Teaching Practices Observation and Evaluation Essay

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Table of Contents

The First Teaching Observation
The Second Teaching Observation
Comparison of the Lessons
Concepts Learnt
Remarks

The First Teaching Observation

Title of Observed Session

Scaffolding as a Teaching Strategy

The instructor introduces students to the concept of scaffolding using a PowerPoint presentation. The lesson is buoyed by real-life learning examples that demonstrate how scaffolding works.

	Evaluative Criteria	Rating(1 to 5)	Rationale/Comments
1.	The instructor uses a written or visual agenda to highlight what content will be covered in the current class.	4	The instructor has a PowerPoint Presentation that highlights all the contents of the lesson on scaffolding. However, the rotation of the slides is not timely accurate.
2.	The instructor incorporates various techniques to facilitate active class discussion and to engage learners (open-ended questions, quick summaries, student discussions)	3	The learning session only uses one or two techniques to facilitate active class discussion. For example, there are no pauses in between the lesson.
3.	The instructor effectively asks questions to assess student learning, further discussion, and encourage critical thinking.	4	Although this technique is scarcely used, it proves to be effective in the few instances when it is employed.
4.	The instructor clearly conveys subject matter knowledge and explains theoretical concepts clearly with real-world examples.	4	It is easy for the students to understand the concept of scaffolding through real-life examples, such as learning how to play a musical instrument. Nevertheless, it is important to note that these examples are not diverse enough to cater to the needs of a large group of learners.
5.	Students are encouraged to share their experiences and knowledge as they relate to the course subject matter.	3	The experiences of the students are not part of the learning process in this case. Most of the personal experiences that are used in this session come from the teacher. Students are rarely encouraged to forward their experiences to be used in the lesson.
6.	The instructor uses technology when necessary and applicable.	3	The only technology that is used in the classroom is the PowerPoint presentation. There are various avenues for teaching about the Scaffolding method using technology using modern technology, such as computer games.
7.	The instructor demonstrates effective classroom management.	3	The instructor’s classroom management skills are average. This is evident by how she fails to capture the overall attention of the students. For example, the students seated in front of the class can be seen moving around in an unsettled manner.
8.	The instructor shows enthusiasm for teaching.	4	There is evidence to support the teacher’s enthusiasm through how she takes her time to offer explanations. Furthermore, her overall presence in the class can be felt.
9.	The instructor listens to students.	3	The rhythm of the lesson is not dictated by the teacher but rather by the students. This is because the input of the students is not taken into account by the instructor.
10.	The instructor acts professionally.	5	The instructor portrays high levels of professionalism throughout the lesson. For instance, at one point, she pauses to acknowledge that she does not have any knowledge of violin lessons.
11.	The instructor uses proper grammar in the presentation.	5	The instructor’s mastery of grammar is not in question. Her delivery of facts is also impeccable.
12.	The instructor’s communications reflect a student-centered attitude.	4	The only thing that impedes the instructor’s student-centered attitude is her overuse of hand gestures. This tendency minimizes the teacher’s level of eye contact with the students.

Instructor’s Strengths

The instructor has high levels of patience, and this means that she can reach a wider range of students. The instructor has also taken the time to organize a well-thought-out presentation that grasps the attention of the learners. For instance, on the third slide, the teacher finds no need to explain anything as the material is easy to understand. The professionalism of the teacher also adds to her accolades as a star instructor.

Instructor’s Areas for Improvement

The instructor is not lively enough, and this means that some learners can easily lose interest in the course of the lesson. The instructor should also work on other means of emphasizing her points other than hand gestures. For example, she could have used props to enhance her lesson.

The Second Teaching Observation

Title of Observed Session

Teaching with style, Mechanical Energy Conservation

The instructor is teaching the class about the potential and practical applications of mechanical energy. The instructor uses props and live demonstrations to prove his point.

