Faculty Observation

1. Faculty Observation By: Dr. Gary R. Carlson Vice President Academic Affairs

2. Purpose • Observation of a faculty member gives the current instructor feedback with reinforcement to their role as an instructor. • It provides the faculty member an opportunity to recognize the need for further development in their teaching styles and methodology. • It gives the college’s school administration the opportunity to reconfirm the mission of the college is being met. • It assures students they are receiving professional instruction under a professional educational environment. • It maximizes the possible potential of all instructors and students through the recognition of learning styles in each classroom.

3. Planning an Observation • Review the lesson plans of past classes and the next three classes. • Plan to visit the class in one of the three future classes. • Meet with the instructor prior to the classroom visit to orient you with the class to be visited. • Question instructor on the learning styles of their students. • Prepare observation sheets prior to entering classes with names and instructor with attendance class list.

4. Initial Observations • Be present at the class prior to the students coming into the room to observe instructors customer service with students as they enter the room. a. Instructor should know students by first name. b. Instructor should greet each student. c. Instructor should be at the entry door at the time students enter the class.

5. Observations • Instructor should cover any announcements pertaining to college activities or up coming events with extra curricula events. • Class should begin on time with today’s class goals and objectives on the board. • Today’s assignments on the board and next weeks due assignment on the board. • Instructors name on the board and their availability by office hours, email or phone with email address or phone number.

6. Observation • Instructor reviews past weeks objectives and ask if there are any questions. • Introduction to the new lesson in today’s class. • Instructor will outline methods that will be used to approach the class objectives for the class time. (Small groups, Large Group, Team Partners, media usage, Q&A, presentations, Etc.)

7. Classroom Environment • Room Temperature • Lighting • Organization • Pre-preparation for class activity • Neatness • Windows (blinds and clean) • No distractions in room

8. Instructor • Business like • Welcome • Caring • Voice tone • Energy level • Classroom focus (on whole class or on individuals, sections of the room?) • Lesson Plan delivery with a. intro b. lesson c. closing d. next week promotion to the next exciting learning opportunity

9. Instructor • Appearance (Business Like) • Class start time and end time • Record the number of teaching methodologies used in the classroom for different learning styles. • Observe disciplinary actions if necessary. • Student and Instructor interactions

10. Faculty Observation Worksheet • Share with faculty • Use when observing faculty • Summarize when meeting with faculty after visit. • Recommended improvements and possible online courses in SABA.

11. The Instructor as a Person • Caring • Fairness and Respect • Interactions with Students • Enthusiasm • Motivation

12. Caring • Exhibits active listening • Shows concern for students’ emotional and physical well-being • Displays interest in and concern about the students’ lives outside school • Creates a supportive and warm classroom climate

13. Fairness and Respect • Responds to misbehavior on an individual level • Prevents situations in which a student loses peer respect • Treats students equally • Creates situations for all students to succeed • Shows respect to all students

14. Interactions with Students • Maintains professional role while being friendly • Give students responsibility • Knows students’ interests both in and out of school • Values what student say • Interacts in fun, playful manner; jokes when appropriate

15. Enthusiasm • Shows joy for the content material • Takes pleasure in teaching • Demonstrates involvement in learn activities outside school

16. Motivation • Maintains high-quality work • Returns student work in a timely manner • Provides students with meaningful feedback

17. Dedication to Teaching • Possesses a positive attitude about life and teaching • Spends time outside school preparing • Participates in collegial activities • Accepts responsibility for student outcomes • Seeks professional development • Finds, implements, and shares new instructional strategies

18. Reflective Practice • Knows areas of personal strengths and weaknesses • Uses refection to improve teaching • Sets high expectations for personal classroom performance • Demonstrates high efficacy

19. Classroom Management • Uses consistent and proactive discipline • Establishes routines for all daily tasks and needs • Orchestrates smooth transitions and continuity of classroom momentum • Balances variety and challenge in student activities • Multitasks • Is aware of all activities in the classroom • Anticipates potential problems • Uses space, proximity, or movement around the classroom for nearness to trouble spots and to encourage attention

