Clinical Field Experience D: Beginning Teacher Observation and Feedback

Clinical Field Experience D: Beginning Teacher Observation and Feedback

SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT

SUBMIT ASSIGNMENT

Gabriel Gonzalez

Grand Canyon University

EAD 530- Improving Teacher Performance

Nov. 24, 2021

 Clinical Field Experience D: Beginning Teacher Observation and Feedback

Beginning Teacher Pre-observation

The pre-observation went great. At our school district, every teacher fills out the pre-observation

questions ahead of time so the admin has time to look it over. Mr. F described his lesson he was

going to be teaching: a lesson on key details. It would start with a read aloud. He would

incorporate other skills (long e sounds). He uses the projector and the smart board for his lessons.

He wanted me to observe everything and give feedback on whatever I see as he is new.

Beginning Teacher observation

The observation had a learning target up and success criteria up. He said the learning target and

success criteria to the students and had the students repeat it after. They would say, “I can…”

and “I know I got it when…” He asked them what the key detail is. Several students raised their

hands. The students seemed very engaged. I did notice that three students were off task at first.

He used redirection on the students to get attention and reminded them of expectations. He also

reminded Max (IEP) that he has fidgets he can use as needed. He then had students get books

out. Students opened the book and he gave them a choice on what they wanted to use to track.

(Pencil, pen, finger) I noticed some students helped others around them to find the page. He had

them start with the title and read all the way and then did it again. He started looking for key

details and circled the “long e” words. According to Delilah Orpi, it’s very important to teach

the “long e” appropriately. She wrote, “Long e words are quite tricky to teach because there are

so many different ways to spell the long e sound and there aren’t any rules or generalizations.

With long e spellings, students must practice and be exposed to the words until they have

mastered them.” Students seemed highly engaged in lessons.

 Clinical Field Experience D: Beginning Teacher Observation and Feedback

Beginning Teacher Post observation conference/ Recommendations

After discussing the observations with the admin, some feedback I gave them is to talk to

students in a consistent, leveled voice as it seemed to really range. Students have a tendency to

not pay as close attention or feel off if the voice being used to instruct them is inconsistent.

Something else I noticed is that the learning target and success criteria are almost the exact same

wordage. I did notice that his culture of learning was very good and told them that the students

genuinely wanted to learn and that his classroom procedures looked great. I did mention that his

classroom use of space was great as last time he had gotten basic. I also went through all of the

different criteria I was able to observe and talked about what he scored and why I scored it that

way based on the criteria. I had some conversation about some of the different sections; about

how I observed both basic and proficient things in the classroom and where he felt he landed.

Overall he was proficient in everything we observed.

Coaching promoted a school culture

I did try to reach out to his team as he seemed nervous to talk with his team. I also recommended

observing his teammate Mr. B, who had really good small groups and had stations made to each

student's level and need. Mr. F has good small groups but his high group seems to be more

challenged. I also want him to try to join different committees and attend some school events

when able to.

 Clinical Field Experience D: Beginning Teacher Observation and Feedback

Reflection:

Self-awareness is important to coaching success because if the coach and the coach-ee are not

self-aware of themselves, what they’re doing, and their faults, then they cannot possibly teach or

learn from one another to successfully improve skills needed to teach and challenge the students.

In the same sense, it’s quite important to be as vulnerable as you can when you are coaching or

being coached on something. Knowing your limits, setting your limits, but allowing someone to

see both your strengths and your faults, is very important. It’s important to be transparent during

coaching because without transparency, you risk being untruthful and hiding things that could be

valuable. Non-transparency leads to unethical behavior. On that note, ethical behavior is

important to assess and be aware of when you want coaching to be successful because if you

break the ethical barrier and venture into unethical behavior, you no longer have the authority to

teach somebody anything. You’ve lost that right. This reminds me of PSEL standard 7, which

reads “effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other

professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.” which can be

evidenced when a leader “Develops and supports open, productive, caring, and trusting working

relationships among leaders, faculty, and staff to promote professional capacity and the

improvement of practice” (Professional Standards for Educational Leaders, 2015). In order for

this to happen with staff, the leader must themselves model this.
 Clinical Field Experience D: Beginning Teacher Observation and Feedback

References

Lawson, J., Ph.D., & Knollman, G., Ph.D. (2017, March 1). Evaluating Special Education

Teachers: School Administrators’ Perceptions of the Process. Retrieved from https://web-

p-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=5619ce01-

1c92-4c22-a206-7c00dd0c70a4@redis

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.

Orpi, Delilah. “How to Teach Long e Words - Thrive Literacy Corner.” Thrive Literacy Corner -

Thrive Educational Services, 26 May 2021, https://thriveedservices.com/how-to-teach-

long-e-words/.