https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77 Who did you observe and what did you notice about their classroom management? What rules & procedures do they have in place? How do they follow through on rules? How do they use rewards & consequences in class? How is their class set up? What type of activities or movement in class foster a positive environment? en-us 2017-12-04 21:28:19 UTC 2018-02-28 19:54:23 UTC hello@padlet.com bergican1 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213674616 I observed Kathie Sant's first hour science class with 8th graders. I really liked how she had her EQs posted for each grade on the board as well as an overall goal written for the MS. The kids were working independently on coding and it was obvious that they were very engaged, interested, and invested in it. Kathie walked around the room the entire time observing kids work, talking to them, and helping them when needed. Kids love it when you give them the tools to work on their own and take a lot of pride and ownership in their learning when given the opportunity to do these types of activities.  ]]> 2017-12-06 13:16:00 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213674616 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213733351 I observed Bethany Ergican's 8th Hour 8th grade class. I was incredibly impressed by how engaged the students were and how well they all understood the classroom routine. There were plenty of opportunities to check for understanding throughout the lesson. The students were prepping for a test or quiz that was coming up on Thursday. Even though I have not been in a Spanish classroom in nearly 18 years, it was easy to see what the routines of the classroom were based on the students understanding of the expectations of Mrs. Ergican and the their eagerness to participate in the many different activities that she had planned for them. ]]> 2017-12-06 15:08:19 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213733351 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213733877 I did not get to observe Mary Jo these past few days but have been in her room before. Her room is arranged so the students are able to focus, yet be able to collaborate if needed. Her room walls have tips and tools available to the students in case they have "a moment" where they can't remember a key concept. You can see she has a routine that the students know well and they know her expectations for entry to her room. They appear to come to her room knowing exactly what to expect, and that they are there to learn. Her room reflects that learning happens there, and it is very inviting. I intend to use some of her room organization tricks to keep things flowing.]]> 2017-12-06 15:09:14 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213733877 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213738158 I observed Kathie Sant's science classes Tuesday afternoon. The student's were coding. She was very aware of the level of participation of each student. She was leading the student's to solve their own problems. She didn't allow them to give each other answers nor did she just hand out the right answer. The kids were very excited about the activity and seemed to learn without knowing it, the ultimate goal of an excellent teacher!]]> 2017-12-06 15:17:21 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213738158 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213741922 I observed Ginger Hysell and felt like a student again. Her room is filled with energy and her student's were engaged and also excited to work with their project. I loved how she admitted when something wasn't perfect and "tested" the students for what needed changing in their sentence structure. She seriously makes English fun! The different activities kept the students attentive and the lesson fresh. She gave them sample writing ideas for their dream bathroom, items I would love to draw, and generated great creativity in their thought processes. Creativity is a great key to have in any classroom:)

]]> 2017-12-06 15:23:45 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213741922 csimmons24 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213752794 I observed Rich Mansfield's class for his Theology 12 class.  Wow! What an intriguing lesson on subjectivism and the categorical imperative! Richard connected previous lessons on philosophy to this one, and then told students where they would be going next with utilitarianism.  He provided real-world scenarios  for students to apply.  He took a very complex lesson made is understandable for the students.  Additionally, students clearly respect Mr. Mansfield, understanding and adhering to the class rules.  I really enjoyed the lesson and wish I could visit more so I may connect these lessons to what I teach in my classroom.