	Evaluative Criteria	Rating(1 to 5)	Rationale/Comments
1.	The instructor uses a written or visual agenda to highlight what content will be covered in the current class.	4	The formulas in the blackboard do not exactly coincide with the teacher’s dramatizations, but they give an overview of the theory. Nevertheless, the instructor provides a practical explanation using an actual ball and glass in the lesson.
2.	The instructor incorporates various techniques to facilitate active class discussion and to engage learners (open-ended questions, quick summaries, student discussions)	3	Although there are some engagements between the teacher and the students, this interaction is mostly one-sided. For instance, the teacher does not pause for the students to give their feedback.
3.	The instructor asks questions in an effective manner to assess student learning, further discussion, and encourage critical thinking.	4	Although the teacher teaches in a manner that evokes critical thinking among students, his overall presentation does not give the learners time to be fully immersed in this process. For example, the lesson would have been more effective if the teacher asked what they thought would happen if he swung the pendulum an inch away from his face.
4.	The instructor clearly conveys subject matter knowledge and explains theoretical concepts clearly with real-world examples.	5	The instructor excels in this area mostly because he uses a very realistic demonstration to prove how kinetic energy is applied in day-to-day life. In addition, the teacher uses a potentially dangerous situation to show the class the limits of kinetic energy.
5.	Students are encouraged to share their experiences and knowledge as they relate to the course subject matter.	2	The instructor does not use any input from the students, but he is able to invoke reactions from them. Nevertheless, the lack of encouragement from the instructor is obviously evident.
6.	The instructor uses technology when necessary and applicable.	3	The use of technology is evident in one incident where the teacher breaks the glass to demonstrate how kinetic energy is applied when wrecking buildings. Other than that, there is no other implicit use of technology in the video.
7.	The instructor demonstrates effective classroom management.	4	The instructor does a good job in managing the classroom through a command of the subject matter and the English language. Furthermore, the instructor is able to captivate the imagination of his students from the start of the lesson until the end.
8.	The instructor shows enthusiasm for teaching.	5	The teacher definitely shows enthusiasm for teaching, as demonstrated by the manner in which he moves around the class and uses vivid examples to demonstrate the application of theory.
9.	The instructor listens to students.	2	Although the instructor does all he can to ensure that the students are listening to him, he does not pause to listen to the students or observe them keenly.
10.	The instructor acts professionally.	4	Other than his seemingly overzealous stance when he is demonstrating theories, the teacher manages to maintain a professional approach throughout the video. For instance, the manner in which he signals a change of topic or dismisses the class shows professionalism on his part. However, his manner of dressing is not as professional as would be expected of a teacher.
11.	The instructor uses proper grammar in the presentation.	4	The instructor’s use of grammar is above average, although it is not polished enough.
12.	The instructor’s communications reflect a student-centered attitude.	3	At several instances throughout the lesson, it is clear that the teacher is the center of attention either by nature or by design. For example, the teacher breaks the glass himself instead of calling upon one of the students to do the demonstration. This instructor-centered attitude is also evident during the last demonstration to the class, where he remarks, ‘if physics fail, this would be his last lecture.’

Instructor’s Strengths

The instructor is able to captivate the attention of the class by using well-thought-out demonstrations. The instructor is also able to deliver a much-needed shock-effect to the class, and this helps the students to investigate the subject matter in detail. The instructor obviously has a great grasp of the subject matter, and this makes his teaching methods more effective.

Instructor’s Areas for Improvement

The instructor needs to concentrate more on involving the student in the lesson because, at one point, it appears as if they are bored. It would have been more effective if the students took part in some of the demonstrations that the instructor carried out.

Comparison of the Lessons

The instructors in both lessons use completely different approaches to teach their students. The physics lesson is heavy on demonstration but lacks visualizations to back up the theoretical concepts of the subject matter. On the other hand, the instructor who is teaching the scaffolding concept could use props and demonstrations to ensure that the students are able to understand. Both instructors have good levels of enthusiasm, although none of them is perfect in that area.

For example, the physics instructor is too overzealous, and he could benefit from stopping to gauge the attentiveness of the students while the Scaffolding instructor uses too many hand gestures. Overall, both instructors complement one another, and they could benefit from an exchange of skills.

Concepts Learnt

One concept that can be picked up from the two scholars is that no one teaching method is effective on its own. Consequently, there is a need for instructors to use as many approaches when teaching as possible. For example, while one of the instructors in this video is good at demonstrations, he lacks the ability to layout visuals like the other teacher. Another concept that can be learned from this assignment is the role played by enthusiasm when teaching. While both teachers are not perfect in their teaching methodologies, they both makeup for their shortcomings with their enthusiasm.

Remarks

The “Teaching Observation Form” does a good job in covering most aspects of good teaching practices. The form addresses how one-sided teaching approaches often fall short in their delivery. However, the form should have addressed the pace of the teacher’s delivery because it can influence the outcome of a lesson. For example, some teachers move too fast while others take too long to explain a point. Eventually, both types of instructors end up losing the concentration of their students.

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