Teacher: xxxxxxxx Class: Year 10 Date: 20/ 08/12 P.3 Subject: Science Observer: S.Cooney LESSON OBSERVATION FORM

KEY AREAS OBSERVED (Highlighted in yellow) Observer comments Teacher ObSERVed Reflections ......

1. Goals and purpose
(√ ) Teaching to current syllabus/schemes.
√ Aims and objectives are made explicit, and are
appropriate for students and syllabus etc.
√ Context: The relevance and importance of the
objectives are stressed persuasively. Links are
made to previous lessons or related learning.
√ Resources are at hand as required. / L.O Understand what environmental factors affect life?
S.C List environmental factors that affect life
Identify how each environmental element affects life
Catch Co2
Predict outcomes
Make yoghurt
2. Planning
√ Active learning: The lesson requires students
to actively apply or develop the learning
objectives.
√ An effective plan: well paced, varied, active
challenging and logically structured lesson.
√ Individual needs are met: tasks appeal to
different learning styles.
√ Methods are appropriate to students, objectives,
and context.
√ Key skills are integrated and developed. /
Lesson is broken up into:
- Teacher led / instruction
- Teacher led reflective questioning
- Whole class brainstorm
- individual response writing
- Student directed group work
3. Content and presentation
√ Content and instructions are explained clearly
at the correct pace, level, breadth, depth, length,
and in a logical order.
√ Presentation is lively, varied and interesting.
√ Subject knowledge of the teacher is sound.
√ Voice is clear and easily heard.
√ Understanding is checked in some way
e.g. by question and answer, test, review. / Understanding is continually checked by the teacher via the use of Surface & deep questioning throughout the entire lesson
ie:
- Who can tell me what a Micro-organism is?
- What environmental factors affect life?
- How does each environmental factor affect life?
- When we made ginger beer, what happened to the bottles?
- How much light is provided in a yoghurt maker?
- Do plants need light?
- Is yeast a plant?
- What’s the food source for making yoghurt
- Why do we put yeast in the yoghurt maker?
- What’s the purpose of water in yoghurt making? / .
4. Atmosphere and relationships
√ Atmosphere is positive, enthusiastic,
purposeful, and warm.
√ Inclusivity: Efforts are made to value and
include all learners.
√ Rapport: Efforts are made to achieve mutual
respect.
√ Student – student relationships are good or
developed.
√ Dignity: Learners are treated with respect and
dignity, especially when they don’t deserve it / Clearly this is a higher ability class who are able to demonstrate higher order learning literacy’s working within groups ie:
- analysing
- predicting
- synthesising
- evaluating
- creativity
Lesson requires students to:
- co-construct knowledge collaboratively
- apply and draw on theoretical concepts and principles taught in previous lesson
in order to solve a problem.

Key areas observed (highlighted in yellow) Observer comments Teacher observed Reflections………

5. The student experience
√ Interest: student interest is sustained.
√ Participation: students engage and stay on
task.
√ Activity: students develop and apply relevant
knowledge and skills. Some of the tasks are high
order and challenging.
√ Check & Correct: learning, and work in
progress is checked and corrected.
√ Praise/rewards for effort, progress, completion
of tasks etc are frequent. Criticism is constructive
and positive.
N/A Weaker students are supported and praised for
effort and the completion of ordinary learning
tasks
√ Able students: are challenged.
√ Cooperation: students have an opportunity to
work in pairs or groups and to support each
other.
√ Creativity: students have an opportunity to take
control, exercise initiative, and make individual
responses. / 11.35am
You begin lesson with a brainstorming activity “What environmental factors affect life”
Student responses demonstrate knowledge and understanding from previous lessons delivered on Micro-organisms / respiration / Mrs Gren
ie:
Food
Temperature
Water
Atmosphere
Growth
Movement
Nutrients
You challenge students understanding through expecting them to apply
- Mrs Gren concepts
- by asking them how does each element affect life?
- responding to previous practical activities – ‘When we made ginger beer what
happened to the bottles? Student responses - ‘fermentation’ ‘release’ ‘respiration’
As students write their responses in their science books you use the opportunity to walk around the room checking / correcting student responses and having individual conversations.
Count-down classroom management strategy is used to bring students to full attention before you move on to each new teaching concept / activity “5..4..3..2..1” Great!!
11.50am
You introduce Problem Solving group activity to class
Aim: to catch CO2 in a balloon
You explain to students that they have 10mins to work through how they are going to do it? You reinforce to students they will need to think about how much sugar, yeast and water they will use in experiment.
Pedagogical literacy’s observed within the group I worked with:
- Ability to work as a team
- Collaborate
- Listen, observe, critque
- Apply aspects of the scientific method
Conclusion formulated by group after x4 experiments...
ie: Using more yeast than sugar produces more CO2
12.15pm
Students are transitioned into next learning activity quickly....“Predicting” .
You probe answers / responses from students by asking what might be the expected outcomes from each element written in table on white board
Food - No Food
Light - No light
Low PH - Neutral High PH
12.20pm
Questioning is used again by teacher to move students onto next focusing activity ‘Making yoghurt’
6. Resources
√ Adequacy: Resources are adequate,
appropriate, effective and up to date.
√ Handouts, board work etc: are clear, well
designed, fit for purpose, and well produced.
Extensive writing of notes unnecessary.
√ A variety of media and methods are used.
√ Safety of the equipment and its use are ensured
√ Classroom is appropriate and well managed
√ Room layout is appropriate and effective / - white board
- Group sets CO2 equipment / ingredients
- Yoghurt Making equipment / ingredients
- student science books
.
7. Achievement of objectives
√ Clarity: learning is summarized, clarified and put
in context.
√ Achievement: Students work is monitored.
Students can demonstrate that learning occurred / Students can demonstrate learning has occurred via....
- verbal responses to questions
- conclusions written from participation in practical experiments
- teacher / student conversations
- independent written responses.
8. Professionalism
√ Timekeeping: teacher arrives and finishes on
time and expects their students to do the same.
√ Dress and manner: are appropriate and
professional. / Key Competencies clearly operating within this science lesson:
Thinking, participating and contributing, relating to others
A well thought out lesson based on application of prior learning principles and concepts.
Thanks S.Cooney (Observer) / .