Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program

Pre/Observation/Post Cycle Form (POP)

Revised 4.20.17
Directions for Preparation for POP Cycle
1. New Teacher (NT) and Mentor (ME) identify date for lesson observation and set dates/times for pre- and post-observation conferences.
2. Minimum three days before lesson delivery, NT prepares POP Cycle Form.
3. NT completes Section 1: New Teacher Information, lesson plan, and Section 2, Part A NT Reflection.
4. NT emails POP Cycle Form and Lesson Plan to ME.
Directions for Pre-Observation
5. Minimum 48 hours before lesson delivery, ME reviews Lesson Plan and Section 2, Part A: New Teacher Reflection; completes Section 2, Part B: ME Feedback.
6. ME shares feedback with NT during pre-observation conference. Lesson plan is adjusted as needed and finalized for delivery.
Directions for Observation and Preparation for Post-Observation Conference
7. During lesson delivery, ME completes Section 3A: ME Observation of Lesson Delivery, noting both Teacher Actions and Student Actions.
8. Prior to Post-Observation Conference, NT reflects on lesson outcomes and completes Part 3B: NT Reflection on Lesson Delivery.
Post Observation Conference Directions:
9. Within 48 hours, NT and ME share notes; discuss lesson observations and outcomes; complete Section 4. All parts should be transcribed into one document and submitted to course instructor. Information is used for
ILP.

