SETON HILL UNIVERSITY CLASSROOM OBSERVATION FORM

Student: Mackenzie Longo Teacher: Mrs. Hannah Beno and Mrs. Lisa Wallace (aide)
Grade: 11th and 12th Subject: Environmental Science

1/27/2023
Franklin Regional SHS

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
Describe the classroom environment (seating arrangements, bulletin boards, etc.):

The classroom is composed of all high-top lab desks. Not all of them are fixed to the floor, so
some of them could be moved. Most of the students are grouped in groups of 2-4 at a table, and
the class is rather small, but apparently several students are missing, and a few came in late.
There is no chalkboard in this room (a noticeable difference compared to every other classroom),
and instead has a whiteboard and a Promethean board. There are posters all around the room.

INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY
Describe how the teacher grabs the students’ attention at the beginning of the lesson:

The students started off the lesson by watching a video of a newscast from one of the blizzards in
Buffalo, and then had to answer the question “are you prepared for a blizzard?”. They then had
to come up with an action plan based on if we were to have a monumental snowstorm like so.

Describe the structure of the lesson (pacing, instructional strategies, group work, etc.):

Most of this lesson was very student led. The students filled out an action plan and their
materials needed. They then shared out a bit more ideas as well as worked together to generate
more ideas. The ideas were things that they discussed as a class before putting them on the
board. There were some outlandish suggestions made, so those were talked through as well. This
was a shortened class period because of an assembly this afternoon, so students were a bit
rushed. In a normal class, they likely would’ve gotten through the whole sheet.

Describe how the teacher ends the lesson:

Mrs. Beno allowed the students to finish their brainstorming, and then started to introduce the
second half of the worksheet, which was sorting their needs into things at home for a shelter in
place, things in a vehicle if you were to get stuck there, and a “go bag” for evacuation orders.
Describe the teacher’s style of classroom management:

The teacher has a very laid-back style. She will call students out if they’re talking excessively,
but she allows them to continue talking as long as it’s still on topic (to an extent). She didn’t
police if students were on their phones but was able to engage students who were generally
disinterested because of her teaching style.

Describe how the teacher uses formative or summative assessment:

The teacher will collect the assignment after is it completed on Monday. The students also have
an upcoming unit exam on weather, so they will use this as a way to make new connections to
the real world.

Describe how the teacher incorporates technology:

The students watched a video to begin the class, and then used the Promethean board like a white
board. The teacher used a stylus to write everything out, and then would just click a button to
delete. No personal technology was utilized.

REFLECTION
If you had the chance to teach this lesson, what changes would you make? What would you
keep the same? How would your use of instructional, classroom management, or assessment
strategies differ? How would these changes enhance student learning?

If I had a chance to lead this lesson, I would have probably given a bit more structure to it. I also
would have asked students the inquiry question (are you prepared for a blizzard?) before
showing them the video. I felt like the brainstorming was somewhat repetitive, so I would have
provided more guidance there. Otherwise, I loved the connections the assignment allowed!