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Assessment 1: Observation and Critical Reflection Report

Name: Mahra Mohammed Ahamed Alhebsi

ID:2023204

Managing Classrooms and Promoting Learning in Secondary Schools

(EDUSC2)

AY 2023/24 Trimester 1

Lecturer: Dr Sarah Mead Jasperse

Date:1.10.2023
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Phase 1: Pre-Observation Meeting
Phase 2: Observation
o Lesson planning
o Classroom presence, posture, relationships and communication skills
o Classroom interactions
o Activities and Tasks
o classroom management and sustaining a positive, safe and inclusive classroom environment

Phase 3: Post-Observation Meeting

Recommendations and implications for your future practice as a teacher
Conclusion
Reference
Appendix
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Introduction

classroom observation is a document that measures a teacher's teaching performance

(Twinkl. (n.d.-b). The main objectives of observation are understanding of the social and

cultural dynamics of different classroom environments, including critical analysis of self-

management, and responsibilities of teachers and students. Provided that, I have visited Al

Ghub secondary girls school. And, the school-based mentor is Miss Sana Alhebsi a math

teacher of three sections in grad 8. In this essay, I will share the observation notes for math class

grade 8/1. supporting it with evidence of a positive and engaged learning environment.

Moreover, model(s) used for managing behavior.

Phase 1: Pre-Observation Meeting

In this phase, the pre-observation meeting means “meeting with teachers before

you conduct observations in their classes that will help you determine the focus and

purpose of the observation” (2017). The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss the

learning objectives for the class to be observed. The lesson plan that was discussed

contains two objectives. The school-based mentor said to review the skills needed to

support students in achieving the lesson goals “. The skill needed in this class is to find

the area of the square. Miss “Sana Alhebsi” shared the wrap-up activity between the

groups. It covers the first goals of the lesson. In this lesson teaching strategies are

discussion and the practices to be used were the exercises in the schoolbook. In this

meeting, we discussed the needs of learners in this lesson which were connecting the area

of square with root square, and students trying to solve book exercises.
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Phase 2: Observation

Lesson planning:

The lesson began, and the teacher checked the online assessment, (Alef

Education). The wrap-up activate group between group were started as shown in figure

1 to analyze the outcome. Students in this stage behave appropriately were listen to the

teacher's instruction because “they have a positive relationship with the teacher and like

the teacher” Levin, J. & Nolan, J.F.(2010). Indeed, a teacher in this class for group

activities uses a reinforcement method as shown in figure 2 to increase students'

engagement in group activities. it is positive reinforcement which means each group had

a card call (Reward card) when the group wins 10 points they can choose the gift. After

this activity, the objective was clear and on board. The teacher used the whiteboard

strategies to measure the students understanding. Each student has their own board to

solve math problems, Teacher used this tool for individual learning.

Classroom presence, posture, relationships and communication skills:

Throughout the lesson teacher changed two students’ seats because she realized

that one student couldn’t see the board as well, and she checked if her voice was

suitable. furthermore, Students solve the exercise and the instructor corrects it. The

teacher had a positive relationship when communicating with students. While Miss Sana

moving around one student complained that she didn’t understand today’s lesson. She

was mad because the teacher had changed her seat. However, the teacher was very calm

and she called her to the board to explain. In my point of view teacher was ignoring the

inappropriate behaviour of this girl because this girl wanted to get the teacher’s
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attention.

In this classroom, I observed that the teacher is able referent authority. Although,

she teaches the class for the first time but, she tries to memorise their names “One of the

major ways to develop referent authority is learning the names” (2023),

Classroom interactions:

The classroom was divided into groups each containing 3 girls with

different levels. This is divided depending on the quiz score. The teacher encouraged

students by correcting their books and putting on happy faces as shown in figure 2. Girls

that solved all correctly get stars after fully the table. She will have the gift. In this case,

teachers were applied reward authority. In my opinion, this method of authority is the

most effective in students behave and achievement. In this classroom, student’s

interaction and active

Activities and Tasks:

(Alef Education): its educational platform that contains plenty of activities and

tasks. it includes multiple videos that explain each lesson. After the teacher finishes

explaining the lesson. Students solve the book exercise. She moved around and

corrected the solution. Miss Sana prefers to do activates during first-period lectures for

students to analyze the learning objectives or when conclude to review or check

understanding. Teacher Emotions and Classroom Management:Teacher Emotions and

Classroom Management: Managing the Self “Prioritizing the teacher’s self-regulation

and management of emotion .Includes statements, body language, facial expressions”.In

this lesson teacher were managing the emotion of body language, facial expressions to
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all student no matter what they are say or doing .she remains regulated and calm.

