Of all of the weeks that we've had this year, this one seemed to be the longest. I know, how can that be? Each one is 5 days, and has the same amount of instructional time, so what gives? I seemed to have an abundance of things on my plate this week.
We kicked it off with our grading system going live to parents on Monday. Our district is using a system where you enter events (i.e. Chp 1 Main Idea Assessment; Current Events #1) under particular academic areas so that parents can progress monitor along with you. In the end, this makes report cards easier because the information that you kept in Excel (at least that is/was me) goes directly into the grading sheet. I like it, for the most part. The downside is when a parent who is accustomed to seeing a 3 (at standard) or 4 (exceeding standard), seeing a variance in the scoring. The information going to parents at conferences, and other times, is that getting a 2, 3, or 4, doesn't necessarily equate to their grade for the semester. It is one instance, a snapshot if you will.
Beyond that, I had two observations this week. I hosted some administrators from the district on a learning walk on Tuesday, and then had my formal observation later in the week. In each instance I felt pretty good, but had a little case of nerves. Kids are one thing, adults who are evaluating your teaching (even though Tuesday wasn't truly an eval, it still felt like it) is another. So there was that!
Lastly, kids know what is happening when principals and other adults are in the room. Often there is a tendency to try to be perfect, or something like it. The focus required in those cases can be difficult to maintain, and it felt a little like they exhaled soon thereafter... and got a little wiggly. Alas, today's reading check-in assessment (main ideas, supporting details, summary) worked out well and it appears (from a casual glance) that we're turning the corner.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI am a soon-to-be-teacher and I love reading your blog. Your perspective on the kids’ tendency to be perfect during observations was very interesting. I haven’t been observed yet, but I always worried that the kids would suddenly become disruptive. Still you raise a really good point. While some of the kids try to be ‘extra good’ since, like you said, they know what’s going on, as a teacher you take the risk that they won’t be concentrating or engaging enough in your lesson. I know someone who is a fifth grade teacher. She always tells me that her students always behave perfectly while she’s being observed (without her telling them to). To an observer though, how is this viewed? I imagine if the students are too busy trying to be perfect (which in their minds means quiet), this can harm not only the teacher’s observation, but also their learning. What steps did you take to get them further engaged, even though their own comfort level may have been shaken up by the ‘stranger’ in the room?
I am not sure how it is viewed. I think the kids who have a tendency to be off-task will be a little less off-task when observed, assuming your teaching is engaging. Everyone knows the elephant in the room, and unless your typical at-standard kiddo is disengaged, it isn't much of an issue. The challenge is ensuring that the off-task kiddos are with you when you engage in whatever strategy or content you're teaching. If not, you're screwed... and that sticks out like a sore thumb.
ReplyDeleteIt's refreshing to read that you're a second year teacher (relative newbie) and still feel a bit nervous when being observed. I'm student teaching this year and have quite a bit of anxiety over my observations. I've been reflecting over lessons taught for observation lately. Do you find yourself teaching a "safe" lesson (one you feel like you have a solid grasp on)? Or do you teach a lesson right at the edge of your comfort zone (not something brand new, but something you've been working toward maybe)? I'm trying to reconcile my feelings on observations and my nerves!
ReplyDeleteHmm. The most important part is seeing where you are in your instructional sequence. What is coming up, and what might be observable from your admin. You also want to make sure you have a balance of engaging content, and strategies- ie. challenging work coupled with strategies that allow students to work collaboratively to demonstrate understanding. Ultimately your goal is two-fold: student success and a positive review. It is part of the process. I wouldn't necessarily try out a new strategy during an observation because of the difficulty in getting those things rolling.
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