iGO: AI PS aU A A 9 a ee PSEA iL A aR

classroom observation check/comment sheet provides
structure to the observation activity.]

6th grade middle school: “The teacher
was in total control throughout the

class period. It seemed as if the
teacher and students had a mutual
respect for each other (like mother and
children).”

oth grade elementary: “He... favored
the girls to the boys—especially those

who got most of the questions right.
He spoke in a soft monotone voice,
which I feel contributed to the restless-
ness of the children after 25 minutes
into the class. The children reacted to
him eagerly; they appeared to like him.
He showed me samples of their work
from September to date, and there
were remarkable jumps in grades.”

6th grade parochial: “Every student
answered at least one question. The

students had to explain how they got
the answer which showed that they
seemed to understand the material.”

6th grade elementary: “The game is
called fraction basketball. The socio-

economic background of the students
was a contributing factor to the devel-
opment of the game. If there was one
thing that the students knew, it was
basketball.”

College-aged class for the deaf (my
student signs for the deaf): “The

teacher seemed to go too quickly for
the students. She began erasing the
board before some of them were
finished copying. I think she should
have used an overhead projector; then
they could read her lips as well as copy
the notes.”

6th grade elementary: “[The teacher]

is a very enthusiastic person; she really
caught the class’s attention. She was
always moving around, or drawing on
the board so the students could
visualize what she was explaining. It

is important to have your students O
interested in what you're teaching.
[The teacher] joked around as she QO

 

taught and used examples that the
students could relate to, such as food
and games. The few students who did
not catch on as quickly sat quietly in
their chairs and would not look
directly at the teacher.”

7th grade (accelerated) middle school:

“T could tell that the students were
understanding the material, because
the teacher made sure they under-
stood. She would call on everyone,
separately, of course, checking up on
each of them. If a child was talking
while she was, an ‘excuse me’ would
shut them up—that happened rarely,
though.”

7th grade middle school: “The stu-

dents were complimented when they
gave the right answer and were
reinforced by examples when they
were unsure or if they gave the wrong
answer.”

 

In addition to these written comments, I was sur-
prised to learn that most of the observed teachers had
done much more than allow a college freshman to sit
silently in the rear of the classroom. Most of the
teachers actively involved my students in the class.
One student was asked to come forward and tell the
class about her college and this project. Others were
included in small groups and actively helped students.
Some teachers shared previous test scores from their
roll books while explaining a current test. Many of my
students were invited back to follow up on the ob-
served activity.

Instead of waiting until near the end of a four-year
degree program to get into the elementary classroom,
students should observe excellent teaching techniques
and role models in many disciplines during all four
undergraduate years.

Patricia Piech, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
For further information, contact the author at Burling-

ton County College, Pemberton-Browns Mills Road,
Pemberton, NJ 08068.

 

Suanne D. Roueche, Editor
ED

April 28, 1989, Vol. XI, No. 15
©The University of Texas at Austin, 1989

 

INNOVATION ABSTRACTS is a publication of the National Institute for Staff and Organizatonal Development (NISOD),
EDB 348, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, (512) 471-7545. Subscriptions are available lo nonconsor.

Further duplication is permitted by MEMBER

tium members for $40 per year, Funding in part by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Sid W. Richardson Foundation.
institutions for their own personnel.

Issued weekly when 8S are in session during fall and spring terms and once during the summer. ISSN 0199-106X.