Classroom management and sustaining a positive, safe and inclusive classroom environment:

From my perspective, the most important self-management area in classroom is the time

management. Thus, the class duration is 45 minutes to achieve all pre-planned

objectives. An example of this is when students keep asking to go to the restroom this

behavior interrupts the progress of the lesson which were wasting time. The educator

doesn’t allow students to go while she explains a math problem, miss sana said if you

want to go first listen and then solve the exercises on board. This results in increasing

effective time manging in class and reducing interrupting lessons. According to Miss

Sana, in the future students will request to go to the restroom only for necessary.

Another example that is, the teacher was recording the attendance using paper rather

than, online attendance taking in the “AL baweeb” it is slow in processing.

Following to another self-management area is decision-making, there was a

diagnostic test from the Ministry of Education. but Miss Sana was planning a lesson.

This kind of test are must for students. Fortunately, the internet connection was poor,

and the lesson was teaching. Decision-making is the ability of solving the issue and

address the problem. Those types of problems are

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Phase 3: Post-Observation Meeting:

In this phase, the mentor teacher and I were meeting after the class observation to

explore the thinking, practical wisdom, and behavior management set of practices

employed during the lesson.

This meeting was in the library, we discussed several topics as I will mention in the

following points:

1. We organize the schedule

2. we discussed lesson progress, and what I had observed. Miss Sana explained her

teaching style. And how she is dealing student student-specific behaviors, like

students talking through the lesson. She prefers to not mention that, just distribute

them into groups.

3. I suggested for my school baes mentor to give me, Extracurricular Classes. She

agreed to organize one class. She gives me advice about how to manage a

classroom for each level.

4. Miss Sana Alhebsi is the leader of the innovation club at Alghub School. I was
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very interested in joining the club, because in the higher college of technology. I

was an active member of this club. so, both of us discussed innovative ideas that

will improve the Culp and will attract students to engage.

5. Then I marked the student’s homework and put nots: solution steps, and book

arrangement.

Recommendations and implications for your future practice as

a teacher

To help improve the practice as a teacher in the future, the following

Recommendations are proposed:

1.The class duration is a little bit short for the teacher to achieve all pre-planning

objectives. so, in the future, I wish they add 20 minutes in math class because math lesson

requires more time to explain.

2.The classroom contains 30 students which is stressful and sometimes out of control.

even though, there are differences in the class. Hence, reducing the number of students in each

class will increase the effectiveness of the teacher and the engagement of students.

3.This school uses different lesson plan platforms in Excel Microsoft. In general, it is

complicated and time-wasting.

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Conclusion

To sum up, classroom observation is a technique for recording the teacher's performance.

it is an essential part that the interns get the most out of their work placement experience. it will

improve their performance in future practice as a teacher. This one session observed of the

mentor teacher teaching allowed me to view the positive interaction between teacher and

students. Teachers have multiple authorities that can be applied to control student behavior as

discussed in this report. On the other hand, some students in secondary school attitude were out

of teacher controlled.
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References

Pre-Observation Meeting in Teacher Coaching. (2017, October 18). Retrieved from

https://study.com/academy/lesson/pre-observation-meeting-in-teacher-coaching.html.

Levin, J. & Nolan, J.F. (2010). Principles of classroom management. A professional

decision-making model (6th ed.). Pearson Education.

Classroom management and discipline. Authority/Power - Classroom

Management and Discipline. (n.d.).
https://tdegeneffe.weebly.com/authoritypower.htm l
What is classroom observation? - answered - twinkl teaching wiki. Twinkl. (n.d.-b).
https://www.twinkl.ae/teaching-wiki/classroom-observation
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Appendix

Figure 1: Group activity to discover the objective of the lesson Figure 2: positive reinforcement between groups

Figure 3: Reward Authority