Case Study: Mr.

Roth

Danielle Eastman

Grand Canyon University: Improving Teacher Performance and Self-efficacy

January 11, 2023

 Observation Reflection Questions:

Which overt activities by Mr. Roth established a positive rapport with his students?

Overt activities that are observed by Mr. Roth that shows he has established a positive

rapport with his students happen at the beginning of the class. He is observed standing in the

doorway and greeting students by their name. “Greeting students as they enter (or exit) your

classroom/school is a simple and effective way to create a welcoming classroom and build

positive relationships” (OSEP Technical Assistance Center, 2019). Along with greeting students

at the door, he openly talked about extra-curricular activities with students and asking about their

weekly plans. Not only does Mr. Roth seem interested, the students are genuinely engaged with

their conversation.

How would you describe the classroom environment and climate?

Mr. Roth’s classroom environment has set rules and expectations, and students follow

them. He connects with his students and takes time to know his students. He greets students at

the door and asks personal questions, connecting with students. Even when students were off

task, Mr. Roth spoke to them, and they immediately reacted positively and got to work. This

shows a positive student-teacher relationship and environment.

What instructional strategies were utilized during this lesson?

Instructional strategies utilized during this lesson are small group work, independent

work, exit ticket, academic vocabulary, journaling, and working with students one on one. He

pulled a student to catch him up on missing work to make sure we would be caught.
 Describe the student engagement strategies utilized by Mr. Roth and discuss their

effectiveness.

Mr. Roth used multiple engagement strategies with his class. He used group work and

collaboration to allow students to find answers and read a summary. He encouraged students to

share their answers with the entire class. Students were only asked to work on an activity for so

manty minutes and then it was switched. Rather than using the lecture method, he allowed

students to work independently and collaboratively with peers. Mr. Roth used a variety of

different engagement strategies during this class. “Student engagement has primarily and

historically focused upon increasing achievement, positive behaviors, and a sense of belonging in

students so they might remain in school” (Taylor & Parsons, 2011). Mr. Roth’s engagement

strategies are effective because of the very minimal students off task and eagerness to work. This

connects with the rapport that he has built with his students and the positive behaviors I see in

the classroom.

What strategies, if any, were used to differentiate instruction during this lesson?

Mr. Roth used minimal differentiated instruction. Students worked independently and

with groups. He met with a student who was absent and gave reminders to students about his

classroom expectations. He was very aware of students who may need extra support and did it

in a way where the student received help without being called out.

Identify the elements of this lesson that required students to use higher-order thinking

skills.
 To start, students were asked to answer a bell ringer question of the day in their own

words. As students worked through class on the Judicial Branch and Supreme Court, students

were asked at the end if they still felt the same about their answer to the bell ringer activity.

This entire lesson allowed students to share their thinking, read about the main idea and work

in groups, and then to change the answer of their question from the start of the class. The entire

lesson is based on using higher order think skills because it is an opiniated question. As they

were leaving, he asked student to think about what the government would look like if Marbury

v. Madison was decided the other way and if the Judicial Review did not exist. Students had to

think outside the box to answer this question and use their own opinions on what would be

different.

How did Mr. Roth use technology? Was it effective?

Mr. Roth did not use technology, but the lesson seemed effective based on student

engagement.

Post-Conference Preparation Questions:

What questions might you ask Mr. Roth to determine his evaluation of the lesson?

 How do you know if the objective of the lesson was reached by all students?

 What will you do in the next lesson that will build off of this lesson? Will it support

students who need extra help?

What positive feedback would you give Mr. Roth regarding this lesson? Why did you

select to share this feedback?

  Mr. Roth has created such an amazing classroom environment and good relationships

with his students. I could see this through how engaged students were and as they

walked into the classroom when greeting him.

What constructive feedback would you give Mr. Roth for this lesson? Why did you select

to share this feedback?

 Is there a way he could have incorporated technology during the small group work? For

example, students could have used Jamboard to share their ideas so all students have an

opportunity.

 As an exit ticket, could he have had students answer the question as a journal response?

The question seemed difficult and complex to be shared as students were walking out

the door, especially with students who may have a lot to say. If technology was

incorporated, Mr. Roth could have students fill it out on Google Classroom.

Technology is such a huge component of our lives in this generation. It is also a great

way to differentiate the lesson especially for students who work better on the computer.

“Teachers often find success when they present the opportunity to use technology in the

classroom” (Drexel University School of Education).

Students also need time to answer high level thinking questions especially like the one

observed at the end of the lesson. Rather than expecting students to answer the question verbally,

Mr. Roth could have allowed students to write or type their answer to give them time. Not all

students can answer higher level thinking question quickly and could use extra time.
 In addition to the constructive feedback that you gave Mr. Roth, how might you suggest

incorporating technology to enhance student engagement?

There are many amazing different ways Mr. Roth could have utilized technology in the

classroom. I would suggest different resources that could have been utilized during the lesson.

For example, he could have posted the summary of the lesson on Google Classroom and

attached Jamboard to it. Students could read online and them share their thoughts on the

Jamboard in their groups. This will increase the amount of student participation in groups and

give students who may be nervous/shy when working in groups a way to share their thoughts

without being uncomfortable.

What additional questions or comments might be appropriate for this post-conference?

I would recognize how amazing his classroom environment is with his students and
comment on how I can see he cares for his students. “Creating a positive relationship with
pupils is among the top priorities of teachers in any educational setting” (Zhou, 2021). Mr. Roth
has done a great job doing this and I feel that his students will be successful because of it.
 References

How to Integrate Technology in the Classroom. (n.d.). Drexel University School of Education.

https://drexel.edu/soe/resources/student-teaching/advice/how-to-use-technology-in-the-

classroom/

OSEP Technical Assistance Center. (2021, July). Positive Greetings at the Door. PBIS.

https://global-uploads.webflow.com/5d3725188825e071f1670246/5e7e3999b3c8b85b50

c80c6f_POSITIVE_GREETINGS_AT_THE_DOOR.pdf

Taylor, L. & Parsons, J. (2011). Improving Student Engagement. Current Issues in Education,
14(1). Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/

Zhou, X. (2021, October 5). Toward the Positive Consequences of Teacher-Student Rapport for

Students’ Academic Engagement in the Practical Instruction Classrooms. Frontiers.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.759785/full