Structured Classroom Observations

Structure Observations: These observations will be completed by the due dates given in the course calendar. Be sure to observe a variety of teachers, both from within your content area and from others. Get suggestions on whom to observe from your supervisor, department chair, administrator, or school site mentor.

Make arrangements with the teacher you are to observe well ahead of time. Find out what day, class period works for them. Ask if there is any particular place you should sit or if they think there is any specific part of the lesson or class that may be of interest.

Classroom teaching is a complex enterprise, with a very large number of interacting variables at play. Because of this, classroom observation becomes highly challenging. The first thing you have to do -- if you are going to avoid the trap of dealing only in vague generalities ("nice lesson", "it went smoothly", and such) — is acknowledge that complexity. The next step is to realize that you will have to isolate one or two variables (at most) and focus primarily on these. During another observation you can always focus your attention on a different subset of variables.

You will complete three observations:

  • Observation 1: Mapping and Management
  • Observation 2: Classroom Questioning
  • Observation 3: Curriculum and Learning

1. Observation I (Mapping and Management)

Map of The Room: Draw a map of the classroom. Mark the path traveled by the teacher. Be sure to make some notes on how much time is spent in various locations and what is generally happening at that time.

Questions to address:

  1. How is the room arrangement (or is it not) conducive to learning?
  2. What kind of a learning environment is it?
  3. What "signs" do you see in the room that the curriculum is taught & learned here?
  4. How comfortable is the learning environment?
  5. How does the seating arrangements contribute to the learning (or not)?
  6. What does what you see in the room tell you about what usually happens there?
  7. How valid are your inferences?
  8. How does the teacher’s physical location affect (or not) the discipline and management of the classroom?
  9. What things does the teacher say or do to establish the "tone" of the classroom?
  10. What factors contribute to making the classroom an effective learning environment?
  11. If an "event" occurs -- how did it develop?
  12. What did the student(s) do? What did the teacher do? Not do?

Observation II: Classroom Questioning

Questions can be a key tool used by teachers to facilitate learning in the classroom. But to make use of this vital tool we must understand how questions and the use of specific question types impact the learning process.

Questions for you to consider in the use of classroom questions:

  1. What types of questions were asked?
  2. By whom? Who responds? How often?
  3. Were they of variable difficulty?
  4. What happens to the responses of the students? Responses of the teacher?
  5. What were the uses of questions?
  6. in instruction: recall data/facts;
  7. establish the student's background of information;
  8. focusing instruction;
  9. summarizing;
  10. to arouse interest;
  11. to increase student involvement; curiosity;
  12. to punish; to embarrass;
  13. to evaluate .
  14. Notice the use (or lack of use) of "Wait Time". How did this affect the student responses?
  15. How did these question patterns impact student learning in the lesson?

Tasks for you to complete:

  • Create a chart or some other informative way to display the data;
  • Write a short summary of your observations; what patterns did you notice?
  • List at least three (3) inferences based on your observations. How was learning impacted in this classroom by the use of questions?

Observation III: Curriculum and Learning

"Developmental flow" of the lesson: What components are present, and what is their sequence of occurrence?

For example:

  • lesson usually begins with some sort of introduction, the aim of which frequently is to motivate, or to "grab" the students' interest.
  • early in the lesson, one often attempts to provide a sense of direction; aims of the lesson; focus for what will follow; objectives.
  • lesson activities are sometimes interspersed with "summaries"
  • at end of activities, does the teacher summarize (overall summary)?
  • does the teacher do something to find out how well students have learned the material of the lesson? (lesson "appraisal")
  • assignments and/or "enrichments" are often used to round out the lesson; some teachers use some sort of a "generalizing experience" which helps students to broaden their understanding of a concept or skill.

Your tasks for this observation:

  • What was the teacher’s lesson plan based on your observation (do not ask for a copy)? What was the curriculum goal for today?
  • How did the teacher know that the goals were being met? What adjustments were made to the lesson as it progressed?
  • What was your interpretation of the learning and the lesson?