Classroom Setting

Indicators

Examples

Reflection

Classroom Atmosphere:
Teacher- student and studentstudent interactions.

My teacher was a very positive and easygoing

guy. The classroom was set up so that
everything could be accessible. My teacher set
up groups and would go around to each group
and ask them questions to make them think on
there own, and answer any questions if they
had any.
They were set into groups of 3 to 4. All they
need was a pencil. He set up the worksheet with
a teacher (assistant to some of the profound
students) at each section. They would get 15
minuets to complete a worksheet and brought
uno cards out for each section so if they got
done early they could play uno and not just sit
there
I actually know him from football and he is a
very goal oriented man. In the morning he
would say good morning to everyone and
explain to them what the goal of the day or
period was in a very nice and caring way. He
told them exactly how it was going to happen
and prompted them to never give up if it got
hard. The students responded great and did
exactly what he said with no problem
The layout of the classroom was great. It was
very open and spread out. Everything from
waters in the fridge to snacks if need were in
the back. They had 4 round tables to work at
and 3 computers and 2 Ipads

I found that it was great that he did that. I also sat down
at one of the tables and helped each group that came by
on the worksheet that I had, but as a teacher I thought
he did a great job make sure that all the students needs
were taken care of.

Classroom procedures:
Groups, materials, supplies,
transitions, and, routines.

Classroom behavior:
Expectations/rules,
monitoring, and response.

Classroom layout:
Arrangement of furniture,
resources for student use, and
technology integration.

I thought the uno cards idea was great. I noticed that

some of the students that had asbergers would be very
wound up but would complete the worksheets and if I
thought to my self, if those uno cards were not at the
sections when they completed the worksheet that and
other students my get talkative and possibly bother the
other students.
I thought it was great that he didnt treat the students
any different then he would his players, just the tone
and explanation was different. Getting all the student
together in the morning and saying hello and explain
what was going to happen was great because it gave the
student a idea of what to expect and were not just
thrown into the fire.
I thought that the school was a lot nicer then what I
would expect in other schools. The computers were up to
date and Ipads came in very handy. I loved how the
tables were round, so when the students worked in
ground they could all see each other.

Teaching
Indicators
Examples
Reflection
Communication: Learning outcomes, expectations, directions, explanation of content, use of vocabulary.
the outcome of everything was great. He made sure all the kids got it and at the end actually questioned the whole class on the basics of all the
sections
I liked that at the end he questioned the whole class and made sure that they all understood the material. My philosophy was that I wont move on
unless the students know the material so I enjoyed seeing him do that also
Questioning and discussion: Blooms Taxonomy and wait time.
There was no wait time. Everyone was always doing something besides in the explanation.
I liked that everyone was always doing something and nobody was sitting around because when you sit around I feel like you get into trouble.
Student Participation techniques
The students participation was great, they would ask questions and were always working. Some students had designated breaks but that is
different.
I liked the breaks for certain students because I found that some of them couldnt sit still or do one worksheet for more then 15 mins so switching
it up a lot was great
Activities and assignments

They did not receive any assignments in that period for homework to go home but the activities, like I keep saying, were perfect so they did not
get bored
I find myself having to switch things up every so often so I dont get bored either and with the students it was just perfect. They achieved their
goal but just took breaks and learned more
Grouping of students: Whole class, small groups, pairs, individual, etc.
They worked in small groups with another teacher (assistant to the profound student) at each section. While the teacher I observed walked around
make sure it was all good
I like that the assistant was at each table to make sure the students completed the work and didnt get off track
Materials and resources: Primary and secondary sources
The primary source for help was the teacher I shadowed while the assistant teachers could be considered the secondary source

I thought it was great that the teachers had back up through out the class
Pacing: Gaining attention, transitions, reflection, closure, wait time, etc.
He explained to the class what was going to happen and the transition time was that he would set 15 mins per sections and then you would move
until everyone completed all the worksheets
I said it before I found that the 15 minute rotation worked to a T
Improvisation: Making adjustments, flexibility based on the student needs
The way he helped each student was walking around and after made sure they all understood it
I loved him walking around ( sorry I know these are repetitive)

Lesson Planning
Indicators

Examples

Reflection

Concepts, skills,
prerequisites, and
pedagogy

Telling them before the class started was

perfect

Stated it already

Student abilities,
interests, learning
styles, level of
knowledge, culture,
background, and
needs.
Learning outcomes
linked to standards
within and outside of
the discipline that are
able to be assessed
based on a diverse
population of
students.
Classroom Resources
to enhance the
teachers professional
knowledge and
appropriately
challenging student
materials that fit the
learning needs of all
students.
Learning activities
sequentially designed
to engage and
advances students
learning.
Intentionally
organized student
groups created to
support learning.

