The HTH Observation Template

Teacher’s Name : Nicole Costa Date: 12/18/08

School, Subject, Grade HTM 6th grade math science Observer: Sarah Strong

Whiteboard

On the whiteboard, Nicole has a schedule for the day and the week. She has instructions for students to do upon entering as well.

Whiteboard Comments:

I like the schedule that you have written. I was wondering if the students are actually looking at it because I noticed that a sparse number of the “spades” actually put the Number Devil away without further prompting. Do you have any ideas to make sure that the students are entering and getting started right away?

Classroom arrangement

Students are arranged in groups of four. There are about two boys and two girls at each table though do to the uneven classroom make up some of the tables have three boys and one girl. On each table there is a playing card and each group of four has a heart, club, spade, and diamond. Whenever Nicole needs for one person from each table to do a task, she simply asks the “clubs” to put the books away or the “spades” to get out the supplies.

Arrangement Comments:

I really like Nicole’s idea with the playing cards. It is a quick way of getting small tasks done and I can see that the students are very responsive when she calls on them. One small concern I had was that there was a student who I know has a hard time concentrating in the back of the room and I wonder if more prioritized seating would be helpful to him at all.

Time / Observation / Comments/Questions
12:35
12:40
12:45
12:50
12:55
1:05
1:10 … / Students enter the classroom and Nicole hands them a crossword puzzle on the way in. They are to sit down and the spades are supposed to put the books away. Only two tables get their books put away until Nicole reminds them.
Students are gathering their things and chatting about upcoming break… about 80% are getting to work on the crossword puzzle though only a select few have taken Nicole’s advice and taken out their vocabulary sheet which evidently has all of the answers.
Wrapping up work on scavenger hunt. She still hasn’t gotten all of their attention in one fail swoop. This is different from my other observations where she began class by making sure she had everyone’s attention.
After showing a brief youtube video on energy, she decides to get all of their attention by raising her voice slightly and not going on until everyone’s attention is seemingly had.
Students are going to be allowed to work with their supplies for the first time today on their science of energy project. They can hardly keep their hands off of the supplies while they are waiting to get started.
Students get to work with their supplies. Some groups are working together effectively. On group with a known problem student is having a hard time working together because the one student is stealing all of the supplies. While group members are patient, they seem irritated.
For the remainder of the period, students work with their supplies. I walk around listening for engagement and it is evident that the students have a lot of enthusiasm about the project
“Wow, check this out… it spins”
“How did you do that?!?”
“Ok, now light the candle and hold it up to this…” / How concerned are the students with entering and immediately reading what is on the board?
I wonder if she wanted them to take it out, or realize on their own that they had this valuable resource. It seems like a lot of the students had forgotten about this sheet which could have provided them all of the answers!
I wonder if she noticed that there was chaos but mentally attributed to the day (right before a major break) and didn’t bother trying to get their attention.
This worked well to calm some of the chaos! Great move to convene together and not move on until you had everyone’s attention!
I know that the anticipation has been building for this first hands on work time with the supplies Nicole did an excellent job with instructions so that the students would listen until instructed otherwise. She didn’t move on until she had everyone’s attention and circled around the room, placing herself hear problem spots of chatter.
I wonder what strategies could be put into place to make sure that everyone in the group is getting equal access to the supplies… maybe jobs? Time limits with each job?
The students’ enthusiasm is great! I am anxious to see more of how this project unfolds throughout the upcoming weeks as their work with these supplies comes more focused.

Continua in HTH Teaching Practice

Rob Riordan

Coherence

Isolated activities Connectedness

Clarity

Content Process

Management

Teacher as enforcer Students as self-managers

Questions

Yes/No/Factual Open-ended

Discussion

Teacher-Centered Student-led/centered

Presentation

Pair & Share Public Presentation

Evaluation

Teacher only Teacher, students & others

Discourse

Home universe Alien universe

Student participation

Some students All students

Student engagement

Low High

Projects

Hands-on Activity Integrated project

Adult World Connection

Guest speaker Fieldwork

“Rigor”

= Complex material = Thoughtful teacher & student behavior