Section 1: New Teacher Information

New Teacher Email Subject Area Grade Level
Christie Alexander calexander@laalliance.org The Living Earth 9
Mentor Email School/District Date
Markalos Watson mwatson@laalliance.org Ouchi High School 10/8/21
Content Standard Lesson Objectives Unit Topic Lesson Title
Students will be able to
explain the process of
photosynthesis in creating
sugars for plants.
NGSS HS-LS1-5 Use a model to
illustrate how photosynthesis Unit: Energy, Matter, and Life
Students will be able to Photosynthesis Lab
transforms light energy into Topic: Photosynthesis
describe how various factors
stored chemical energy.
affect the rate of
photosynthesis after making
observations in a
photosynthesis lab.
CSTP Element(s) Focus for POP Cycle (In semesters 2, 3, 4, copy pertinent elements from ILP for POP Cycle focus.)
1 - Emerging 2 - Exploring 3 - Applying 4 - Integrating 5 – Innovating
NT pedagogical skills are newly formed and just Skills are developing as NT investigates Skills are applied as NT makes Skills are refined as NT combines elements Skills are polished as NT expands ability to
coming into prominence and examines pedagogical practices increased relevant and suitable use into a cohesive and unified pedagogical add new methods and strategies into
of pedagogical choices repertoire pedagogical repertoire
CSTP Element Initial Rating Rating Description (Identify both teacher and student rating for CSTP 1 and 2.)
Teacher: Includes questions in single lessons or a sequence of
lessons that require students to recall, interpret, and think critically.
1.5 Promoting critical thinking through
1 2- Exploring
inquiry, problem solving, and reflection Student: Students respond to varied questions or tasks designed to
promote comprehension and critical thinking in single lessons or a
sequence of lessons.
Selects and adapts a variety of instructional strategies to ensure
3.4 Utilizing instructional strategies that
3 3 - Applying student understanding of academic language appropriate to subject
are appropriate to the subject matter
matter and that addresses students’ diverse learning needs.
Section 2: Pre-Observation Conference
Focus Student 1: English Learner Focus Student 2: Student w/ILP/504 Focus Student 3: Your Choice
Student 1 (EL): Needs breakdown Student 2 (Student with IEP): Student 3 (Student with IEP):
of academic language and reading Specific Learning Disability Autism
tasks.
Focus Students
During the lesson, I will address During the lesson, I will address
● Summarize critical needs and how During the lesson, I will address this this student by providing visual this student by providing writing
you will address them during this by providing a video procedure aids (photosynthesis video of a accommodations through both
lesson.
where the student is able to see person demonstrating the notes and sentence starters,
someone demonstrate the procedure), sentence starters, multiple checks for understanding
photosynthesis lab setup. The EL individual clarification, and pairing with the specific student,
student will also be able to hear an with strong peer models in creating pre-teaching the vocabulary
audio version of the procedure as lab groups for the experiment. before we get into the lab
POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017. Page 1 of 7
 well instead of having to solely read
the task on their own.
Inquiry Focus/Special Emphasis
● What is your inquiry focus and/or special emphasis?
● How will you incorporate the inquiry focus and/or
special emphasis into the lesson?
● What specific feedback do you want from your ME?
Inquiry Focus/Students
● What specific feedback regarding your focus students
do you want from your ME?
Specific Feedback
● What additional specific feedback do you want from
your ME regarding lesson implementation?
Instructional Planning
● How is the lesson structured (opening, body, and
closing)?
● What varied teaching strategies and differentiated
instruction will help students meet lesson goals?
● What progress monitoring strategies will be used? How
will results inform instruction?
POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017.
experiment, and scaffolding
information and tasks for the
student.
Part A: NT Reflection Part B: ME Feedback
Use questions to guide reflection on the lesson plan. Provide feedback on lesson plan reflection.
My inquiry focus is for students to observe
various inputs of photosynthesis and how
changes to those inputs will affect the rate of
photosynthesis through a lab experiment.
Students will then be able to explain how
changes in these various factors such as more
light, more carbon dioxide, or different colors of
light will affect the rate of photosynthesis.
I will incorporate the inquiry focus into the
lesson by allowing students to manipulate
various hands-on materials and conduct their
own experiments to gather data on the rate of
photosynthesis by changing these factors. Lesson challenges students' thinking
Students will do a series of experiments, each throughout the inquiry by having students
time changing one factor in their independent observe, reflect, analyze and explain their data.
variable to see how many leaves rise to the top
of the experimental setup per minute to
calculate the rate of photosynthesis.
Specific feedback that I want from my MEis to
look for whether I am challenging students to
think critically about our inquiry and
experiment. I would like students to be able to
analyze and interpret the data that they collect
and be able to explain the reasoning for why
they make the claims that they make through
using evidence from the data and their
background knowledge on photosynthesis.
Specific feedback I would like to receive
regarding my focus students would be on I will definitely be mindful to check for
whether these students are using the supports scaffolds that students are using. Please submit
that are put in place for them and whether they to me any graphic organizers, or visuals that
are working for these students to be able to students are using for the lesson.
access the learning.
Additional feedback that I would like regarding
lesson implementation is whether there are any
additional instructional strategies that I should
incorporate into the lesson if I were to do it over
again.
Lesson structure: Is there any way that you could utilize in the
- Opening: Students have a background moment data from the do now to determine if
of the process of photosynthesis and its there are any adjustments to the lesson that
purpose from the previous day. you need to make?
Students will come into class and start
their Do Now activity where we review Do you anticipate any misconceptions that
what the inputs of photosynthesis are. students might have and how will you plan for
Students will then read the objective the misconceptions?
and background of our photosynthesis
lab and answer the pre-lab questions. Great job in using various learning styles to
- Body: Students will create hypotheses support all learners.
about the different independent
variables that we will be testing in our
lab. Students will then watch a
Page 2 of 7
 photosynthesis lab procedure video
and fill in the blanks on the procedure
section to understand how to set up
and carry out the experiment. Students
will then work with their groups to
conduct the experiment and collect
data using their group roles for
organization.
- Closing: Students will use the data they
have collected to graph, analyze trends
and patterns, and draw conclusions
based on evidence and on their
knowledge of the photosynthetic
process.