I found that the students wanted to learn and

had the best intentions always just had trouble
sometimes but myself and the teachers walked
them through it

I love when I see kids wanting to learn

and
not just there to be there. It
seemed like
they wanted to be in
school.

All the students in this classroom were not very

diverse the only difference between some of
the students were their mental states. Some
were moderate and some were severe or
profound. The serve and profound students
had assistants to help them throughout the
day so that was never a problem

This doesnt have to do with the

teaching
ways, but I think that it is
great that in
these classroom
there are specialized
teachers to
help some of the students
because it
would be very tough to manage
all
of the students, especially with a diverse
amount of disabilities.
I do not know if he wrote up all of the
worksheets himself of if he found them
but
I will do the same thing so the
students
have a option of how
they will learn that
day and
hopefully it will be more enjoyable
for
them.

Formative and

The things that I found great were the amount

of options my teacher had for worksheets. The
students were learning about nutrition that day
and he had so many options for the students.

He did not have activities throughout the class

because it would take to long but make sure
the students moved around and changed
things up often was an activity the students
enjoyed.
Two of the students did not get along so he
made sure they were not in the group together
and another student could not maintain focus
on one thing for more then 15 minuets so he
would move them around to make sure that
the student didnt act up.
My teacher was more of a guy that was opened

I felt that my teacher adapted great the

needs of the student. I wish my teacher
helped me the way he helps his
students.
They got the material but it
was long and drawn out.
It is basic knowledge to separate
students
that had a problem with
each other but it
was great that he
recognized that early so
no problem
arose.
I like that he worked to the feelings of

Student interests, culture, and other diversity incorporated

Assessment
Indicators

Examples

Reflection

Criteria expectations

The expectation was that the students would complete the

worksheets he assigned and ask questions if needed

Monitoring student learning

He walked around a lot and at the end asked the students

general questions from the worksheets to see how much
they learned that day

I liked that he was open with the students

and made sure they knew what was
expected of them and that there was no
problem
I really liked that at the end of the day he
asked them the questions to make sure that
they understood what was taught that day.

Feedback: Timely, substantive,

constructive, teacher proximity,
provides guidance.

Everything that day went very smoothly. The students

completed all the work they had that day and the
feedback from it was the questions he asked at the end of
the class
One of the students had a little bit of a meltdown and got
mad at himself and did not want to complete the work so
my teacher went over to him comforted him and helped
him finish and the student ended up being very happy at
the end of worksheet and high fived my teacher

Student participation: Selfmonitoring.

Formative Assessment

Summative Assessment

Grading system: Traditional,

standards-based

One of the formative assessments my teacher used was

that he asked them questions before the work started to
get them thinking and throughout instead of just
answering their questions he would help them work
through it and ask them questions to see if them answer
that specific question.
He never mentioned anything about a summative
assessment so I cannot have a stand on this
The grading system was a little different I think. I do not
think that the students received grades on points because

I know that not all class will go as smoothly

as the one I observed but I thought that the
guidance was great always
I loved that he did not just leave the student
out to dry and helped him through it. I
thought it was great when he high fived him
at the end of the worksheet because it really
showed me that the student was now
confident in the material
Depending on the circumstance,
questioning a question normally annoys me
but in this case I think it very beneficial to
the student because not only does it make
the child think for himself but they
remember it better.
None.

I figured this is how it would be. My cousin

is a special ed teacher and I ask if she

it was a special ed class. a lot of what I saw was more of

life skills and make sure the student could learn more
simpler things

actually grades her students and she says

she does not because it basic life skills
training but she gives the student points
to make sure they feel included in society
and have a feeling of accomplishment.

