and responsibilities 1. Maintain a safe environment for the students
of the teaching staff you observed? 2. Ensure that all students are following the code of
conduct and also the uniform policy
3. Mentor groups are run in the mornings and in this
teachers form relationships with their students so that
the students feel they at least have one teacher to turn
to in a time of need
4. Make sure the school diaries are being used.
5. Mark attendance and follow up with students about
any lates or absences
6. Be available to assist students who seek or need it
7. Be rostered on for recess/lunch duty to ensure all
students safety
8. Attend faculty meetings and school meetings
9. As this is a large school, there are a few teachers for
each year group of science and as such they made the
lesson plans together but more importantly they make
the assessments together.
10. In relation to the last point, it I the teachers
responsibility to ensure that students are well equipped
for assessments and are being taught the same
content across all classes
After discussion with your mentor From the discussion I gathered that there is great pressure on
teacher describe how policies and teachers today. From the government setting out what should
processes of government, administration be taught every year, to administration having to put in place
and schools have an affect on the work vast amounts of policies and procedures that teachers have to
of the teacher? follow and enforce with students, to the pressure put on
schools and teachers by parents. This makes teachers jobs
just that little bit more stressful. In a way you are meant to be
an educator and a security guard and a police officer and
sometimes a medic all in one. It can be daunting and can affect
the quality of work of the teacher. In todays society there is a
bigger push for school to teach students everything they need
in life, even basic skills that would have been taught at home in
the pastrespect, appropriate behaviour, sewing, cooking,
how to use tools, how to use a computer etc. etc. There is a
larger onus on the teacher and the school than there is on the
parents to teach skills. Also in terms of policies and
administration there are so many rules that have been put in
place now. A simple touch on the shoulder of a student can be
misconstrued as inappropriate in a school where as in the real
world it is just a sign of a good job done or to indicate I
understand.

What did you observe non-teaching staff doing to The lab technicians support learning by knowing
support teaching and learning in the school? what materials are available and where it can be
found. It was told to me that if ever I am stuck for
an idea of an activity for a particular subject to ask
the lab techs as they are able to tell you exactly
what they have to support your content.

I also got to meet the food techs whose job is to

oversee food classes and ensure the stock is in the
fridge, equipment is in the right place and also
portion out all food ahead of time for each cooking
class. This is a huge help to the food teachers as
they do not need to have all the ingredients
prepared themselves, the food techs are there to
aid with that so they can oversee the cooking.

IT staff are also really helpful in the school. Any

issues with school computers, laptops, ipads or
issues connecting/logging in to the school network
are looked after by them. They were all very helpful
and they are able to help the staff and students
stay connected to all networks to ensure all
learning occurs smoothly when using technology as
an aide.
Students

You will have observed the diverse While there were a range of students all coming from different
nature of your classes. How was this backgrounds, the school encourages high expectation for all
diversity supported? students. I think this is great as it allows all students an
opportunity to learn and no student feels they are being out in a
box.

All buildings are suited with an elevator for students who require
a wheelchair or crutches and classrooms all have moveable
desk and chair to accommodate wheelchairs.

For children with autism there is a special program for them at

the school. Although I did not have the opportunity to work very
closely with the program I was able to meet some of the
students in the program. There are a range of helpers who do
go to classes with them and who work in tandem with teachers
to ensure that the students are well supported in the classroom.
Function of Schools

Did you observe the connection On one of the staff development days before the term began
of your schools with the broader there was an information session for all the teachers in the
community? How did this community as the school is linked to a few primary schools in
happen? the area. The different faculties have meetings so that they can
talk about the curriculum for the students in primary and
secondary so that they are all on the same page for what is
expected at each level of study. There was also a parent session
in which they could see how the curriculum was structured to
ensure a smooth transition from primary to secondary school for
their children.

What do you think the function of I think the function of the school is to provide a safe, interesting
school is? and engaging environment for students in order to foster and
encourage learning. It is the schools job to provide quality
education to students. School is a time of preparation and
learning of how to cope and make your way in the outside world
as an adult.

Reflection think about your I think I saw this as easy to do because I have the content
experiences during the week and knowledge but I have found from these two weeks that teaching
describe how your previous is not easy. there is nothing easy about it. Even having the
experiences have informed your content under my belt it is always a struggle to balance
view of teachers and schools. everything else at the same timemanaging behaviour, content
Has anything changed? presentation ect. Thinking back to my views on teaching I
always thought my teachers just came in everyday winging it but
now I know that they probably went over what they wanted to
teach and how they wanted to teach it over and over again the
night previous to ensure all transition were seamless.