Class: Biology 1 (9th and 10th grade)
Date: February 8, 2021
Lesson Title: What are the differences between viruses and bacteria?
1. What were the objectives of the lesson?
Given today’s lesson materials and discussion SWBAT...
Explain how different types of graphs can be used to visualize data.
Distinguish between viruses and bacteria based on defined characteristics.
2. In your opinion, were the students interested in the lesson? Why or why not?
Throughout the lesson it appeared that some students were very interested, especially during the videos and discussions surrounding the corona virus. However, it was clear that some students were not engaged or interested in the day’s material. Some students were distracted during videos and activities and did not willingly volunteer answers during discussions.
3. What teaching methods or behaviors were most effective in achieving the objectives?
The teacher utilized a great variety of teaching tools, including student worksheets, PowerPoint notes, instructional videos, and open class discussion. Additionally, the teacher provided clear instructions during each part of the class and all students appeared to understand what they were expected to be doing.
I also think the teacher did a great job at relating the day’s content to real world examples (covid) which kept the students engaged and definitely gave them a solid connection to the material.
4. In your opinion, was the teacher “giving away” information or facilitating learning? Please Explain.
I believe the teacher was doing a great job at facilitating learning. The students had been asked prior to class to fill in the worksheet, which forced them to discover information on their own. Also, the teacher paused during the notes and instructional video to ask probing questions. This forced the students to think about the material more critically and find connections to the material.
5. How would you evaluate this teacher in terms of clarity, enthusiasm, business-like behavior, variability, learner-centeredness, and with-it-ness? Please provide specific examples to support your evaluation. (I will use a 5 point scale)
Clarity- 4.5/5 The teacher was very clear on his instructions for students throughout the class period, and re-stated lesson objectives throughout the lesson. However, lesson objectives were not clearly stated at the beginning of class.
Enthusiasm- 5/5 The teacher was upbeat and enthusiastic about the material right from the beginning of class all the way to the bell. I was very impressed by his rapport with students and ability to “wake them up” in the beginning of class.
Business-Like Behavior- 4/5 While it was clear that the teacher had a plan and achieved his plans for the day, I felt that there was a lot of “joking around”. I think that this more relaxed approach to teaching is actually very helpful for creating a solid rapport with students (especially 9th and 10th graders) and worked well in this classroom.
Variability-5/5 There was a huge variety of instruction as previously stated. (PowerPoint notes, instructional videos, class discussions, and student worksheets/work time).
Learner-Centeredness- 2/5 This lesson did not provide a lot of space for student led activities. While the teacher was not simply giving information, he led or directed each activity during the class. I think that having the students search for instructional videos on topics that interested them that applied to the days lesson or having them create a model to illustrate the the anatomy of a virus would have moved the entire lesson to more learner centered.
With-it-ness- 5/5 The teacher clearly knew what he wanted to achieve during the day and had a solid plan to do it. The students knew the “routine” and worked with the teacher to achieve the lesson objectives.
6. Other comments or observations
Overall, this was a great observation. I find myself falling into the “business” of class far too much and it was nice to see how a teacher can still achieve their lesson objectives while keeping the class lighter and fun. Additionally, I learned a lot about teacher enthusiasm and the impact it has on students. I am finding it difficult to “wake” my students up during the first 10-15 minutes of class, but this teacher started off much louder and more upbeat right from the start which got the students alert much faster.
Summary:
The teacher tried to focus the students’ attention on the presentation by...
Calling on students by name and holding each student in class accountable at least once during the lesson.
The teacher tried to capitalize on student interests or experiences by...
Relating the material to the current corona virus pandemic that is greatly affecting everyone’s life. (lesson was on viruses and bacteria)
The teacher tried to use a structure or framework to help students visualize the new material by...
Providing a visual during the PowerPoint lecture/notes, orally discussing the major points, and providing an audio/visual real-life example through an instructional video. (Video also included a great visual diagram of the anatomy of a virus)
The teacher tried to clarify goals of the presentation by...
Repeating lesson objectives during different parts (including before, during and after each activity) of the lesson and clarifying student instructions.
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