20. Organization • Handles routine tasks promptly, efficiently, and consistently • Prepares materials in advance; ready to use • Organizes classroom space efficiently

21. Disciplining Students • Interprets and responds to inappropriate behavior promptly • Implements rules of behavior fairly and consistently • Reinforces and reiterates expectations for positive behavior • Uses appropriate disciplinary measures

22. Importance of Instruction • Focuses classroom time on teaching and learning • Links instruction to real-life situations of the students

23. Time Allocation • Follows a consistent schedule and maintains procedures and routines • Handles administrative tasks quickly and efficiently • Prepares materials in advance • Maintains momentum within and across lessons • Limits disruption and interruptions

24. Teacher Expectations • Sets clearly articulated high expectations for self and students • Orients the classroom experience toward improvement and growth • Stresses student responsibility and accountability

25. Instruction Plans • Careful links learning objectives and activities • Organizes content for effective persentation • Explore student understanding by asking questions • Considers student attention span and learning styles when designing lessons • Develops objectives, questions, and activities that reflect higher and lower level cognitive skills as appropriate for the content and the students

26. Instructional Strategies • Employs different techniques and instructional strategies, such as hands-on learning • Stresses meaningful conceptualization, emphasizing the student’s own knowledge of the world

27. Content & Expectations • Sets overall high expectations toward improvement and growth in the classroom • Gives clear examples and offers guided practice • Stresses student responsibility and accountability in meeting expectations • Teaches meta-cognitive strategies to support reflection on learning progress

28. Complexity • Is concerned with having students learn and demonstrate understanding of meaning rather than memorization • Holds reading as a priority • Stresses meaningful conceptualization, emphasizing the student’s knowledge of the world • Emphasizes higher order thinking skills in math

29. Questioning • Questioning reflects type of content, goals of lesson • Varies question type to maintain interest and momentum • Prepares questions in advance • Uses wait time during questioning

30. Student Engagement • Attentive to lesson momentum, appropriate questioning, clarity of explanation • Varies instructional strategies, types of assignments,, and activities • Leads, directs, and paces student activities

31. Homework • Clearly explains homework • Relates homework to the content under study and to student capacity • Grades, comments on, and discusses homework in class

32. Monitoring Student Progress • Targets questions to lesson objectives • Thinks through likely misconceptions that may occur during instruction and monitors students for these misconceptions • Gives clear, specific, and timely feedback • Re-teaches students who did not achieve mastery and offers tutoring to students who seek additional help

33. Responding to Student Needs & Abilities • Suits instruction to students’ achievement levels and needs • Participates in staff development training • Uses a variety of grouping strategies • Monitors and assesses student progress • Knows and understand students as individuals in terms of ability, achievement, learning styles and needs

34. Red Flags! • Positive Qualities • Ineffective Qualities

35. Positive Qualities • Assumes ownership for the classroom and the students’ success • Uses personal experiences as examples in teaching • Understanding feelings of students • Communicates Clearly • Admits to mistakes and corrects them immediately • Thinks about and reflects on practice • Displays a sense of humor • Dresses appropriately for the position • Maintains confidential trust and respect • Is structured, yet flexible and spontaneous • Is responsive to situations and students’ needs • Enjoys teaching and expects students to enjoy learning • Looks for the win-win solution in conflict situations • Listens attentively to student questions and comments • Responds to students with respect, even in difficult situations • Communicates high expectations consistently

36. Ineffective Teaching • Believes that teaching is just a job • Arrives late to school and class on a regular basis • Has classroom discipline problems • Is not sensitive to student’s culture or heritage • Expresses bias (positive or negative) with regard to students • Works on paperwork during class rather than working with students • Has students complaining what is going on in the classroom • Uses inappropriate language • Demeans or ridicules students • Exhibits defensive behavior for no apparent reason • Is confrontational with students • Lacks conflict resolution skills • Does not accept responsibility of what occurs in the classroom

37. Next Webcast Lessons Classroom Management and Organization Organizing and Orienting for Instruction Implementing Instruction Monitoring Student Progress and Potential Subject Specific Qualities Mathematics Instruction and Tutoring