]]> 2017-12-06 15:43:14 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213752794 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213816661 I observed a Socratic Seminar on THE THINGS THEY CARRIED in Carolyn's AP English 12 class. I am writing hurriedly, but I was impressed by: (i) the students' clear familiarity with the classroom procedure; (ii) the remarkable capacity to remain "on point" throughout the period; and, most especially, (iii) the degree of student engagement and participation. It was a very successful class session.]]> 2017-12-06 17:29:50 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213816661 ghysell https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213864735 I observed Carolyn's English 9 class as they were introduced to iambic pentameter and Shakespearean sonnets.  I loved how she started by activating their prior knowledge  with a game that got them thinking about what they remembered from the day before, and reviewing what other students remembered as well. Students were moving around and using their brains.  She was well-prepared with slides for the front of the room as she talked about the form of the sonnet, and then she got them out of their seats again to make human 'iambic feet'. Throughout the class, Carolyn gave her students physical ways to interact with the information and remember it. At the end of class, she gave an interesting assignment in which they were able  to apply this knowledge and write their own sonnet. I'm going to look for more ways to incorporate movement in my own classroom.]]> 2017-12-06 19:00:25 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213864735 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213895085 I observed Joe Schmidt 1st hour class Tuesday morning.  The student's did a vocabulary for 10 mins . I really like the time table of the class. Mr Schmidt students in groups by numbers broken the play "The Crucible" in sections in groups. When students work in groups with consist engagement. I like exit slip on the google docs an idea that I will steal.

]]> 2017-12-06 20:02:50 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/213895085 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/220937416 It was a great experience observing Vashti's 9th grade geometry class. This is a group that feels like it could be your typical "freshmen" group - lots of great ideas, lots of energy to use. The biggest take away that I had was just how well Vashti made herself available to answer the questions of the student and how much patience she had with those students who were getting frustrated with some of the work. Having not been in a geometry class in nearly 15 years, there was a great deal of vocabulary that was foreign to me, but Vashti was able to explain it in a way that even I could understand.]]> 2018-01-12 12:40:55 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/220937416 bergican1 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/232159299 I observed Zoraya teaching 2nd grade Spanish. I liked how she started class by reviewing today's day, the day tomorrow, yesterday, and the date. I liked her format of reviewing the weather. She had several weather phrases written out and would highlight the ones that the students identified as the weather that day. She then had them talk to a partner about their name, how they were feeling, age, and their favorite animal. They brainstormed a list of favorite animals before the activity which she wrote on the board. The last thing I saw was a song called Veo veo that the students obviously loved and really enjoyed singing. They were very happy and excited about it and it provides good repetition of an irregular verb (I see). ]]> 2018-02-15 21:11:30 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/232159299 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235301945 For my 2nd observation, I went to Vashti Ward's freshman math class. Vashti used hands-on activities to demonstrate a geometry concept. She worked in close proximity with the students and monitored their progress as she walked around the room. Once the students completed the task, she asked them to make inferences based on the task. She scaffolded the lesson by applying this concept to other situations, and the students made those connections. I'm not a geometry person, but Vashti made these concepts easy to understand for the students with kinesthetic activities that students easily applied to written tasks.]]> 2018-02-26 12:12:04 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235301945 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235425702 I observed Mark Howkins in his Social Studies class teaching about the Chinese culture. We actually team taught, dividing the time in half for the period. His teaching style is relaxing and invigorating. The students asked great questions and he pulled up information online to go with the questions and reinforced the material. The students were genuinely interested in the Chinese culture and curious about the lifestyle. I liked how Mark kept them "on task" by going back to the material. He brought contemporary information to them which helped them connect to their own lifestyle.]]> 2018-02-26 15:50:06 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235425702 ksant https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235598747 I observed Carolyn class as I had never seen Socratic Seminar executed successfully. Her students got right into it and were very good at listening to others and taking turns during the discussion.  You can tell that this method is popular with the students. They moved their chairs into a circle facing each other and there was very little wasted time getting started. I was impressed at how they based their discussion on multiple resources from classical text to psychological theory to the practices of the Catholic Church. I can't wait to try to implement this in my classroom. I will have to modify it a bit for the younger students, and do lots of practice and modeling, but I think some authentic ideas and discussion that engages the whole group could result. Great classroom strategy!