Varied instructional strategies and differentiated

instruction:
- The video of the procedure provides
students with an audio version of the
procedure as well as a visual of how to
perform the lab and set up their
experiments. Subtitles also allows
students to follow along with the audio
and overall provides text-to-speech.
- Sentence starters are provided for
students as they create their
hypotheses so that academic language
is not a barrier.
- Checks for understanding are
implemented after students answer the
pre-lab questions to make sure
students understand the context of
photosynthesis before entering the lab.

Progress monitoring:
- Since students will be working in small
groups, I will be actively monitoring the
groups to follow up on their progress
on the experiment and ask them
probing questions to gauge their
understanding of the content. I will also
look at group data results to see how
students are collecting data and ask
them questions on what they are
noticing about their data as they work.
We have just finished our unit on ecosystems
where students studied food webs and the flow
of energy in an ecosystem. I will make the lesson
relevant to students by making it known and
clear to them that we are looking closely now
Great job in ensuring that students are
Student Engagement/Learning into the specific energy that plants create for
● How will you make the lesson relevant to all the continuing to build off of previous lessons.
students?
themselves and later the breakdown of sugars
● How will students show progress towards master of that consumers go through to use the energy
lesson objectives? How will you support those students who have
they consume.
exceeded mastery of the objectives?
Students will show progress towards mastery of
the lesson objectives by first understanding the
inputs of photosynthesis and then being able to
thoroughly explain how changing the amounts
POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017. Page 3 of 7

