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Case Study: Mr. Roth

Joe W. Altmiller

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD-530-O500: Improving Teacher Performance and Self-efficacy

Dr. Beverly Deis

February 8, 2023
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Observation Reflection Questions

Mr. Roth developed a positive rapport with his students as they entered his classroom. He

calls each student by name and has conversations on non-curricular topics, unique to groups of

students. The students spoke freely and were engaged in these short conversations, Mr. Roth

took the time to listen to all the students. Teacher quality is the single most important school-

based factor in student achievement (Childress, 2014).

Mr. Roth classroom was welcoming especially the area of his classroom dedicated to

student created cartoon on the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights. The structured routines to

begin the class continued with bell ringer activity to engage students soon after they were seated.

Those students who were slow to respond to the activity were quietly spoken with and engaged

soon after. Students understood the expectations of Mr. Roth and felt safe in his classroom.

Mr. Roth freely moved about the classroom engaging students, giving them appropriate

time to reflect and respond, work with seat partners, and in small groups. Students reflected and

responded to Mr. Roth as he checked for understanding in each setting as they engaged in class.

Observation Reflection: Differentiation Strategies, Higher-Order Thinking, Technology

Mr. Roth differentiated instruction through partner work and small group activities as

they shared their thoughts and individual opinions. Mr. Roth asked questions throughout the

lesson, checking for understanding as they navigated the lesson together. Using vocabulary

words that were crucial for understanding the reading, Mr. Roth clarified the definitions then

verified understanding by asking the students to provide synonyms to the words. Higher order

thinking was shown by the students as they processed information to solve problems and then

make decisions.
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Technology was absent in Mr. Roth classroom. I have read the case carefully several

times, and I could not pick out times that Mr. Roth used technology. Maybe when he took roll at

the beginning of class if the school uses a student information system. I cannot see how

technology was effectively used in the classroom.

Post Conference Preparation: Questions and Providing Feedback

Descriptive feedback depicts what the observer saw (Bookhart & Moss, 2015). Beginning

the post conference reflecting on the comfort and ease that Mr. Roth welcomed and engaged the

students so effortlessly. Next, I would encourage reflection on how he felt the lesson went. Are

there areas that could be improved?

Several areas of positive feedback could easily be shared with Mr. Roth. Student rapport,

classroom management, and student engagement are strengths of Mr. Roth. Teachers must

establish efficient procedures for the completion of routine tasks, such as taking attendance,

guiding transitions into work groups, distributing, and collecting materials, and handling end-of

–class dismissal (Danielson, 2016). These strengths are evident and on display during the lesson.

Furthermore, the flow and pace of his class matched the learning needs of his students.

Constructive feedback for Mr. Roth could have created the small groups into groups with

the design to further the learning of all students in the classroom. Predetermining these groups

would allow Mr. Roth to group students with varying strengths. This could enhance all students'

overall success in the classroom. While I would enjoy answering the exit ticket question Mr.

Roth posed; I am not sure it reflects the objective of the lesson. I would ask a reflection question

of Mr. Roth on the cohesion of the exit ticket to the lesson.

Post Conference Preparation: Technology and Additional Comments

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How are you utilizing technology in the classroom to enhance your lessons objectives?

Suggestions for Mr. Roth concerning technology utilization involve several of the components

that I considered positive in reflection with Mr. Roth. A computer hooked to a projector with the

bell ringer posted as the students would provide an opportunity for students to get started as soon

as they were seated. Also, many questions Mr. Roth posed throughout the lesson could have been

posted for the students to review as they reflected on the work.

How are you using your ticket out the door to determine proficiency in the lesson's

objectives? What question or prompt could you have used to have students reflect on the lesson's

objectives? Lastly, I would share with Mr. Roth that spending time reflecting on his classroom

and his students was great fun. I have learned from you today; I am thankful for your expertise in

the classroom.
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References

Brookhart, S. M., & Moss, C. M. (2015). How to give professional feedback. Educational

Leadership, 72(7), 24-30.

Childress, M. (2014). Building teacher capacity. Principal, 93(5), 8-12.

Danielson, C. (2016). Talk about Teaching: Leading Professional Conversations.