Observation Checklist

I. Activity Objectives

  1. The teacher states the goals/objectives of the learning activity.
  1. The teacher mentions other STS classes, newsletter and free tech support via email.

II. Teacher Interaction:

  1. Teacher provides learners with support and guidance (scaffolding) to help the learner arrive at the correct answer or to complete a task:
  2. i.When first learning a new activity or new information, the teacher provides learners with support and guidance. This guidance can include prompts (direct and indirect) and questions which help learners to complete the activity or the arrive at the correct conclusion.
  3. As learners master a task, the teacher slowly removes the guidance s/he has provided, until students are able to do the activity on their own.
  1. When learners are having problems recalling information, the teacher provides the students with cues or questions that help the student to arrive at the correct answer.
  1. The teacher provides feedback about student performance after activities and other measurements.

d. Professionalism:

  1. Appearance
  2. Language
  3. Interaction with students

III. Use of Various Learning Strategies

a.Teacher uses novelty, engages the learner’s curiosity, or challenges what the learner thinks is the truth to "grab" the learner's attention. (Gaining attention)

  1. The teacher presents information in an organized manner (such as using concepts maps or outlines).
  1. The teacher emphasizes relationships between new and old content.
  1. The teacher asks learners to remember information that they have previously learned (general knowledge or information learned in a previous lesson) when covering a new topic.
  1. The teacher emphasizes the most important aspects of the lesson (for example: handouts and notes have the most important topics bold, italicized, circled, or underlined; during lectures the teacher may verally note which concepts that are important).
  1. The teacher uses activities, tests, reviews, or applications that focus on student's demonstrating what they have learned. (These activities help students practice recalling the information they have learned.)
  1. The teacher tries to make the information meaningful to the learner. (For instance, when teaching basic math, a teacher could make the problem about adding and subtracting money or adding and subtracting candy to make the lesson meaningful to students).
  1. Encourages class participation.