Classroom Management
● How will you maintain a positive learning environment
with a welcoming climate of caring, respect, and
fairness?
● Identify specific classroom procedures and strategies
for preventing/redirecting challenging behaviors.
Closure
● How will you close your lesson?
● How will you assess student learning and prepare them
for the next lesson?
EXAMPLE
CSTP 1: Engaging All Students
● In what ways were students
engaged?
Specific Feedback
● What information can you
provide the NT regarding
requested special
feedback?
POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017.
of the different inputs of photosynthesis will
affect the rate of photosynthesis through critical
thinking and analysis skills.
I will maintain a positive learning environment
by checking in with my students at the start of
class. We always start every class with sharing
something good, and this starts our class on a
positive note. I will also maintain a climate of
respect and fairness by having students assign
The positive check in routine that you have
themselves group roles within their groups so
established within your classroom has been
that all students are able to take part in the
great in establishing respect between your
learning and experimentation.
students and yourself.
Specific classroom strategies for preventing
challenging behaviors is to set the tone for lab
Are there any other specific strategies you can
days as ones that are serious and where injury
utilize where students are monitoring their
can occur if we are not respectful of the
own behaviors?
materials and of our shared space. Students are
well aware of the types of materials, location of
materials, and how to use the materials before
the lab begins. I also redirect student behaviors
by having conversations with the students to
understand their actions.
I will close the lesson by having students
collaborate on graphing and analyzing their data
and drawing conclusions about the rate of
photosynthesis based on the evidence that they
have collected. I will assess student learning
through their ability to make connections from
the equation of photosynthesis to the real life Great closure to your lesson.
data they have collected. I will prepare them for
the next lesson by having them understand the
inputs and outputs of photosynthesis well so
that they are prepared for the cycling of these
molecules and nutrients through the various
organisms of life on Earth.
Section 3: Observation of Lesson Delivery
Part 3A: ME Observation of Lesson Delivery Part 3B: NT Reflection on
Teacher Actions Student Actions Lesson Delivery
Student groups answered worksheet questions that included all
When teacher reviewed worksheet, she asked additional questions of Students completed the worksheets and were able to ask questions.
levels of Bloom’s (“Identify 6 problem-solving strategies; pick two
analysis and evaluation (“which problem-solving strategy do you Most groups needed revisions for their questions;
strategies and identify at least one similarity and one difference
prefer? How could you create a math problem that could be solved comparison/contrast was the most common analysis question. I
between them”). Groups then selected a strategy and created
with this strategy?”) need to give them a Bloom’s question stems handout next time.
two math problems to exchange tomorrow.
Students were able to understand
the procedure of the lab through
multiple repetitions of the procedure
in various ways. Students saw a video
Students watched a video with that had subtitles, and the procedure
Teacher provided visual and audio
subtitles and listened to the lab was also demonstrated as a class
instructions. Teacher also provided
procedure. They also wrote down while students filled in any missing
students with a worksheet with
their lab procedure and filled in the blanks. In the future, I need to be
written instructions for the lab.
blanks on their worksheets. better at having students refer to
their written procedure instead of
asking me what to do next to help
build those reading and scientific
skills.
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CSTP 1: Engaging All
Students
● In what ways were
students engaged? How
were students not
engaged?
● How did students
contribute to their
learning?
● How did teacher and/or
students monitor learning?
● How were the focus
students engaged and
supported throughout the
lesson?
CSTP 2: Effective Learning
Environment
● How did students and
teacher contribute to an
effective learning
environment?
CSTP 3: Organizing Subject
Matter
● What actions of the NT
contributed to student
assimilation of subject
matter?
● How did students
construct knowledge of
subject matter?
● What misconceptions did
students have and how
were they addressed by
the teacher?
CSTP 4: Learning
Experiences
● How were students
supported through
differentiated instruction?
● How did students
participate?
● How did the NT contribute
to student learning?
POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017.
Students were pretty engaged for the
Ms. Alexander is going around to
most part because they got to work
each group checking for
Student 1 “I am on the last one. But with hands-on materials. Students
understanding.
I am unsure if it is increasing or were very collaborative with their
decreasing? What did you put groups, answered each others’
Two more minutes. You all should
down? questions, and guided one another
have two hypotheses by now.
through the procedure. I was able to
Student 2 “ I put increase but let's go around to different groups and
“Can I get everyone's eyes up here. if
look at it together and double ask students about their predictions
you are turned around in the back I
check” and observations. The focus students
need you to turn around.
used the information that they
“She is trying to get your attention, gathered as well as peer support to
Roman, this group is already full. How
pay attention” participate in the lab, and they were
about you work with that other
included in the learning with their
group?
groups.
The majority of students were We created an effective learning
Ms. Alexander effectively went over
effective in their group roles. environment of mutual respect.
the rules and procedures of the lab.
Students followed along to the
Modeling for students what they
Student: “I will go and start procedure as the video was playing
were supposed to do at each station.
gathering the materials” and as I was modeling it, and
students were helping each other out
Ms. Alexander showed a video that
Students: : “What is your role? Let’s and collaborating through group
provided a visual aid of what students
figure it out so we can get started” roles. Group roles kept students
were supposed to do at each station
accountable for participating in the
Student: Ms isn't the leaf too big lab, and this created an effective
and in the video it was small. learning environment for students.
Students were able to participate in
the entire scientific process, from
creating hypotheses to analyzing
data. The subject matter was
organized in a way where students
were able to progress through the
whole process of creating
hypotheses, conducting the
Student 1: “My hypothesis is that it experiment, and collecting and
Teacher asked students to create
will increase. analyzing the data in a logical flow
hypotheses and write down
through the worksheet. Students
reasoning for why they thought what
Student 2: “ Make sure you write were able to build on their
they thought.
that down” understanding of photosynthesis as
they collected data and saw what
was happening with their
experiment. I was able to go around
to each group and check in with
students about their current
understandings which allowed me to
conduct checks for understanding
throughout the class period.
Teacher provided visual, written, and I provided a lot of different ways for
verbal instructions. students to access the learning
material such as visuals, audio, video,
Students participated through
Teacher ensured she went to all and written. Students were able to
written and verbal answers.
groups and specifically supported participate in multiple ways such as
scholars who she saw were verbally, through writing, or through
Students also participated through
struggling. manipulating materials in a hands-on
using hands-on materials to collect
way. This allowed students to access
data.
Teacher used multiple forms of the learning in a way that works best
questioning that was reflective of for them, and I was able to observe
what level students were at. that most students were engaged
and participating. By walking around
Page 5 of 7