]]> 2018-02-26 19:52:26 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235598747 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235662295 I observed Sherrie Styx as part of a team teaching lesson on chinese culture and the history of calligraphy. I very much appreciated Sherrie's preparation prior to teaching her portion of the lesson. She was timely, organized, and very creative in her planning. I was impressed with the way that she introduced the lesson by providing the kids with background knowledge on the definition of calligraphy and the chinese alphabet. Her approach was very energetic and highly personable towards the kids. She made the lesson fun, interesting, and relevant. During the lesson I felt that she scaffolded their knowledge nicely by circulating the room and offering assistance and suggestions when warranted. I was also very impressed with her classroom management style which was very proactive and hands on, she consistently praised each student, reinforced positive behaviors, and maintained a control over her art supplies that she brought to the lesson. ]]> 2018-02-26 22:33:32 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235662295 hkoch1 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235863130 I observed David with his Seventh Grade class. Great classroom management - students knew exactly what they should be doing - warm-up drills, etc. Students were respectful and listened and raised their hands to participate in the discussion.There was lots of movement and energy with these students. Everyone participated and was having fun. This was a very positive, energy filled, 
 safe environment.

]]> 2018-02-27 14:00:01 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/235863130 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236211743 I observed Bethany's 7th grade class.  She greets all her students outside the door, with them responding in spanish.  Her class is very organized and she uses many visuals, both on smartboard and around the room.  The class was preparing for their field trip to a restaraunt (I forgot the name) so they selected the food and drink they were planning on ordering and practiced placing order.  All kids were engaged. She also interviewed a student, asking her questions and student responded in Spanish. Of course my Spanish from classes I took 45 years ago was a LITTLE shaky but I actually could sort of follow along! This is an immersion class, which, for me, makes me really have to pay attention to know what is going on. Bethany is very organized, very patient with her students, and it was fun to sit in on.]]> 2018-02-28 00:20:54 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236211743 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236499233 I observed Joe Schmidt for his 1st hour English/Lit class. Joe was quick to identify off task students and redirect them to the current activity. I watched him use classroom management tricks in this class that I didn't think could work in a high school setting. The class was working on a "stations" type activity where they would stop at various parts of the room and brainstorm about photographs from the 1860s-1890s. Joe specifically structured the activity so that each student was engaged and able to review the work of classmates. It was a great way to get everyone involved and participating.]]> 2018-02-28 16:32:14 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236499233 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236529081 I observed Kris Nuter on Friday,February 23. It was the Chem 10 class first hour.  The goal was on the board in an I can statement. She also has a Saint of the day on her back board.  The students were making molecular models, a hands on activity. They knew their predetermined groups and did not appear to need much help. Kris walked around and checked on their progress, The atmosphere was relaxed,  students knew what was expected of them and they stayed in their seats and did it. I believe this was the second day for this lesson, so I didn't see Kris's preparation with the students but she had obvious done a good job]]> 2018-02-28 17:12:29 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236529081 ghysell https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236624611 I observed Bethany's 6th grade Spanish class.  One of the things I loved the most was the routine she had clearly worked on with her students.  They knew exactly what they were doing as they came into the classroom, and her organization maximized time spent learning.  Having a consistent routine means she doesn't have to spell out directions every time she does something.  A simple reminder was all that was needed.  I noticed that she had all of the tabs she needed for the projector ready. I also had no clue that you could slide tabs around to organize them at the top of chrome. (Bethany, you just improved my life.) In addition to classroom management and routines, I was also looking for ideas to teach vocabulary.  The kids in Bethany's class were learning the countries and capitols of  South America by using a song. Not everything will translate to my class (pun intended), but it would be fun to have the kids make chants/raps that have to include a small set of vocab words, and then jigsaw them to teach one another.  

]]> 2018-02-28 19:29:26 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236624611 https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236629533 I observed a portion of Amber's 2nd hour freshman biology class on photosynthesis. She broke the lesson down into small understandable segments, asked the students to recall what they had previously learned and then guided them to put the pieces together to complete the big picture! She asked the student's to take notes using both words and pictures. She asked for verbal responses from a variety student's and didn't allow the same student to answer repeatedly. Wrong answers were responded to in a respectful manner with, "true, but what else." Her questions were very leading and allowed the students to predict the outcome. It was a very well prepared lesson and the student's were interested and engaged.]]> 2018-02-28 19:37:24 UTC https://padlet.com/bergican1/e57htx22sf77/wish/236629533