Teacher Interview
1. What ways do you find yourself reflecting on your teaching practices? For example do you think your conversations with your
colleagues, journal writing, examining student work, conversations with your students, or just thinking about your teaching for the
day? I talk with my students everyday on what they liked and disliked. I pay attention the how they feel through out the lesson and if they
enjoy what I did I do it again.
2. How does reflecting on your teaching practices drive your future instruction?
I make a conscious effort to always keep the kids involved and when I see they enjoy stuff ill add that to my lessons more often. I take a
look how lessons went and if it was not so good I throw that teaching method out and try a different one until the students feel comfortable.
3. What method do you use to keep track of grades and homework completion?
I have a to do folder and a planner. My to do folder I stash all of my things that need to be completed and when I am done with them I
move them to a completed folder. The planner helps me a lot because it reminds me of what is the most important things to do in that to-do
folder.
4. What assessment does the district use to determine a students ability at the beginning of the year and what assessment is used to
determine progress? Do you use any other forms of classroom assessment to determine academic progress?
In special education we use MAP testing 3 times a year. We test them in the fall, winter, and spring. Prior to entering the high school, we
have 8th grade placement testing to give us a further understanding of their abilities. Being a special education teacher with a low
functioning population that I teach, I do a lot of performance based assessments. A pre and post-test is offered for each unit to show
growth.
5. Can you tell me about the Rti process in your school district? What is the process to refer a student for special services?

Based on the students performance in class he/she can be recommended for special education services from prior testing, a general
education teacher, or even a higher level special education teacher.

6. What methods would you suggest for keeping yourself organized? For example what method do you use to keep track of parent
contact, when students turn in permission slips, lunch count, attendance or picture day money?
Make sure that you keep a log. Set a time of when you are going to grade things and when you are done grading them put them in the
grade book right away because you could forget. I noticed that some of the other teachers rubber band the completed none graded
worksheets together so everything is all together. For the slips and money I put them all in a folder and have a list of the students name
inside the folder so when they turn it in I put it in the folder and check their name off the list.
7. How do you keep your students families informed about what is going on in the classroom or with their individual student?
We normally leave that up to the students because they are now in high school. I normally do not call parents unless they it is a must need
(disciplinary or if I am concerned). We have something called skyward, that students can share with their parents so they can see their
grades, attendance, etc. I keep that up to date so parents never have questions really.
8. Do you encourage parental participation and volunteering in your classroom? Why or why not?
No, now that we are in high school I never insist on parents coming in. I have never asked for that I cannot see myself doing that in the
future either.
9. Do you meet with your grade level partners on a regular basis? Do you have collaborative plan time built in your schedules? What
is discussed at these meetings? Is this district or school mandated or do you find time to collaborate yourselves?
In the beginning of the year there is a open house for parents to come and meet me but after that unless I must email them about a concern
or respond to one of there emails I do not have contact with them after that. I do not have collaborative plan time in my schedule. I will
always meet with a parent if they feel the need but I do not regular ask them to come in. this is my second year teaching and I have yet to
have a meeting outside of the open house with parents. The district/ school does not mandate this and feel that the open house is good
enough.
10. What clubs, coaching, or committees are you involves in beyond the school day? Does you district compensate employees for
sponsoring, coaching, or committee membership? Is there a minimal requirement?
I am one of the varsity football coaches, I am a varsity wrestling coach, and I coach sophomore baseball. They do compensate us for hour
time after school and there is no requirement for any of them.
11. Does your administrator solicit feedback from teachers on school initiatives? What kind of initiatives are taking place in your
school right now?

Something big that is being pushed in our school district is the use of social media. Twitter is being used in the classroom and out of the
classroom to communicate to students, faculty, parents, etc.
12. How do you stay current on hot topics in education or best practices?
I do not normally bring current hot topic in to my class because I am a special ed teacher and I work more on life skills with the kids. If it
is a very big story that is overwhelming ill ask the kids if they saw what it was and we will talk about it briefly.
13. Do you attend workshops or participate in professional development activities? What are the most recent ones you have
participated in? I do not attend workshops or anything like that because of my hectic schedule. I do speak with colleges of mine and if I
need assistance of how to handle a situation I ask some of them because they have been here most of the time for 5+ years
14. Are you a member of any professional organizations? If so, which ones?
I am not part of any professional organization.
15. Are you on any leadership teams or are you in charge of any committees? What are your roles on these committees?
I am not in charge of any committees, I am a coach and do not have time to lead other groups.
16. If you knew then what you know now, what advice would you give me?
Do not stress as much as I know you probably are. I went through a lot to get my degree and was not sure if I could do it but the choices I
made in becoming a teacher have been very rewarding
17. What is the most rewarding thing about being a teacher?
I do not see my job as a job I love what I do and I love the kids that I work with. Seeing them learn and progress throughout the year is
something that is not describable in my opinion.
18. What is the most challenging this about being a teacher?
The most challenging part of being a teacher is the meeting and staying on top of the work that you have to do while maintaining a normal
life with your family. I love what I do but sometimes feel overwhelmed and when I do I step back and set goals of what I need to
accomplish and when I need It done by. That always make me feel better about the situation.