CSTP 5: Assessing Student
Learning
● How did students
demonstrate achievement
of lesson objectives?
● In what ways did students
struggle or demonstrate
limited understanding?
● What teacher actions
contributed to student
achievement?
To what degree did students
achieve lesson objectives?
To what degree did focus
students achieve lesson
objectives?
What would you do differently
next time?
What were three top Lesson
Strengths?
What were three top areas for
improvement?
What are next steps?
POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017.
Teacher ensured students were to each group and monitor, I was
grouped homogeneously. All groups able to ask probing questions and
were at different levels. help students by meeting them
where they are at.
At the end of the lesson, students
showed achievement of the lesson
objectives through their data analysis
and conclusion answers. These
Ms. Alexander assessed student questions asked students to analyze
learning throughout the lesson. their data and use it as evidence to
draw conclusions. Students also
“How many millimeters of water do Student: I don't really understand supported the data using background
we need? this part, can you help me. knowledge of photosynthesis.
Students struggled/ had limited
“How many millimeters of baking The majority of students used their understanding when if they did not
soda do we need? group members to help with any fully understand the scientific
misconceptions they had before process of photosynthesis before the
“ Why do you feel your hypothesis is calling over Ms. Alexander. lab. As students were answering
correct?” these questions, I walked around to
specific students and discussed with
them about their notes and the
process of photosynthesis to guide
them on how the information and
the data can be used to connect to
answering the analysis questions.
Section 4: Post Observation Conference
76% of students were able to explain how the rate of photosynthesis is affected by changing the amount of light,
carbon dioxide, and color of light that a plant receives through data analysis and reasoning.
Focus Student 1: English Learner Focus Student 2: Student w/ILP/504 Focus Student 3: Your Choice
This student was able to complete
This student was able to
the sentence starters provided, but
This student was able to complete understand and explain the
responses showed that the student
the sentence starters provided, and content and understand the
does not understand the content.
some of the sentences provide procedure of the lab with all of
The EL student was able to
evidence of learning and the supports provided. However,
understand the procedure of the lab
understanding of the content. the student did not provide too
which was evident through the
Student was paired with strong much written evidence. With our
student’s completion of the lab
peer models during the lab that frequent checks for understanding
written procedure, so the visual and
allowed the student to learn from and scaffolding of the assignment,
audio aids helped, but the student is
peers as well. I was able to check in with the
lacking in understanding of the
student more verbally.
overall science concept.
- Pause the procedure video and do checks for understanding throughout the video. Video can be pretty
fast-paced with a lot of new information, so check for student understanding throughout and allow for
clarifying questions.
- Be mindful of who is speaking in the class. Call on specific students to answer questions to keep all
students accountable.
- Group roles were implemented which allows for all students to participate in the learning and holds all
students accountable in taking part in the lab.
- Lab was structured to where students know the procedure and had a written version to refer to as they
executed the lab.
- There were a lot of supports for the focus students that were also provided to the whole class which
benefited everyone (sentence starters, subtitles, visuals, etc.)
- Call on specific students to ensure accountability and that every student is understanding the content
instead of asking questions to the whole class for anyone to answer.
- Pause long tasks to check for understanding.
- Connect the content to students’ lives. Why should they care about this?
- Build in more intentional and frequent checks for understanding. Use the formative assessments to
inform instruction both during and after the day’s lesson.
Page 6 of 7
 Other Comments/Notes

All parts of this form should be transcribed (typed; not hand-written) into a single document and submitted to course instructor.
Information from this POP Cycle should be summarized on the NT ILP as appropriate.

POP Cycle, Fullerton Online Teacher Induction Program (FOTIP), 2017. Adapted from CSU Fullerton Titan EDUCATOR Project, 2017. Page 7 of 7