Emmanuel Catholic College: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

Teacher Name: Sarah Simich Observer: Kylie Kingdon

Date: Monday 13 Time: Period 6 Class: Year 9 English Room: RE2

September 2021

Pre-Observation Discussion:
Individual Goal:

By the end of 2021, I will have mastered the English subject content so that I can convey confident, explicit
instructions and feedback to students, to achieve teacher clarity.

Whole School Goal: By the end of 2021, we will have further developed school wide teaching practices to create
positive learning environments which encourage students to strive for personal excellence.

AITSL Domain/Standard Descriptor to be focussed on:

Standard 1: 1. Know students and how they learn
Standard 2: 2. Know the content and how to teach it
Standard 3: 3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
Standard 4: 4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
Standard 5: 5. Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
Standard 6: 6. Engage in professional learning
Standard 7: 7. Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

Brief Description of Lesson:

 Novel study
 Crow Country

Observation Notes:
Observation notes:
 SEQTA Lesson reflected what was completed in class.
 There was a clear structure to the lesson – Introduction, starter, activity, and conclusion.
 Learning Goal and Success criteria were discussed at the beginning of the lesson using the prompt, “What
do you need to do in order to be successful in this goal?” Discussion in groups and as a class. Points
written on the board. The next step is to turn them into I can statements – this is co-construction of success
criteria and moving into levels six and seven in mastery. Learning Goals and Success Criteria were not
discussed at length at the end of the lesson – no real reflection which would have put things back to a level
three. You said at the beginning of the lesson to the students that you would be looking at them at the end
of the lesson.
 Student Response: Zane had some great things to say about the class. He knew what he was doing,
though he admitted that he had forgotten somethings about the story because he hasn’t been listening
enough. He also provided some feedback on your teaching style which was quite positive. He could tell
me what and how he was learning. He struggled to articulate the why but got there in the end.
 Instructions: Clear instructions given at the beginning of the lesson, verbally and written up on the board.
 Thank you for allowing me to view your lesson. 😊

Teacher reflection:
Class worked well and seem to be understanding the task at hand. They can be rowdy at times however
worked quite well this lesson. Most groups were on task. In future I will write out the success criteria in
full statements based on their ideas – on the board. Make it a bit more visual for them.
 Emmanuel Catholic College: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
Post- Observation Discussion

Points that emerge from the Post Observation Discussion:

 Emmanuel Catholic College: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

Focus Areas
Observed Not Observed Comments

 Students lining up outside the classroom door.

Classroom routines
 Instructions given outside concerning where they are to sit for the assessment
(Classroom Entry, stand to be greeted, Roll
– Move desks around.
taken & Formal dismissal)

Lesson Structure SEQTA Lesson
(Introductory Activity, Body & Conclusion) Learning Goal:
Students will understand how novels can offer perspectives that readers can learn
from
Success Criteria:
Students can recall and analyse information regarding the novel's plot, characters and
themes
Students can collaborate on a shared document as a group

Activities:
In groups of three, students are working on their presentation persuading the education
minister to keep the novel Crow Country on the Australian Curriculum booklist.
Students need to analyse 2 characters, 2 themes and 1 event in the novel. The
workload should be split 3 ways, with each student talking for 2 minutes each.
Students can use a shared document to collaborate their information.
Students will have 5 lessons to collaborate on this task. Presentations will begin in
week 10.

Introduction
 What should have been completed already.
 “Do not talk whilst I am talking.” – waiting for silence before starting to
speak.
 Reading through the learning goal and asking questions based on it.
 Group discussion about learning goal and success criteria to then report back
to the larger group. “How do we actually achieve this goal?”

Starter Activity
 Planning out the work in groups.
 Outline of where students should be at with their assignment.
 Emmanuel Catholic College: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

 Discussion of checking in with teacher about the work they are completing.

Activity
 Students working on their group assignments.
 Teacher checking in first with students who have been away to provide
information on the task for them.
 Movement around the classroom from the teacher checking in on different
groups as they are working.
 Spent a lot of time on the righthand side of the classroom (Zane’s group in
particular)

Conclusion
 Instructions to pack up and stand behind desks started at 3:05pm.
 “Reminder” – teacher highlighted the analysis parts of being successful in
this Learning goal.

Student Learning Goals & Success  Learning goal and success criteria discussed as a class and in small groups.
Engagement Criteria  Written on the board and in the SEQTA lesson.
 Level six due to the starting of co-construction of success criteria with
students.
 Learning Goals and Success Criteria were not discussed at length at the end
of the lesson – no real reflection which would have put things back to a level
three/four. You said at the beginning of the lesson to the students that you
would be looking at them at the end of the lesson.

Learning Intentions Framework Level of Mastery: 6

Learning intentions are discussed at the beginning of the lesson, serve as a point of
reference and feedback throughout the lesson, and are reflected upon at the end.
Learners build the success criteria.

The learning intention is explored in respect to how it informs the Essential Question
or Global Concept. Learners are guided through class discussion and questioning to
create personalized and shared success criteria, enabling them to set individual goals
and to support the learning of the group. Learners self-assess and peer-assess
throughout the lesson, and reflect on their learning both individually and as a group.
The teacher:
 Asks guiding and herding questions, such as “What do we want to
 Emmanuel Catholic College: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

achieve?”, “How will we know when we have achieved our goal?”, or

“What could the ideal solution look like?”
 Builds learner confidence in their ability to achieve goals through
ongoing feedback and reflection.
 Knows the individual strengths and needs of students.
 Knows how to engage students in self-reflection that will support them
to self-assess and plan next steps.
 Teaches students skills in being able to self-assess and peer-assess.
 Knows how to provide timely feedback to enable students to refine goals
and next steps.

Student Snapshot Student Name: Zane What are you learning today? Why?
 Crow Country – Book about racism.
 A lot of characters dealing with racism
 WHY: Learn about what’s happened in those times. For us to understand
what racism is. That basic stuff.

How are you learning it?

 Get the book obviously
 Actually I liked the book
 Teacher would read to us – ask volunteers to read in class. Sometimes if you
were naughty, she would make to read.
 Planned – spoke about it – preparation for the assignment
 Forgot about one thing we did.

How do you know what you are learning today?

 I would be able to remember it.
 Understand it in the future.

How can you improve in your learning?

 Depends on where I sit – If I sit with one mate (who isn’t here today) I don’t
get a lot done.
 Mrs Simich – She mainly does everything right. Can’t go wrong with Mrs
Simich. Maybe when we do get out of line, she needs to be a bit scary –
change in voice (tone).
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Where do you go for help?

 Put my hand up and ask for help. Though it does depend. If I am with my
friends, I won’t be bothered doing it.

Student Name: What are you Learning? Why?

How are you learning it?

How do you know what you are learning today?



How can you improve in your learning?

Where do you go for help?

 Classroom whiteboards used to record information.

Classroom Resources  Students encouraged to move the desks to work on groups.

 Clear instructions  Clear instructions both on the board and verbally for the students about what
at the beginning of needs to be completed throughout the block of time for this assessment.
the lesson.  Constant movement by the teacher to check in with students and their work.
 Reminding them
of their goal to
Confident and explicit achieve by the end
instructions to students of the lesson.
Individual  Teacher to walk
Teacher Goal: around and check
Agreed Focus: progress.

 Researching  Conversations with students around the text – evidence of knowledge of the
 Answering of text
Mastery of the English
questions from  Asking students questions and providing information on the novel
Content
students in their conventions (Theme, setting, characters, context etc).
groups.
Emmanuel Catholic College: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION